SOILENT GREEN, SARCOLYTIC, DISFIGURED, BLOOD OF RONIN, CONDEMNED UNIT

Tonight, Red 7 once again played host to another dynamic metal show. The intimately arranged club seems to be Austin’s number one choice for extreme metal. This time it was NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) super group, SOILENT GREEN’s turn to instigate pit-induced bruises and coerce necks into traction. The group is currently on tour to promote their follow up album to their '05 release “Confrontation.” Due for release in April, this record marks a major change in the group. After releasing several full-length recording through Relapse, the group is jumping ship to Metal Blade Records.

SOILENT GREEN trekked across the swamps and various wet lands of their home state of Louisiana to make it to Austin, Texas for tonight’s show. SOILENT GREEN made the interstate journey by their selves with no other bands in tow. So tonight, Central Texas’ best would have to warm up the crowd before the saints were to take the stage. Up first was Austin’s representatives of crossover metal, CONDEMNED UNIT. I had not heard of the group before, so I was hoping they would suck so I wouldn’t be compelled to cover their set. However, that was not the case. CONDEMNED UNIT kicked off the show with a bang, speeding through thrashy, punk-flavored numbers in the vein of MUNICIPAL WASTE. Their affection towards MUNICIPAL WASTE was not only confirmed in their music, their front man, Brian also sported a MUNICIPAL WASTE shirt (I own that same t-shirt).

Following the onstage antics of Virginia’s saviors of crossover, CONDEMNED UNIT instigated mass bedlam, throwing enough swimming pool toys including noodles to fill several kiddy pools. A staff worker brought out a stepladder to bring down a garbage bag from the ceiling ducts that was full of streamers and other party favors. The floor was littered with baby Shrek waist floaters, streamers, kid’s toys, etc. The band’s punk rock children were having a ball, thrashing around with a variety of party decorations and pool toys. The band’s music was fast and energetic. A murky sound hindered their set, but reaffirmed their punk rock stance.

Local doom metal purveyors, BLOOD OF RONIN took the stage following a unified cleaning effort by the club’s staff. This group is somewhat of a Texas all-star band. Included in this band’s ranks are Morgan—lead throat shredder of Dallas grind machine, KILL THE CLIENT and T.A.—bassist for the Austin grind act, PLEASANT VALLEY. Both musicians play insanely fast grind with their other groups, but BOR is set on the opposite end of the extreme metal spectrum. BOR mostly plays down-tuned, down tempo doom, occasionally pushing the tempo with crusty grind segments. They seemed a choice opener considering SOILENT GREEN’s musical style.

Morgan’s harsh vocal style also brought to mind EYEHATEGOD—a group with members who attended tonight. BOR was loud, allowing the crowd to not only hear their chords but also feel them. CONDEMNED UNIT’s aqua offerings were still “floating” around and Morgan placed an inflatable Shrek Donkey on his head while walking around during a doomed bridge. Nothing says depressive doom metal like an inflatable Shrek Donkey! BOR put on a great show, the only problem being the timing with their drummer. The group was looking for a new drummer, and their choice for tonight’s show came in from Missouri and only practiced with the group once. When considering how much time he had to practice with the group, he pulled it off well. He thoroughly bludgeoned his kit and only got lost during the beginning of the second song.

One of the Austin and San Antonio area’s hottest groups right now, DISFIGURED took a high body count tonight. The San Marcos based group plays a style of death metal owing to the originators of the genre like CANNIBAL CORPSE and MORBID ANGEL. Bassist Adam also plays in the Mayan-themed death metal band, AYASOLTEC, who just came home from a west coast tour with VESPERIAN SORROW. Tonight, he provided fast bass licks and semi-guttural vocals. In combination with Adam’s lower growls, guitarist “Metal” Mike contributed higher-pitch wails to form a cacophonous unity. Mike also commanded his B.C. Rich Beast ax, pulling off blistering fast, cross-picked riffs and shredding whammy bar solos. One of the highlights of their set was “Cyanide Suicide” that started bewilderingly quick, especially the drums, but settled into a doom-laden groove, ala INCANTATION or IMMOLATION. Speaking of IMMOLATION, Mike’s use of guitar harmonics and his stage presence was reminiscent of IMMOLATION’s master of the false harmonics, Robert Vigna. DISFIGURED’s sound was clear, allowing for every note, squeal or kick drum thud to be heard, a large feat considering the muddy sound death metal, local and signed, often obtain.

