Unfortunately, Anomaly broke down and were unable to make it to this gig. Those of us who just had to see them got a second chance tonight at Hooligan’s Nightclub in Albuqurque. Anyway, the incredibly talented Savage Wizdom took their place at the last minute, and drew in a huge audience of loyal fans.
The night was started off by Exalt, who play a fusion of Hip-Hop and Metal. Their musical style is in the vein of Rage Against The Machince, Faith No More, and pretty much all the other Nu-Metal bands ever. They were decent, considering the fact that I don’t care for Nu-Metal. If you’re into that kind of thing, more power to you. Exalt is pretty great, just not my cup of tea.
Colossal Swan Dive was more to my liking, with heavier riffs, aggressive drumming, harsh vocals, and a more crusty musical style in general. This was Metal to which I could headbang in all good conscience. There’s not much more I could say here… They have no gimmicks or novelties. Colossal Swan Dive is just three dudes playing good ol’ Metal.
I don’t even remember Gutwrench playing at all. They must have cancelled at the last minute as well. This is very unfortunate, since they are a throwback to old-school 80’s Doom Death Metal. Then again, they are from a completely different country (Mexico), so maybe red tape prevented them from playing last night. That really sucks, I bet they could put on one hell of a show!
Headlining in the place of Anomaly was Savage Wizdom, a local favorite. If you don’t know by now, they are the best Power Metal band in New Mexico. So think catchy riffs, clean vocals, lyrics about dragons, and a front row full of headbanging fans. Like all Savage Wizdom concerts, this one was glorious.
The afterparty was pretty sick too. Or so I assume, since I don’t really remember it. This morning, I woke up next to a Chihuahua in Savage Wizdom’s studio. Things went from good to better when I realized there was tons of booze left over. Hair of the dog!
So it was a pretty good night, full of drunk metalheads and uncertain circumstances. The bands who performed were all talented, but I must admit that I am disappointed that Anomaly and Gutwrench didn’t make it. I would love to see them both in concert in the near future.
As it stands, I give the night a rating of four stars outta five.
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