By Jason Williams
October 3rd 2014, Complex, Glendale CA: With every year, music continues to develop and break boundaries. Through different instruments, time signature complexities, vocal approaches and redefining melodies, the level of quality inspires. Enter Gigan, who have for the past 8 years, shared their style of experimental progressive death metal with the masses. Named after the monster that fought Godzilla in the franchise, Gigan’s music could absolutely be portrayed as gigantic and ever fierce to even the most open minded extreme music fan. They were supposed to play earlier this year in CA, but due to some vehicle and personal problems, it was postponed. Now coming back strong, with New York’s own Pyrrhon and also hailing from the same city, newly rising to the scene, Artificial Brain. This would be no ordinary death metal show, and I anticipated this promising concert with genuine excitement.
As this was a show under the Church of the 8th Day promotions, doors opened at 9 PM to a relatively decent turnout, considering the size of Complex is quite small. This same venue also hosted Ulcerate earlier this year, so far the best death metal live act of 2014. And at 9:45, the only local band Deceive came on the stage to open this show. A four-piece from Southern California, bass player MIA, Deceive started off the night with an attack of death/black metal. The sound at complex has been excellent in the only two times I’ve attended, however the guitars were slightly under the mix. It doesn’t hurt though that their drummer Josh Null, was an absolute beast behind the kit. Not only in his outstanding, versatile, and powerful delivery, but the sound was incredibly crystal clear. The guitar volume became much better as their set continued and their speedy melodic tremolo picking riffs and skillful fretwork was more audible. Vocalist Adam Watson also had the growls to back it up as well, fitting the brutal music being played while maintaining the crowd. Although they were proficent in their craft, compared to the rest of the lineup for the evening, Deceive almost “stood out”, and if they would have played any other death metal show, it would have blended better. Nevertheless, their 20-minute set was the perfect warmup to what would turn out to be a wonderful evening.
For the next 30 minutes, New York’s Artificial Brain graced the stage, everyone in attendance, including myself, were about to be engulfed in some next-level death metal. Their 2014 masterpiece ‘Labyrinth Constellation’ has been in my ears in constant rotation, and to see them finally play live was something I almost had to remember was really happening. “Bastard Planet” opened their set, promenating the fans with cosmic dissonant riffing and incredibly furious speed. Drummer Keith Abrami, much like Null from Deceive, had an impacting drum sound that penetrated the senses, with impeccable timing, blasting ability and the cymbal fills to back it up. Both guitarists were the true highlight of their set, with astonishing guitar work that would make Gorguts founder and leader Luc Lemay blush. Dynamic dissonant riffing with beautiful, haunting melodies in between, I felt like I was watching a planet being formed and being dissected to nothingness. For a band that is extremely techincal in what they do, the amount of emotion they pour out cannot be described. Vocalist W. Smith was very entertaining to watch, acting out as the music was playing without coming off as goofy or ridiculous, interacting with the crowd on the pit floor, while providing inhuman gurgling and shrieking high screams. Although the vocals were a little low for the first two songs, and it didn’t help that his gurgles are incredibly low to begin with, eventually they were turned up, and acting as another instrument to the band. While six of their seven songs was from their only album, Artificial Brain did play a new song, which continued their level of insane, abstract death metal. Closing the set was the title track, “Labyrinth Constellation”, in which that gorgeous beginning riff set could be in your brain for weeks. Their set ended too quickly I felt, and the audience was in awe of this high-level performance. Ladies and gentlemen, the bar has been raised, and its new name is Artificial Brain.
Set List:
01. Bastard Planet
02. Wired Opposites
03. Brain Transplant
04. New Song
05. Worm Harvester
06. Absorbing Black Ignition
07. Labyrinth Constellation
Right at 11 PM, Pyrrhon came to the stage, with the crowd moving closer to observe and enjoy this level of death metal tonight. Major props also go to Artificial Brain drummer Abrami for doing double duty with Pyrrhon on the entire tour. A combined 60 minutes of the type of drumming needed for this level of music, goes to show why extreme music will always trump over mainstream radio garbage. “Balkanized” started off their portion of the evening, automatically reminding me of Gorguts’s legendary album Obscura, the album that started the avant-garde style of death metal. Pick scrapes, sliding chords and pinch harmonics dominated the music, and while bands use these techniques for openings and intermissions, Pyrrhon use these regularly to distort the listener into a full sense of numbness. Vocalist Doug Moore was the most active frontman of the evening, headbanging the night away and moving on through the stage, while growling away. Throughout the set, aside from the death metal vocals, Doug would sing in an almost “Army commanding” style. The closest thing I can relate it to, is Maniac from the Grand Declaration of War album, from Mayhem. They were characteristic, intriguing, and actually fit the dissonant technicality that his bandmates were playing. Although some of the speed of the riffs got lost in the mix, when Pyrrhon slowed down, the atmosphere was quite heavy, and the music stuck more. Ending their set was their ten-minute blungeoning 2014 title track, “The Mother of Virtues”, in which the sections of mid to slow tempo really stood out. Pyrrhon’s five-song set also ended quickly, but captured the audience’s attention and they cheered on Pyrrhon. A welcome addition to this new era of death metal.
