Scion Rock Fest originally began in 2009, bringing established and budding young acts together for one day of heavy metal/hard rock bliss. Hosted in a different city and state from the inception, Scion Rockfest celebrated its sixth year rocking in 2014 by returning back to Southern California in Pomona, for the first time since 2011. Held at four venues within a half mile radius including Fox Theater, The Glass House, Sky Fox Lounge, and Acerogami, this year’s festival included twenty seven bands. Starting at 3 PM sharp on a blistering hot Saturday afternoon on May 17th, the fun was just about to begin as crowds gathered for the metal experience.
Kicking things off at The Glass House was Nekrogoblikon from Los Angeles, CA. Formed back in 2006, the band has released three full-length records in that time. Combining melodic death metal and symphonic elements, the band has an energetic and powerful sound that fans of Blackguard, Trollfest, and Children of Bodom will adore. There is a theatric and entertaining aspect to their sound that cannot be ignored. Performing songs primarily from their 2013 album Power, the band also sprinkled in tracks from STENCH (2011). Nekrogoblikon will be performing a headlining show on June 20th at the Whisky A Go Go as they embark on further touring.
Next at Acerogami was classic rock influenced Pittsburgh, PA band Carousel. Formed back in 2010, the band was making their first ever west coast appearances and did a fine job while on stage. Performing a rocking set of tunes from their debut album Jeweler’s Daughter (2013), closing with a cover AC/DC’s “Let There Be Rock”, these guys were near flawless. Possessing a level of passion in their approach, the audience dug each moment of the performance, making Carousel a band to look out for in the future.
Moving on to Fox Theater, concert goers were treated to King Buzzo. King Buzzo is the newest solo project from The Melvin’s lead vocalist Buzz Osborne. Performing acoustic, Osborne entertained the audience with a unique performance. With plenty of The Melvins fans on hand, the applauds were plentiful for King Buzzo as he played on. The debut album, This Machine Kills, is out now via Ipecac and King Buzzo continues his solo acoustic tour through the end of July.
Opening up Sky Fox Lounge was Moonpark based sludge/post-hardcore act Black Sheep Wall. Formed back in 2007, the band has put together two full-length albums full of intense sludge metal. Having the audience in sync with their tempo, the headbanging was intense as the band performed. With new vocalist Brandon Gillichbauer moving about the stage as he belted out some forceful growls, Black Sheep Wall was very impressive and entertaining to watch.
Back to The Glass House, people gathered to see thrash metal band Speedwolf. Hailing from Denver, CO, Speedwolf released their debut album Ride With Death in 2011 as they continue to tour and spread their sound. Provoking a swirl of aggression from the crowd, mosh pits broke out as the band poured out mass amount of energy. Lead vocalist Reed Bruemmer encouraged the crowd’s participation which resulted in one person making their way onto to the stage to sing a chorus before diving back into the crowd. Fans of powerful speed metal will love these guys.
At Fox Theater it was time for Seattle, WA sludge metallers Big Business. Recently concluding a tour as support for The Sword, Big Business is a great mix of strong vocals and thick guitar sound. The three-piece band blasted through their set, jamming hard the entire time and keeping the audience’s attention. Their album Battlefields Forever is out now and worth picking up.
At Acerogami, San Francisco based Pins Of Light were next in order to hit the stage. As a three-piece band they combine a mix of metal, rock, and punk for a classic sound difficult to categorize. Providing a massive groove of songs, the old school feeling of Pins Of Light was a winner that had headbangers out in full force on the floor.
Back at The Glass House, Cleveland, OH based In Cold Blood came out bringing an old school hardcore sound to the stage. Featuring Cleveland scene veterans Aaron and Lenny Melnick, In Cold Blood have been leaving their mark in hardcore since the late 1990’s. Recently reunited, the band ignited excitement in the crowd with circle pits erupting regularly throughout the performance. Giving off immense amounts of energy, In Cold Blood look prime to show the present day hardcore scene they are a force to be reckoned with.
