BACKWOODS METALFEST
2-PART REVIEW
CADIZ, KENTUCKY
10/29/2005
The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No.' - - Aaron Copeland (1900-1990).
Yeah, yeah I know; another quote. But hey, since this is about the same event as part 1, I thought I would throw one in for continuity sake. The words in the quote are very true today as they were many moons ago. Music is not confined by the restraints of a physicist, the fundamentals of a football coach, or the blueprints of an architect. The beautiful thing about music is the fact that it’s a living breathing creation that stands on its own regardless of what outsiders think. Regardless of my personal opinion of bands or CDs that I review, I can’t state that my opinion is fact. What I find repulsive or weird, someone else may find beauty and serenity. That’s what’s so great about it.
Okay, enough of my rambling. This is part 2 of the Backwoods Metalfest review from 10/29/2005. We’ve previously talked about a strong opening set by Scars Remain and a powerful follow-up by Day I Dread. Next up, Life’s Tragic Curse.
ACT III - - LIFE’S TRAGIC CURSE
LIFE'S TRAGIC CURSE (LTC)
I didn’t know much about this band going into the show but I had heard good things. Life’s Tragic Curse (or LTC, as they dub themselves) are another Kentucky group. On a side note, it’s nice to get the opportunity to see some of Kentucky’s metal scene at this show. I know that it’s quite a drive into Nashville so it’s nice to take the review to you, so to speak. LTC came crashing out the gate with opening song, ‘Ruins’ which features the (I don’t know any other way to describe this) ‘puke’ style vocals that Phil Anselmo made famous for Pantera many years ago. Tyler Marks vocals sound like they are spilling out of his lungs. I heard a nice contrast in vocal styles between Marks and guitarist/vocalist Mike Reynolds. Marks sings like he gargles daily with razor blades, which gives him a nice ‘metal’ sound while Reynolds sports a melodic almost Geddy-Lee-like vocal style that balances their sound out. I enjoyed the galloping riffs from guitarists Reynolds and Dave Crabtree on the heavy, ‘Trench Mouth’. Drummer Benjie Duvall is practically a machine on the brutal sounding ‘Snail Ride’ (don’t ask me what the title means, I can’t figure it out either). Bassist Jay Mattingly displays a good mix of styles on the seventh, and final, song of the set entitled ‘ALT’.
It was ironic that I heard a strong Pantera influence LTC’s music and they actually broke into, what seemed to be, an impromptu jam of ‘Walk’ during the fourth song of the set ‘Low’. Life’s Tragic Curse put on a pretty entertaining set and I enjoyed hearing the strong influences in their music. I think this band could be successful on the Nashville circuit. All the guys in the band seem to be hard-working good people and their dedication to their craft shines through in their live show.
ACT IV - - SWING SHOT
SWING SHOT
I never, in my wildest dreams, would have guessed that I would be giving my highest marks of the night to a group that was a last-minute addition to the lineup but it’s true. As I mentioned in part 1 of my review, Swing Shot is a group from Knoxville that was called in at the last minute to replace 3 Minutes to Live, who had to cancel due to a death in the guitarists family. I had pretty low expectations for this group, given the short amount of time for preparation. Boy, was I in for a surprise! Swing Shot took the stage and basically punched us all in the mouth and left us craving more. This group is talented in all facets of their lineup. First of all, this is a band that features a background vocalist that plays a set of conga drums. Yes, you heard me correctly. Another interesting feature of Swing Shot is the fact that almost everyone sings. LTC set things up with their dual vocal ability and Swing Shot knocked out the strike with almost every member of the band contributing at some point in the set. Lead vocalist, BJ Griffith, satisfied all of the metal fans in the audience with some guttural growls that sounded extremely authentic while other band members such as percussionist Shane Reed and drummer, Matt Bradley provided some original melodic vocals to even things out. Bassist, Loren Queener, while having a great singing voice, does a great job by playing simpatico with, not one, but 2 different drum/percussion players and guitarist, Jason Puckett broke into some great riffing on song such as ‘Divinity’ and ‘Kurdle’. I really dug the conga part at the end of ‘Left Empty’ and the high number of changes in ‘Divinity’.
