Review by Andrew Bansal, photos &videos by Matt Nielson
March 1st 2015, Los Globos, Los Angeles CA: Moorpark, California group Black Sheep Wall have been around for nearly a decade, propagating their own spin on all things sludge and hardcore. They released their third full-length album “I’m Going To Kill Myself” via Season Of Mist on January 26 2915, and played a record release show as a matinee gig curated by Thee Static Age and members of Colombian Necktie at Los Globos last Sunday. Black Sheep Wall stood out for the impact level of their live show even amidst 25 other bands at last year’s Scion Rock Fest, and along with five other worthy bands 16, Colombian Necktie, Teeth, The Love Below and Skinslip, they were well-poised to give it their all on this occasion as well. Appreciating an early outing on a Sunday afternoon, Los Angeles underground metal supporters lined up in expectance of a great show and the start of a trend of such events on a regular basis.
Doors opened at 3:30 PM, and Corona CA doom/sludge trio Skinslip started proceedings at around 4 PM with a tremendous set that served as an ominous sign of what to expect from the rest of the show. Their straightforward no-nonsense brand of doom was exactly what this crowd was anticipating from this gig, and Skinslip delivered the goods. They only have a four-song EP called ‘Detachment’ to their name as of now, but this is a band we’ll certainly see a lot more of in the near and distant future.
Next up, The Love Below took the stage to mix things up, playing a set wherein the music varied from fast raging hardcore to chilled-out doom. They created a positive impression at a recent show at Complex in Glendale, and sounded even better this time. They not only proved to be a solid opening act with their own music, but their bassist Anthony B. Tetrow also DJ’d between sets and kept the audience entertained, spinning some interesting selections on vinyl.
Next came Teeth, playing their first show since the November 2014 release of their album ‘Unremittance’ and putting forth a crushing exhibition of dissonant doom. All drummers that took the stage at this gig were excellent in each their own manner, but one felt that Teeth drummer Timothy Gaskin stood out as the finest of the lot, making it hard for the audience to even contemplate watching any other member of his band. Prior to the show, there was much talk about Teeth as the band to look out for, and they definitely justified the buildup.
Check out a video of Teeth playing ‘Hostless’ at the show:
Aptly slotting themselves just past the half-way point of the show, Colombian Necktie provided an ideal breaking point, following bands like Skinslip, The Love Below and Teeth, and leading up to 16 and Black Sheep Wall. Colombian Necktie brought the metallic hardcore edge that was perhaps not evident in any of the other five bands, but along with it they also presented a strangely enjoyable variation that sounded almost like jazzy 70s rock, most notable example being the influx of the trumpet for the set-closing “Kevin’s Song”. Their sound has undoubtedly changed and progressed since they started, and with every gig, they are becoming more and more of an unmissable live band.
Check out a video of Colombian Necktie playing Kevin’s Song at the show:
Next up, Southern California hardcore sludge veterans 16 got their turn to destroy the stage, bringing nearly 25 years of savagery in this set. They’re a band that consistently puts on skullcrushing performances whenever they take the stage in the LA area, and match up to the efforts of the bands they support. While this set was a good representation of their sonic monstrosity and even though they were deservedly the main support act, their 45-minute felt a little too long for their style of music and would have made a greater impact had it been ten minutes shorter. Nonetheless, fans of sludge and all things sonically extreme cannot go wrong with 16.
And lastly, bringing the show to a perfect culmination with an uninhibitedly intense barrage of aggression and emotion was Black Sheep Wall, presenting material from the new album and figuratively knocking the audience flat on the ground. The vocalist jumped out onto the floor to make a closer connection as his band mates carried on their mission of aural destruction. They seemed to give it everything and exorcise their innermost demons through this performance, as the drummer was seen wildly flinging pieces of his kit to the side of the stage, overcome by the passion of his own music, and ending the set by smashing his head through his snare drum. If that doesn’t signal the end of a band’s set, perhaps nothing does. The audience gave Black Sheep Wall a well-deserved round of applause, and this set is only an indication of what to expect from the band as they continue to play these new tunes.
Overall, this proved to be a great lineup of bands from start to finish, the turnout was good, and the event was by all means a success. The atmosphere inside the downstairs room at Los Globos made for a suitable setting for the performing bands in terms of its size, shape and sound quality, and provided a bohemian escape for all attendees. One hopes for the Sunday matinee show to become a regular affair at this venue.
Check out a video of Black Sheep Wall playing ‘The Wailing And The Gnashing And The Teeth’ at the show:
For more videos from the show by Matt Nielson, visit this location.
For full video coverage of the show, visit Arturo Gallegos’ YouTube channel.