California Deathfest VI – Day 1

January 28th, 2022

            For the 6th time in its iteration, California Deathfest would take shape and place, to some of the most diverse, legendary, and prominent bands in Extreme Metal music.  From Grindcore, Technical Death Metal, Brutal Slam, Thrash, Atmospheric Black Metal, to name several, a grand smorgasbord of quality bands, from all across the globe.  The gathering for this remarkable 3-day event, at the 1720 Club in Los Angeles.

            Already walking inside the venue, quite a large turnout already.  You just don’t know sometimes for these events, given its Los Angeles:  traffic, a Friday at 5 PM for doors opening, and from time to time, the fans not showing up until the “larger name” bands arrive on stage.  Major props for the audience showing up this early, giving proper respect to this wonderous Extreme Metal festival.  Not to mention, a galore of local shops in the outside patio selling a number of vinyl records, shirts, jewelry, patches, posters, and CDs.  There was so much to choose from!  If only, all of the bands on the festival had merch to sell.  Some couldn’t due to travel constraints, couldn’t bring any, or other reasons.

            Southern California’s own Gravehill, were the first to get the evening started.  This was definitely a different Gravehill to my eye, as I’ve seen the band perform for well over a decade, with a lot of new faces present.  Compared to the Blackened Death Metal sound I’ve grown accustomed to, the guitar tone and the songs this time around, felt more Thrashy, a little Death ‘n Roll here and there, too.  Long time bassist of Gravehill, now lead vocalist, “Corpse”, spewed a mid-ranged sounding growl, playing to the faster tempo found in the verses.  The moshpit got going immediately for Gravehill’s set, and while this was a different view of Gravehill, I found their set enjoyable, as much as the crowd did.   

1.  At Hell’s Command

2.  Iron & Sulphur

3.  Unholy Executioner

4.  Away from the Light

5.  Murder

6. Trick or Treat (Fastway cover)

7.  Decibel Ritual

            Arguably getting one of the most intense pops from the fans all evening, Los Angeles’s own Skeletal Remains, showing their hard work touring on some larger Metal packages, the last one for me seeing them open for Revocation/Voivod/Psycroptic.  From tightly played riffing, stellar solo exchanges blitzing melody to controlled chaos from Mike De La O and Chris Monroy, the talent found in their ability and the Skeletal Remains sound is ever present.  Monroy’s vocal delivery while performing “Tomb of Chaos” and “Devouring Mortality”, not missing a beat, while still using the tremolo bar in premium effect.  Unfortunately, I had the same issue with the performance as the previous:  I couldn’t connect with it.  The musicianship is no doubt, worth a watch alone, and Skeletal Remains has earned every bit of success that they deserve.  But at least in just my view, there’s only so much Morbid Angel-like worship I can enjoy, and with “Tomb of Chaos” (:40 – 2:02) having quite the similar sounding structure to “Summoning Redemption”, I felt their style of riffing only goes so far.  But, still in their prime, I can see Skeletal Remains taking that next step to truly wonderous material.  The crowd ignited, and sparked for the band, no doubt, and their set was still fun to watch.

1.  Illusive Divinity

2.  Beyond Cremation

3.  Traumatic Existence

4.  Tombs of Chaos

5.  Congregation of Flesh

6.  Devouring Mortality

7.  Dissectasy

8.  Eternal Hatred

            One of the most enticing aspects of festivals, regardless of genre, are finding new sounds, artists and songs to enjoy, and/or experience.  Throughout the weekend, there was plenty of that for myself, as well as the next two bands coming up on the bill.  Death/Doom Metal from Washington, Mortiferum’s gloomy single-note ensemble, was accompanied with a clear, booming wall of weighing distortion and blasting drum hits.  The combination drew a sonic hypnosis, waving from the haunting, slower notes, to the Death Metal atmosphere at a funeral pyre.  Guitarist/vocalist Max Bowman’s growling:  delightful and resonated with vigor.  Mortiferum’s set flew by, an impressive performance from the Death/Doom newcomers.   

1.  Eternal Procession

2.  Incubus of Bloodstained Visions

3.  Seraphic Extinction

4.  Exhumed from Moral Spheres

5.  Funereal Hallucinations

            Only hearing about Embalmer just last year, I didn’t think their Old-School Death Metal sound, would be this fresh and modern live.  With the songs roughly in the 2-to-3-minute range, each track I felt had time to breathe, even in those short bursts.  You can hear the 90s Grindcore-like downbeat often, then Embalmer would play a punishing East Coast Slam riff, immediately followed by blast beats with fast-picked riffing.  Vocalist Paul Gorefiend’s front man delivery and engaging the crowd, kept the fiery energy all throughout their set.  Embalmer’s various type of music, despite the shorter lengths of the songs, didn’t bore or become stale, instead, they brought a frenetic pace that had the 1720 venue eat from the palm of their hand.  There was mayhem everywhere, and Embalmer’s 30+ in the scene, was not to be forgotten.   

