Text & Photos by Adam Murray
Five bands (well, technically four) descended upon Los Angeles on this night like the various strains of flu virus that have been penetrating and violating everyone’s immune systems for the past couple weeks.
Strong Intention ground up a fine blend of grindy punk sludgecore like a batch of fresh n’ oily coffee beans! This was the only band I had been previously unaware of before the show, but by the second song they piqued my interest and brought my ass up front to take a few snaps and listen.
Obliterations boinked and crammed through their set like Black Flag on acid. The level of light on stage was very low, but these dudes made up for it with the amount of energy pumping through their tunes. They shot fireworks of angry juice into the crowd!
A collective bummer moan was shared when Mr. Del Muerte of Nausea (and myriad other L.A. top dogg bands) announced that they had to cancel due to illness. I understand that Mr. Castro is already doing better, however, and residents of Los Angeles will have their next chance to catch Nausea live with Cattle Decap at the Whisky on March 8th.
Cattle Decapitation was a big highlight this evening. They sounded as tight and terrifying as ever in the 8 foot ceilinged upstairs room at Los Globos. 400 metalheads can surely agree that drummer Dave McGraw is rolling with some big guns! Travis Ryan’s vokes were nightmarish, schizophrenic and generally fucked, and guitar and basslines braided around each other and the crowd’s brains like a big bloody friendship bracelet.
Eyehategod took their time setting up, perhaps making sure everyone was nice and saucy before taking the stage (we were). The NOLAns ripped, smashed n’ bashed through 25 years of hits – White Neighbor ;D, Sister Fucker, you name it! I do believe I also heard a new one at some point during the sludge flood!
Since it is impossible to fill the gigantic space that Joey LaCaze left in that band, I would never expect anyone to try. Aaron Hill did his job well by playing the songs as they are recorded on the albums, which by all means sounded great and pounded my noggin into mashed potatoes, but I will miss that special synced improvisation that LaCaze and the boys were generous enough to nail us with time and time again.
If nothing else, Eyehategod are survivors, and the shitshow must go on. You may have heard about the canceled Australian tour. If anyone in L.A. has been weeping in their beers about missing this show, EHG will be pounding the piss out of a couple of disturbingly small venues this weekend – Jan 19th at Five Star Bar and Jan 20th at the Down n Out. Don’t miss out! HUGE propers to Thee Static Age for setting up this monster show, as well as picking up the slack from Australia! Good one dudes!
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