Metal As Art Tour - Spokane, WA (1/27/2010)

Despite many bumps in the road, the Metal as Art tour made it to the Cretin Hop in Spokane, WA. After a dinner of hot pockets and ketchup, the bands took the stage.

Local openers were Odyssey. They played 3 or 4 of their spacey prog-metal jams. A very solid set with surprisingly good sound for such a small venue.

The Binary Code from New Jersey was next. They brought a fast tempo with technical riffing. The riffs were the spotlight mixed in with a couple slow pieces off their Metal Sucks sponsored album.

The highlight of the show was Boston's Revocation. Last year's album, Existence is Futile (stream), should probably be on my year end list. They play an aggressive form of thrash metal that bludgeons you without getting monotonous. Quick time changes and unique leads keep you enthralled. They do not shy away from humor either, with song titles like "None Shall Be Spared (All Shall Be Speared)" and "Exhumed Identity". The guys from the Binary Code matched their onstage energy, getting up front in the tiny space to support their tour mates.

Headliners Hypno5e from France were the Art in the tour. They mixed their riffs and growled vocals with spoken word samples. The Binary Code once again provided support for their tour mates when others seemed confused about what to do.

Revocation - "Dismantle the Dictator" (MP3)