Next weekend, the metalheads will descend upon the desert for the fifth installment of Southwest Terror Fest in Tucson, Arizona. The festival has hosted bands like Sleep and Neurosis in the past and has an impressive, genre-spanning lineup for this year’s edition. With so many bands to take in, these are just a few suggestions to check out over the weekend.
5. Pig Destroyer
Pig Destroyer barely needs an introduction. The grindcore outfit has put out relentless release after relentless release in a career that has spanned nearly two decades. Though it’s been three years since Pig Destroyer put out new music, the band has a reputation for rowdy live shows.
4. Infest
The powerviolence trailblazers got back together in 2013. Since then, Infest has toured extensively both inside and outside of the US. This video of the band from November 2015 at Saint Vitus (the bar, not the band) shows that Infest still has the energy and aggression they had in the 80’s.
3. Power Trip
Thrash is far from dead if Power Trip have anything to say about it. Their furious debut, Manifest Decimation, was released to wide acclaim. This summer, the crossover act released a split with legendary hardcore outfit Integrity and played This Is Hardcore Fest the same day as acts like Gorilla Biscuits and Wisdom in Chains. Before the release of Manifest Decimation, Power Trip earned a reputation for their live shows and not much has changed on that front. Get ready to circle pit.
2. The Body/Full of Hell (collaborative set)
The Body’s collaboration with Full of Hell (this year’s One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache) was a nightmarish explosion of noise and negative emotion. The Body’s rumbling noise turned out to be the ideal pairing with Full of Hell’s grinding noise, proving that both bands could somehow get more intense. A live performance of songs from One Day You Will Ache could get even more intense. (Full of Hell also has a normal set on Friday.)
1. Saint Vitus
The doom metal pioneers helped to establish the genre, recording seminal albums that laid its groundwork. Saint Vitus also recently released their second live album, Live Vol. 2 and are currently touring with original vocalist Scott Reagers, who recorded on Hallow’s Victim and Saint Vitus. Guitarist Dave Chandler told Decibel recently that Reagers has been excited to be playing with the band and that fans have been “going crazy” at shows.
Southwest Terror Fest goes down October 20-23 in Tucson, Arizona. More details and tickets are available.
