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Dirty Dog Bar Hosted HHFF Pre-Party Featuring Hobbs' Angel of Death

The second annual Housecore Horror Film Festival was a dream event for metal and horror fans alike. Iconic bands such as Voivod, Napalm Death, Danzig, Gwar and Superjoint Ritual all played phenomenal sets and then were on hand to sign autographs during organized sessions or just in the crowd watching with the rest of the fans. Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe was at the festival for a live interview following the showing of LOG’s “As the Palace Burn Documentary.” He popped up all around the fest and always made time to talk to his fans. Blythe was in the photo pit right next to me taking photos along with the rest of the photographers and journalists. Cast members from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Part 2, including Bill Moseley, sat at tables in the court yard ready to tell stories about making the films.

The three days were a great time. My brain is still reeling with all that I saw and experienced. Only a couple bands dropped off the fest, which is very good considering how many drop off other festivals. The festival was spectacularly organized and executed. There was a tragic event, though, that occurred the day after the event that will surely effect it next year. Corey Mitchell died from a heart attack outside of Emo’s just hours after the festival concluded. Mitchell co-founded the festival with Phil Anselmo. He published several true crime books and contributed to Metal Sucks.net. He was 47-years old.

Before all the films started and the crowds transitioned from Midway’s outdoor stage to Emo’s indoors, we have to look back at where the festival started. Dirty Dog Bar hosted a free festival kick off party. ‘80s Australian thrashers, Hobbs’ Angel of Death headlined. Locals Id and Critical Assembly opened the show. I missed Id, but know from prior shows they play ferocious death metal. Critical Assembly played a high energy brand of metallic breakdowns and grooves.

Witchburn was the first band from out of state to take the stage. The Seattle group wasn’t a stranger to Austin, though. They played SXSW and Texas Rockfest. I caught their act opening for Prong and Crowbar in San Antonio. They left a good impression then as they do now. The group consisting of a balanced ratio of sexes—two males and two females—played tight, booming stoner/doom metal. Mischa Kianne's played gritty, dirty riffs. Jamie Nova has an awesome set of pipes. Her voice was like a amalgamation of Janis Joplin and Ronnie James Dio. Speaking of Dio, the group performed a killer cover of a Rainbow song and followed it up with Judas Priest’s “Nightcrawler.”

This was my first time catching Mobile Deathcamp. I knew former Gwar member Todd Evans plays in the group, and they had cool merch bearing slogans such as “Speed Metal Ninjas” and “Death to False Metal.” Also, the band had a sense of humor, which was totally expected since seeing Evans play with Toledo punk rockers, Lazy American Workers. Evans cracked jokes and even showed off his trick of pouring water into his ears and then spitting it out of his mouth. The band played fast (especially bassist Boe Skadeland) thrash metal with hints of hardcore. Speed wise, they were definitely a good fit with headliner Hobbs’ Angel of Death.

Before Hobbs’ performed, Marzi Montazeri of Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals took the stage to showcase his guitar virtuosity in Heavy As Texas. Montazeri played part hardcore numbers, part southern groove and all shred. Move over Bad Company, some of his grooves possessed the swaying motions conducive for love making. There is something about Ted Nugent that southern groove bands just love. Pantera used to play Nugent and Montazeri played some of the Nuge tonight, too. He also played some Led Zeppelin. Even though there was no mistaking Mobile Deathcamp from Hobbs’ Angel of Death, Heavy As Texas broke up the consecutive string of thrash bands.

It has been nearly twenty years since Hobbs’ Angel of Death released a full-length recording. Talking to Peter Hobbs’ before the show, he said he’s gone through a long list of musicians but has finally found a lineup that seems reliable. The band found its way over here for a tour and has a new album on the rise. Their style is in the vein of Slayer, including the fact that Hobbs plays bass and sings. Hobbs’ calls it “Virgin Metal” because he feels its an untainted form of metal. In some spots the band approaches death metal. The group played songs off their self-titled debut such as the Satanic rager “Satan’s Crusade.” They played a song called “Drawn and Quartered” from their forthcoming album. It showed the group taking a modernized approach with blast beats and black metal type riffing.

Randy Blythe was seen hanging out at Dirty Dog for a while. Rob Zombie was sited at The Lost Well the night before. Marzi Montarezi hung out during the whole show as well as the weekend. It was a fun time to be a fan of heavy metal during the weekend of October 23-26 and this night was only the beginning!