Live Report - Black Tusk with Zoroaster
Metal Reviews

Release year: 0
Reviewed by Steve

Southgate House, in Newport, Kentucky, is a unique venue. The house was originally constructed in 1814 by attorney-turned-silk maker Richard Southgate. Many interesting historical figures have crossed its threshold since then; e.g., the house served as the birthplace of John Tariaferro Thompson, the inventor of the “Tommy Gun.” A modern mall-type complex has been built across the street from Southgate, so there is plenty of parking and eating available. On a recent sweltering Wednesday, the House played host to psychedelic doom masters Zoroaster and the much-hyped spawn of the south, Black Tusk. Sludge droners Dark Castle opened the show, but your correspondent did not arrive in time for their performance.

The billing had seemed at one point to indicate that Black Tusk would headline and at another that Zoroaster would do so. After double-fisting a couple of America’s finest mass-produced lager, I took a seat at an empty table on the balcony. (I’d ridden 230 interstate miles at this point and, truth be told, had the veritable shit kicked out of me by a pair of safety glasses I’d pressed into service for nighttime riding as my dedicated goggles are tinted. I.e., I was tired, sweaty, my eyes hurt, and I was seriously worried about whether the steed would still be there when I left the show. Where the fuck are you supposed to put a parking receipt on a motorcycle?) Zoroaster were sound checking, getting ready to play, and that made me think I’d missed Black Tusk. So, I settled in to be melted to the floor by the effects-heavy tunes cranked out by the band.

Zoroaster excel at creating a mood and almost entrancing the audience. Their music is the definition of trippy. It’s good stuff. I have one of their albums and I listen to it from time to time, but I don’t find it especially moving or impressive. It’s more fun as a live act, but still not inspiring. There’s much more work being done by a processor than by the band’s guitarist, Will Fiore. They did play the track they’ve been streaming (Ancient Ones) from their new album, Matador, and I felt that was the highlight of their set, so hopefully it’s an indication of the quality of that new record. I moseyed downstairs to maximize the effect for a song or two before checking out the Black Tusk merchandise and hitting the road … and then I heard it: “Black Tusk is up next!” Yes! Perfect timing after all.

To my surprise, the crowd had thinned quite a bit by the time Black Tusk took the stage, but it regained strength throughout their set. I suppose there were more folks getting some air than had left. It was worth the wait. Black Tusk truly are talented. I could go on about their drummer / vocalist, James, but that would be giving short shrift to guitarist, Andrew, and bassist, Athon. All three chipped in on vocals, with James pulling most of that weight. I preferred the screaming of Andrew over James’ shouting, though. The band gave it a very good effort. They seemed to be having a good time rocking out despite the conditions. And for the record, the audience was much more metal than hipster. I felt like the set was a bit short, but the heat seemed to have us all in a rather lethargic mood, anyway, so best, maybe, to give it all you’ve got for a short set than to test the patience of the crowd. I scored a vinyl copy (with digital download) of Taste the Sin, hit the doors, and finally exhaled when I discovered my bike unmolested where I’d left it.

Killing Songs :
Steve quoted
Other albums by Live Report that we have reviewed:
Live Report - Marduk / Vader - United Titans Tour 2022 - 17th March 2022 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Genesis - The Last Domino? Tour - 25 September 2021 - AO Arena, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Mgla, Lvcifyre, Wode - 15th March 2019 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Pestilence, Grimaze, Damim, Cryptic Shift - 23rd February 2019 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - King Crimson - Uncertain Times Tour - 9th November 2018 - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
To see all 89 reviews click here
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