SO REAL... IT'S NOW ME PLAYING DRUMS FOR DEATHGRAVE

See you at the metro February 2nd!

Show Review: Brainoil: 1/14/12

I didn't do shit all day, barely left the house, and I had a big problem convincing myself to get out the door and go to Gilman, which is always a sort of social mindfuck for some reason. I had to get drunk by myself first, and this was actually such a chore that by the time I got to Gilman Street Thou was already closing things out with a Nirvana cover. Well I tried. The place was packed, and I didn't feel like lingering within, so I quickly got to Pic 'n' Pac and grabbed another beer to pound.

Then back inside for Brainoil. They rule. I stayed in the front row and 'eadbanged for the whole set, but is that some kind of a surprise? If you don't know how I feel about this band yet, there's a pretty thorough explanation HERE.

After Gilman I rode me bicycle all the way down to the Ruby Room (downtown Oakland!), which was actually quite fun. I haven't done a long Eastbay night hellride like that in a while. Got there by 1am, enough time to get some dranks in and comingle with comely punk coeds, who were swaying to the stylings of DJ Nipple.

Then we took a crew back to the A.T. house to party, on the way set a Christmas tree on fire, and killed a homeless guy too.

Top Ten Albums Of 2011: Locals Only!

I was really getting pissed off at year end best of lists this year because: (A) they starting popping up in LATE NOVEMBER, and (B) EVERYONE seemed to be doing them. I was however forced to comb through an inordinate amount of them, because I was sifting through an inordinate amount of music blogs over the past month, looking for ones that would potentially review an album that I played on and released.

The main thing I noticed from these year end lists was that: (A) dirty old school death metal is going through a some kind of renaissance, and (B) almost no one (including one person who did a TOP 100 albums of 2011) was including any releases from Bay Area bands. Now it's not my opinion, it's a stone cold FACT that the Bay Area has a world class metal scene (punk scene too, duh), and we really got the cold shoulder this year, while bands from, well... ALMOST EVERYWHERE ELSE were getting their nuts fondled by the self important tastemakers of the internet kingdom.

So here I have, not only my top ten Bay Area releases list of 2011, but also a list of the most overlooked metal releases of the year, period. If you have not heard of some of these bands or releases, by all means CHECK THEM OUT. I have included links to music and external websites wherever possible.

This isn't a popularity contest (or a POOPularity contest, hence the lack of Shitty Fucker at number 11!) so the releases are in no particular order, just kidding: they're in alphabetical order, which is a PARTICULAR order, but has nothing to do with how much I like them. Please also take note that I gracefully refrained from including any releases that I performed on; this would have been a very different list otherwise, peppered liberally with Hazzard's Cure, A.N.S. and Owl releases. 


Alaric: S/T
20 Buck Spin

After the party time styles of Night After Night, the false start of Yellow Eyes, and the spaced out Hüsker-Mötorhead jams called Pins Of Light, I was really stoked to see Shane Baker doing some REALLY DARK vocals again. A dream come true for an old timer Dead And Gone fan such as myself.  The rest of the band is great too, the icing on the cake being the cruel, biting, reptilian sound of Russ Kent's guitar.

Show Review: Brainoil: 12/15/10

Got to the venue with plenty of time to spare, but me and my old lady decided to open the eyes of the wild man o' the south, Dixie Dave Collins and one of his band mates in Buzz0v'en by taking them around the corner to the Eagle Tavern. I don't think that we provided them with anything more than some cheap Pabst, not an awakening gay experience in the men's room, (nor anywhere else), because the Eagle wasn't really being very much of anything that night, gay or otherwise. We hung out for a bit, and by the time we got back to the venue had bypassed the opening acts K. Lloyd, and my local hardcore buddies No Statik, whom I'm sure it would have been as awkward as a seventh grade slow dance boner to see upon the massive stage in front of almost no one. Not that they didn't handle the scenario with great finesse, I'm sure, which is less than I can say for all those boners I had...

Neurotoxicity was jammin' it when I came in, and I quickly ignored them and made my way backstage to look for DRUGS. This was an admittedly noble pursuit, but it was soon forsaken for the obligation to be pummeled directly in the face by Brainoil. Sweet! I'm sure you know how I feel about this band by now. Then I went out to the alley and drank a tall can. I was pretty drunk by this point, but that must have been my tipping point, because I soon got the idea that I was going to sneak a bunch more beer into the venue, past the DNA's neanderthalic security forces. Ha! I was stopped at the door, questioned, and to use a kind euphemism "denied re-admittance."

I was arguing with the peanut dick sized, pea brained ape who was working the door, just about ready to whip out my junk and piss on his leg so he would have to fight me, when a friendly face, concerned at my long absence, popped out from club and gently escorted me away from my impending doom. So I missed Buzzov'en completely by being a wasted retard, but their music and reputation is kind of all about being a wasted retard, isn't it?. I guess it kind of goes with the territory. Good thing I didn't pay to get in!

Deviated Instinct: 9/11/10

The pillow is hard. My eyes crack open, it’s dark in here. I’m in the van, fuck, the pillow was a pile of trash and tape cases in the back. I'm drunk. I’ve got a beer in my hand, there’s still some left. Drink… Good thing I didn’t spill it on myself. Passed out.. for how long? Waves of kids walking past the van windows, on their way into the club. Partying in the dark side streets.

////////FLASH ZONE\\\\\\\\

I heard the unmistakable low frequencies of Brainoil from down the road. I lept to my feet and got out there into the night, and into the building. Now everything was fine. Everything made sense. Headbanging to all the familiar riffs, mid-tempo sludge moshing Brainoilers. This is a familiar old feeling. One of the best. Apex of sludge.

I’m by no means a crust expert or connoisseur, but I was obviously going to stick around for Deviated Instinct. An old reunion band is always a good show or a good train wreck to witness, so why not? They’re from England, they are aged, and they even did a split with Swedish death metalers Grave back in the day. For a nostalgia act, I thought Deviated Instinct sounded pretty tight, they were energetic and having fun. The drummer was really the best of all of ‘em, pounding out the beats and not giving a fuck. Turned out a good night. Left wondering why is it that all Englishmen end up looking like some sort of stereotypical old Englishmen when they start getting older. Ponder that one one lad. Deep.

Still looking for the flier for this show. Know I have it somewheres...