In the early- to mid-80s, Raven--who play Saint Vitus on Sunday--and their "athletic rock" were essential to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Known for their wild live shows, they opened for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden before joining Metallica's first major American tour in 1983.
(Want to hear about a Lars Ulrich hissy fit? Keep reading.)
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Better Than: Most black metal.
"Brooklyn, New York, we have arrived at this town of destiny! Good evening!"
These words by Absu drummer Proscriptor McGovern (a.k.a. Russley Randell Givens) were the final ones spoken last night at Saint Vitus after a 90 minute set of pulverizing extreme metal from Dallas, Texas. It was the second of two nights the band had dominated the venue, and they seemed to want to leave a lasting impression (more like a scar) on everyone there. Mission accomplished.
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New York City is intrinsically metal. But, before we get into why: what makes anything "metal"? What does calling something "metal" mean?
Among those uninitiated into the metal "scene" (a word used mostly by journalists and not so much by the occupants of said "scene"), metal conjures images of extremely loud music played and listened to, usually, by very hairy males. Other associations may include drunkenness, drugs, the color black, and Satan. While there's some truth in all of these points of reference, they're really not what metal is about. In fact, they're about as representative of the adjective "metal" as they are of New York, which isn't populated by drunk Satanists, either. Not entirely, anyway.
See also: The Best Metal Shows in NYC This Month (A/K/A Extended Saint Vitus Listings)
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Better Than: It's hard to think of something that this wouldn't be better than.
Chainsaw Guy
This was one of the wildest shows I've seen at Saint Vitus. It seemed telling that the venue had moved all the tables out of the bar, presumably to make more space for mayhem.
See also: The Best Metal Shows in NYC This Month (A/K/A Extended Saint Vitus Listings)
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These are the best metal shows in NYC in April.\m/
Suffocation
Miami stoner rock band Torche write music that's something of a paradox. It's definitely heavy, but it's also sunny and pop. Is it metal? Some say yes. Some say no. You can decide for yourself if you see them play Saint Vitus Saturday night. Guitarist Andrew Elstner spoke to us from Florida, where the band was recording two new songs, and we got his thoughts on the whole "happy metal" thing and the correct pronunciation of "Torche".
Gary Copeland
See also: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/12/10_best_metal_albums.php
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[Note: The Mavericks also play City Winery tonight at 10:30 p.m.]
Better Than: Pretty much all country music from the last decade.
Last night Miami country band The Mavericks played a sold-out, two-and-a-half-hour show at the Bowery Ballroom. It was a triumphant return to form on the eve of their first studio album in 10 years (In Time, out today).
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This week, Swedish progressive metal band Meshuggah have been performing alongside a cardboard cutout of their singer, Jens Kidman, whose fearsome voice was completely annihilated by the flu. (Don't worry, he's recovering.) Whether he'll join his bandmates onstage tonight at the Roseland Ballroom remains to be seen, but rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström spoke to us about the experience of playing sans vocalist. Other topics discussed include the ridonkulous complexity of Meshuggah's music and what they have in common with Pink Floyd.
Anthony Dubois
See also: The Best Metal Concerts in NYC This Month
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[Update: Gojira's concert at Irving Plaza, originally scheduled for tonight, has been postponed due to the blizzard. It's been rescheduled for February 19.]
No one sounds like French metal band Gojira--or, rather, they sound like no one else. They bear the European death metal hallmarks of speed and rhythmic trickiness, but instead of reveling in the blood, guts, nihilism, etc., that characterize the lyrics of their peers, Gojira concern themselves with saving the whales. (Yes, literally.) In the brootal world of heavy metal, it's, well, weird.
Anchored by brothers Joe and Mario Duplantier (on guitar and drums, respectively), the four-piece band retain their original lineup now 11 years since their debut. (No drama? Also kind of weird.) We spoke to Joe about the odd upbringing that continues to influence his music--and about how to explain metal to your grandmother.
See also: The Best Metal Concerts in NYC This Month
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On January 1, Artie Shepherd and David Castillo--co-owner and events director, respectively, of Brooklyn venue Saint Vitus--announced the founding of their new record label: Sacrament Recordings and Merchandise. 
Jammi Sloane York
Huh? A bar with a record label? Naturally, we wondered how that works. So we asked Castillo (who also sings in Primitive Weapons, above, the metal band that includes Shepherd and Vitus co-owner Justin Scurti) to give us the deets.
See also:
- The Ten Best Metal Albums of 2012
- Lasers, Inquisition, And A Cameo By The Wanted: The 10 Most Metal Moments Of Saint Vitus's One-Year Anniversary Week
- Saint Vitus the Band Talk About Playing Saint Vitus the Venue
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