Praise The Lord: Cult Leader Destroys Austin

by Robert Dean

If there’s anything you can say about the band Cult Leader, it’s that they’re absolutely unrelenting. Without a doubt, Cult Leader is one of the best bands on the rise – the sadistic mixture is there: they’re the perfect mix of hardcore, death metal and black with a few timely gut punches of shoegaze. The songs go from pummeling Destruct-o-Matic violence to brooding marathons that span many sound types. What Cult Leader pulls off is special. 

I’d been waiting to see Cult Leader, I’ve been high on them for a while now and their most recent record, A Patient Man is worth the critical praise many have given it. (I counted in my year’s best for 2018.) So, finally getting the opportunity to see them was something I was excited about and they did not disappoint. Barreling through probably one of the toughest songs I’ve heard in many moons, “I am Healed” the band worked its dark magic giving a tepid audience everything they had. 

In general, Austin shows up for bands when they come to town, we appreciate good music, and the turn out was clearly positive, considering it was a sellout. Given that Cult Leader was main support for Daughters, the crowd wasn’t as invested as I’d liked. I understand it’s a move to get the band in front of a lot of newer faces who probably wouldn’t know them or their type of music, but the reaction wasn’t anywhere what the headliner got. Ideally, I’d love to see Cult Leader do a co-headliner with Nails or Gatecreeper, or hell, opening for Cannibal Corpse, but by all means, get that exposure from some new fans. 

I don’t mean to say there weren’t people there just to see them, but the majority of that room was there for Daughters and Jesus Christ on a bike wouldn’t have gotten them as fired up as seeing a band they’ve missed for over a decade, so no harm, no foul. But, have no doubt that Cult Leader gave everything they had. 

For forty-five minutes, we were given a lesson in what it means to see a tight band crush. No talking, no funny business, just murder. That’s precisely what you want out of a band called “Cult Leader” nothing but well-practiced savagery and boy did they give us the goods; what’s so impressive about the band is how talented they are, there’s no weak link, some dude hiding being everyone else. Every member of Cult Leader is adept at their instruments; there weren’t any points where it didn’t sound as crisp as it did on record, but every piece fit like a glove. 

If you’re curious about a new metal band, something new to sink your teeth into, Cult Leader delivers. If you’re into stuff like Code Orange or Vein, you need to give Cult Leader their due. Their records are fantastic, and the live show is incredible. After a strong performance, there’s no doubt they’re one of the best bands in the genre and it’s only a matter of time before more and more people catch up. 

(from a previous show)

No Sleep Roundup: Roy Clark, Kacey Musgraves, Vein, Metallica

by Robert Dean

What’s popping in the world of music lately, kids? It’s the holidays, so music news is slow, but here’s what I’ve got. 

Let’s get to it. 

RIP to the late, great Roy Clark. I remember watching a whole lot of him on Hee-Haw as a kid. Definitely a loss for country music. 

Kacey Musgraves won Album of The Year at the CMA’s, which is fucking amazing. I know Chris Stapleton released a banger, but Kacey deserved every inch of that win. She’s not playing the CMA game and has continually done her own thing with a refusal to be a Nashville commodity. So big ups to Texas’ best. 

Vein has a new video out, yet again proving those dudes are the best new band in hardcore. 

Since High on Fire isn’t on their tour, they’re writing new music, so that’s a good use of their time. There’s never enough Matt Pike jams in the world, toe or not. 

Dude from All That Remains was potentially murdered. Talk about a plot twist. 

Metallica donated $100K to help California battle the wildfires. Karma points right there, dudes. 

Mumford and Sons dropped a new record. Surprise, it's garbage. Rolling Stone even dogged it. 

That’s all I got. Stay weird. 

People Need To Chill Out About Vein

by Robert Dean

As a dude who’s in the twilight of his 30’s, I’ve got beef with some of the reviewers out there and how they’re approaching Vein and their record Errorzone. In some of the reviews I’ve seen online in the blogs or vlogs (6 out of 10 WTF, mate?), I gotta call out when people say Vein is trying too hard to be unique or isn’t as good as Botch or Converge, or even the original Norma Jean record. That’s straight up garbage.

Here’s the thing: these are kids in their early 20’s, they weren’t around when I was going to see Coalesce at the Fireside Bowl or watch Botch play a matinee show for gas money. They weren’t born or just barely in diapers when I was watching Converge play the “Saddest Day” in Chicago for the first time ever. I was there when those bands were in their heyday, infancy and ultimately their demise. To mention Vein in the breath of those legendary acts is a triumph because so many bands desperately try to copy that style and that moment in hardcore. And 99% of those bands either suck total ass or fail.

When Vein took the stage at Barracuda in Austin last night, it was a watershed moment for them. Despite Code Orange having to cancel, it was 100% clear the majority of the bodies who still wanted to see the show were there for Vein – the openers. They’re a band on the rise, and the hype is deserved. They’re mixing styles flawlessly and for a first record, written by a band who most of them can’t even legally buy a beer is fantastic. What did YOUR band sound like at 20? 

Cruising through their cuts off Errorzone, the crowd was excited, and it was a mix of old dudes like young kids screaming their hearts out and me, many probably attending their first hardcore show. That’s cool. There were clearly kids who weren’t “in the scene” and ready to freak out for their new favorite band. A band, who isn’t playing super radio friendly metal, but a band that’s playing off-kilter, off-timed hardcore that is a direct descendant of Dead Guy, Pig Destroyer, and Glassjaw. We should be so lucky people give a shit. 

