Rock 'N Vhöl

Vhöl / Bosse De Nage / Lawless
Elbo Room, San Francisco
December 7, 2012

Yes, yes today was Pearl Harbor Day... The anniversary of when the Germans bombed Hawaii or something, right?   More importantly it was exactly a year to the day that Mercyful Fate reunited onstage across town at The Fillmore during the 2nd night of Metallica's 30th Anniversary celebration.  That was the last time I almost cried in public from happiness.. Fast forward a year and tonight would be the San Francisco debut of the "super group" Vhöl featuring members of Ludicra, Yob, and Hammers Of Misfortune.  Crazy, man.

First up tonight was Lawless featuring Kyle, who is also the grinding axe slinger for one of my favorite Bay Area Metal bands Acephalix, along with Luca (bass / vox) and Dave on drums.  This was only the 2nd gig that Lawless has played and I'll just say right now that they were my favorite band of the night.  They spewed forth a tone heavy soupy milkshake of sludgy Death Metal that I'm a sucker for and the tag team vocals between Kyle and Luca really works well.  Ironically, I was wearing a Celtic Frost tee and the spirit of Tom G. Warrior's fingers were definitely haunting the stage as Lawless brought their grind to the night.  Thumbs up, dudes!

Lawless

[Photo courtesy of Sensory Abuse]

I'm not in the mood to be too much of a ranting and jaded old Metal guy, so all I will say is that the best part of Bosse De Nage's set was when Photo Ray and I took advantage of the in-and-out policy and went down to the corner taqueria.  Bosse De Nage are self-described Black Metal that doesn't convince this old man at all... but that's all I'm gonna say because I don't want to be a jaded asshole anymore than I have to be.  However, I am happy to report that the damn good tacos at the taqueria were a nice substitute middle of the bill for me tonight.

Not Tacos

[Photo courtesy of Sensory Abuse]

Then came the moment so many people seemed to be primed and waiting for:  The San Francisco debut of Vhöl. For the newbies, Vhöl features Mike of Yob on vocals (!),  Aesop (Ludica!! Agalloch!) on drums,  Sigrid (Hammers of Misfortune) on bass, and John (Ludicra!  Hammers of Misfortune) on the axe.  As with Lawless, tonight was also Vhöl's 2nd ever show.  Having 2/5 of Ludicra together again onstage was a big deal for me and this combination of musicians made it even more intriguing. So, as these musicians picked up their instruments and us civilians filled in the space in front of the stage, I'm sure almost everyone was ready for a welcoming curtain of dark and brooding volume to be dropped on our heads... I was prepared to welcome a hybrid viral beast similar to the other bands that these musicians represented... I was ready to have the darkness fill my head... but...that didn't happen.

Vhöl launched into a set that was downright... PUNK and THRASH (!) with only the slightest undertone of what most of us had expected.   I think it's safe to say most of those in attendance were surprised; I know I was..  I think the biggest revelation was watching Mike sing in a way that was the complete opposite of what he does with Yob and not only because he was sans guitar.  He was Punk instead of Doom and... it was fun to watch.  The same goes for Sigrid holding it down on bass instead of behind her Hammers of Misfortune keyboards.  In contrast, seeing Aesop swinging his sticks and John bringing the riffs was familiar to me since I lived and breathed Ludicra shows for years.  Life is full of surprises.

Vhöl

[Photo courtesy of Sensory Abuse]

I will be completely honest and say I'm not sure if I'm completely engaged by Vhöl yet... but with their debut album coming early in the New Year on Profound Lore my ears and head are waiting to be convinced.  As I left the Elbo Room and headed back to the Prius, I walked down a side street that I remembered from 20 (!) years ago when I lived in The Mission.  Back in The Day the block used to be sort of junkie and hooker-like... but here in the 20th Century it  was downright nice and cheery:

New perspectives on things whether from a new band doing the unexpected or an old familiar street being nicer than its past is a reality check.  Discuss amongst yourselves.  If you bought one of every Vhöl merch item you would have paid $10; I dig their logo alot. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag.  It's already the middle of December.. where the fuck did this year go?!

