SOLID BROWN (C) 2018 All rights reserved by www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich HAAZE (C) 2018 All rights reserved by www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich SET & STONED (C) 2018 All rights reserved by www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich GONE COSMIC (C) 2018 All rights reserved by www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST (C) 2018 All rights reserved by www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich ELECTRIC OWL (C) 2018 All rights reserved by www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich SASQUATCH (C) 2018 All rights reserved by www.metalmasterkingdom.com Photo credit: Xavier Cattarinich HAAZE Mitch Soloway - Guitar and lead vocals Alex Adamson - Bass and vocals Label: Unsigned Website: www.haazeband.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/HAAZEBAND GONE COSMIC Abbie Thurgood - Vocals Devin Purdy - Guitar Brett Whittingham - Bass Marcello Castronuovo - Drums Label: Unsigned Website: www.facebook.com/gonecosmic ELECTRTIC OWL Cam Thomas - Guitar and vocals Keegan Costella - Bass and vocals Jeff Shibby Smith - Drums and vocals Label: Unsigned Website: www.electricowl.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/electricowlrocks | LINEUP (DAY 1) SOLID BROWN HAAZE SET & STONED GONE COSMIC GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST ELECTRIC OWL SASQUATCH This past April 19-21, Calgary’s second annual 420 Music & Arts Festival returned bigger and badder than before. Over that three-night period, twenty-four bands from across Canada and the U.S. graced the stage at Distortion to honour the sweet leaf in its myriad forms and uses, and what an event it was. Metalheads United rounded up an incredible line-up covering the spectrum of stoner rock and doom metal, and the entire event ran like a well-oiled doob machine. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the second day of the festival (apologies to the bands that played then), so as a result, we’ll divide this review into two parts covering nights 1 and 3, respectively. Here, we will focus on the first day on April 19th. I arrived just in time to catch the tail end of Solid Brown. The little I saw of their crushing grooves, psychedelic samples, irresistible melodies and serious bottom end—courtesy of bassists Titan Scepter and Hugh Zebronze and drummers Muscle Shorts and Max Brutes—made me want to look them up on Bandcamp as soon as I got home. Yes, you read right. Solid Brown have two bassists, two skin pounders, and no guitarists—a sound that’s got to be heard live to be believed. Check out their trippy video for “You’re All Gonna Die On This Carnival Ride” for a taste of what these guys are all about. On the heels of Solid Brown, Red Deer’s HAAZE churned out some fuzz-laden, death-ish stoner metal from their EP Riff (2017) and beyond. Lead singer and guitarist Mitchell Soloway’s guttural vocals earned the group the unofficial title of the opening night’s heaviest band. In the aftermath of HAAZE’s bludgeoning set, the audience was left counting the days until the release of their first full length album, Swamp Mama, scheduled for summer 2018. Set & Stoned followed up with an eclectic assortment of material, both soulful and fun. From straight up blues rockers like “The Way She Goes,” through the seductive grooves of “Yeah” and funky licks of “Up To No Good,” and on to the doomy psychedelic vibe of instrumental “Destroyer,” the trio from Crossfield, Alberta, captivated listeners from beginning to end. Set & Stoned also threw a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” into the mix. Vocalist/guitarist Cody New further spiced things up via use of a voice box, which worked particularly well on the sixties “Batman” theme, with which they closed their set. Calgary’s own Gone Cosmic (until recently Gin Lahey) then ascended the stage for their debut live performance as a band. Featuring Abby Thurgood (The Torchettes) on vocals, Devin Purdy and Brett Wittingham (Chron Goblin) on guitar and bass, respectively, and percussionist Marcello Castronuovo (Witchstone), these starweavers enchanted a by-now packed house with their bold melange of astral rock and bayou blues. Thurgood herself was an alluring energy bomb, lulling the crowd into a false sense of security before going supernova on them. Event emcee C.C. Getty commented with much deference after their set, “such a big voice in such a little woman!” San Diego’s Great Electric Quest—playing their first show ever outside the U.S.