[youtube]http://youtu.be/YWppoCJrSHY[/youtube]
The west coast is great when it comes to metal. We have a vast array of talented metal bands who cause a deep impression throughout the entire country and Prosthetic Records has a keen eye to spot these bands. To boast the success of this statement, the label set up a West Coast Metal Meeting in Glendale, CA and had three of their best west coast bands perform on the same stage to prove the quality of music they roster. I spoke with Holy Grail, Exmortus and Spellcaster to discuss some of their upcoming plans, albums and their relationship between each other and things got weird.
The show started with full force once Oregon’s Spellcaster took over the stage and the attendees received them with open arms, which in metal terms means, swarming the stage and non-stop headbanging, giving back the same energy emanating from the band to the audience. The band showed their appreciation to the crowd by performing a new track from their upcoming yet-to-be-titled album, and the fans gave them their seal of approval by screaming and air-guitaring from beginning to end.
If things weren’t fast enough at this point, Exmortus surely took the show to the next level with their signature technicality, speed and aggressiveness the fans are used to see from these LA natives. There wasn’t a single moment the quartet stopped rocking the stage, even during the most difficult solos which they make it seem is a walk in the park. As every fan of the band knows, these thrashers are big enthusiast of performing stage stunts like their known crossed-guitar playing where frontman Conan and David Rivera play the other’s instrument while playing some rather complicated riffs, showing these guy are masters in their craft.
The best way to end such an energetic show was by bringing the big guns to torn the place apart and that’s what Holy Grail did that night. The band took a break from touring the entirety of 2014 but that didn’t mean anything during this show. They played with the same vivacity as the rest of the bands, showing their experience and talent to give a top-notch performance which every attendee indulged. Even when technical difficulties arose, the band managed to entertain the patient crowd by having their guitarist Alex Lee doing some sweet yo-yo tricks. He made a pentagram! that’s the most metal way I’ve seen a yo-yo being used before.
And if you haven’t subscribed to Metal Insider on YouTube yet, then you’re doing it wrong.
Each band is on the road right now and you can catch them at the following dates:
Spellcaster:
7/16 Portland, OR – Dante’s (w/ Riot)
7/17 Victoria, BC – Intrepid Theatre
7/18 Vancouver, BC – Funky Winkerbeans
7/24 The Hague, NL – Haags Pop Centrum
7/25 Hamburg, DE – Headbanger’s Open Air (w/ Death Angel, Hirax, Exumer, Satan, etc.)
7/30 Oldenburg, DE – MLS City Sound
7/31 Etzenrot, DE – Soundcheck One
8/1 Tilburg, NL – Little Devil (w/ Flotsam and Jetsam)
Exmortus:
7/16 Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews
7/17 Chicago, IL – Double Door #
7/18 Spring Lake Park, MN – POV’s 65 #
7/19 Madison, WI – The Wisconsin
7/20 Dubuque, IA – The Eronel
7/21 Shawnee, KS – Aftershock #
7/22 Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep #
7/23 Las Cruces, NM – The Warehouse
7/24 Tucson, AZ – The Flycatcher #
8/8 Colton, CA – The Hub
9/9 Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage +
9/10 New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre +
9/11 Pittsburgh, PA – Altar Bar +
9/12 Philadelphia, PA – North Star Bar +
9/13 Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall +
9/15 Cleveland,OH – Beachland Ballroom +
9/16 Toronto, ON – Mod CLub theatre +
9/17 Detroit, MI – Token Lounge +
9/18 Chicago, IL – Reggies Rock Club +
9/19 St. Louis, MO – Fubar +
9/20 Kansas City, MO – Riot Room +
9/22 Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre +
9/23 Salt Lake City, UT – Liquid Jones +
9/25 Seattle, WA – El Corazon +
9/26 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw +
9/27 Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater +
9/29 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall+
9/30 Hollywood, CA – Whiskey +
10/1 Anaheim, CA – House of Blues +
10/2 Las Vegas, NV – Backstage Bar +
10/3 Ramona, CA – Ramona Mainstage +
1/5 New York, NY – The Gramercy Theatre *
1/6 Trenton, NJ – Championship Bar & Grill *
1/7 Clifton Park, NY – Trickshots *
1/8 Hartford, CT – Webster Theater *
1/9 Worcester, MA – The Palladium *
1/10 Montreal, QC – Foufounes *
1/11 Quebec City, QC – Salle Multi *
1/12 Ottawa, ON – Ritual *
1/13 Toronto, ON – Hard Luck *
1/14 London, ON – APK *
1/15 Rochester,NY – Montage Music Hall *
1/16 Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom *
1/17 Pittsburgh, PA – Altar Bar *
1/18 Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups *
1/20 Westland, MI – Token Lounge *
1/21 St. Louis, MO – Fubar *
1/22 Joliet, IL – Mojoe’s *
1/23 Cudahy, WI – The Metal Grill *
1/24 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club *
1/25 Winnipeg, MB – Zoo Cabaret *
1/27 Calgary, AB – Nite Owl *
1/28 Edmonton, AB – Pawn Shop *
1/30 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theater *
1/31 Seattle, WA – Studio Seven *
2/1 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre *
2/2 San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside *
2/3 West Hollywood, CA – Whisky a Go Go *
2/4 San Diego, CA – Brick by Brick *
2/5 Tempe, AZ – Club Red *
2/6 Las Vegas, NV – LVCS *
2/8 Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue *
2/9 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater *
2/10 Merriam, KS – Aftershock *
2/11 Austin, TX – Red 7 *
2/12 San Antonio, TX – 210 Kapones *
2/13 Houston, TX – Scout Bar *
2/14 Dallas, TX – Trees *
2/15 New Orleans, LA – Siberia *
2/16 Tampa, FL – Orpheum *
2/17 Orlando, FL – The Haven *
2/18 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade *
2/19 Louisville, KY – Expo Five *
2/20 Richmond, VA – Canal Club *
# with Kyng
+with Marty Friedman
* with Enforcer, Warbringer & Cauldron
Holy Grail:
7/17 Albuquerque, NM @ Blu Phoenix #
7/18 El Paso, TX @ The Lowbrow Palace
7/19 San Antonio, TX @ Korova #
7/20 Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog #
7/21 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s #
7/22 Fort Worth, TX @ The Rail Club #
7/23 Tulsa, OK @ Downtown Lounge #
7/24 St Louis, MO @ Fubar #
7/25 Huntington, WV @ The Vclub #
7/28 Columbus, OH @ Alrosa #
7/29 Newport, KY @ Thompson House #
7/30 Cleveland, OH @ Agora #
7/31 Indianapolis, IN @ 5th Quarter #
8/1 Lombard, IL @ Brauer House #
8/2 Minneapolis, MN @ Nether Bar #
8/4 Independence, MO @ The Scene #
8/5 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater #
8/6 Salt Lake City, UT @ Area 51 #
8/7 Boise, ID @ The Shredder #
8/8 Portland, OR @ Analog Theater #
8/9 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven #
8/10 Medford, OR @ MusicHead
8/11 Sacramento, CA @ Starlight Lounge
8/12 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
8/13 Fullerton, CA @ Slidebar
# with Wednesday 13
Black Metal enthusiast from Los Angeles who thought was a good idea to grab a camera and shoot underground shows for the hell of it. Pseudo-writer with little to no expectations of ever winning a Pulitzer but totally down to write about your unknown band if it's good to my ears.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, deep conversation, holding hands and attending Satanic music shows every now and then.
