Review: Hammerween

The flight-or-fight response is defined by psychologists as a set of natural reactions to sudden signs of life-threatening danger. The instinctual impulse to either flee or attack was strong throughout the six-hour Hammerween heavy metal concert Saturday at the Beaumont Club.

Above: Diskreet. Photos by Bill Brownlee

Clearly aghast at the relentless onslaught, several patrons covered their ears as they scurried from the Beaumont. Others acted out their aggression in the mosh pit. The crowd roared delighted when people costumed as a purple Teletubby, a giant garden gnome and a leather bondage fetishist occasionally entered the fray.

While fans were capable of entertaining themselves, the primary attraction of Hammerween was the seven-band bill that provided a satisfying overview of the region's most extreme sounds.

Hammerlord wasn't the headliner solely because Terry Taylor, the band's bassist, was the principle organizer of Hammerween. Clearly the night's best band, Hammerlord deserves its status as the reigning kings of the area's metal scene. The most immediately striking element of Hammerlord's approach is their willingness to laugh at the absurdities inherent in heavy metal. The band grinned at the ridiculously frenzied antics of vocalist Stevie Cruz. Even as Hammerlord openly mocks its genre's rigid codes, however, the precision and passion of their performance clearly reflected their love of metal. The winning combination is as endearing as it is refreshing.

Songs from their accomplished new album Wolves at War's End were especially impressive. The stupendously tight thrash of "Storm the Castle" is capable of winning over even the most discerning fan of early Metallica. "Tombstone Piledriver" featured impressive guitar pyrotechnics while "The Ballad of Rusty Tomaski" provided the night's most volatile moshpit fodder.

The Cast Pattern served as Hammerween's opening act. With his flushed face, plaid shirt and black cap, the Lawrence-based band's lead screamer resembled an enraged lumberjack. Their guitar attack sounded like an overtaxed chainsaw. Songs like "She's Not Pregnant, She's Just Fat" were the aural equivalent of watching timber fall in slow motion.

The front man of Koktopus wore a Roman senator costume. Members of the forum, however, probably didn't roar about impending doom while guzzling cans of beer. His quartet donned Kiss masks for a ferocious cover of "God of Thunder."

The deeply malevolent At the Left Hand of God was Hammerween's most polished act. Serated may not have been one of the night's better bands, but they possess a large and loyal fan base. Attendance, which had peaked at about 500, diminished at the conclusion of Serated's set. Blood was smeared across the shirtless chest of the front man for Topeka death metal purveyors Diskreet. Based on the convincing depravity of his band, there's no assurance that it wasn't real.

Above: Trogoldyte

Visually repulsive and lyrically transgressive, Troglodyte attempted to appall its mesmerized audience. The band wears horrific masks and performs songs with titles like "Skunk Ape Rape" and "Beaten and Eaten." Yet dismissing Troglodyte as an even more cartoonish version of Slipknot would be a mistake. Songs like "Don't Go In the Woods" are genuinely disturbing.

A couple dozen members of the opening acts watched from the side of the stage as Hammerlord ended Hammerween with a triumphant version of the Misfits' "Halloween." It had been a hellaciously good time.

| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

Comments

[mankvill]

The show was a whole lot of fun and it was packed, which was even more awesome! All the costumes were hilarious and all the bands were fantastic. I have a review/some set lists on my site if anyone wants to see them.

Bring on Hammerween 2k11!

[Bubba]

Had a free ticket for this show that was given to me while leaving the recent ZOMBIE / COOPER / MURDERDOLLS gig - but I didn't get out of the Sprint Center until like 11 pm, so I wound up heading home. I'm sure that HAMMERLORD was good.