This show had both types of music: Metal AND DooM. I'm pretty sure Fukrot opened, but I didn't catch their set.
Black Cobra is a 2-piece (guitar/drums), but that didn't impede the heaviness - the guitarist was playing through a full stack PLUS a bass cabinet, and I'm pretty sure he was splitting his signal and using the Crate Powerblock to power the bass cab. In any event, the bass frequencies were fully taken care of. Their sound reminded me a lot of SLEEP in many ways - mostly during the slower tempos. When they sped things up some, they were more metallic and borderline thrashy. Not to overuse the Matt Pike connection, but it actually sounde a lot like Pike's current project, High on Fire. Veering between these two extremes, Black Cobra demonstrated both technical proficiency and groove. A bassist would have added a bit of interplay and countermelody, but then they would have had to split the $$ three ways. What can I say? I liked 'em enough to pick up the CD AND the T-shirt.
Locals 500 were up next. They were a trio for a long time, but now they are a quartet, with the bassist/vocalist having switched to guitar. They applied their usual hyperactive energy to their postpunk Metal tunes - very focused and aggressive, no-frills stuff. Once again, they played their last song "ever." I think I recall hearing that before - actually, a few times...
DooM-mongers Acid King have been around for awhile - long enough to see bands that they inspired become more successsful than themselves. They've been working with Black Cobra this entire tour, and were sharing gear - the aforementioned Black Cobra guitar rig was split between Lori & the bassist, and I'm pretty sure it was the same monstrous drum kit the drummer was smashing on, as well. Acid King brought the serious DooM grooves with them, executing them with high precision at low speed (harder to do than you might think). The band played song old & new, and the bass player did an able job of filling the shoes of Guy Pinhas, providing a fluid counterpoint to Lori's slabs of thunderous riffage. Lori's voice has never been the strong point of the band, but she fronted the band adeptly and stayed within her limits. The set was flowing and relaxed, and the sludge was pumping nicely. It was good to see this seminal band up close in a small club. Admittedly, Acid King comes in one flavor only, but it's one I love - Heavy.
**Edited for factual accuracy.
<- Stun Guitar ->