Helpless

Diamond Head / Evildead / Slough Feg
Elbo Room, San Francisco
August 17, 2011

This ranks as one of the most surreal shows ever for Umlaut. Thirty years ago Diamond Head were one of those hallowed underground European Metal bands that ushered in a whole new world for me. Plus, all of the Old Metalheads know that Metallica copped pretty much all of their early sound from Diamond Head. Fast forward to the 21st Century and Diamond Head are touring the U.S. for the first time ever... 17 cities although with only 1 original member (guitarist Brian Tatler). I hate cover bands and, despite the sense that I would be seeing a Diamond Head cover band (especially since Sean Harris would not be singing the band's iconic songs), my Inner Teenage Metalhead still told me to go if only to honor the ancient Metal Days of my youth.

The line to get into the Elbo Room was like a high school reunion with so many people who I've known since we were teenagers hanging out. This pre-show scene was the highlight of the night for me, which included Ron Quintana and I meeting Brian Tatler on the streets of San Francisco. Although we later found out that Tatler did not have his white Flying-V with him (For the newbies: Tatler was always shown playing a white Flying-V back in The Day..), for some reason he was carrying a white power strip when we met him (?). Anyway, Ron and I meeting him was 30 years of Diamond Head fandom coming around full circle; kind of an epic moment.

Ron -> Tatler -> Umlaut

Slough Feg has been touted as the 2nd coming of Old Metal for years... but they've never clicked with me. Tonight was no different. Sorry... honesty is my only excuse. Evildead is led by the guitarist from the 80's L.A. Metal band Abattoir, who I saw back in The Day supporting Megadeth and Slayer... but it was hot 'n stuffy in the space so we went outside to get some air during their set. Sorry... honesty is my only excuse.

It took 30 years, but Diamond Head finally made it to San Francisco, the American city where they unquestionably had the biggest following back in The Day. Unlike most, The Bay Area Metal kidz knew about Diamond Head before they were made famous by Metallica. The very first time Metallica played in San Francisco in September 1982 they covered 'The Prince' and 'Am I Evil'; my friends and I flipped out because we couldn't believe there were others who even knew who Diamond Head were... Kids these days with their Internet probably can't comprehend how isolated it could be in ancient times when you had to hunt for information and the music of bands you liked... but that effort made me value the music and bands that much more. Hence I was standing in the crowded and sweaty Elbo Room at midnight on a Tuesday night to see 1/4 of the original band.

This was a very weird show for me and I have to say it came 30 years too late in many respects. In a perfect world Diamond Head would have played the Lightning To The Nations album all the way through and not broken the classic songs up with their later material. As it happened, they played all of the songs off that album except 'Sweet & Innocent' during the set... but I couldn't get past the overwhelming cover band vibe. It's an age old debate: If you use a band's name even though most of the current members weren't in the original band are they still *that* band? Of course, in a few cases it might work... but in most cases it doesn't. If a band is special it’s because the individuals involved create a creative chemistry that’s unique.. you might be able to replace one or maybe two members.. but the results might be dubious. In this case, simply calling the band "Diamond Head" doesn't make them the iconic band from my youth. Sorry... honesty is my only excuse.

(Photo courtesy of Sensory Abuse)

On paper the setlist was pretty solid and I tried to get past the fact that only 1/5 of the band onstage mattered to me… but it was difficult. They opened with the oldie 'Play It Loud'... and 'The Prince' and 'It's Electric' were fun to hear.. and when they played 'Helpless' I did toast the dead friends who never got to see the band (Sam, Rich, Cliff). It was funny how I recognized the songs off the Borrowed Time and Canterbury albums (which I literally have not listened to since 1983) but the newer latter 20th Century songs sounded so dated. However, it was pretty fucking cool to finally see Brian Tatler play 'Am I Evil' in San Francisco (with a shout out to Metallica of course..) after all these years. "I'll split you to the bone... Help set you free.."

When it was all said and done, this was a "damned if I do, damned if I don't" show for me. If I'd passed on it I would have regretted it... but attending didn't set my world on fire either; I'm such a jaded Old Fart. Meanwhile, back in the 21st Century...

