CVLT Nation Exclusive
KYLESA – Blood Ceremony – White Hills – Lazer/Wulf
SEATTLE Photo Essay

Text and Photos by Alan Hunter

Things got pretty trippy at Seattle’s Chop Suey Tuesday night. Lazer/Wulf, White Hills, Blood Ceremony, and almighty sludgers Kylesa absolutely destroyed. Before Tuesday I wasn’t too familiar with the mathy, progressive metal of Atlanta’s Lazer/Wulf but they kicked off the show with a loud, thrashy set. A good sign. Next up, NY’s White Hills killed. Their fuzzy, psyched-out, space rock put the crowd in a trance. It was no doubt one of my favorite sets of late. Wicked occult rockers Blood Ceremony have been on my must-see list for some time, so I was stoked to see their name on the bill when Sean first asked if I’d be interested in shooting this show. The resurgence of witch-cult female-fronted occult rock bands (Sabbath Assembly, Jex Thoth, Blood Ceremony, Purson) is a welcome trend. More 1972 than 2013, Alia O’Brien’s soulful vox, jazzy flute, and psychedelic organ captivate and meld well with the the fuzzed-out doom of her bandmates (think Sabbath-meets-Tull).

By the time Kylesa took the stage the venue was packed…big surprise. Paying little attention to how quickly the place was filling up, I slammed my tallboy and pushed my way to the front, squeezing between a few punks, heshers, older psych rock dads, a couple young ladies and a photographer or two – a fairly eclectic crowd proving just how far-reaching Kylesa’s tunes are – where I managed to establish a solid, eardrum-pummeling vantage point. I’m going to say now that Ultraviolet will certainly be at the top of my best of 2013 list and I was stoked to finally hear a number of the sonically adventurous tracks live. To be honest, I don’t really know what I can write about this band’s live show to truly do them justice. Their seamless blend of punk, crust, psych, prog, all-out southern sludge and even a little goth rock is unstoppable…not to mention the thundering dual drummers and Phillip’s theremin-skateboard guitar contraption! My ears were ringing well into the following afternoon. Anyway, pick your poison, throw on some heavy jams, tune out for a bit, and let the pictures be your guide to the madness.