Review & photos by Andrew Bansal
May 16th 2014, Complex, Glendale CA: Over the past year or so, ever since the place starting hosting underground metal, there hasn’t been such a thing as a bad show at the Complex. So, having not seen any of the four bands that were about to take the stage here for this show but with the expectation that the venue and the promoters it works with will deliver the goods once again, I headed to the Complex last night. On this occasion, it was Portland OR-based blackened death/doom band Atriarch, currently on a West Coast touring run, serving as the headliner along with local support acts Icon Of Phobos, Doctorshopper and Crowhurst rounding out the lineup put together by the Elegy Ensemble for a show that would potentially appease the LA underground metal faithful that decided to turn up for the gig.
The show began at 9:45, pleasantly earlier than what the norm is for this venue, and to provide an interesting start to proceedings was Crowhurst, presenting their brand of experimental black metal interspersed with noise elements injected into the mix by vocalist Jay Gambit through the switch of a few buttons on his console. The so-called experimental and ‘noise’ bands usually tend to go overboard with that aspect and don’t leave much room for actual substance in their music to go along with the noise, but I felt Crowhurst hit the right balance in their interpretation of the genre and were able to garner the audience’s attention. Crowhurst’s 30-minute set certainly came across as creative and engaging.
Crowhurst links:
facebook.com/CrowhurstNoise
Crowhurst.bandcamp.com
As a contrasting follow-up, Doctorshopper brought forth a more dynamic and unabatedly energetic style of extreme music, ranging from murky doom passages to chaotic hardcore punk/thrash segments. The guitar sound was excellent, complemented by a solid rhythm section and violent vocal outbursts by both the guitarist and bassist. Their transitions from the ultra-slow to super-fast parts were brilliant, and kept the listener interested throughout. A compelling set, by all means.
Doctorshopper links:
Doctorshopper.bandcamp.com
Next up, it was the turn of Icon Of Phobos to deliver extreme music through yet another varied expression in comparison to the two bands that preceded them at this show. Led by vocalist E.R.M. who also fronts the Los Angeles doom band Pendulous, Icon Of Phobos crushed the stage with an incredibly intense performance as E.R.M. seemed to successfully channel and release all his inner demons in his vocals and stage movements, well backed up by his band mates on their respective instruments. A lot of people claim to be black metal fans and have their favorite bands, and I’ve been largely unimpressed by the bands that represent this genre on a mainstream level as their presentation seems a little too artificial and fake to me, but this Icon Of Phobos experience gave me a taste of the true expression of black metal, and their deliverance came across as more real than any representation I’ve ever seen of this genre. If you’re a black metal enthusiast and haven’t checked out Icon Of Phobos, you have seen nothing yet.
Icon Of Phobos links:
facebook.com/IconOfPhobos
And finally, headliners Atriarch took the stage to play a set that was ritualistic and mesmerizing in every sense. They gave us a preview of their upcoming album, due out this Fall via Relapse Records, by playing it in its entirety. Each note they played was allowed to resonate till its last breath, holding the audience mentally and physically captive all the while the set transpired. Guitarist Brooks Blackhawk delivered some delightfully slow and monstrously heavy riffs enhanced by the aid of a multitude of effects he switched around with on his pedal board, with vocalist Lenny Smith contributing largely to the ritualistic nature of the overall sound with the style of his vocals, and the rhythm section of Joe Wickstrom (bass) and Maxamillion (drums) aptly fulfilling their roles as well. And regardless of whether it was by design or simply as a byproduct of circumstances and availabilities, the combination of Atriarch’s music and the atmosphere at the Complex came across like the perfect marriage. Bands like Pendulous and Wolvserpent have put forth mind-bending performances of a similar type here in the past, and Atriarch can be firmly placed in the same bracket as a band doom metal fans would definitely enjoy and should see each time they come to town.
Overall, as expected, this was yet another fantastic underground metal show at the Complex, treating the considerably decent turnout to a great touring act from Portland and three excellent local bands. More to come at this venue in the near future, and everyone in the LA metal community is strongly encouraged to pay a visit or two.
Check out a gallery of 30 photos from the show below, or view it here if you’re on a non-Flash device:
1-5 Crowhurst
6-9 Doctorshopper
10-11 Icon Of Phobos
12-30 Atriarch
Atriarch links:
facebook.com/pages/ATRIARCH/241062512127
Atriarch.bandcamp.com
Atriarch remaining tour dates:
Sun 5/18 – Los Osos CA – Sweet Springs Saloon (w/Jex Thoth, Hollow Sunshine)
Mon 5/19 – Santa Cruz CA – Catalyst (w/Jex Thoth, Death Monk)
Tue 5/20 – Oakland CA – Uptown (w/Jex Thoth, Lycus)
Wed 5/21 – Sacramento CA – Starline (w/Jex Thoth, Peace Killers, Battle Hag)
Tue 5/27 – Seattle WA – Black Lodge (w/Eye of Nix, Whitehorse)
Wed 5/28 – Portland OR – The Know (w/Whitehorse, Scard)
The Elegy Ensemble links:
facebook.com/ElegyEnsemble
instagram.com/ElegyEnsemble
The Complex links:
ComplexLA.com
facebook.com/ComplexLA
twitter.com/ComplexLA
instagram.com/ComplexLA