Author: Primož Novak
Venue: Channel Zero / Ljubljana / Slovenia
Concert date: 02.02.2014
Attendance: 220
Ticket price: 20/24€
Sundays have often proven to be dicey for gigs, since potential concertgoers have a ton of obligations the next day. This time the weather was an extra problem. Freezing rain ravaged parts of Slovenia and left plenty of damage behind. So, one more reason to skip the show. But the promoters, Dirty Skunks, ended up worrying more about whether everyone would get a ticket. Stoner metal sensation Red Fang, who won over the masses with their comedic music videos, were visiting Slovenia for the very first time. On the tour they were joined by stoner crew The Shrine and sludge metallers Lord Dying.
In a nicely packed hall, Lord Dying were the first to hit the stage, hailing from the same place as Red Fang – Oregon. Lord Dying, who pursue their calling under the wing of Relapse, a label that has been a real haven for stoner and sludge bands in recent years, played tracks from last year’s debut Summon the Faithless. The quartet served the crowd heavy, loud sludge metal laced with thrash metal and hardcore. No long, drawn-out songs here, which is so popular in sludge today, but punchier and at times pretty fast tracks that even recalled the titans Crowbar. Lord Dying were undoubtedly a fitting opener, but unfortunately they were noticeably too loud.
Next up was the Californian trio The Shrine, who came across as much more easygoing compared to Lord Dying. The sound itself was also way more bearable than during Lord Dying’s set. The band, presenting the album Primitive Blast, leaned mostly on stoner rock elements, but on the other hand the hard rock and punk touches made them that much more pleasant to listen to. Definitely refreshing and not as gloomy as the bands before them. Among other things, The Shrine also did a great job getting the crowd moving, which was pretty tough given how jam-packed the hall was.
Red Fang had quite a task ahead of them. The enthusiasm for Lord Dying and The Shrine was more than solid. The headliner has to compete accordingly, and they had an hour of stage time, which was a special kind of challenge in its own right, considering that stoner itself can get pretty monotonous, as the band’s latest album, Whales and Leeches, showed too.
With the very first songs, Red Fang showed they’ve got plenty of mileage behind them. The band felt right at home on stage, you could see how tight they were, and the performance was full of energy. And the crowd was so big that the hall was bursting at the seams. Red Fang served up lots of hits, many of which have been presented in the form of comedic music videos, while the other songs didn’t really get their moment. The livelier, bouncier tracks were front and center, while the slower ones weren’t overdone. On one hand, Red Fang showed they put riffs in the style of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath up front, on the other hand you could pick up on lots of simple punk moves. You could tell the band was having a blast. The guitarist on the left, who with his looks resembles a slimmed-down Bedanc, kept headbanging the whole time, while the guitarist on the right chipped in extra vocals alongside the bassist. In one hour, Red Fang presented a selection of their discography more than solidly, and the biggest reaction came with hits like Wires and Prehistoric Dog. During the latter, the bassist threw himself into the crowd, punk rock style, and later explained that he doesn’t normally do that, but the sheer enthusiasm at this show pushed him to do it.
Red Fang, The Shrine and Lord Dying, with a sold-out show at Channel Zero on a rainy, icy Sunday, proved that the stoner and sludge metal scene in Slovenia isn’t as overlooked as it seemed from the many half-empty gigs in this scene before.
Setlist
RED FANG:
1. Hank is dead
2. Voices of the dead
3. Doen
4. Throw up
5. No hope
6. Dirt wizard
7. Sharks
8. 1516
9. Into the eye
10. Malverde
11. Crows in swine
12. Blood like cream
13. Wires
14. Prehistoric Dog
Photo gallery
