Monday, April 26, 2010

upcoming shows in may of interest...

*5-1-2010, the dojo (4640 E. 10th St., indpls), coffinworm (indy), velnias (colorado), batillus (nyc), and kata sarka (indy), 6:30 p.m., $6.

*5-4-2010, the dojo, black breath, sleeping in gethsemane, deceiver, and sick world, 7 p.m., $8.

*5-6-2010, the tip top tavern (1341 n. capitol ave., indpls), demiricous (indy), heavy lies the crown (indy), cattle decapitation (ca), and revocation, 8 p.m., $10.

*5-8-2010, the dojo, demiricous (indy), no regard (indy), deceiver, vital error, and picked clean, 7 p.m., $6.

*5-16-2010, the melody inn (3826 n. illinois st., indpls), apostle of solitude (indy), necropharmacon (indy), black pyramid (ma), and let the night roar (ga), 7 p.m., $6.

*5-26-2010, the melody inn, red shadows (indy), rat storm, capitalist casualties, verbal abuse, and fang, 7 p.m., $12.

*5-27-2010, locals only, demiricous, red shadows, and plaguesayer, 9 p.m., free 21+.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Lair of the Minotaur review... Evil Power

Chicago’s Lair of the Minotaur has never had their metal credentials challenged. They are a band that exudes love of all things metal on their previous releases. Their fourth release, Evil Power on The Grind House Records, is no different. Instantly, the blood soaked skull fragments and inherent lyrical violence are penned against Lair of the Minotaur’s sludgy brand of thrash.

Their previous release, War Metal Battle Master, crashed metal’s front line with sharpened battle axes. Evil Power smashes straight ahead with the band’s raw brand of no nonsense metal. This is a call to arms wielding mighty war hammers instead of blades. It’s unapologetic and as always testosterone fueled.

Evil Power is loaded with thick riffing. The record has an old school feel to it, with a nod to death metal and subtle hints of grind. Lair of the Minotaur’s thrashing sense of groove is immediately felt. The rhythm section, drummer Chris Wozniak and now with Demiricous’ bassist/vocalist Nate Olp on bass, churn out grimy heaps of low end rumble and thunder to match guitarist/vocalist Steve Rathbone’s guitar gnarl and guttural laments.

As to be expected with Lair of the Minotaur the elements of fantasy in the lyrics provide the imagery to meet the savagery of the music. Though not as urgent sounding as previous releases, Evil Power is backed by muscle and heft. This is a record bent on taking its dense sound and emotion to the listener. This is street level metal from and for the underground. It is not pretty or overly technical, but it is a record that will ravage all put before it. The deep grooves hoist riff after riff through the ground, cracking foundations as it pushes skyward, all the while blending varying sub genres of metal into one slab of destruction and rampage.

**Next chance to see Lair of the Minotaur is 4-16-2010 at The Melody Inn for their dual release show with Coffinworm. Red Shadows and Slam Dunk round out the evenings line-up.

Friday, April 2, 2010

upcoming shows of interest in indy in april...

*4-8-2010, the 1511, garrote (indy), torch runner (north carolina), and brainwreck (tennessee), $7, 8 p.m.

*4-10-2010, the dojo, apostle of solitude (indy), deadmen (indy), and bulletwolf (indy), $6, 8 p.m.

*4-11-2010, the melody inn, worldeater (indy), kata sarka (indy), and ludicra (california), $7, 8 p.m.

*4-16-2010, the melody inn, coffinworm (indy), lair of the minotaur (chicago/indy), red shadows (indy), and slam dunk (bloomington/indy), $6, 9 p.m.

*4-19-2010, radio radio, red sparowes (california), caspian, and fang island, $10 8 p.m.

*4-22-2010, the dojo, the dockers (indy), abstract artimus (new york), and daikajiu (alabama), 7 p.m.

*4-28-2010, the melody inn, kata sarka (indy), bulletwolf (indy), and music hates you (atlanta, ga.), $5, 9 p.m.