Swing Shot provided a highly entertaining set that included a melding of many influences, energy from start to finish, and so many changes in songs and structure that you are guaranteed to never have a dull moment. I don’t say this lightly, if they are in town and you like rock or metal music in any fashion, Go See This Band!
ACT V - - ADRENALINE THEORY
ADRENALINE THEORY
A few months ago, I started combing through profiles of Tennessee bands via myspace.com. In the process, I came across the profile of Adrenaline Theory. The song samples were extremely impressive. I contacted a person close to the band and mentioned that I would like to do a CD review. It turned out that what I had heard was a rough demo and the band was still recording the real album. They sounded that good! Well, the new album ‘Reborn’ has been unleashed on the public and the band are playing shows to help promote it.
Adrenaline Theory cruised through seven tracks of full-on aggression. Highlights of the AT’s set included some extremely powerful singing on set-opener ‘Burn’ by vocalist Patrick Garrett, seismic rolling riffs from guitarist Mike Gill on songs such as ‘Schizo’ & ‘Walk a Mile’, and the slamming rhythm section of drummer Creg Gregory & bassist Beau Garrow on the ominously titled ‘End of Days’. The first single from the album, ‘Reborn’, is a progressive affair featuring a sweet blend of melody and metal. Winning the award for the strangest cover song I’ve heard in a while, Adrenaline Theory played a surprisingly powerful version of Chris Isaak’s 80’s light rock staple, Wicked Game, complete with dancing girls! I had high expectations for Adrenaline Theory and they delivered on all of them. This group is not going away and deserve to be seen to be believed.
ACT VI - - DERIVATIVE
DERIVATIVE
An interesting development occurred during the writing of this review. The era of Derivative that I witnessed on October 29th turned out to be the last show of their lineup. Bassist Jacob Robison has decided to leave the band. He will continue with the group through the recording of their debut cd before leaving to pursue other interests. Derivative plans to continue on with a new bass player. I’m glad to hear that, as I enjoy their unique sound. I saw Derivative for the first time at a mid-summer show at Harvey Bangers. I enjoyed what I heard but was left waning due to the fact that the p.a. system at Harvey Bangers was seriously sub-par. The band was debuting two new tracks at this show. ‘Upheaval’ has a driving riff and some solid playing by drummer, Pat Briley but sounded rather pedestrian to me. On the other hand, ‘Perseverance’ is the song that sums this band up and has their own personal stamp. Jacob’s bass intro accentuated by Jonathan Hart’s effect-laden guitar part lead you into a moody, almost jazzy verse part before completely going off the edge in the chorus section. Vocalist Monty McLeod is a blue-collar style of vocalist. He goes out and works extremely hard to entertain the audience. He not only has stage presence but has one of the most unique voices that I’ve heard in our local scene.
Opening song, ‘Defective’ features some quick, crunchy riffs and ‘Stagnant’ is highlighted by some rapid fire vocals from McLeod. Even with two strong new songs being played, my favorite Derivative song remains ‘Love Junkie’. The catchy punk/metal mix that includes a cool staccato breakdown with the the vocals is so cool that I don’t know if the band could ever top this song. I’m anticipating quite a long break before any more Derivative shows take place due to Robison’s departure and the recording of the cd. This was a strong note to go out on.
EPILOGUE
To help tie things back to my original point, The Backwoods Metalfest is a great reminder that you don’t always need a booking agency, advertising budget, and millions in p.r. dollars to put on an entertaining, memorable show. What I witnessed on this chilly October night was a group of bands getting together to play music, enjoy their songs, enjoy the audience, and enjoy each others company. Mission accomplished!
Chris ‘Uncle Daddy Longlegs’ Czynszak
Until Next Time: I’m out like Vanderbilt’s chances of a bowl game.
Message from Uncle Daddy: Remember, only YOU can prevent a lame local music scene.
To reach Chris “Uncle Daddy Longlegs” Czynszak e-mail at:
cczynszak@nashvillerock.net