Exhumed, Season of Sorrow, and Mitochondrion @ Lucky bar Nov 1

"HEY who let all you longhairs in here? This is the eighties can't you afford a fuckin hair cut!" these where old words from a punk named Lee Ving from the band FEAR. For some reason as I was standing in the Lucky bar on this night that words popped into my head... But it isn't the eighties and these longhairs aren't hippies they are full on metal heads and head bangers. This was a gathering of die hard fans that came to see the gore metal band Exhumed! This was the day after Halloween and although the bar wasn't filled the turn out was expectable.

The first band to take to the stage was Mitochondrion. This band has a force that bounces from waves of total heavy riffs to a sudden burst of speed that leaves you breathless. The lead singer growls out lyrics that make you think you are in the war scene of the Lord of the Rings movies. I gotta say this band is the reason I showed up on that night and they more than satisfied my hunger for some metal.

Seasons of Sorrow began to set up for their set and set up they did.... they must have used up half their time on stage just setting up. This band consisted of seven members including a violin and an operatic female that is not seen in many bands. The group came on stage dressed in robes and under each robe was concealed a sword or a daggar. They started to play and each song was a long drawn out procedure of speed noise and heavy down beats. Talented musicians… but the over ten minute long songs lost me. The female vocalist wasn’t utilized to her fullest and looked way to bored standing on the stage. The lead singer certainly looked evil enough. Like I said the band defiantly had talent musically but maybe they’re
just in that developmental stage of their live show.

The grungy guys called Exhumed took to the stage and presented a speed metal that I remember from the late eighties. They label themselves as gore metal… so I was kinda waiting for some sort of blood and guts but it ever came. The dancefloor was a mob of bullet belt clad folks banging and raising their talons to the mach 5 riffs that Exhumed where executing. Like most speed metal bands if you’re familiar with their songs you have an advantage over someone who is not. I was one of those guys who were not familiar so after about six bursts of songs they started to sound the same. It was nice to see an out of town band but like I said earlier my hunger had been filled. Having to work in 6 hours I made for the door without seeing Exhumed finish their set. If you want a taste of old school speed metal Exhumed are your men. Even if you are a freakin hippy!

-ricky jak