Yes, it was a Monday night. But as one of the musicians of
the night remarked, "New Orleans Monday is more fun than anywhere else's
Friday." The bill was full to the brim of heavy bands, each with their unique
flavor of metal, ready to rock The Parish to the ground floor.
This guy never ceases to amaze. Tristan Shone's homemade contraptions
used for his one-man band Author & Punisher took over the stage; he stood
behind them so focused on his craft, never stopping to peek at the audience
before him. He looked like a mad scientist in the laboratory working maniacally
to complete his monster that will unleash hell in the city. That's what his
music sounds like, really: a horror movie soundtrack with heavy industrial
elements, extremely distorted vocals that just sound like muffled electronic
screams, and spooky, doomy drone. If someone hasn't asked him to provide the
soundtrack to their film yet, I'd be amazed.
Atheist started up before I was even born. Though they weren't
always active throughout those many years, their sound is still as tight as
ever, especially with the addition of some new blood. Vocalist/guitarist Kelly
Shaefer kept up with his newest band members, even overshadowing them at times
with his lively performance style and ability to get right in peoples' faces in
order to engage them. The band let loose such numbers as "On The Slay," "Second
to Sun," "Unquestionable Presence," and "I Deny."
Cattle Decapitation was rather frightening. The Parish isn't
a big room, and it had some ambient lighting. Still, when Cattle Decap took the
stage, it was scary. Why, you may ask? Travis Ryan, the long-running vocalist, looked
kind of like a demon up there. He was only visible as a shadow; there was no
light on him from the front throughout the entire show. He was backlit which
emphasized his fast, spastic movements, his wild hair, and his extreme
gestures. Like I said, demonic. I guess it's something you just have to see if
you haven't already. Throughout a dozen or songs including "A Living, Breathing
Piece of Defecating Meat," "One Day Closer to the End of the World," and "Not
Suitable for Life," the band shred the human race to pieces. We are destroying
the planet, so let Mother Earth destroy us, they related. Their ethos could be
summed up with the song, "Bring Back the Plague." It's hard to say who in the
crowd just likes how they sound and who actually holds these beliefs, but
everyone seemed impressed nonetheless.
