ATRIARCH

Atriarch played the First Church of the Buzzard in Oakland Ca on Friday March 25, 2011. They were just as good as the night before, and this specific venue made for a more confrontational performance.

Dispirit

Crowds packed in to El Rio last night to worship at the Church of John Gossard and the Holy Ibanez. All three bands last night used Ibanez Guitars (with the exception of Dispirit's second guitarist). This was my fourth time seeing Dispirit and I'm still entranced by their hypnotic, long-form blackened spectral doom.

Atriarch

I was completely floored last night by Portland's Atriarch. They were kind of my perfect doom band. Jagged, inventive riffing, tortured vocals and throat singing (by Lenny of Trees), grinding, dirge-y bass, and eyeball-loosening drumming with tasteful double bass used sparingly. If you missed them last night, they're playing again tonight in Oakland at Church of the Buzzard.

Dispirit are playing El Rio this Thursday 3/24

Two Dispirit gigs in one month, I'm not complaining. Go.

PALE CHALICE

Of all the bands that played last night, San Francisco's Pale Chalice was the obvious highlight for me. They played the smaller of the two stages and were lit only by candles and camera flashes. They play proto-black metal infused with disorienting, off-kilter rhythms and riffing.