Triggerfest - Longview Lanes - 08.11.07
Reviewer - BrokenKeith

Despite car troubles, a sinus infection and a mild fever, I did manage to find my way to Longview Lanes for the very first Triggerfest, a local East Texas fest featuring 15 area bands, put together by Longview's Triggerfist. Despite the stress and sneezing and coughing, I promised everyone my best effort in watching all the sets.

First up was P.S. We're Vampires. Yes, that's the band's name and it suits them damn well, because there's nothing quite like them in East Texas. Imagine Henry Rollins busting into Maylene's studio, and then making a call for Clutch to bring the whiskey. The riffs are some strong and thick southern rock and Brian's vocals have a Rollins style with a passionate delivery. The guy knows how to own a stage. And you know that a lot of people are happy to see Kevin (AKA Dreadlock) back on the drums, and he is just as tight as always. And he always knows when a song requires just that right amount of cowbell. Whether your a fan of a little old school southern rock, or you're a just getting into Maylene and He Is Legend, there is a band in Longview that you need to see. PS, here's the myspace . .
http://www.myspace.com/pswerevampires

The second band of the day is the new heavy metal sensation from the tiny town of Big Sandy, Crimson Thirst. They feature a traditional metal sound reminiscant of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Queensryche with a little Children Of Bodom and 3 inches Of Blood mixed in. Jeff Ward has to have one of the last true metal voices on Earth, with god-like wails and screams that you will hear from no one else. He just might be the next big thing of heavy metal. And let's not forget Jonny Jobe's skillful guitar playing. His solo's are the cleanest in the area and his tone is just perfect. Gary Ward may have found his zone with his tasteful bass playing. And the drumming is top notch, provided by Ben Jordan, who is still just 17. Highlighted by thrashy tracks like The Wolf, and memorable ballads like Midnight Masquerade, the upside is tremendous for the young, talented heavy metallers in Crimson Thirst! Hails!
http://www.myspace.com/crimsonthirst

Up next was the band that's been hitting it hard in Tyler for years, Cinder Cell. The newest lineup still consists of Ben and Shaun, with Thomas Krugler on bass, Blake Humbler on guitar, and that sexy bitch Cameron Rush on drums. This new lineup can handle all the older material like pro's, still providing a heavy hard rock/metal sound between Three Days Grace and Killswitch Engage. And the newest material (a new song entitled Decepticons? Nice!) brings a little more edge, going along the style of newer Sevendust and Diecast. And Ben always knows how to energize a crowd, with hair flying and numerous people up front getting molested (in a fun way though). And I would also like to give props to Julian for some great screams on the back up mic, though he could do more to work on the clarity of his scream and pronunciation. The new lineup is just what the doctor ordered, and I can't wait to see these guys open for Drowning Pool in September, they've definitely earned it.
http://www.myspace.com/cindercell

With the show getting off to a great start, next came 5 Year Epiphany. A melodic hard rock band with a tight live sound, they kept the show rocking well. Being that this band features former members of Goodwill Ammunition, good tunes were to be expected. The vocals were exceptional, with just enough strain of emotion to have the proper impact without going overboard into emo territory. The guitar hooks were spot on and are ready to be heard on mainstream rock radio. This was my first time seeing 5 Year Epiphany live, and I look forward to seeing them again soon.
http://www.myspace.com/5yearepiphany

We move on to heavier territory with Slaves of Sin from Kilgore. This group shows a strong influence of bands like Pantera, Mudvayne, and black album era Metallica. Very groove orientated, thrashy, and heavy as hell. Robert, while being very soft spoken in person, is a beast on the mic, laying down the loudest, most aggressive screams of the day so far. I especially loved the bass work. I would like to hear more diversity within certain songs. Some parts tended to eat up a majority of the songs. But the newer material, and the breakdowns were definitely a nice touch and went over well in the pit forming up front. With more focused songwriting and the continued aggressive attack, this is a band prepared to keep it heavy in East Texas.
http://www.myspace.com/slavesofsin