1.  Pronounced Dead

2.  There Was Blood Everywhere

3.  Burnt to a Crisp

4.  Embalmentation

5.  I Am the Embalmer

6.  May the Wounds Bleed Forever

7.  Drowned in Boiling Blood

8.  The Necro-Filing Cabinet

9.  Parted Out

10.  Emanations from the Crypt

11.  Bone Box

12.  The Stiff

13.  They Can Smell Our Blood

            Closing in on the last two main acts of Day 1, Skinless was met with an astounding roar of joy, and an intense mosh pit that lasted nearly their entire hour long set.  For festivals, I feel your setlist shouldn’t be a Greatest Hits, or what you would usually play on tour.  Skinless took notice of this, performing only from their first 2 records, Progression Towards Evil, and Foreshadowing Our Demise.  Not only were those famous New York grooves found all throughout the set, the brutality was more than I can remember seeing from Skinless live.  It was strange not seeing Jason Keyser as the vocalist, as it was the last time I saw the band, as well as him being an outstanding front man.  To my delight however, the vocalist who performed on those said records, came back to Skinless shortly before their brief hiatus, and upon their return.  Sherwood Webber’s menacing gutturals were outstanding, and it went beautifully in sync with the palm-muted Slamtastic chords and pummels.  Whenever Skinless is on any lineup, you’re in for one hell of a Death Metal performance, and their dynamic performance stole the night for me.

1.  Crispy Kids

2.  Confines of Human Flesh

3.  Extermination of My Filthy Species

4.  Tampon Lollipops

5.  Enslavement

6.  Foreshadowing Our Demise

7.  Smothered

8.  Cuntaminated

9.  Tug of War Intestines

10.  The Optimist

11.  Fetus Goulash

            By this point, the entire floor area was jammed back, with chants and horns for Mortician numerous times.  Someone mentioned that there were traffic issues for the band, with the set starting at 11:45 PM, well past the scheduled 11 PM timeslot.  You cannot convince me that legalizing alcohol is completely okay, but still issues doing the same for marijuana.  There were a few individuals in the crowd, drunk out of their minds, booing loudly and being negative idiots while we all waited for Mortician to start.  It’s rare that established Extreme bands are late, and this wasn’t an act, traffic on a Friday night in the Los Angeles area, is no picnic.

            With that out of the way, as soon as Will Rahmer did a super-quick bass and vocal check, the audience erupted in Metal glee, coincidently those Zeros bashing the band, were nowhere to be heard at this point.  Mortician’s live production was absolutely vicious:  Their famous use of Gore movie quotes in their intros, a wall of incaving Brutal Death Metal riffs, alongside Will’s still thunderous, legendary guttural vocals.  (A deep cut!)  My only other time seeing Mortician, back in 2004 with Akercocke as main support at the Showcase Theater in Corona (RIP venue), and I still remember his vocals back then were as razor-sharp in intensity.  It’s still profound to hear his vocals to be this magnificent.  Longtime live drummer for Mortician, Sam Inzerra matching the intense speeds of the drum programming the band mostly uses on record.  The 3-piece crushed the 1720 club, a non-stop hour performance of New York Brutal Death Metal, with some Grindcore elements.  I’ll admit, I didn’t appreciate their performance back in 2004, but I’ve come to recognize their glowing, beckoning strengths, especially in a live setting.

            California Deathfest VI, Day 1 in the books.  And, while today felt more like a Grindcore style festival, overall the performances were sound, and able to soak in this extremely well-attended first day, I looked forward to the next two days, with Day 2 up tomorrow…

1.  Re-Animated Dead Flesh

2.  Cremated

3.  Drilling for Brains

4.  Blown to Pieces

5.  House by the Cemetery

6.  Rabid

7.  The Hatchet Murders

8.  The Bloodseekers

9.  Audra

10.  Witches’ Coven

11.  Driller Killer

12.  Chainsaw Dismemberment

13.  Defiler of the Dead

14.  Mortician

15.  Bloodcraving

16.  World Damnation

17.  Rampage

18.  Zombie Apocalypse

19.  Lord of the Dead