By Lisa Burke
June 3rd 2016, Complex, Glendale CA: Whether you are willing to admit it or not, it is the year 2016 and heavy metal has spawned an army of new genres since it came to fruition about forty-six years ago, give or take a few. One of the thriving genres of the modern day is stoner metal, often mixed in with doom, as well as a few other varieties. On Friday June 3rd 2016, I returned yet again to one of my favorite metal venues Complex in Glendale to catch The Obsessed’s tour with Karma To Burn and Sierra, and local openers of this evening, Ironaut. Trying to come up with a tighter-fitting lineup would prove to be a challenge as all these bands were not only a great fit together, but just different enough that you could survive the entire sets of all four bands in the order presented without any chance of boredom. Originally, The Atomic Bitchwax was going to be on this tour, but had to drop off and the replacement couldn’t have been better with Sierra on the bill.
On this occasion, Complex had the full alleyway open outside with the merch tables set up in the back, and as surprised as I was that this show did not sell out beforehand, it definitely brought out the local stoner appreciation crowd. Ironaut was the first stoner mix trio to jump on board and dominate the audience with their heavy and technically adept tunes that can really pack in a whiskey-spiked punch. They were in their element, for sure, with being a part of this lineup, and despite being the heaviest band of the evening, they were holding their own in terms of interestingly structured songs vocally and stylistically, the usual well-crafted tight riffage, and hard-as-nails on an upside-down cross drumming, particularly found in the newest tune ‘Iron Vessel’ which they ended in an exceptionally appropriate way. Most recently they jumped on the bill with Pentagram to open their Santa Ana show with much success, proving with each show that they have been slowly and steadily climbing the ladder to the top of LA’s most wanted local metal bands. Keep your eyes peeled because with a band of this nature it really is anyone’s guess what happens next, but chances are you’ll enjoy the results and so will they.
After this crowd pleaser, Canada’s stoner doom trio Sierra took the stage and painted it with flying colors. They were actually one of those refreshing stoner bands that has just the right amount of vocals versus serious jamming sessions. The mix of a jam song followed by one with moments of very pleasing vocals was really a great flow to their set and it kept my interest all the way through. The guitarist with his stylish and expensive metal conch filled guitar strap was very fluid throughout, fitting the overall tone well, and the drummer who happened to be the second drummer wearing a Karma To Burn t-shirt at this show, was hitting all the right spots in a colorful way. The new album material definitely has them heading in the right direction, and having never heard these guys before, I am a new fan.
On this night, I decided that good things come in threes and as far as heavy metal trios are concerned, these are four bands that not only make more money per person, but also have less drama and more time to zone in on their craft than bands with more members. Certain types of bands thrive with more members, but in the case of these four bands, less is more. On that note, my favorite trio on this night happened to be West Virginia’s stoner rock band Karma To Burn. They have gone through a few lineup changes and have a solid chunk of albums under their belt, most of which have song titles with numbers spelled out, such as ‘Fifteen’, and ‘Sixty-Two’. What I discovered makes this band in its current lineup so wonderful live is that there are no vocals at all, yet the way the guitar, bass, and drumming all mesh together it creates an echo that if you pay enough attention to you can actually hear your own vocals. The lyrics then become as you interpret them which is such a beautiful mind creation, and along with the juxtaposition of the numbers versus words situation in the titles, they do an excellent job at creating mind puzzles only Karma To Burn has the answers to. They are also fast and furious, so heads constantly dance among the crowd, and the really top-of-the-line drumming was always anticipating its next move in such a brilliant way that it’s no wonder all the drummers in the house were fans. All of their material old, middle and new, deserves a prize for achieving stoner rock stadium band anthem success. Seriously, these guys could rock the socks off a superbowl halftime show even if no one understood it. From concept to completion, this band has achieved great results and are admired by many as a major contributor to the late nineties stoner era.
If you want to know whether there is actually a band that could serve as a proper follow-up to Karma To Burn, then all you needed to do was stay to watch Wino from Saint Vitus tear up the stage with his band from Maryland, The Obsessed. His guitar was intricately personified in quite a few major moments, and the times of dual singing between him and the bass player harmonized and contradicted appropriately. While the difference in tempo change from the previous band may have made for a more somber mood, it did not hinder the doom effect this band was seeking out. Wino is a legend in his own right and seeing this live in such a classic band that has at one time or another contained a forerunner or two of the stoner/doom era, you are set up for a wild and entertainingly joyful ride. The drummer was kicking ass although hardly visible on the low set up they had arranged for him, as Wino towered over all. Again, the solo work here was overflowing with out of control talent and skill that eventually exploded all over Glendale. This is a bucket list band to see for sure, as is Karma To Burn, so get it all while it’s hot.
While there was some major competition going on this particular Friday night with other heavy metal shows such as Baroness, and newly formed super group Prophets Of Rage featuring members of Rage Against The Machine, Cypress Hill, and Public Enemy, I believe I made the wisest choice even though the other two peaked my interest for sure. I was proud to have witnessed four very solid bands and to undergo a backwards progression into the roots of stoner doom.
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Remaining Tour Dates:
6/10 – New Orleans LA @ Siberia
6/11 – Atlanta GA @ Drunken Unicorn