Critics pretending that they’re all wise and critical are nothing but assholes. We should be thrilled that Errorzone is as good as it is because the potential to blow it away is written into the DNA of what Vein is. They mix a lot of genres, and the end result is powerful, emotional and absolutely is a throwback to when we got to see bands like Cave In play for ½ empty rooms because no one liked Jupiter. To think that Vein is capable of dropping a hybrid of Deftones White Pony and Dillinger Escape Plan’s Calculating Infinity isn’t a pipe dream.

As an official hardcore grey beard, I call bullshit and that we should rally around the new bands. These kids are changing hardcore and making it fun again. How many fucking Hatebreed copies do we need? Madball can barely be Madball anymore, so why do we need another guy copying Freddy? 

Let the kids play. They’re killing it. People are excited, and you know what, we need as much fierce rock and roll as we can get.  Vein is bringing it in spades. 

The No-Sleep Roundup: Vein, As I Lay Dying, ...Cassadee Pope??

Hey Y’all. Here we are, it’s almost the end of June, and I’m still trucking away in the world of freelance. But, at least I’m alive. 

In case you missed it, a lot of special people are dying, and it sucks. We’re down an Anthony Bourdain and a Vinnie Paul. Someone had better keep Ozzy, Mike Ness and Danzig locked away in glass cases. 

Trailer informed me that, while it seems like I’ve been writing for Farce for like, ever – it’s only been 2.5 years, which is nuts considering the number of articles, reviews, etc. I’ve written. Check out my first ever piece here about Sydney’s We Lost The Sea. 

In other news, Vein’s new record Errorzone is the best hardcore record of the year. Seriously. It’s like hearing Converge at their beginning all over again. (I’m old. I was there.) 

Speaking of hardcore, here’s a video of a naked dude going HAAM in the pit 

If you care about As I Lay Dying, they’re back together. Dude tried to have his wife killed, so there’s that. We all know the obvious answer as to why they got back together: they weren’t exactly killing it without the jailbird. Here’s their conversation about this hot topic. 

Cassadee Pope who used to be in Hey Monday, a pop punk band, is now a pop country singer? Whatever the fuck that is. Well, she’s playing Warped Tour. This world makes no sense anymore. 

I guess that’s it from the peanut gallery. See y’all soon. Send me money. I’m broke. 

The No Sleep Roundup w/Lucero, Leon III, Vein, Joe Rogan

by Robert Dean

So, this week in insomnia I’ve listened to a bunch of music, read a few books and even watched the episode of Anthony Bourdain in Montana. He hangs out with Jim Harrison before he died, what an honor. Joe Rogan was there too, but they did Joe Rogan stuff and just shot some birds. 

Anyhow, I’m averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep a night right now since I’m writing freelance full time. You’d think around 4 AM I’d pass right out, but nope. Pop a Benadryl and go hunting for new stuff, waiting for the little pink monster to kick in. 

Enough about me, let’s get into this week’s hotness: 

Because I’m a douche, I didn’t mention them sooner, but The Profane Anything Band is a local Austin outfit playing some sweet rock and roll that’s not flashy, nor over the top, but straight ahead. There’s something to be said for a band that plugs in and gets rowdy. Give them a listen they gig all over town. For fans of Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo, Brainiac. 

America’s secret crush Cardi B was on the Stern show and continued to show why she’s good for the music industry with her refusal to be a mindless robot. Hate her music all you like; it’s appreciated when an artist puts everything on front street and understands her place in pop culture.  

Leon III has a new video out. It’s appropriately weird in that Joe Walsh, “too many Coors with a guy you’re just trying to buy mushrooms off of” kinda way. I appreciate bands who go for it and don’t give a shit what their peers are doing. Quiet Hollers are those kinds of dudes. Give it a look and listen to their new record, Alberta. 

While you’re at it download everything from Leon III and Quiet Hollers. 

Vein dropped the new video for Virus//Vibrance, and I’m so stoked on it. This is so much of my jam; it’s like this song + video was crafted out of the old school hardcore videos from 20 years ago that I frequently search for. I have high hopes for Vein. If this is any indication of what they’re capable of, please take all of my money. This is chaotic, fast, and heavy as a ton of bricks. 

Everyone on Earth saw the Childish Gambino video, so I don’t have to link it. It’s been watched 70M times in 7 days.  Sidebar: I seriously had NO idea Childish Gambino was big enough to headline a night at ACL. I have a mad love for Awaken, My Love! But, damn. Donald Glover is killing it right now. 

Joe Rogan roasts Takashi 69 and the other kids of the internet here.  This one is just good for the soul. 

Lastly, Lucero dropped two new songs, and there’s a lot to unpack here folks. 

First, if you look at the new band photo, Ben looks like he’s straight from America’s Next Top Model. Brian has now assumed the role of mystical Memphis shaman, which is fitting if you follow him on social media. Thankfully, Roy is still wearing the signature bike hat. 

The cover of the new record Among the Ghosts is sick. That’s some straight Southern Gothic right there. 

I like that Ben has made it a point to call out that folks thought the new stuff would suck because he’s happily married and now has a kid. I can’t say I’m not guilty of thinking that, too. 

As for the music, I couldn’t be happier. As a die-hard Lucero fan, (I have an L star tattoo) this is the record we’ve been waiting a few years for. This feels more like a gritty more swinging version of Tennessee, That Much Further West, Overton Park records, which are arguably the fan’s favorites. 

That’s it. Keep it saucy.