This 10th of June the Dread Lair Showcase was on display. Originally the gig was proposed to be held at the “new” Walter’s location; where that is, I have no clue. In the end it still took place on the old Washington Avenue location, amidst the club going, trendy hell hole. I would not consider that a negative thing. The outside activity of drunks can provide some great between band entertainments. Late nights on Washington Avenue can become both absurd and funny in the same sentence.
The show itself I found to be a pleasant and entertaining experience. All bands on the bill did their part and brought their A-games. Everything seemed to be well organized and the overall vibe was great. No where present were any ridiculous attitudes or drunken, drama-filled fist fights. This night was all about the music.
Pariah Messiah opened with their blackened metal hybrid sound. This duo consisted of a vocalist and guitarist…oh and a laptop that unleashed computerized beats. Normally I am not a huge fan of drum machines, but honestly speaking they had an appealing sound.
The riffing was definitely black metalish with some death thrown in. On vocals was a possessed man who bared a resemblance to Martin Van Drunen of Asphyx /Pestilence fame. Wildly he prowled the stage spitting out some nice deep death metal style vocals behind a whirlwind of spinning hair. A studio recording by them would definitely conjure my interest.
Following was Bound in Flesh. This trio of Houston metal veterans shredded with a Suffocation/Brutal DM style and some grooving breakdowns.
Don’t misconstrue the term breakdowns. I am not referring to a crappy metal core type selection; I mean some memorable interludes that will make you want to move. A pleasant bit of charisma was displayed by the vocalist/guitarist.
He played with the crowd throwing out some jokes and random babbling, which I found comical. Just enough said between songs to keep things moving but not going into some long diatribe that bores the audience. Some cool song writing melded well in a great performance.
Moving on, the band Mhinotahn performed next. I really cannot give an unbiased opinion of this. Lots of positive feedback was given, so I assume the set was favorable.
Spectral Manifest then manifested the stage. A gloomy grim presence formed around the platform as they ripped into the heaviness. Although they lacked a bassist, their thick barbaric guitar sound more than made up for it. Guttural vocals meshed together with the alternation of mid-tempo brutal rockers to blast beat frenzies. The menacing front man roared with the voice of Satan as the drummer went berserk in an animated attack. The drummer was hitting so hard that I thought he had a grudge against his drum kit. Produced on their mantle was definitely a concentrated wall of sound. A great set rounded out with a solid rendition of a Darkthrone number. Under the moniker of self described Wraith Metal, they remind me of an Autopsy styled band I would hear on a 7” around 1990. That is definitely a compliment.
Austin’s Humut Tabal made their presence lastly. The city of Austin is known for its variety of live music, but unfortunately not so much for extreme metal. Humut Tabal fills in that shortage with their form of somber spirited black metal. This night at Walter’s was no exception.
Their stage confidence and demeanor was impressive. This type of attitude is what I like in a band. The 4 piece exuded a confident, not cocky, attitude that knows exactly what their goals are. Storming through the set, all four members held down their respected positions while vibrantly moving to the music. My opinion of their sound is a blending of traditional 2nd wave black metal and some thrash elements. The atmosphere was there along with aggression.
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