Due to transportation issues, a last minute shuffle occurred in the lineup and Born 2 Nothing agreed to take the stage to keep things rolling. That earns a few points in professionalism with me. Born 2 Nothing got the crowd into things quickly with a cover of Coal Chamber's Big Truck. With the crowd now firmly in their favor, they shot into their well known tunes such as My Name and Let It Begin. Jon Whitaker's baritone vocals and spot on screams bring a very dark tone to the songs. Jay's slap bass skills are unmatched and Dave's guitar solo's are very reminiscent of Randy Rhoads and break the songs away from a standard nu-metal sound. Lance's drumming was relentless, if spotty at points during the middle of this set compared to many other times I've seen them. This Tyler band features great chorus's for the crowd to scream along with, riffs with bounce and energy, and a sound that will appeal to fans of Manson, Mudvayne, and even a little Devildriver. Check them out opening for Drowning Pool in Tyler as well.
http://www.myspace.com/born2nothing

Arriving in the nick of time and no worse for wear was Tyler's A Theory On Conquest. Now many people have heard me refer to them as the most talented band in Tyler. I stand by that statement 100%. To see these guys play live is more than a show, it's an experience. Jordan features the best scream/clean singing combination around, and Kendrick is a living embodiment of onstage chaos, as much of a danger to himself and his equipment, as he is a treat to watch. Chewy's jazz influenced drumming did more than keep time, it added a touch of atmosphere and spontenaiety to the music. Chris and Josh held the rhythm together with Chris showing off some impressive new sweeping skills. The band choose to showcase material that will be featured on their new EP being produced by MPF's Drew. The highlights of the set included The Unstoppable, Kingdom Come, and Pocket Full Of Silver. With a band that's more than capable of streaming through hardcore, metal, thrash, funk, and even reggae in the same set, the inspiring amalgamation that is A Theory On Conquest's music is sure to draw in many new fans in the coming months. Just be sure to keep your distance while on Kendrick's side of the stage.
http://www.myspace.com/atheoryonconquest

Bringing the southern groove to the show was Longview's Naked Sky. These guys know how to lay down some thick southern grooves with a great hard rock flash. Tim's guitar riffs are heavy enough for Pantera fans and bluesy enough to draw in every tired body from the bar. Eric's clean vocals are good enough for mainstream rock radio, and there is a lot of energy there. It was also great to see Waylon, formerly of Derision, back behind the kit. If it's tight Texas hard rock you're looking for, then check out Naked Sky, coming to burn down a bar near you!
http://www.myspace.com/nakedskyband

Following up on stage, it was once again Jeff and Gary Ward, though in this time, it was in the band Cimmeria. Things got off to a muddy start, with a bit of a technical instrumental opening getting muddled in the sound. Things finally worked themselves out, and Jeff showed off some impressive skills behind a bass guitar, with Gary handling the lead guitar, and this new young blood by the name of Steve Leyva on drums. This 17 year old has some chops and a deadly blast beat. Between him and Ben, the Longview scene is providing the best young drummers in Texas metal. I have to say that while I enjoyed hearing Jeff again, I was not a big fan of Evellyn Lopez's vocal performance. It was very strained and very forced, and at times colliding with Jeff's vocals instead of harmonizing with them. Her growls were decent, but not too impressive having followed A Theory On Conquest and Born 2 Nothing. There needs to be some serious work on the vocal aspect of the band for them to be on par with other Texas extreme metal acts such as Hyperion and Forever Mourne or even progressive metallers like Urizen. I did love some of the technical work, though there were parts were it kind of seemed out of place or cut and paste as far as the songwriting. There IS talent in this band, I'm just looking for them to have a direction.
http://www.myspace.com/cimmeriaband
********Also check out Steve's badass black metal band, featuring Kody from Death To The Divine on vocals.
http://www.myspace.com/beyondlight666