At Fox Theater it was time for San Francisco based Orchid to begin. Signed to Nuclear Blast Records, Orchid began back in 2007, taking elements of classic doom and blues rock and morphing it in their own vision. After the release of their critically acclaimed debut EP Capricorn in 2011, Orchid has been raising much attention within their respected genre. Seldom making their way down to Southern California, the band took to the stage captivating the audience with their atmospheric tone. With audience members swaying their head side to side it was evident that Orchid had this room under their trance. Recently completely a successful European tour in 2013, Orchid will now head back overseas for European festival dates as their international reach grows.
Headed back to Sky Fox Lounge for the first time in over an hour, MOAB was next. From the Los Angeles area, MOAB brought a downright dirty groove that no one could deny. Mixing doom elements with classic rock-n-roll, this trio sounded full and impressive with some heavy guitar riffs that received positive feedback from the audience. MOAB finished up the mastering of their latest album back in April and is a band to keep on the radar. On June 21st they will be playing alongside Fu Manchu and The Freeks at The Troubadour.
Returning to Acerogami, the time was right for Texans The Well. Begun back in 2011 by Ian Graham (guitars/vocals), Lisa Alley (bass/vocals), and Jason Sullivan (drums), The Well mesh a classic rock sound with a little southern twist. The balance between Graham and Alley on vocals provided for an interesting dynamic to their doomish bluesy style. Playing a great offering of psychedelic rock, The Well made the most of their time and left a lasting impression. Fans of old school Black Sabbath will want to give this band a listen.
Providing for diversity back at The Glass House, it was time for another Texas band by the name of Power Trip. Mixing thrash, death, and a touch of cold black metal atmosphere, this five-piece band came out guns blazing. With heart pumping guitar riffs and adrenaline running through their veins, Power Trip dominated. Having a good stage presence, it is easy to see why this band’s popularity continues to grow. They will be touring all summer long and definitely should be a show metal fans look to attend.
The clock struck 6 PM at Fox Theater for New Orleans, LA sludge metal masters Crowbar. Together an amazing two plus decades, this band has built a name for themselves everyone in metal knows. Rocking through a set of their classic tunes, the band had the crowd pumped and loving every minute of the set. With the highly anticipated release of their new album Symmetry In Black on May 26th, Crowbar hit the road for a summer long string of European shows before they plan on coming back home for a hopeful full-blown US tour.
Meanwhile, back at Sky Fox Lounge, young Portland, OR band Lord Dying was just getting started. Signed to Relapse Records, this band provided a massive sound of heavy and textured metal. With a nice mix of memorable riffs and licks, Lord Dying had a large crowd gather to watch them perform. Their latest album Summoning The Faithless was predominantely showcased in their hour long performance and a worthy addition to the collection of any metal head.
Perhaps one of the most interesting bands at Scion Rock Fest was Bay area band Hot Lunch performing at Acerogami. Described as punk ‘n’ roll, their sound is a mix of metal, punk, rock, and everything in between. Each song performed had an array of different sounds with peaks and valleys making for interesting and exciting fun. The upbeat and energetic set went over extremely well and Hot Lunch showed excellent musicianship that will see them garnish more attention.
Bringing death metal to Scion Rock Fest was the scene vets from San Jose, Exhumed. Together now since 1990, Exhumed is a band which needs no introduction to the hardcore death metal fan. Taking a five year break between 2005 and 2010, upon the band’s return, their popularity did not fade with the release of their album All Guts, No Glory (2011). Rampaging through an intense set of old school style death metal, the mosh pits were as fierce at any point during the festival. After recently completing a run of dates with Toxic Holocaust, Exhumed will be heading overseas to take part in the The Hell Over Europe tour with Aborted.
Next at Fox Theater was Portland, OR based band Red Fang. Bringing a classic hard rock infused sound to the stage, Red Fang played through a twelve song set mixing older material from Murder The Mountain (2011) with songs from their newest record Whales and Leeches (2013). Closing out the buzz-stirring performance with some older songs, Red Fang presented a good song selection that left the audience elated and conversing about the amazing set.
Next at Sky Fox Lounge was Virginia’s female-fronted Windhand. Dosing out a sixty minute set of psychedelic doom metal, vocalist Dorthia Cottrell mastered the stage and had all in attendance intoxicated by the deep and heavy sounds Windhand put forth.
