EMPIRE STATE BASTARD

Note: The concert has been moved from Heimathafen Neukölln to Privatclub. Tickets remain valid.

EMPIRE STATE BASTARD - LIVE

Empire State Bastard - that's hardcore in the style of Siege, frenetic thrash like Slayer, the claustrophobic sludge of Melvins, the free vocal agility of Mike Patton and the gigantic stoner riffs of Sleep. It's a sound with roots inspired by metal's forefathers, but even more influenced by the strange, dark and unconventional directions the genre has taken since.

Mike Vennart's unruly riffs, bursting with ingenuity, meet Simon Neil's untamed vocal attacks, which shuttle restlessly between manic screams, Fantomas-like whimpers and implied snatches of melody. The anchor of the chaos is Dave Lombardo, whose battering ram rhythms bring the ferocity and momentum that also give Slayer that certain something.

After the gauntlet thrown down by "Harvest," the rest of "Rivers of Heresy" follows up with pure sonic devastation. Adventurously exploring nearly every niche imaginable in the alternative metal landscape, Mike's songs hit like a full-throttle collaboration between Siege and Slayer ("Stutter," "Palm of Hands"), play with math chaos and grindcore untamedness ("Blusher," "Sold!") or lurch in slow motion with stoner rock menace ("Sons And Daugthers"). The biggest surprise in this set full of aha moments is "Tired, Aye?" in which guitars and drums are set aside and vocals and drums are given the stage - a song in the tradition of John Zorn's "Naked City."

empirestatebastard.com