Review by Andrew Bansal, photos by Jay Valena
January 7th 2017, The Regent, Los Angeles CA: Following its successful inaugural edition in 2016, the Show Your Scars fest returned to the Regent in downtown Los Angeles in 2017, boasting an irresistible lineup for underground heavy music lovers in the LA area. Brujeria, The Casualties and Pinata Protest started their US tour with this event, and were joined by local and regional heavy-hitters Repulsion, Exhumed, Nausea and others, for this nine-band, single-stage festival, christened “Dia De Los Metaleros”. The event was sold out in advance, and ticket holders gathered early in the afternoon in anticipation of a long debaucherous day of live music.
Doors opened at 3 PM, and an hour later, LA band Destroyed in Seconds provided the ideal start to the show with their blend of hardcore punk, thrash metal and d-beat. Comprising a lineup with members of bands such as Witchaven, Phobia, Eat The Living and Temple Of Dagon, Destroyed In Seconds are not newbies by any means, and were the right choice to begin proceedings here. They played a 20-minute set during which the Regent was filling in as more and more people walked in through the doors, and D.I.S. set the tone for the epic day of heavy music in store for attendees.
Despite being a predominantly grindcore-oriented festival, the beauty of this edition of Show Your Scars was definitely in its diversity, and the stark contrast from one band to the next, a pattern that would be kept intact throughout the evening.
After Destroyed in Seconds’ high-octane set, it was time to bask in some psychedelic doom metal, courtesy of fast-rising LA quintet Taarkus. Even though they were the complete opposite of grindcore, they garnered a surprisingly positive response overall, which only proves the sheer quality of their musicianship. The power of great music, regardless of genre, is undeniable, and this band possesses it in plenty, and perhaps they also stood out because of being the only band at this show that employs the usage of flute and organ. Besides stellar original tunes such as ‘At Midnight’ and ‘Stones’, Taarkus also played a cover of Candlemass’ ‘Solitude’ to round out their set perfectly. Major credit goes to the folks behind the festival for picking Taarkus on this lineup, because if one LA band deserves playing on stages of this size and shows of this magnitude, it’s Taarkus.
Next up, LA grindcore veterans Nausea took the stage for a 30-minute set, and by this time the venue was more densely populated than it was for the earlier bands. Nausea is a very recognizable and well-respected name in the LA underground music circles and they have influenced several bands around here, but in all honesty, they did not make a significant contribution to this festival with their own set. I have nothing personal against any of this band’s members and I mean no disrespect when I say this, but with a very monotonous set through which the band carried absolutely zero stage presence and zero energy, Nausea’s performance was by far the most uninteresting of this entire fest, and couldn’t end soon enough.
The fest continued in its contrasting flow between grind and doom, as Destroyed in Seconds, Taarkus and Nausea were followed by Ides Of Gemini. This LA-based atmospheric, psychedelic doom metal group, which converted from a trio to a four-piece in 2016, put their best foot forward and held the audience in captivity, as their combination of ethereal vocals and dark, heavy instrumental layers resonated powerfully through the room. Unlike the punk/grindcore bands that dominated this fest, Ides Of Gemini indulgence in audience interaction was little to none, nor did they need it, because they said so much with the music alone.
After the Ides of Gemini set, the vibe was about to change completely, as the first of the touring bands, the San Antonio-based “Tex-Mex punk” outfit Pinata Protest took the stage in front of a now completely packed Regent. While Nausea were the band with the least energy on stage, Pinata Protest certainly took the honors for being the most energetic, and led by their accordion-playing singer, they created quite the festive atmosphere with their tunes. They are clearly the ideal opening act for a tour featuring Brujeria and The Casualties, as they have the punk element but also appeal instantly to the Spanish-speaking demographic. A large majority of this crowd, whether or not they were familiar with the band, found themselves entertained by what Pinata Protest had to offer.
Read reviews of the other four bands’ sets and check out more photos of all bands on Page 2
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