From Nashville, TN, All Them Witches were next to claim Acerogami. Self-labeled as psychedelta rock, this band presented a bluesy, southern rock sound with a loose vibe. Their set caught the audience’s ears as the room quickly filled as they performed. All Them Witches satisfied the listeners with a well preformed set. With their newest album Lightning At The Door released in November 2013, the band is set to release a new live album in the coming months.
From Santa Cruz, CA, the quartet of BL’AST! graced Glass House with refreshing hardcore punk. Winning over the audience’s attention, a nice-sized crowd developed before the stage to watch the band jam out. Adding interest to the set, BL’AST! was equipped with translucent instruments. Heading overseas for some dates, the band will return back to North America in July for east coast dates.
Fox Theater now unleashed Oakland, CA doom metal band High on Fire. With six ear-splitting albums under their belt, these guys are no strangers to the scene. This headlining trio undeniably drew the crowd in with their headbanging set. Currently in the process of writing new material following up their acclaimed De Vermis Mysteriis (2012) to fans anticipation.
Psychedelic metal act Jex Thoth of Madison, WI was next up at Sky Fox Lounge. Jex Thoth, aka Jessica Bowen, hypnotized and held the audience captive as she sang every note with poise. This female fronted quartet is one to look out for with their sophomore album Blood Moon Rise recently celebrating its one year anniversary.
Tapping into the international flavor, for the final act at Acerogami, was French band Aqua Nebula Oscillator. Mixing dark tones with psychedelic rock, this four-piece band packed their set full of ambient vibes that made one’s skin crawl. With lyrics and musical themes heavily influenced by H.P. Lovecraft and classic horror cinema, this band is a delight for fans of the macabre and rock-n-roll. Adding spice to their performance was a visually interesting stage show with costumes and stage props. Their latest album Spiritus Mundi is out now and summons your attention.
Keeping a dark theme going at Glass House was Cleveland, OH black metal trio Midnight. While Ohio may not be the first place to come to mind when you think of black metal, Midnight has been changing that notion since 2003 with a slew of recordings that beckon attention. Performing an extensive set of speedy blackened tunes, the band’s raw approach was amplified by the black hoods which draped over their faces as they performed. Keeping everyone’s attention in the packed venue, their set continued fitting just before midnight as they closed out Glass House. Be on a look out for their sophomore full-length album No Mercy for Mayhem due out August 19th.
As Scion Rock Fest began to wind down, it was time to head over to Sky Fox Lounge one last time for Tokyo, Japan band Coffins. Together for the better part of eighteen years, this four piece band from the far east attracted a massive crowd to observe their rare North American performance. Blasting through an assault of ear-piercing mix of doomish death metal, Coffins lit up the stage. Fans praised the set and the general consensus is North America wants to see more of Coffins.
After hours of non-stop metal, the time had come for the final showcase of the night held at Fox Theater with juggernaut Machine Head. Together for two plus decades, Machine Head carry a reputation as one of the most pulverizing bands this side of the world. With the room at capacity, chants rained down of Machine Head over and over until Rob Flynn and company took the stage. Opening with “Imperium”, the audience went nuts from the first note, jumping around and headbanging at accelerated speeds. The hour plus set moved on with one intense track after another, playing songs from The Blackening (2007) and Unto The Locust (2011).
Later in the set Flynn even paid tribute to former Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker, which tragically died in a motorcycle accident in late 2012, with the track “Darkness Within”. Not letting their foot off the accelerator, the excitement reached a new height when Scion Rockfest was treated to the live premiere of new track “Killers & Kings”. Completely satisfied with the song, many can only dream of what the rest of the new material will sound like when the band enters the studio later this summer. Flynn’s voice sounded strong with no hesitation and electrified with full blown chaos. The set concluded with “Aesthetics Of Hate”, “Old”, and “Halo”. With Scion Rock Fest only being Machine Head’s second live performance of 2014, it was safe to say the hunger of this crowd, full of Machine Head followers, was satisfied in dominating fashion.
There are few North American rock festivals which offer such a broad range of talented and unique bands as Scion Rock Fest 2014. Each band fit nicely into the line-up, respectful in the order they performed, with no dull moments. While many may have arrived not knowing every band scheduled to perform, chances are they left with a list of new bands to discover further, thanks to Scion Rock Fest 2014.
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