If you bought one of every Diamond Head merch item you would have paid around $60; Healy bought one of the band’s USB drives in a tin box that was supposed to have their entire discography on it plus bonus music... and it was EMPTY! On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. If you bought one of every Diamond Head merch item in 1981 you would have paid around 17 quid:

An ad from Kerrang! #2 - August 1981
(From the Umlaut Archives)

Black Metal Night Out

Inquisition / Altar of Plagues / Velnias
Elbo Room, San Francisco
July 16, 2010


This was Umlaut's first gig in 2 weeks; I had blown off at least 2 shows in that time because I think I'd hit a wall with seeing bands... at least for a moment. Prior to the show Timo and I hit up Can-Cun on Mission for a pre-show burrito fix and ran waist deep into the Friday night Mission Hipster Clusterfuck. Under different circumstances I would have been far more annoyed by the Hipster kidz who didn't know how to order at a taqueria, but I rolled with it because I was hungry.

Unfortunately we didn't get to the show in time to see Dispirit, but their presence was obvious as soon as we entered the Elbo Room. Besides their formidable Metal, Dispirit are also infamous for having the most enveloping and choking use of smoke machines in recent local memory. The smoke from upstairs where the bands play had seeped down during Dispirit's set into the Elbo Room's Hipster and Tourist filled bar downstairs. It was kind of funny... and it's also funny how the Elbo Room downstairs was filled with the types of people who annoy me the most, but upstairs was fairly crowded with people who I relate to the most. The Umlaut Nation was nicely represented upstairs... so a shout out to Timo, Lori, Richard, Photo Ray, and Sensory Abuse.

I'm not sure where Velnias hail from (Colorado?) but I think it's safe to say they have a lot of Neurosis in their record collections... I liked their set, but their onstage presentation made me take points off. I mean, only JAZZ musicians are supposed to play with their backs to the audience, right? The only possible explanation for a Metal band to play with their backs to the audience is if they want to show off their back patches (kudos to Velnias' guitarist for that)... but, I'm sorry, I'm from the school where a Metal band should engage their audience... ESPECIALLY if you're wearing a Kerry King gauntlet with 2-inch spikes on your left arm (kudos to Velnias' guitarist for that). Otherwise it's like watching a band at rehearsal, dyaknowwhatimean? However, I did think Velnias had the strongest songs of any band I saw tonight and a glance at their MySpace page says their influences are:

"The ancient whispers of the woods, the rumble of the cold mountains, the roaring of the frigid sea; despair, for you stand as but nothing in their midst."

Well, oookaay then! There you go... at least they didn't go for the obvious.

In between bands the bass player from D.R.I. called my cell... but I didn't answer it. Sorry, dude... I was at a show.. and I thought you were on tour in Poland or something? Anyway, call me back, dude.

Altar Of Plagues hail all the way from Ireland and they're currently on their debut U.S. Tour... However, a guy down front thought the band were from L.A. for some reason and heckled them about it as they set up their gear. His anti-L.A. rant continued as the band were about to begin their set so James (guitar / vox) leaned over and said to the heckler "We're from Ireland..." HAHA! I think it's safe to say Altar Of Plagues has a lot of Neurosis in their record collections. They hit things off STRONG and I was on the verge of being blown away completely by them... but then the set became locked into a certain amount of "sameness". It's not that the "sameness" was a negative... but at some point my brain locked up and I swear I passed out mentally for a brief moment... or maybe I teleported somewhere and then back... because as Altar Of Plagues' set thundered to a close I felt like I had literally left the room for a minute. It's was bizarre... or maybe just the stress of the day catching up to me.

Altar Of Plagues at Elbo Room
(Pic courtesy of Sensory Abuse)

It was interesting to see all the excitement that Inquisition's first visit to San Francisco generated. I mean, all of the members of Ludicra were in the house, as were members of Acid King and Saviours. Christy of Ludicra was like a little school girl caught up in the excitement of finally seeing them... and Umlaut is always interested when bands that he likes gush about their heroes. It's that "may the circle stay unbroken" sort of thing; the music and bands feeding themselves via mutual inspiration... or some Hippie Shit like that.

