Precious Metal: Romans + Sydbarret + Torrential Downpour @ Lit Lounge 072808

I forgot my earplugs for the umpteenth time, but I think my cells/receptors/whatever died happily at tonite's installment of Precious Metal. Torrential Downpour came with the grind, left most of the atmospherics behind, and put together a great set. There were even xylophones involved! The origin of this evening's excitement was the chance to catch Romans for the second time, as they made a return to the basement on the back of their national tour supporting 'All Those Wrists'. I inadvertently saved Tom, vocalist, trying to buy a t-shirt after their set ...he was talking to a dude with a shaved head wearing a tight black dress and high heels. Metal party indeed. Spent a few minutes with Justin catching up on their adventures since the last show and he actually said that Pittsburgh was one of the band's favorite stops! As my pseudo hometown, that made me smile. Oh, and the music? They killed it. Again.

NJ's Torrential Downpour

SydBarret

VT's Romans

Jucifer + Bloody Panda @ Knitting Factory 071508

It was a pretty pathetic turn-out, but husband + wife duo Jucifer still destroyed the place with a wall of sound.  The drummer was smashing cymbals with his bare hands!  Bloody Panda's set proved that they are the weirdest band in NYC, hands down.

GA's Jucifer

Me and Amber from Jucifer...

Suffocation + Eyes Of The Dead + Nethereal @ BB Kings 071308

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Suffocation should be blushing from head to toe...perhaps one of the most influential (read: ripped off) bands in the explosive early 90s death metal scene, these NY veterans delivered the goods tonite and just left us wanting another 75 minutes of tight, technical insanity.  With such an extensive and powerful catalogue, it was near impossible to hit everyone's favorite, but they sure as hell tried with 'Liege of Inveracity', 'Pierced from Within', 'Thrones of Blood', 'Catatonia', 'Bind Torture Kill', 'Infecting the Crypts', 'Subconsciously Enslaved', 'Abomination Reborn', 'Suspended in Tribulation' (I think) and 'Entrails of You', among others.  Eyes Of The Dead from Connecticut opened (not to be confused with South Carolina's Through The Eyes Of The Dead), but I don't remember much from their set aside from a great Sepultura cover, which really got the pit moving.

Frank Mullen is the Hines Ward of death metal - always smiling!

The legendary shredder Terrance Hobbs at work...

You can barely see him, but behind that drum kit (and curtain of dreadlocks) is one of the sickest drummers in death metal, Mike Smith...

Goodnite, Frank - thanks for a great fucking evening!