After DISFIGURED, I meandered to the outside stage to indulge in smoke and conversation. I could hear a hardcore band playing, but I’m not a fan of hardcore, so I decided to forego their set. I was not about to miss the next band, though. SARCOLYTIC was billed as a co-headliner with SOILENT GREEN. This group is inarguably one of the fastest, most technical bands in the U.S. death metal underground. Part of this speed is due to drummer, Ricky Myers who also plays in the ultra-brutal San Diego death metal outfit, DISGORGE. DISGORGE bassist, Ben Marlin passed away just last week, so front man, John Zig dedicated every song to his memory. SARCOLYTIC plays a gear ahead of DISGORGE, but they too slow it down to brutalize the crowd with head-stomping grooves and the occasional droning part. One track featured a sharp rhythm that brought to mind KRISIUN.

Like the earlier, bestial choirs of DISFIGURED, SARCOLYTIC occasionally combined screams with growls. Zig’s voice was abysmally low and with sustaining power. Zig was wearing a sick SUFFOCATION “BTK” shirt that he reportedly created (Zig has done much artwork for SUFFOCATION.) Each musician was in control of his craft. Again, speed was the key and Ricky Meyers was the captain at the helm. Meyers’ drum skills are simply amazing! He effortlessly moved around his kit, blasting each piece with uncanny speed. If you are a fan of blasting drummers, you must pay witness to this man’s talent. This was truly a memorable drum performance!

The night’s headliner began their set by playing their new album, from beginning to end. Although many attendees kept shouting for the group to play their older material, everybody was curious to hear the new stuff. Their new material should find appeal with most, if not all, SOILENT GREEN fans. Simply stated, it sounds like SOILENT GREEN. It has all the crusty grind parts coupled with slow-down, southern-fried groove. The grooves may be the best of their career due to more technical string work. Brian Patton, who also plays in EYEHATEGOD (I’m seeing a pattern here), didn’t exude overwhelming energy on stage, but he did take control over his strings. Drummer Tommy Buckly, also of CROWBAR, set the tempo, telling the band when to slow down or speed up. Kudos goes out the band for being able to follow his tendonitis-causing rolls and fills. His drum rolls also seemed to energize the crowd: pits broke out and more horns were flashed than at a Bohemian Grove weekend getaway.

The frantic roll of Buckly’s drums set the music in motion and hit hard enough to get the crowd’s heart racing, but SOILENT GREEN’s fan base has always fed off the energy of Ben Falgoust, who some of you might know from GOATWHORE. Falgoust never seems to rest, running east to west across the stage, spouting tales of abuse (people and drugs) and hate. His vocals were buried at first, but adjustments were soon made. After playing the entire new album, the group averted back to their older material. Fans heard material largely taken from their 90s releases like their first full-length, studio album “Pussy Soul.” Falgoust dedicated “Numb Around The Heart” from their Split 7 inch to the recently deceased Vitek from DECAPITATED. The saints came marching back in for an encore of “Sewn Mouth Secrets.”

Even after twenty years, One of NOLA’s finest still proved they have the drive. Time is not always kindest to bands, especially extreme metal bands, but SOILENT sound and look like they are still young men. Some bands can never duplicate the special feeling of their first couple of albums. SOILENT GREEN seems only to get better. They have an April release date for their next album. Judging by their performance tonight, it should be a good one!

For visual evidence of the show, head over to the “gallery.”