Review & photos by Andrew Bansal
December 7th 2014, Loaded Rock Bar, Hollywood CA: Los Angeles stoner doom stalwarts Behold! The Monolith opened a new chapter in their life earlier this year, transforming to a four-piece lineup fronted by Jordan Nalley on vocals, with Jason Casanova on bass and original members Matt Price (guitar) and Chase Manhattan (drums) still soldiering on strong. Behold put forth a devastating performance at Loaded Rock Bar in the heart of Hollywood in September, and returned to the scene of the crime last night along with fellow Los Angeles doomsters Deathkings and touring Boston MA trio The Scimitar to treat Hollywood regulars and doom diehards to a heavy Sunday.
Doors opened at 8:30 and the show began at 9 with Deathkings first to take the stage for a 40-minute set of ethereal doom enveloped within just three songs. The population inside the live music room at Loaded Hollywood increased steadily throughout their set as people got drawn towards Deathkings’ incredible music which came across with much conviction through Loaded’s sound system, and even though some of the band members were saying after the set that they couldn’t hear much of themselves on stage, the audience faced no such problems and the sound was coming through crystal clear. Upon hearing Deathkings’ music and noticing the finesse with which it is executed in the live setting, it’s clear that their approach is extremely intelligent and thought-out. Those who keep saying LA does not have good local/new bands anymore obviously haven’t witnessed the mastery with which Deathkings paint landscapes in the minds of those hearing their music, specially live.
Deathkings links: facebook | bandcamp
Following the great set by Deathkings, it was Behold! The Monolith‘s turn to wave the Los Angeles doom flag, and that they did, with gems from their earth-shattering 2012 full-length release ‘Defender, Redeemist’ and a brief taste of what to expect on the next album, which they’ll soon enter the studio to record. The set was cut short because of technical difficulties with the guitar amp head, but the sheer monstrosity these four musicians were emanating from the stage, albeit for a short duration, was worth attending the show for. Based on what was played in this set, the new material sounds like their most crushing work till date, with the two new members blending into the group with their own excellent inputs. It bodes well both for the future of the band and for their longtime supporters in LA and elsewhere.
Behold! The Monolith links: website | facebook | twitter | instagram | bandcamp
And lastly, The Scimitar took the stage for a solid set of 70s-tinged Vitus-like classic doom. The set had a gradual buildup to it and the very last song was certainly my favorite, for its bass sound in particular. They also included a cover of Motörhead’s ‘Metropolis’, but in the middle of the song, just like Behold! The Monolith, The Scimitar also faced technical issues, theirs being a bass head issue. Once fixed, they restarted the song and did a fine job at it, carrying its momentum into the rest of the set. Aside from the cover, even in their original tunes which I’d never heard before, there was an air of similarity in The Scimitar’s music, which wasn’t a bad thing from a first-timer’s perspective.
Overall, all three bands played solid sets and the turnout was more than decent for it being the least popular day of the week for LA concert goers. Doom is spreading its wings all over the metal planet, Hollywood included.
The Scimitar links: facebook | bandcamp
Check out more photos of all three bands below:
Loaded Hollywood links: website | facebook | twitter |instagram