One awesome night after the Goatwhore performance, Ugh Metal got a second chance to attend another unforgettable show and join the raid led by the Tengger Cavalry. Tengger initially conquered Brick By Brick on May 27, which we couldn’t attend making us settle by watching Netfilix’s Marco Polo. Luckily on September 24, the spirit of the Khan smiled upon us as Tennger Cavalry ravaged America’s finest city again.
The first wave of the invasion was kicked off by the local Prog trio known as Old Man Wizard. I don’t know what it is about Prog and its ability to sound different… at times. The Wizard did just that, casting a spell on you leading listeners to a state of nirvana… not the band. Though Old Man Wizard was not “metal,” it was rather soothing. The local trio definitely charged things up a bit towards the end of their performance with “Forevermore,” which resembles a metal Muse song. These not so old guys knocked ‘em dead!
Once the Wizard cleared the stage, the quartet from Phoenix known as Incite took over. This was Ugh’s second time witnessing Ritchie Cavalera’s band performing at the Brick. The first time we saw them, they toured with Devildriver about two months ago *cough* https://ughmetal.com/2016/06/22/devildriver-reaches-the-end-of-the-line-in-san-diego/ *cough* as a supporting act in their tour.
This time around they joined the Khanate in the second wave and got shit started with “No Remorse.” Once Dru “Tang” Rome’s riffs clashed with drummer Derek Lopez’s symbols, Incite treated us once again with “Stagnant” and “Life’s Disease” from their latest album Oppression.
In the spirit of our ongoing clusterfuck of propaganda and political turmoil we’re calling a presidential electoral race, Cavalera treated us to “Tyranny’s End” and “WTF.” Incite ended their performances with “The Slaughter” and “Army of Darkness” from their studio album debut The Slaughter. Incite lived up to their name and set up the crowd for the kill.
Mongolian folk metal band Tengger Calvary swooped in for the final blow in their conquest. First, we were treated to “Golden Horde” which thrived with a plethora of oriental influences combined with some metal. On the second half of the performance, the Cavalry donned a traditional Mongolian/Chinese attire befitting for a Khan.
Front man, Nature Ganganbaigal showed off his wide array of musical talent and his strong connection to his roots when the Cavalry performed “Hymn of the Earth”. Ganganbaigal’s not only showcased his incredible ability to throat sing but also showed off his talent for playing the tobshuur, an instrument best described as a Mongolian lute. The combination of these two elements made “Hymn of the Earth” an awesome and interesting song to listen and headbang to.
Tengger Cavalry raided the venue with “Cavalry in Thousands” with the help of their fiddler, Uljmuren, as he busted out his trusty horsehead fiddle known as the Morin Khuur. The Cavalry performed “Horsemen” and got some intense moshing started because it wouldn’t be a conquest without some friendly violence.
Although the band was set to conclude their performance with “Mountain Side,” bassist Alex Abayev along with the rest of the band, gave in to the deafening ovation and demand for “one more song.” Tengger Cavalry appeased the intimate crowd with the bonus song called “The Struggle.” And a struggle it was! Knowing that the benevolent conquest was over.
Ugh Metal 