A Lesson in Metal-- Tooth

I am not a metal fan. Let it be known. If anyone really gives a shit. So how is it that last night I ended up at Durham's premiere metal band, Tooth's Animality CD release party at Duke Coffeehouse? I was influenced by the media. That's how.

Ross Grady amped up this CD in his Triangle Rock ibiblio post. Sometimes I agree with Ross Grady. Then the INDY ran a full-page article that was highly complimentary. Both described an eclectic metal and decreed this CD a local success, and worthy of a listen. So I went.

Before I went I had several expectations:
1. I was not going to like it.
2. I would not understand any lyrics.
3. It would be so unbearably loud my ears would bleed and my head would hurt.
4. I might get injured by a flying bottle or a rampant thrashing mosher.
5. There would be no women at this show.

How am I going to say anything about a metal show. I don't know how to describe metal music. There are so many distinctions to metal: heavy metal, thrash, death, doom, hardcore, nu-metal, glam. Goth, speed, Viking (what the f* is that??) Grindcore goregrind, gorecore. What do I know about this.

This is the second recent CD release I have attended at the Duke Coffeehouse since this blog was created (remember Hammer No More the Fingers) and one of many Duke CH local lineups I've been to in the past few months. I have to say, I am learning to really like this venue. It's a good sized room, it takes on the energy and persona (and often smells) of the bands playing, it's unassuming in that way. But best, the local bands are packing the place. Last night, I'd estimate 125-150 people. Enough to heat the room without claustrophobia, enough to allow for movement without pain. Great crowd, more than I expected. Convinced me of the metal market in Durham.

The lineup was: The Wigg Report (last minute addition, they were supposed to play guerrilla sets outside in between bands, but ended up filling in for cancelled band), The Chest Pains, Gun Metal Black, and Tooth.

Completely missed Wigg Report. This is the least metal of the bands, if they have any metal in them, it's aluminum, soft, and pliable. Arrived for 1/2 of Chest Pains punk set, with some almost bluesy 70's influenced guitar riffs. Then Gun Metal Black's rapid fire thrash metal set. Both high energy, left people sweating. Good performers. Fast fingered guitar solos, Angry bass. Palpitation-inducing triple quadruple kick drum arrhythmias.

It's the vocals. That's what I can't deal with when it comes to metal. The screaming, the guttural, man-possessed monster voice-inator. Not that I need to know the lyrics. I can't understand the lyrics of MOST of the bands I hear for the first time. But I cannot distinguish words here. I hear sounds. And noises. And it's not really singing. Because I am missing the melody. This is my problem here. So I tried to ignore the vocals, nearly impossible, but just listen to what's behind the vocals.

Here Comes Tooth. This is a bunch of young bearded guys, apparently all have known each other growing up for a while. Frontman is long haired, bearded, Dry Heathens Tshirt on. I think I've bought beer from him before. He acknowledges his parents who are there. And then dedicates the show to Satan.

The music is powerful, fast, with wild rearing gallops, like a Stallion one of their songs is titled. They all got their rock faces on, angry, wild-eyed, heads nodding with each kick drum. The bassist is crazed, looks like one of those New Zealand Maori dancers, eyes bulging, tongue out. Bass is held straight up, out in front of him, firing shots into the air. Guitarist are blazing through the frenzied fingered solos, together separate. Frontman has his hair spinning, propeller, in his face growling through his Cousin It do. And then it happened. I understood a lyric. It was something about an oyster that opened up.

That's what it was like, something opened up. It all sort of fit together. It was a pearl in an oyster, finding my own sense of joy in metal. Maybe it was the undeniable good time these guys were having up there. I just let it take over, I nodded my head to the insanely fast kick drum (sore neck today to prove it). I heard the melody through whacked up guitar distortion. I stayed the hell away from the moshers, who were getting more frenzied as the set went on. At some point, the shirtless guitarist mouth-sprayed beer on them, adding stench and wet to the sweaty chaos.

The amp stacks were near as tall as the ceiling, yet the volume was tasteful. It was not so loud that earplugs were required (although still recommended). My ears did not bleed. And there were women there. Lots. Mosh chicks too. I left with my disk, happy I went, new appreciation for metal. Not a convert, just appreciative. And again reminded of how supportive the local musicians are of each other, noticing many musicians from different genres there. Another win for the Durham scene.

bzzzzz