Tag: metal
No Rest ‘Till Knotfest
Alfonso Contreras
November 3, 2015
It came, it went, and it fucking rocked socks off of every color. The festival brought along a roster of respectable new and old school heavy metal, rock, and hardcore bands that entertained the masses from noon into the dark hours of nightfall – and having a couple of highly popular hip hop acts thrown into the mix not only made the entire experience that much better but brought the entire festival in a direction not expected. For an old school metal/hip hop head like myself this was the absolute perfect Pre-Halloween treat! Day:1 The entrance line like at any other festival of this magnitude was as one would expect – long, dirty, drunk, and a show in it’s own right. Luckily for me, I got to stroll in right past the mob of overly excited fans and rolled on in on the Janky Smooth wagon and straight into the VIP/Press check-in area. Quick props to bossman Danny B. for the ultimate hookup. The entry gate was packed with an array of black tees, strange hairdos, and multi-oddball shave jobs. The age range stretched from youngsters and their parents to teens and seasoned heshers. The first day offered up the
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High on Fire: Metal Madness at The Echoplex
Danny Baraz
August 4, 2015
With a massive swell of approval around the release of their 7th studio album, Luminiferous in June, High on Fire was booked by FYF Presents at The Echoplex this past Friday. It was the second stop on a headlining tour that stretches through to the end of August- Pallbearer, Lucifer and Venomous Maximus joined them. I was torn between this show and Stiff Little Fingers playing the last ever punk show at The House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. Ultimately, I never really liked the House of Blues and it’s corporate vibes and bad parking. Since I saw Stiff Little Fingers a couple times at the end of 2014, I decided I would go see a sick Metal lineup at an independent venue that has it’s finger on the pulse of music. Bye Bye, House of Blues. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out. I made it into the Echoplex with enough time to order a drink before Pallbearer took the stage. The venue was completely sold out. There were metal heads as far as the eye could see. I cruised by the merch booth, which was moved to a space in the back of the
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FYF Presents Head Wound City at The Echoplex: Pretty Boy Hardcore
Danny Baraz
June 29, 2015
When I think of metal bands I have loved throughout history, I think of mullets, Dungeons and Dragons, short busses, bad hygiene and full rooms, void of any feminine presence. My how times have changed. On Friday night, FYF Presents continued to display why they are one of the most diverse talent bookers in town when “super group”, Head Wound City played The Echoplex along with Loma Prieta and Crime Desire. Today’s Metal, no less intense in it’s impact, yet the crowd was filled with beautiful people and so was the stage when Head Wound City played their set. Grindcore, mathcore, thrashcore, noise rock, and noisegrind. Call it what you will but it all stems from Thrash/Speed Metal. There were no soccer moms wearing Slayer t-shirts in the 80’s and 90’s but now, H & M actually have a line of clothing that features bands like Slayer and Metallica on them. I wonder if those particular consumers know that Slayer stands for Satan Laughs As You Eternally Rot. Metal has evolved into many things, most of which I’m not a fan of but Justin Pearson along with his label, Three One G are one of the most creative group of musicians
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Faith No More Wind Up The Wiltern on Opening Night
Danny Baraz
April 24, 2015
Words: Danny Baraz Photos: Dirt Junior If I HAD to list one musical influence that could encapsulate my love of listening to, creating, performing, critiquing and obsessing on music, without hesitation or pause, I would tell you Mike Patton. Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, Tomahawk, and Lovage. His dynamic vocals, the musicians he plays with, the uniqueness of his sound, his twisted lyrics and commentary and the prolific nature of his creative output are everything I aspire to as an artist and the measuring stick to which I compare all others. To say I am a bit biased on this subject would be an understatement. Faith No More were a part of a musical awakening for me and were also the gateway to discovering my favorite Mike Patton fronted band, Mr. Bungle. I was 14 years old when Faith No More’s, The Real Thing was released. I had never yet and still to this day, heard anything like it. You can imagine the excitement and trepidation I experienced when a new Faith No More tour and album were announced last year. Last night, Faith No More played the first of 3 sold out shows at The Wiltern. I was
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