Shroud Eater
Album release party with Ancient Albatross, Orbweaver, Amplifier Orgy. 8 p.m. Friday, May 31, at Propaganda, 6 S. J St., Lake Worth. Entrance is $5. Call 561-547-7273, or visit propagandalw.com.
Clearly, Shroud Eater doesn't cater to the faint of heart. Unapologetically devoted to brutal thrash and metal mayhem, the trio -- guitarist/vocalist Jean Saiz, bassist Janette Valentine, and drummer Felipe Torres -- makes music that's decidedly perverse. It's something akin to the sound Satan might employ to lure unsuspecting innocents to his lair.
See also
- Orbweaver's Randy Piro Loves the Tron Soundtrack: "It's Satan's Chord!"
The band itself doesn't disagree; in a previous chat with New Times, Saiz called its noise " 'beard metal'... a catch-all for sludgy, doomy, stoner type of music." For those unfamiliar with the term, the self-described "Luciferian lesbian" offered a more precise definition: "We definitely employ some gallop-y metal tempos in conjunction with slower tempos for bong-blazing."
Fortunately, the ability to blaze hasn't dulled their ambitions. Shroud Eater is currently touting a new EP, Dead Ends, on Saiz's own Primitive Violence Records, and the group has further plans to record newer material in the months to come. In addition, it's expanded its geographical horizons, sharing its depraved visions and apocalyptic outrage with willing masses throughout the Southeast and in destinations as far afield as New York and New Orleans. Bible thumpers, beware: Shroud Eater has a healthy desire to display devilish devices. - Lee Zimmerman
The Riot Act
11 p.m. Friday, May 31, at Dada, 52 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Free. Call 561-330-3232, or visit dadaofdelray.com.
It would seem to take some kind of innate savvy to go from rudimentary, home-grown recordings to a gig opening for a rock 'n' roll icon like legendary surf guitarist Dick Dale. Indeed, by his own admission, the Riot Act's Christian Clarke started off as a guy of no apparent means other than ambition. He didn't even own an iPod, much less a computer at home. "I found it difficult to find new music I was interested in," he told New Times last year. "I think that's what got me into writing and recording my own stuff." Hence, the birth of garage rockabilly duo the Riot Act, Clarke's first band endeavor.
The "Act," if you will, couldn't have had a more inauspicious beginning. Clarke, who relocated to Fort Lauderdale in 2005 after kicking around California, recorded his vocals and guitar on a beat-up four-track digital recorder before finding his first drummer via an ad on Craigslist. But with current percussionist Sean Chesal at his back, Clarke furthers the fiery reputation that befits the group's handle. Expect this pair to make maximum noise with minimum embellishment at the lovely Dada in Delray Beach on Friday night. - Lee Zimmerman
The Heavy Pets
With Lingo, presented by Brotherly Love Productions. 9 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the Funky Biscuit, 303 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Call 561-395-2929, or visit funkybiscuit.com.
Why do some think it's cool to like jam bands? Maybe it has something to do with the endless instrumental excursions, the supposed displays of virtuosity. Perhaps it's the sense of populist appeal that the Grateful Dead or the Allman Brothers had, the feeling that it might rub off through all the random noodling and discordant melodies implied by the cerebral jam sounds.
The Heavy Pets have proven they have the agility and ability to straddle several genres -- rock, funk, reggae, and fusion -- skills that have qualified them for inclusion among the jam-band elite. Being festival favorites doesn't hurt either. But in truth, these hometown heroes don't succumb to the aforementioned clichés. That's been the case ever since guitarists Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli first became acquainted during high school in upstate New York, followed by Lloyd's meeting with keyboardist Jim Wuest at Syracuse University. A move to Fort Lauderdale in the mid-'00s led to a further series of permutations that eventually had bassist Tony D'Amato and drummer Jamie Newitt entering the fold.
The four albums they've released collectively since feature a blend of terrific tunes and obvious technique, all in service to some remarkable riffs. - Lee Zimmerman
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