Don’t let the title fool ya the Klown thought it would be appropriate to summarize his brief but awesome demise of that time. On March 27, on the last day of a three-shows-in-a-row stint, the Klown went to the Soda Bar this time to indulge in some more music from our beloved genre. The night was filled with a lineup that would have thrown off most diehard and staunch metalheads.
The night opened with a band that doesn’t necessarily spell “metal” but definitely has a presence, Jaye Jayle. For those who haven’t heard of Jaye Jayle before, the consensus of their genre seems to be Indie rock with most people. The Klown, on the other hand, can tell you that if Indie rock sounded like these guys, then the world is ready to embrace their cynicism. When the Klown first laid eyes on the small stage, he had the impression that front man/guitarist Evan Patterson might have been a drifter tapping into the spirit of Johnny Cash by wearing black attire and black boots. All he was missing was the famous black Martin D-35 guitar to make this claim more accurate.
Although the group was missing one, these Louisvillians didn’t miss a beat and kicked off their set with the ambient and doomy “As Soon As Night,” where keyboardist/backup vocalist Jonathan Wood shared some bass drum duties with drummer Neil Argabright. During “Sugar Ran Wild,” Patterson shared some keyboard duties with Wood for some added intensity of the ambient variety. We were also treated to “Cemetery Rain,” which continued to set the mood for the night and saw Wood, in one of the few times, share guitar duties with Patterson.
Lastly, the good ol’ boys from Kentucky treated us to “House Cricks” and closed with “Hanging Mirror” from their recent album House Cricks and Other Excuses to Get Out. These guys sounded more like a serene version of doom because although their songs were chill, they felt rather melancholic. The Klown enjoyed their time on set and would recommend you to check ’em out if the chance permits.
After Jaye Jayle cleared the stage, a group from the Mile High took the stage and dished out their brand of doom. The quartet known as Khemmis began their set with “Above the Water” from their latest album Hunted where Ben Hutcherson has a killer guitar and has front man Phil Pendergast’s harmonic pipes. The band really represented the doom brand with “Serpentine” from their 2015 album Absolution and really highlighted everyone’s talent including Hutcherson’s screaming vocals to add an extra bit of oomph. The guy next to the Klown not only headbanged harder but even lost his shit when the opening riffs to the song began. That was just the guy next to the Klown because there were more just like him.
(L to R: Bassist Daniel Beiers, vocalist/guitarist Phil Pendergast, and guitarist Ben Hutcherson)
Khemmis sent off the crowd with the melodic “Hunted,” which kicks off with a kick ass solo from Hutcherson. Hutchinson wasn’t the only that impressed during this song, Pendergast’s interchanging vocals felt reminiscent to that of legendary front man Rob Halford. Not only were these guys on the verge of tearing down the house, but also left the present masses clamoring for more and set for the kill.
As Oathbreaker took the stage, front woman Caro Tanghe’s presence was rather captivating in her appearance once she took the stage alongside her band mates. Unlike most lead singers, Tanghe’s mannerisms, motions and presence felt more like that of a specter. By the time the band opened with “10:45” from their current release Rheia, Tanghe covered her face with her long brunette hair and immediately captivated all with her soothing, soprano-like vocals.
Much like Rheia, the band followed with “Second Son of R.” The band picked up the pace when they performed “Immortals” where Tanghe’s siren like vocals turned to banshee-like screams, and lead guitarist Lennart Bossu go from calm to a man possessed by the riffs he strummed. It was also one of the first times that the Klown almost ate shit on the stage. Tanghe and company kept the ghastly façade by picking up the pace with “Where I Live” and simmering down with “Where I Leave,” a song in which Tanghe reintroduces her ghastly, siren-like vocals.
The Klown would take note of Tanghe’s dedication to her motif because she would crouch, huddle and rock herself like a tortured spirit discovered before unloading a climactic “scare.” She would sometimes turn her back to the audience and do the same gestures in front of the drummer Wim Sreppoc. The pace picked up again with “Needles in Your Skin” and managed to briefly calm the masses because the song would decelerate in between during Tanghe’s clean vocals.
(L to R: Guitarist Lennart Bossu, bassist Gilles Demolder, vocalist Caro Tanghe
Oathbreaker finished the night powerfully by treating their faithful with “Glimpse of the Unseen” from their studio debut album Mælstrøm. This song is synonymous to them and so great, that the Klown practically kissed Tanghe’s feet not necessarily because he wanted to but because that’s how buck wild the moment got. This was truly a great show and the Klown would love to see Oathbreaker again, if they swing by San Diego.
Ugh Metal 