Inquisition distill Black Metal down to its barest, liquid form... which is hit and miss for Umlaut. Any band consisting of 2 members has challenges as far as creating a compelling dynamic for my ears. Black Cobra are a duo but live it's unbelievable that their wall of volume is being created by only 2 dudes; Inquisition are a duo and live it sounds like 2 guys onstage. The quality riffs were there... The quality drumming was there... and Dagon (guitar / vox) and Incubus (drums) know how to work a Black Metal crowd... but, to be blunt, I'm not sure if the adulation for Inquisition is because of the actual quality of the music or because they have such a mystique around them due to their lack of Stateside live performances. It's probably a combination of both... As much as I liked the black groove that Inquisition created, I kept waiting for their riffs to take me someplace... but they never went that far... which maybe is the whole point. Inquisition are Black Metal in its barest, liquid form... like a poison bottle whose contents are obvious and without any pretense of being anything else. Swallow the unbuffered blackness.

I have to say that it's cool the Elbo Room is starting to book Metal shows again after years of ignoring the local Metal clientele. If it continues the space will be a nice addition to Thee Parkside as a clubhouse for the underground S.F. Metal Scene; the spirit of Annie's Social Club (R.I.P.) lives on.

There was a limited edition show poster for $10 but I didn't do a merch audit. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. All in all it was a routine night, but probably just what I needed to ease back into a gig schedule again.

Happy Hour

Vastum
Elbo Room, San Francisco
June 4, 2010


What a long day... but in a good way. The energy level at work is always different when the CEO is in town from London, but it was all good because we adore him and he's one badass muthafawker. The work day ended with a 3 hour Happy Hour hang sesson with my colleagues and our boss at the corner bar near the office. Drinks flowed and blood was spilled, and if the boyz wanna fight you better let 'em. Then at around 9:30pm I said my goodbyes and set the Prius on course for The Mission to catch Vastum before I passed out.

Umlaut is a big fan of Leila's musicianship via Saros and Amber Asylum... and now she's also a member of Hammers Of Misfortune! BUSY! Back in January, when Vastum was announced, she told me it was refreshing to be playing downtuned "Caveman" Metal (HAHA!). By coincidence, Umlaut LOVES Caveman Metal and the songs the band initially posted had me looking for my fur shorts and club. I've listened to the band's 3-song demo over and over and they immediately had me with their S.F. style Amebix / Celtic Frost crusty sweaty dirty volume; I'm a complete sucker for a band like this. Vastum sounds like a rabid Troll charging at you from underneath a bridge in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately, I was out of town back in March when Vastum played their 1st show... and I believe this was only their 2nd gig.. However, after tonight they're already near the top of my favorite local Metal bands. Dan on vocals is one of the most authentic frontmen I've seen in awhile; loose, lost, and not afraid to break down the band / audience barrier by storming off the stage to start some crowd action during a song. I really liked how Luca and RD on bass and drums held things down in a loose, groove way that is a nice departure from the usual oh-so-serious crusty Metal way. Kyle on guitar seems to channel an inner Kerry King, which is 101% fine with me of course... and you know Leila on the other side of the stage means Caveman Metal business because with Vastum she's playing a motherfucking black BC Rich instead of the SG she wielded with Saros. A solid band, man. SOLID. The highlight of the set was the awesome downtuned stomp of 'Master's Mark'... which is the type of song I immediately want to hear again once it's finished. Hit *Rewind* and *Play* again...

Pic courtesy of Whenwedie

Vastum onstage was the best 30 minutes of my TGIFriday. Apologies to Flood and Morne, but I bailed immediately after Vastum finished because I was TIRED. A bummer because I had wanted to check out Morne... but I just couldn't do it. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called me a fag. It really is astounding how many amazing Metal bands call The Bay Area home at this moment in time. HAIL!

• Click HERE to support Vastum by purchasing their excellent demo for a mere $3 (THREE DOLLARS).
  
• Click HERE to see Whenwedie's shots from the Elbo Room set.