Set List:
01. Balkanized
02. Invisible Injury
03. Idiot Circles
04. Cancer Mantra Crew
05. The Mother of Virtues
Late into the show, as Complex/Church Of The 8th Day tends to have due to the late start times, the crowd was still interacting with each other, looking at and purchasing merch, and drinking some fine selections and quality of brew that this establishment should be bragging to their venue counterparts. And at the stroke of midnight, headliners and masterful musicians Gigan took the stage, with right next to the micstand, a theremin. Yes, the amount of atmosphere and effects the band uses in their music has no limits. Their light color of choice for the entire set was a chaotic green, which made the eager crowd roared in excitement. From their latest release ‘Multi-Dimensional Fractal-Sorcery and Super Science’, “Beneath the Sea of Tranquility” opened with a roar of vastness and driving dissonance and speed. Live vocalist Tyler McDaniel was in his zone, windmilling and growling deeply, often even letting his large amount of hair take over his face, looking at the ground and singing for an intriguing effect. Drummer Nate Cotton’s relentless speed, composure and outstanding cymbal attack, had to be at that level to keep up with this dynamic tornado of experimentation and astounding death metal. Using a incredibly large pedalboard, mastermind, talented guitarist in a short stint with Diabolic, and leader Eric Hersemann, was the clear star of the entire evening. Double-tapping on the fretboard while playing rhythm riffs simultaneously, pushing several pedals for archs and layers of powerful death metal, were only a glimspe of the level of talent that he possesses. It’s one thing to be able to display your unique talent, and it’s a whole other ballgame to truly feel, and “see” the vision and story of their craft come to true life. Yet Hersemann was completely into his playing, never showing off to audiences, just simply humble in his playing, on an extremely high level. It was a treat to hear from their debut album, The Order of the False Eye, as it was the start to their massive level of complexity and ever weird presence of technical death metal. Although some of my favorite tracks, “Mother of Toads” and “The Raven and the Crow” were not on the choice for tonight, their eight-song, 60-minute set completely flew by, leaving the entire venue begging for another. Only a few minutes after their set ended, Hersemann ran back to the merch table to assist the line that formed for their product. As Luc Lemay of Gorguts, both men run their merch table, something that is commendable, memorable to fans and showing once more on a infinite list, why metal is as extreme and humble as you can get.
I must also credit the audience tonight, for there was no moshing the entire night. While I do love and usually expect the passion and energy of seeing moshing at shows, for this level of music and intensity, you couldn’t blink without missing something in front of you. By that same token, the crowd were never dull in witnessing the stage, just lots of smiling faces, reactions to the insane level of musicianship and staying completely into the show, almost feeling proud to attend.
An overwhelming night sadly came to a close, with the phenomonal level of death metal I witnessed tonight, ever embedded in my memory. Through years of progression and experimentation, extreme metal music continues to thrive and improve, with Gigan, Artificial Brain and Pyyrhon respectfully tearing through the barriers of limited imagination with dissonance personified music with unbelievable traits of thought, emotion and story woven in. The real monster that can challenge Godzilla, is the band Gigan themselves. Hear Gigan, see Gigan play, and become one with the new level of death metal.
Set List:
01. Beneath the Sea of Tranquility
02. Influence Through Ritualistic Projection
03. Electro-Stimulated Hallucinatory Response
04. Still Image Symphomy
05. Vespelmadeen Terror
06. Space Coffin Hallucinations
07. Bio-Engineered Molecular Abnormalities
08. Mountains Perched Like Beasts Awaiting the Attack
Remaining Tour Dates:
10/08/2014 El Corazon Lounge – Seattle, WA
10/09/2014 Red Room – Vancouver, BC
10/11/2014 The Complex – Bozeman, MT