Show Footage
It may seem a little unconventional but I’ve chosen to work from headliner to opening act, so to start things off here’ Skeletal Remains.
Headliner: Skeletal Remains
Skeletal Remains are a name that I imagine most of you should be familiar with at this point. They are easily one of the most prominent acts in the new wave of old school death metal (OSDM) that has taken hold in recent years. not only have they managed to attract a huge following from older death metal fans that appreciate their incorporation of classic death metal elements, but they have managed to build a large fanbase with younger metal fans by incorporating some modern death metal elements into the mix.
The band hail from Whittier, California and formed in 2011 as Anthropophagy but released their first demo under the Skeletal Remains name in 2011. This tour follows the release of their fourth full-length album The Entombment of Chaos, released September 11th, 2020 on Century Media Records.
As for their performance at this event, the band completely stole the show as expected. The level of energy that they brough to the stage was truly captivating. However, what really impressed me personally was how accurately they managed to maintain the quality of musicianship present on the album. Any band that can sound as good live as they do on a recording are truly talented.
Each member of the band performed their part perfectly, all working in unison to auditorily assault the audience. However, a true standout for me had to be the band’s drummer for the live show. I am still unsure if they are actually human or not simply due to the energy required to go THAT hard for that long. If you’ve listened to the new album, you know exactly what I’m talking about as the drum work on the release is truly unrelenting.
Chris Monroy’s vocal performance was also truly impressive, he really manages to capture what myself and many others love about OSDM. The fact that his vocals are powerful and raw yet still understandable really brings a lot to the table. His range was also truly impressive going right from his raw barked style to his higher pitched shrieks and snarls.
Lastly the guitar and bass work were impeccable. The speed at which fingers were moving on stage was staggering and the audience was definitely in appreciation of it all. While it was a smaller show this was the only performance of the night where a circle pit actually broke out and continued for the full duration of a band’s set.
So, if you ever have the chance make sure to see Skeletal Remains live, you will not regret it.
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Support: Wolf King
Supporting Skeletal Remains were San Francisco black metal/thrash metal/hardcore act Wolf King. The band play a fast paced, high-energy blend of the three genres that should please fans of acts such as Goatwhore and Skeletonwitch.
With two full-lengths and an EP under their belt the band have an established fanbase and an ever-growing fanbase of new followers, myself included. This tour celebrates the release of their latest full-length album The Path of Wrath, released on March 5th on Prosthetic Records.
For me this was my first real introduction to the band. I had heard a track or two over the past year but had never really looked too much into them. After seeing them at this show I realised how much time I had wasted by not looking into the act sooner.
Energy wise the band was possibly the most impressive act of the night, giving the audience some serious stage presence and audience interaction. This was achieved primarily thanks to the raw charisma of the band’s frontman Jacob Broughton. His energy was further re-enforced by the intensity of the musicianship of his fellow band members.
If you enjoy fast paced groovy thrash style riffs paired with hardcore punk energy and aggression and the rawness of black metal then this is a band that you need to see live, or at the very least take some time to listen to.
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Support: Teeth
Also in support we have California based dissonant death metal/doom act Teeth. The band formed in 2013 and have since released two full-length albums, two splits and as of yesterday and EP. This tour for them was a mixed celebration of their 2019 full-length release The Curse of Entropy and their brand-new EP Finite.
The band’s presence on this gigs bill was actually as much an inspiration for me to attend as Skeletal Remains were. I have been following the band for some time now and have fallen in love their crushing and chaotic brand of death metal madness.
The act was easily the heaviest and most intense of the evening, presenting the audience with ceaselessly crashing waves of technical, dissonant death metal with plenty of crushing doom influences. The toned-down level of stage presence at the show perfectly matched the band’s sound and essence, giving it an even more ominous effect. I can honestly say that I loved every second of crushing riffs, heavily downtuned bass, dual guttural vocalists, and relentless drum work. This is definitely a band that I would love to see headline a show of their own and present us with an even longer full set.
If you have yet to hear the band’s music, then please take some time and check them out. More importantly if you ever have the chance to see the act live, please do not hesitate to take it.
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Opening Act: Paroxysmal Butchering
Finally, we have the openers, brutal death metal act Paroxysmal Butchering from North Orange County. The band formed in 2007 and have since released three full-length albums and two splits. This tour celebrates their 2019 release Amygdala, as well as featuring multiple new tracks from their upcoming release currently in the works.
Prior to this show I had never heard of the band or any of their music so went into the show blind. I had made some assumptions about the band’s style of music based solely on their name and was pleased to see that my assumptions were correct given that I am a huge fan of brutal death metal. Despite the audience only beginning to show up when their set stared the band went impressively hard. Those of us that arrived on time for the start of the gig were treated to fast paced technical riffs from multiple guitarists, extremely guttural vocals, intense drum work and downtuned bass. All of this is paired with lyrics focused on introspection and ideation.
If you’re a fan of brutal death metal, then make sure to check the band out and if you’re able to then try to catch them live at their future gigs.
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