By Andrew Bansal
August 14th 2013, Five Star Bar, Los Angeles CA: Based out of Providence, Rhode Island, doom mongers Howl have had a great year so far, putting out an excellent sophomore album called ‘Bloodlines’ via Relapse Records and touring plenty in support of it. Currently they are coming to the end of a headline run, with support from Relapse label mates and fellow doom metal band Lord Dying. This tour made a stop at the always lovely Five Star Bar in downtown Los Angeles last night courtesy of local promoters Thee Static Age and openers Exmortus and Infinite Death. I hadn’t seen Howl since Metal Alliance 2011 and had never seen Lord Dying before this, so there was a lot to look forward to as two of the most rapidly rising bands of this sub-genre took the stage at the Five Star.
Unfortunately I arrived at the venue much later than I usually do for shows here, and ended up missing Exmortus and Infinite Death altogether but from what I heard, they both played good sets. Lord Dying hit the stage promptly at their scheduled start time of 10:30 and put forth a stellar 25-minute set of rock-solid riff worship, appeasing the small gathering at the Five Star with every single note they played. Guitarists Olson and Evans complemented each other brilliantly, not only with the music but also their individual guitar tones. This band from Portland, Oregon has been in existence since 2010 and has already toured a lot, but more importantly, toured with the right selection of bands, the likes of Down and Red Fang in the past and now Howl. Their debut full-length ‘Summon The Faithless’ came out last month via Relapse Records, which by the way is yet another tip of the hat to Relapse for spotting and promoting true talent. Lord Dying has built up great momentum through the album release and past tours, and are riding high on the wave at the moment. If you missed them on this run, they’ll be back next month with Valient Thorr, so make sure you check them out then.
lorddying.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/LordDying
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The one thing that bothers me most about these underground-type metal shows is the amount of time taken between sets. But on this particular occasion I was pleasantly shocked to discover that our headliners Howl began their set at 11:15, a full 15 minutes ahead of their 11:30 scheduled start. They were probably sharing the drum kit and backline with Lord Dying, although I’m not totally sure about that. But more bands should take lesson from this and ensure that they take the minimum possible time to set up. Howl’s early start certainly helped them as the crowd was able to simply rock out to the band’s music instead of standing around and waiting for another 15 minutes.
Music-wise, they absolutely annihilated this tiny Five Star stage with their massive doom-laden stoner sludge, led fantastically by vocalist Vincent Hausman who ably handled the range of vocals in these songs and delivered a masterful performance. He addressed the crowd in between songs and genuinely expressed the band’s gratefulness towards the attendees for turning up and sticking around to support Howl. Guitarists Josh Jones and Jonathan Hall made each and every riff talk, while bassist Jesse Riley and drummer Timmy St. Amour held down the rhythm section well. Altogether they combined to present a monstrous sound that turned this place into heaven for doom metal fans.
I am extremely glad I decided to attend this show, as it did not disappoint whatsoever. Just like Lord Dying, Howl will be back again on another tour soon. Make sure you catch them then, because this is a band not to be missed.
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twitter.com/HowlMetal
Howl & Lord Dying remaining tour dates:
Aug 15 – San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
Aug 16 – Sacramento, CA @ The Colony w/Black Mackerel, Cura Cochino
Aug 17 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios w/Sons of Huns