What better way to spend a screamy, dreamy Tuesday evening, than embarking on a little adventure to the city for a night of black/ death metal at DNA Lounge in San Francisco, CA! I arrived with a clean slate, not having seen any of the bands before and I was anxious to see what type of experience they would deliver.
The night got started with viral youth sensations, Hammerhedd, and their mathematically rhythmic opening act could lull you into a false sense of security if you didn’t know they were the calm before the storm. Hammerhedd reminded me of the classic djent sound of Mesuggah, circa 1994’s None. Their groovy, chonky, hypnotic riffs even gave me Nirvana/ Bleach vibes at times, particularly the angsty tint of the vocals. Overall, their sound was a pleasant warm-up as we eased into the show but their stage presence is still maturing. The trio finished leaving the crowd in a state of anxious anticipation of the chaos to come.
It was the second of two days in a row in Oakland for the Live and Outside concert series produced by the Oakland Underworld Metro Opera House at Line 51 Brewing. I had barely recovered from seeing YOB the night before when it was time to head back over to Line 51 Brewing, but this time for some Thrash and Death Metal greatness. Although I ended up getting there early, there were many more people here today than for yesterday’s smaller, but also intense show.