The Metal Files

PENTAGRAM – BLACK TUSK – RWAKE – MALA SUERTE – STRIDER

So let’s back up to July of 2009.  Looking at my review I don’t remember liking the show as much as I wrote about.  No matter.  This is May 2010 and a different day.

As some of my faithful readers may know I recently moved in downtown Austin to be closer to all of my favorite music venues to make things a bit more accessible.  Mission accomplished.  Last month I was able to hang out with some of the guys from Hammerfall and do dinner with them.  More or less this happened because I live 3 blocks from this particular venue.

Last night my luck struck again.  I left my apartment to hit a local burger joint to meet up with Amelia and have a burger and some beers before we both went our separate ways to see different shows.  As I am crossing the street I see this group of longhairs and noticeably I see Bobby Liebling and Victor Griffin from Pentagram.  I also recognized the drummer Gary from the previous Pentagram show and from a show where he drummed for Valkyrie a few years back.

Basically the first words out of my mouth when we were face to face, and I am sure I stuttered, were, “holy crap…you’re Pentagram!”  I meet tons of bands, some big some small…but this is Pentagram.  The band that

Greg, Bobby, happy fat dude, Victor, Gary...PENTAGRAM!

did Day Of Reckoning!   To me one of the greatest doom albums of all time.  So, as I am totally trying not to be a fanboy, I ask for a picture with the band.  One of their old friends lives here in Austin and he snapped a few shots with my camera and then some with his.  As we’re doing pictures and standing in the street, I asked if they were going to hear Burning Savior from Day of Reckoning.  Victor said no.  Then I asked about Living in a Ram’s Head and Bobby quickly said, “We’ll never fucking play that song again.  I never really liked it!”  Damn!  Then he says to me, “Didn’t Burning Savior scare you?”  I replied with, “It probably scared my mom back in the 80s but never phased me.”  “Right on,” he replied.   So I ask them where they were heading and they pointed to the restaurant that was right behind us.  I told them that they would be making an intestinal mistake if they ate there and they asked for my recommendation.  I took them to Chupa Cabra, the same place I took Hammerfall.  They loved it.  Conversations were pretty funny at the table.  Everyone in the band kept giving the new bassist a hard time.  As we were walking to dinner, Victor and I talked about the upcoming Place of Skulls album.  September!  He asked if I liked it and I said, “If you’re on it, I’m a fan.”  Which is true.

Bobby was great to be around and he seemed clean of drugs.  Sure, he’s a bit burned out but he was pretty funny and had some really cool stories to share.  He seemed like a “sweet old man”, and I say that with the highest respect and regard for what this man has meant for metal.  It was a pleasure to spend that kind of time with the band, especially with him and Victor.  I mentioned to them that I had a book that I would like both he and Victor to sign.  I mentioned that I had a spare copy for sale and Bobby asked if I’d trade a t-shirt for it.   In the grand scheme I lost a little money in the deal but how often does anyone get to give a legend a cool gift and have said legend give you a cool shirt and a poster in return?  After the transaction, they went back to their hotel to rest.

Gary Rosas and Mala Suerte

There were 4 other bands on the bill and I wanted to catch a few of them.  Since I obviously dissed Amelia to hang out with Pentagram I met her up the street for a beer with our friend Natalia.  I caught the last 3 songs of Strider (Austin, TX) and liked what little bit that I heard.  After their set we all just hung outside on the Emo’s patio and jibber jabbered.  Lots of familiar faces, of course.  Mala Suerte was up next and this was the first time I had seem them with their new guitarist.  Seamless transition.  They were good, they always are.  Consistently.  Their singer is one of the first people I met when I moved here and one of my favorite people in this town.  Great dude.  He was wearing an awesome original DIO Last In Line shirt as well.  They finished their set and it was back to the patio.

Next up was Rwake (Arkansas).  They’ve played here several times in the last few years and I always miss them.  I caught a few of their songs last night and will likely never see them again.  Just not my thing.  More patio!

Black Tusk

Black Tusk hit the stage and are a very energetic 3pc stoner rock band.  Their drummer was fantastic.  Seriously.  Fantastic.  The band was fun to watch.  Don’t know that I’d buy their album but I’ll surely go see them live again when given the chance.

The crowd had increased and tonight’s show was on the inside stage as opposed to the outside stage from last year’s show.  I staked my claim at the front of the stage as Pentagram was setting up so I could at least get a few decent photos.  Pentagram his the stage and opened up with the song Day of Reckoning.  They sounded great.  The band was tight, the sound was good and most importantly Bobby’s voice sounded much better.  I had a huge smile on my face for the whole show.  They were great.  I was totally elated.

I am one of the luckiest people I know sometimes.

The setlist was as follows:

1. Day of Reckoning
2. Forever My Queen
3. Ask No More
4. Run My Course
5. Frustration
6. You’re Lost, I’m Free
7. Review Your Choices
8. Petrified
9. Relentless
10. All Your Sins
11. 20 Buck Spin
12. Pentagram (Sign of the Wolf)
13. When the Screams Come

Setlist...love how they coded it.

Bobby Liebling

Victor Griffin

Pentagram

Greg, Bobby, happy fat dude, Victory, Gary...PENTAGRAM!