—brought the sound and attitude of classic late 70s/80s arena metal meets classic/stoner rock to the masses. The first of three “electric” bands that would grace the festival stage over the next three nights, GEQ’s performance was a cheesy homage to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Danzig, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple—but man was this cheese tasty, and the audience ate it all up. With all except bassist Jared Bliss striking over the top rock star poses amidst the lights and haze, the band had the greatest visual impact of the evening. Drummer Daniel “MuchoDrums” Velasco wasted no time taking the spotlight, channeling his inner Animal as he blasted through a wild drum solo. Axe shredder Buddy Donner was first to rejoin Velasco toward the solo’s end, perching precariously on his amp while flaunting his chops. The journey through Chapter I and the soon-to-be-released second installment of GEQ’s fantastical quest then resumed in earnest, with vocalist Tyler “T-Sweat” Dingvell proudly waving the group’s green flag featuring the creed “Rock ’n’ roll will never die.” In a nod to Dio and Maiden’s Powerslave, the fellowship took the audience on a detour through “Egypt,” whence Dingvell pleaded on his knees for mercy before the almighty Anubis, guardian of the afterlife. Although GEQ wear their influences on their sleeves, relegating them to the status of imitators wouldn’t do justice to the truly epic and awesome original material they churned out. The odyssey concluded with a mind-blowing rendition of Deep Purple’s “Highway Star.” Local lads Electric Owl—invited back and kicked higher up the bill following their reportedly outstanding performance at the previous year’s fest—delivered a muscular set with melodic, multi-layered vocals courtesy of guitarist Cam Thomas, bassist Keegan Costella, and drummer Jeff Shibby Smith, a combo that invoked visions of Alice In Chains jamming with Kyuss. “Cosmic Waffle”, “Serial Killer,” and “$80,” all from Electric Owl’s debut EP, sank their hooks deep in listeners and may very well have been the most memorable songs performed at the fest that evening, bar none. Grunge, punk snarl, dry wit and killer lines... what’s not to like? Keep an eye on this bird of prey, folks. Oh, and lest I forget... they played the best cover of Kyuss’ “Green Machine” that I’ve heard yet! I could just imagine John Garcia giving his seal of approval. Too bad they didn’t get to play it for him when he was in town last March. Night 1 headliners Sasquatch, all the way up from L.A. for their inaugural Cowtown show, brought things to a full crescendo. The group—composed of lead vocalist/guitarist Keith Gibb, bassist Jason Casanova, and Craig Riggs on drums—played a selection of tunes from their self-titled first album released in 2004, all the way through their most recent effort, Maneuvers (2017). Compelling grooves, catchy refrains, barbed hooks—one couldn’t avoid getting snagged by the Sasquatch. In light of the enthusiastic reception the band got, it was clear that many Calgarians had been dying to see the elusive creature for a very long time. I could even swear that the shaggy brute had inserted subliminal mating calls into the psychedelic tones of its primal rock, given the effect that the music had on some of the ladies in the audience. Gibb joked in good-natured fashion with the crowd throughout the show, and the trio seemed to have as good a time as their fans. Thus came to a close the opening night of this year’s 420 Music & Arts Festival—on a definitely high, if fuzzy note. Stay tuned for more coverage. SOLID BROWN Titan Scepter - Bass One Hugh Zebronze - Bass Deux Muscle Shorts - Drums One Max Brutes - Drums Deux Label: Unsigned Website: www.solid-brown.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/solidbrown SET & STONED Cody New - Guitar and vocals Jordan Wilkinson - Bass Jay Skelly - Drums Label: Unsigned Website: www.facebook.com/SetAndStoned GREAT ELECTRIC ORCHESTRA Tyler "T-Sweat" DIngvell - Vocals Buddy Donner - Guitar Daniel "MuchoDrums" Velasco - Drums Jared Bliss - Bass Label: Unsigned Website: www.facebook.com/electricquest SASQUATCH Keith Gibbs - Guitar, Vox, Spaghetti Sauce Craig Riggs - Drums, Harmonies, Coffee Beans Jason Casanova - Bass, Paperwork Label: Mad Oak Records (Boston) Red Sun Records (Barcelona) Website: www.sasquatchrock.us |