By G.W. Schulz
Saviours at Bottom of the Hill
Approximately 300 people were badly injured Friday after gusts of furniture tacks swept through the Bottom of the Hill music venue sparking a renewed interest by Congress in the safety of rock music and its potential to spiral innocent consumers into damnation.
Launched through twin Sunn O))) amps wielded by Oakland guitar heroes Saviours, the band was apparently unrepentant over the damage it had caused and vowed to bridle any attempts by authorities to turn down the volume.
Actually, for a show we heard was sold out, there was quite a bit of breathing room in which to enjoy ourselves, save for the boozy Google employees (we assumed, based on their doucheness) standing nearby and loudly droning on about how much they liked folk-punk opener William Elliot Whitmore.
William Elliot Whitmore opening
Saviours have quickly established themselves as some of the best purveyors of rock-tinged metal in the Bay Area, playing guitar riffs so big they could choke a whale, to burrow a line from one-time SF Weekly columnist George Cothran. While he probably doesn’t listen to metal, Cothran sure wrote like he did, and if he’s interested, we’ll send him a copy of the Saviours LP, Crucifire, released on the always-reliable metal and hardcore label Level Plane Records.
For context, don’t be surprised if Saviours end up on the road with some of the nouveau ‘70s metal and '80s thrash bands in Louisville doing this type of stuff, e.g. Young Widows, Lords and Coliseum or Clouds and Doomriders of Boston, or even Miami's Torche.
Whitmore, a tattooed Woody Guthrie of sorts whose gritty singing voice is so thick it could stop a bottle in midair, started things off Friday and has been on the bill with Red Sparowes for the last several dates both here and on the East Coast. An Iowa native and somewhat closely guarded secret of the Midwest for the last few years, Whitmore is getting face time with broader audiences these days (the Replay of Lawrence Kan., a venue many long-time touring bands are familiar with, has been a regular haunt for Whitmore in the past).
I must confess, I didn’t stay for Red Sparowes. Here are three good reasons why:
1. I promised an old friend I hadn’t seen in some time that I’d go drink whisky with him at a fairly reasonable hour.
2. I saw them during a Hydrahead Records showcase at SXSW two years ago, and once you’re spoiled on several Hydrahead bands back-to-back in one evening, it’s difficult to remain committed afterward without a full-blown lineup of voluminous catastrophe. And yes, they’re very fucking loud.
3. As painful as it is to say this, there’s plenty to dislike about the first Red Sparowes record.
I bought the first record and listened to it dutifully, mostly because I’ve been supporting this family of bands for 10 years or so. But throughout the first record, they seem overly anxious to prove their stock (with members of Isis and Neurosis). The clean guitar channels laden with reverb feel forced, there’s a strong temptation to head in a multitude of directions without appreciating the simple beauty of repetition as these bands have done so well in the past, and the overall recording feels distant or detached, and not in any way that’s compelling.
But the new record, Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun, is a remarkably different story. This time around, they seem cognizant of problems in the first record, and return to screeching-yet-still-beautiful guitar melodies, naked recording techniques (you can hear the studio walls and flatness of the kick drum) and a fullness that comes from not trying so damn hard. And they've kept the original concept, somber instrumentation devoid of vocals, intact. If you’re doubtful for any reason because of the first record, but you otherwise like this group of bands and their side projects and labels (e.g. Neurot, Hydrahead and Ipecac), it’s well worth the buy and you probably won’t be disappointed.
In two weeks, it gets better: Isis, Jesu (Justin B. of Godflesh) and Zozobra (two members of Old Man Gloom) will appear at Bimbo’s. I’ll be staying for that entire show. Considering how long the Hydrahead and Neurot families have been making music, this year and last are shaping up to be among the most productive yet.
digg •
del.icio.us •
sphere •
google
•
Comments (1)
cool
Posted by qualquer | January 26, 2008 09:15 AM