Report

Pentagram Spreads Evil Over New Orleans

Band Photo: Pentagram (?)

People turned out in droves to see the show with so many amazing bands on the bill. If they couldn’t afford to get in, they would hang outside and listen because it was just too good to miss completely. The slow, swampy, southern metal was complimented so well by the high humidity and heat of the night. Beer flowed (everywhere) and ears became numb as each of four bands took turns breaking amps.

Always heavy as hell, haarp filled the bar with their slow, crushing sound. Grant’s guitar is so heavy it sounds like it’s about to fall through the concrete floor. Just like in the story Frankenstein when the monster was drawn to the music, so did haarp’s metal bring out their labelhead and biggest fan Phil Anselmo who stood at the front and center of the stage to cheer them on. Luckily, the steel barricades didn’t stop vocalist Shaun from going out into the crowd to sing right in the middle of his fans screaming in faces and kneeling on the floor like he’s in pain, while the rest of the band just keeps playing, forcing him to go on. Philip trailed right behind him, not wanting to miss the floor show. Ryan’s blazing fast bass work was a sight to behold if you could tear your eyes away from the singer behind you.

For a musical interlude, two beautiful women put on a different kind of show for the crowd. Moonhoar bellydance to black metal and do an amazing job. Slowly and mysteriously they graced the stage in their full-length capes, then slowly revealed their scant and bejeweled costumes filled with coins that made a flurry of noise as they danced. They wound and quickly jiggled their hips to only the bleakest and darkest of black metal that was infused with moments of eastern music.

The next band was the extremely energetic three-piece Black Tusk. Hailing from Georgia, currently touring with Pentagram and soon to be touring with Eyehategod, they played awesome heavy metal drenched with southern rock that they call swamp metal. Their songs were mostly instrumental, but all three members contributed their vocals when needed. Many of the songs came from their new album “Taste the Sin” like “Fixed in the Ice” and “Twist the Knife.” The bass by Athon had the fuzziest distortion I’ve ever heard live which mixed very well with Andrew’s psychedelic guitar. They would often stand toe to toe in the middle of the stage, just playing off each other’s energy. They ended their set powerfully with “The Ride.”

Despite a broken bass head they discovered while setting up, Eyehategod persevered and played yet another amazing show. The music, fortunately for those in attendance and unfortunately for those wanting video footage, was so loud that it rattled my camera so violently that it couldn’t record. One word from vocalist Mike IX and all the men start rocking back and forth; hanging on the feedback for minutes at a time, soaking up the vibe, before launching into “Jackass in the Will of God.” After many chrushingly heavy songs, Phil Anselmo joined Eyehategod on stage for the infamous song “Sister Fucker” playing Jimmy Bower’s guitar while he watched on in approval. They played their usual roster of songs like “Dixie Whiskey” for the packed house. And for an exit, Mike threw himself into the crowd and completely disappeared before the song ended.

The mustachioed members of Pentagram took the stage and delved right into their magical classic metal. Singer Bobby Leibling ran back and forth across the stage crooning in his classic, operatic style. Their dark, moody, and powerful style akin to Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus was the preferred sound for the older gentlemen in the audience as they worked their way up to the front of the stage. The guitar by Mike Matthews and Geof O'Keefe soared through the din and heavy cigarette smoke with its clean notes cutting like a knife. They triumphed through “Sign of the Wolf” and “Day of Reckoning” with heads banging and hands making the horns. Although getting up there in age, Pentagram always puts on an energetic show that rivals and crushes their younger counterparts.

Emily is an avid supporter of the New Orleans scene, often filming shows and conducting interviews with local bands to help promote their music. She also runs her own site dedicated to the New Orleans scene, Crescent City Chaos.