News From The Pit

By Laura Spaulding

Hey all you ultra cool people of the pit! What's up?

Hope everyone caught some of the metal shows that went on around these parts during the month of September!

Read on...Read on...!

*Late August featured a slew of metal bands at Bulls Eye's. Inhuman, Contortion, Dancin' with Manson, Luther, Dump Gang and Hostile Environment (from Ohio) played a two-night fest of metal.

*Much metal was heard at the Toy Tiger in early September!

A benefit show was held on September 8 for Chris Sorrells, whose death in late July is still under investigation. Chris was the guitarist in the local band Stoneflesh.

The show featured Inhuman, Creed, and Faceplant. All three bands did great sets and this was the first show that I had seen with the new and improved Faceplant. Faceplant is now a four-piece and features guitarist Jeff on vocals. This new line-up is definitely more raw and even heavier than they were before, which is way cool in my book!

The show raised $520.00, which will go to Chris's four year old daughter. This was local metal at it's best and for a good cause and the show got a great turnout. Kudos to all the bands that played this show.

*The next couple of nights at the Tiger were also heavy - Tuesday, September 9 featured Testament, Stuck Mojo, and Strapping Young Lad for a three-band onslaught of metal!. This was a killer show that featured different styles of metal, making for a cool show. Testament did an awesome job of both old and new material, as I expected they would.

The band has really grown since their start in the early 80's, but yet they have managed to stay true to their roots, unlike a lot of metal bands from this era. Hope to see Testament back around these parts in the future.

Last but not least, the Tiger kept the mosh pit going strong for one more night of metal. Shapeless Matrix and Flaw finished off an awesome three days of metal on Wednesday, September 10.

Thanks to the Tiger for supporting local and regional metal bands!

*Also, I want to mention a show I caught in late August at the Tiger. Checked out Louisville locals Days of the New, who were recently signed to Geffen records. While I wouldn't really wouldn't describe these guys as metal, they do have somewhat of a heavy sound and they put on a good show. The band would appeal to many fans of heavy metal. They seem to be quite seasoned musicians for just being barely past their teenage years.

Ed. Note: Days of the New have reached number one on Billboard's Rock Chart with their first single.