Up & Coming

( Branx , 320 SE 2nd) Over countless bands and incarnations over the years, it seems as if Dax Riggs (Acid Bath, Deadboy and the Elephantmen) has reached the height of his powers. His 2010 record Say Goodnight to the World is a narcotic platter of razor-sharp glamdust, with lurching, fuzz-rock interpolations of the blues underpinning Riggs' fearsome baritone. He's captured a perfect blend of classic rock, metal sludge, gallows blues, and noir-goth Americana, resulting the kind of record that Jack White would trade in his entire wardrobe of antique clothes to make. What's more, Riggs' weathered voice is the kind of instrument that only deepens with time, meaning that he's bound to keep making spooky, craggy, craftily seductive records for years to come. Mark Lanegan fans—you might very well have a better time tonight at this show. NED LANNAMANN

MARK SULTAN, MONARQUES, THEE HEADLINERS , BOO JAYS ( East End , 203 SE Grand) When Mark Sultan, the turban- and dashiki-wearing Canuck known as BBQ, and King Khan split ways from their long-running musical partnership (as the King Khan and BBQ Show) following a disastrous Australian gig, the garage world was shocked off its already turbulent foundation. But Sultan trudged on, recording a bunch of tunes that will eventually fill out a pair of LPs before we hit 2012. While Sultan's doo-slop—sappy, doo-wop-inspired slop-rock—remains his strongest suit, the man has been known to throw some snaggle-toothed swagger into the fold. Sultan recently returned from Europe, where he and Khan reconciled their differences and played a surprise reunion show in Italy. (Yep, they're back on!) He should be in top form and high spirits when he straps on his guitar and sets the scene for a punk-rock prom where everyone loses their virginity afterward. TRAVIS RITTER

TIMES NEW VIKING, AND AND AND ( Bunk Bar , 1028 SE Water) Times New Viking were once considered the lowest of the lo-fi—years before everyone and their moms were trying to out-scuzz one another. Even the flip from Siltbreeze to Matador a few years back didn't put the Columbus, Ohio, trio on the straight and narrow. On Dancer Equired!— their first release for yet another label, Merge Records—TNV cleans things up a tad, while adding a little more melody to the mix. To the lo-fi faithful (is there a lo-fi faithful, or am I just making it up?) this could be seen as sacrilege, but frankly, I've heard many a good song/album nearly ruined by shitty (over) blown-out, tinny production (I'm looking at you, Eat Skull), so you won't hear me complaining. You probably won't hear many others complain, either... except for maybe Pitchfork—but they complain about everything.

Hollenlarm – Hellish Noise : Forbidden Magazine

Now THIS is one of those albums that you pick up, put on and instantly have your brain violently consumed!!!!!! The sound is an intoxicating brew of doom, classic 90’s sludge, old school death metal, crust and even black metal. I can actually hear and feel Acid Bath in the track “I Hope You’re There”, with it’s fucked up lyrics, moody melodies, and clean-mixed-with-rough throat work. In all seriousness, every damned track is an anthem of it’s own, catchy and rhythmic with memorable melodies, yet the tone is so incredibly morbid. The lyrics are extremely soulful and poetic, yet never losing their aggression and impact.

In terms of sound, I guess think the energy of High on Fire with the lyrics of Eyehategod/Autopsy/Acid Bath, and a hardcore/sludge/death metal down-tuned sewage sound, throw in some classic doom/sludge bluesy riffs and some buzzsaw classic black metal riffing, then urinate some punk-as-fuck attitude on top of the load and you’ll be close enough.

“Tex” opens up with sick and disturbing melodic doom/sludge track that’ll make Church of Misery and Cavity fans electrified. The back and forth between melodic clean vocals and raspy filthy ones adds this sense of emotion and intricacy, seriously, to the track. This thing is as complex in content as it is in ass kicking and shredding ability so consider yourselves warned and officially invited to bite the hook.

“Blood on Marble” continues with the sludge/doom, the funereal cascading riffs of bastardized blues coming at you through a storm of red haze and eternal suffering, as you crawl out of your body and slither for cover. Again, this is not your ordinary metal band, and not a fun joke either. I’m a HUGE Acid Bath/Crowbar fan and have to say that aspect of the fucked up and debilitating frustration of being human thrives in us all and this band can easily stand among those mentioned for context alone, but the unique and genuine sound definitely makes them a powerhouse of their own making.

“The Pyramid Screams” comes in with a melodic and black metal like intro, that rains blood and death down among us all and then the lyrics hit and all Hell truly breaks loose. The lyrics really run deep and the truth of the world around us is laid out before us yet again:

The Slaves work line by line, the lowly still grind

Aside from the fact that everything about this release from it’s broad influences to the twisted lyrics of someone very frustrated and understandably so, is completely addicting. Bands like Hollenlarm completely gut the majority of the fish in the oversaturated music pond, and even those worthless bystanders that say, “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore”, can puke themselves to death as they choke on that image and their own words. Hollenlarm, is Hellish noise in literal translation both linguistically and in the message they send forth, but also proof that heavy bands can still have soul, even if it’s charred black.