HOLY GRAIL

Holy Grail at The Whiskey A Go Go
Date: December 20, 2013
Venue: The Whiskey A Go Go, West Hollywood, California USA

Written by: Karina Diane Parker
Photography and edit: Karina Diana Parker
Published: January 9, 2014

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The show got off to a bit of a late start on this Friday night. Luckily it was the Friday before the holidays so people were used to waiting in lines by now. Once the doors opened, people rushed the stage. The show had four opening local acts. Typically I don’t invest much of my time with local bands but there were a few bands that are worth the mention here because they definitely standout from others.

Desecrate was first to trash the Whiskey stage. The band has been around the Los Angeles area since 2002 and the have mean shredding away since opening up for bands such as Dragon Force, Steel Panther, Overkill, Smashing Pumpkins and Slash. This was my second time watching these guys perform and they really get the crowd going especially since these guys join their own mosh pits as they will jump of stage and finish the rest of their song out in the audience.

Desecrate are really a tuff act to follow as it was proven tonight when the next band Vlad the Impaler and totally bombed on stage. The band emerged with faces painted as though they were a black metal band but in reality they were a trash metal band. The singer kept on disappearing off stage and when he was on stage, multiple crowd members complained that they were spat on by him. Come on now with a band name like that you expect some level of brutality and these guys totally failed!

Luckily West Hollywood’s own Sirion came on stage and rescued the restless audience. Over the past couple of years, this 6-piece band has taken over metal scene with their brutal harmonies of melodic metal. This was their second time opening up for Holy Grail and both times these guys conquer the stage and create new fans. Opening up for bands such as Turisas, Gene Hoglan, and now Arkona; this band is known as one of the top emerging artist for 2013 in the Southern California metal scene. Every show they play, you are in for a treat because the set is always changed up. The crowd erupted in pure madness during “Interstellar” or “Beyond the Depths”! If you missed Sirion’s set or you have yet to see them, be sure to catch them again headlining their own show promoting their EP debut on Feb 7th with special guest Sorizon at the Whiskey A Go Go.

Finally it was the band we have all been waiting for, the highly anticipated Holy Grail hit the stage. These guys are definitely road warriors especially throughout the past few year. This was my 3rd time seeing this band on stage first being in 2011 in Chicago when they opened up for Eluveitie and 3 Inches of Blood where before their set, nobody knew who they were but new fans left the show with hands full of all their merchandise. The second time I caught them was at the end of July 2013 at an almost sold out show at the Whiskey.

The band took the stage to a very loud crowd starting out with songs from their latest album Ride the Void. “Bleeding Stone,” “Crosswinds,” “Ride The Void” and “Dark Passenger” definitely got the audience displaying windmills headbanging as the insanity begun. Lead singer James Paul Luna always amazes me with his performance and is by far one of my favorite metal front man as his vocal range is insane and I am always blown away how dead on he sounds live compared to the recorded album. Luna’s voice combined with some shrapnel like shredding of Eli Santana and Alex Lee definitely brings the power to their performance and the pounding combination of Tyler Meahl on drums and Blake Mount and on bass really gets the crowd going.

Every time Holy Grail performs, the band gets better and louder with the audience full with people headbanging, singing along with fist in the air, it is hard to imagine that just a few years back not too many people knew who they were. I am; along with all their fans can’t wait to see what this band has in store for us next!

Holy Grail

James-Paul Luna - Vocals
Eli Santana - Lead Guitar
Alex Lee - Lead Guitar
Tyler Meahl - Drums
Blake Mount – Bass


Label: Prosthetic Records

holygrailofficial.com/
www.facebook.com/holygrailofficial

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Sirion

Biko Wright – Vocals
Dan Serper – Guitar
Alon Mei-Tal – Guitar
Joey Linahon – Bass
Rob Rosen – Synth
Bondor – Drums




www.sirion.us.com
www.facebook.com/sirion

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Desecrate

Nick Simile - Vocals/Guitar,
Chase Becker - Lead Guitar,
Hakon/Hawk Engvig - Bass Guitar,
Ryan Healy – Drums




www.desecratemusic.com
www.facebook.com/DesecrateMusic