The next band came out from Leesburg, Tx. The only way I can describe them in any certain terms is to say . . . they call themselves Jungle Gym. This band literally makes your head spin. There are no pop songs, no anthems, nothing for radio, nothing that can really be described as conventional songs. I think I've found the lost Zappa kids. The music went in between spastic hardcore, Faith No More style funk rock, and just straight up "acid flashback" background noise. This is not for everyone, and I think they realize that. As their myspace so correctly quoted Marty McFly, "I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet." Approach only if you are open of mind and strong of stomach. But if you're looking for something different from the norm, you damn sure won't be disappointed.
http://www.myspace.com/junglegym

After someone finally decided to play with the house lights to make it look like an actual concert, Halo Down from Tyler took the stage. They opened with their newer material, which takes a different direction than their previous material, like a band trying to combine the lean of Guns 'N' Roses and the mean of Black Label Society. Unfortunately, some of the music came across as flat and a bit off point with the flow of the bass and guitar. Things took a great turn when the band unvieled a new song tiled Dream. A ballad that could have easily found it's way on Monster Ballads, this song featured great guitar work and vocal hooks that fell right into Vocalist John Hobbs comfort zone. The live show again featured the zombie like antics of Wolf Madore, John's playing to the female crowd, and guitarist Chris Bannon . . . standing there. If the object of the game is to capture some of the Slash/Zakk Wylde magic, you can't do it without getting out of your comfort zone and getting after it on stage. It makes the live stage show seem very one sided. All and all a solid outing by HD, keep an eye out for a new CD being recorded later this year.
http://www.myspace.com/halodown

Up next was none other than the fest's titular band (I said tit), Triggerfist. This band has seriously come such a long way in a year and a half's time since I first saw them. The guitar hooks are so much more on the mark and the songwriting is perfected to make for some memorable tunes throughout the set. Songs like Anymore and Irresponsible were instantly recognized by the crowd, familiar with the band's myspace and their full length CD, "The Suck Button." All four guys gave 100% of their energy on stage. Corey's vocals have a Chad (Mudvayne) meets Chino (Deftones) like quality and the music combines elements of the Deftones, Sevendust, and even a little Bury Your Dead. Don't be fooled by the "how much we suck" attitude, the chops are there and these guys are definite headliners in this area. Let's hope the changes in sound and lineup over the horizon don't sidetrack Triggerfist for too long. And thanks for planning for Triggerfest II right away. Really, really nice guys.
http://www.myspace.com/triggerfist

And what other band could follow a great set by TF other than the most well-known band out of Longview. You know exactly what goat molesting, platinum rap recording, keystone consuming mofos I'm talking about. And My Plastic Friends went out to keep their name on the map. Darkus was piss faced drunk by the time he took the stage, but shook it out and gave another pro performance. With screams that would make Howard from Killswitch or Randy from LOG take notice. The guitar melody continues to be both off beat, catchy, and as Drew would say "platinum, ballas!" Very few bands match the stage presence of these guys, as many in the DFW area can attest to. The crowd loved Again For The First Time and sang along with Drunken Relations. And, just in case you were wondering, Chase is a good drummer, and he fits in well with the gang. With a solidified lineup and hopefully another full-length CD coming soon, it's MPF's time to shine like Optimus Prime!
http://www.myspace.com/myplasticfriends

Being both horribly sick, and worried about my car's radiator busting on the way to the show, I had to leave just as the final band, We Walk Like Snails, finished the show. They were loud, the were heavy, they were fucking crazy. And I gathered all that from just two songs. For spastic, chaotic hardcore, go give them a listen!
http://www.myspace.com/wewalklikesnails

Despite the numerous problems that I encountered getting to and from the show, it was definitely a great experience, and one I'm sure I won't soon forget. I loved seeing so many friends in one place at one time. I'm ready to enjoy Triggerfest Numero Dos on New Year's Eve. This time, I won't be coughing up a lung. Stay metal, Hail Megatron!

- Keith /../,