Girl at the Rock Shows

To say that my show choice from Tuesday to Wednesday took a completely 180 would be an understatement. Tuesday night was spent at the gorgeous Orpheum Theatre for a presentation of Aladdin: The Musical. Wednesday night was spent at the fairly intimate Fine Line for a brutal night hosted by Cattle Decapitation. That’s right– from Aladdin to Cattle Decapitation. Life can get weird sometimes but I’ve learned to go with it.

The first of four bands to take the stage on Wednesday night was Castrator. It’s a brilliant band name especially when you realize that this band is a female old school death metal band. Even with one member not at the show and being replaced by a male, I am going to continue to refer to this band as a female band because it’s important. Why? Because females are starting to take over the metal scene and Castrator is proof of that. It makes my heart so happy. I remember when I first started getting deep into the metal scene. People didn’t know who I was or what I did but I was often referred to as “that one chick who is always at the shows”. I hated that because I was so much more than “that one chick” but as I would look around at all of the metal shows, it was clear to see why this was the name I was given.

I feel like some people will give metal bands that feature female members more credit than they are due purely because they are females but Castrator deserves all of the credit and then some. This New York City-based group has a classic death metal sound and they do it flawlessly. On top of that, the amount of energy they brought to the stage was outstanding. The nearly sold-out crowd was still growing as they powered their way through their quick thirty-minute opening set but it was clear to see that they were hooking everyone the instant they came through the doors and got into the venue. If it wasn’t the music that caught them, it was surely the energy as Castrator clearly had everything to prove and nothing to lose. They put it all out on the stage on Wednesday night and it paid off as I saw people flocking to their merch table after the set.

I don’t know that I will ever know how to say the name of the next band that performed but that’s not the point. After a quick changeover, Sanguisugabogg took the stage and absolutely ripped the Fine Line to pieces. Personally, Sanguisugabogg was a favorite of mine in this stacked line-up purely based on their sound. Sure, it was very much a death metal sound that was rattling through the speakers but I felt a little bit of a hardcore influence come through here and there throughout their set. Add a couple of epic breakdown-styled moments and I was left with a set that had me feeling exhausted even though I was standing towards the back of the audience. Their sound, much like the audience throughout their set, was chaotic and all of the place but it was perfect. I was able to let off some much needed steam throughout Sanguisugabogg’s set even if it wasn’t noticable to those around me. There was just something almost cathartic about their performance and their brand of brutality that rang loud and clear throughout the venue.

Even though the next band, Immolation, was just here in May with Obituary, everyone seemed stoked to see this band on Wednesday night. There was excitement in the air throughout the night but I feel like it really came to a climax right before Immolation. This excitement was for good reason. Immolation is not a new band and is actually considered one of the leaders of the New York death metal scene. They have been around since 1986 and have been putting out their dark and intense music since day one. They have never changed nor should they as their sound and just overall style is beyond perfect. Being able to witness and hear that style on stage on Wednesday night was a thrill.

Whereas there seemed to be a constant stream of crowd surfers and stage divers for Sanguisugabogg, the audience took a bit more of a reserved stance during Immolation but it would make sense as this is one of those bands that you just really want to watch as their genius takes over. There has been a lot of line-up changes for this band over the decades they have been doing their thing but you wouldn’t have known that when watching them on Wednesday. They set was so perfectly crafted and all four members were so perfectly in sync with each other. Even though the music was dark and intense, there’s no denying the beauty hidden behind it all.

Honestly, I’ve lost count of how many times I have seen the headliner from Wednesday night- Cattle Decapitation- but that’s far from a complaint. I always look forward to seeing this band because I know what I’m going to get– flawless brutality served with a side dish of energized chaos– and that’s exactly how my Wednesday night ended. Like Immolation, Cattle Decapitation is one of those legendary bands in the scene that you never pass up an opportunity to see. They have been around since 1996 and, based on their current trajectory, there will be no stopping them in the foreseeable future.

I stood there in complete awe for just under an hour and a half while Cattle Decapitation blew everyone in the audience away. I know that some people would consider their music just loud and aggressive sounds but, to me, it was beautiful. Growled and screamed vocals mixed with wailing guitars and the constant booming drums came together like a cacophony of flowers and rainbows in my head. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic but I know it takes a certain type of person to really get into heavy music like this and I’m honestly not always that person but I was on Wednesday night and it made the night beyond perfect for me.

Don’t get stuck in a box. I went from a Disney musical to Cattle Decapitation. My next show will be another complete twist from these two shows and that’s how I keep doing this night after night. Keep things fresh. Go see something new. Grab a friend and go see a musical and then turn around and see some top-shelf death metal the next night. I promise it’s a wild ride but it’s worth it!

Line Up:

Castrator

Sanguisugabogg

Immolation

Cattle Decapitation

Venue: Fine Line

Smell-O-Meter: The sweet smell of metalhead BO

Average Age of the Crowd: 38

Crowd Surfers- Stopped Counting at 19

Stage Divers- Stopped Counting around 13

Mosh-ability- 11 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- 0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Bodies / Drinks / Clothing

Fights- None Witnessed

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security – 1

How Irritated I Was With The Audience – 5 out of 10

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Castrator – 0

Sanguisugabogg– 0

Immolation – 0

Cattle Decapitation – 8

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 7.7 out of 10

Show on Deck — The Last Revel / Kiernan

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