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2023 Sabertooth Part 2

Sabertooth Portland 2023 – Part 2 (of 3)

Part 1 can be found here.

Back to the Crystal Ballroom stage for Rhododendron—a band I hadn’t heard of. My first thought was, “Why are these three kids playing on the big stage with proper lighting, ventilation, etc. when I just had to see Cloak on the tiny, hot stage in the dark and packed Lola’s Room?”

After listening a bit, I softened my disdain. They were good and have a very promising future. But still, shouldn’t Cloak and Rhododendron have been switched?

I headed down the stairs for Year of the Cobra, a band I could swear I’ve seen before, but I can’t remember where or when. I thought I had at least 10 minutes to spare, but they had already begun playing. From this point on, I think every band started before the advertised start times. Did they get changed and the website wasn’t updated? I don’t know.

Year of the Cobra is a wonderful two-piece band. Their set was intense, beautiful, and Amy’s shout out to the metal women in the audience (including Grayceon’s Jackie Perez Gratz) was the first time that the higher female percentage of this festival (that I mentioned in Part 1) hit me.

Portland funeral doom band Will was up next. Funeral doom can be enjoyable live with the proper intoxicants, but it can also bore me—especially when not in a live setting. The second half of a couple of Will’s songs were quite good—when the pace picked up and/or soloing occurred.

Will has been doing their thing, mostly opening for touring bands in Portland, for a while now, but I don’t think they have any albums. Again, I’m still asking the question why Cloak and Ghost Bath weren’t swapped on the bill with Rhododendron and Will?

Speaking of Ghost Bath, they were the final act in Lola’s Room. The place was packed and hotter than ever by this point in the evening. Ghost Bath only got through a couple of songs before the power went off. Rather than endure the heat and masses in the hopes that power to the instruments be restored, I retreated to the much cooler Crystal Ballroom for a rest and wait for the final three artists—UADA, Ludicra, and YOB.

Part 3

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Death Metal Quartet Eshtadur Release Video

Death metal quartet Eshtadur unleash their ferocious new offering, "Umbra". Thematically, the track explores cosmogony, philosophy, mysticism, and the magic of the ancient man - the shaman.
Band founder Jorg August comments:

"This is the purest and darkest song I’ve ever written, I am very honored for being able to add a real symphonic orchestra and arrange whole parts, but my favorite addition besides 'Purhepecha' ancient native language of America, is the participation of a very beautiful folk instrument, original from Colombia, the tiple."

The darkest song from Eshtadur, "Umbra" sees symphonic and real orchestra below the music. Profound and dense with heavy guitars and growls, "Umbra" includes the mystique Colombian original folk instrument 'Tiple' among cellos, violins, horns and aggressive drums, within an ancient native language known as 'Purhepecha' original from (Michoacán) pre-Columbian ancient America C.1200. More...

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9 Dead Premiere New Single & Music Video

Southern New Jersey-based slamming deathcore quartet 9 Dead premiere a new single and music video by the name of "A Silent Practice", streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below.

Line-up: More...

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Headline News

Amorphis Guitarist Launches Solo Project

Amorphis guitarist Tomi Koivusaari has launched his solo project, Bjørkø (meaning "Birch Island"), and it's delivering some heavy and brutal sounds. The debut single, "The Heartroot Rots," is now available for streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you below. Bjørkø's debut album Heartrot will see the light of day on December 1.

Bjørkø is featuring the following lineup: More...

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Disguised Malignance Premiere New Single

Finnish death metal quintet, Disguised Malignance, are currently streaming their powerful and relentless new single, "Unearthly Extinction", streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below. Fans can anticipate the release of their upcoming album, "Entering The Gateways," on September 29th.

Tells frontman Felix Pennanen: More...

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Shores of Null Premiere New Music Video

Rome, Italy-based metal band Shores of Null premiere a new music video for "Darkness Won’t Take Me", taken from their latest album "The Loss of Beauty".

Check out "Darkness Won’t Take Me" streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you now below.

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Soen Premiere New Music Video "Hollowed"

Soen's most recent album, "Memorial," was released last Friday, September 1st. To complement the album, they have released a new music video for their latest single, "Hollowed." Check out now "Hollowed" streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you below.

This track features Italian vocalist Elisa as a guest, and vocalist Joel Ekelöf shared his thoughts on it: More...

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