impressed by my knowledge of numbers in foreign languages? don't be, you're seeing the limit of it. after the crazy go nuts time that was the Evil Survives show saturday, i almost considered taking it easy and sitting out the Red Fang / Valient Thorr show on monday the 11th. i quickly reconsidered after recounting how uncanny Red Fang's show at the oakland metro opera house had been this summer, and besides, what's a better cure for the mendacity that is a monday than a metal show?
going in to the bottom of the hill, i wasn't sure what to expect. i knew Red Fang would be bringing that crazy energy that their music inspires, but i wasn't super familiar with Valient Thorr...in fact all i really had heard about them was that "their shows are fucking crazy". i was tired, i wanted a beer, i wanted to see what kinda merch Red Fang had for sale, and wasn't feel 100%, so i concluded i'd rock out to Red Fang, listen to the first couple Valient Thorr songs and if i wasn't feeling it, i'd head home...but firs the merch table! one of the best parts about going to indie metal shows is $5 music. always buy the $5 music. if it sucks, hey, it was just 5 bucks, but rarely if ever does it suck. between the Pirates of Darkwater EP purchased at the Sword show, or the Ten Miles Wide album purchased at the Mendozza show, my life has been brutally enriched by $5 music. as i approached Red Fang's merch table, saw the same vinyl i had at home i got a little bummed, until i noticed the $5 tour EPs they had for sale. i immediately snatched one up and waded my way through the crowd as Red Fang took the stage.
combining well loved vintage gear with Thin Lizzy-esque song structure, the best way to describe Red Fang's sound would be as groovy, roots metal. a brilliant throw back to double chorused guitar solos, solid, steady, driving drums, booming bass, and severely harmonized vocals. Red Fang tore through a slew of new tracks (to be featured on their upcoming LP from Relapse Records and despite audience unfamiliarity, the whole crowd was groovin'. from the new tracks Red Fang cut into some golden oldies off their first LP. my personal highlight was getting to hear "Good to Die" live, though "Prehistoric Dog" and "Humans Remain, Human Remains" were pretty prolific as well. all 'round awesomeness.
after watching Red Fang kick the shit out of their instruments for about 40 minutes, my energy was definitely up and i was ready to see what Valient Thorr had to offer, fucking craziness sounded like just what i needed as i waded my way closer to the stage so as to get some pit action in. the phrase "rock n' roll party" only begins to describe what Valient Thorr brought. providing an all around sonic assault was pretty much their game plan as song after song pummeled the audience. not being too familiar with Valient Thorr's work, i must admit i wasn't totally prepared for the energy of their pit, and was pretty fucking impressed when a ring of dudes held the pit back so i could search for the glasses that had gotten knocked off of my face. When playing live, Valient Thorr does an excellent job of keeping the audience going crazy, but with super positive attitudes. Comments from lead singer Valient Himself like "this song's about those times when you feel down in the dumps, like nothin's going your way, but you just power through and keep going, cuz you know there's a thousand people out there who feel the same and need to party with you!" kept audience members smiling while dropping heavy elbows in the pit. their political stances came out through at various points in the show with Valient announcing the title of their latest single as "a message about the people who actually have power in our country and what we wanna do to them! this song is called Killionaire!!" and noting how the band's logo is a modified peace symbol. a supreme highlight came when the entire band left their instruments aside to take up drums, as Valient hopped into the audience and started freak dancing random show goers female and male alike. seriously, a ball to the wall, "who gives a fuck, let's go crazy" rock n' roll party. Hell yeah, brutality on a monday night...and the week was yet to be concluded...keep it gloomy y'all.
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