After a 1 1/2 month long hiatus, I had been itching to get to a show. The opportunity presented itself with Valdur appearing at The Blvd. on relatively short notice. A number of other bands appeared on the bill as supporting acts, only one of which caught my ear. Just about every other known black metal band from L.A. made up the audience.
That band was Harassor. A trio without a bassist, Harassor play stripped down, raw, tremelo picked black metal with a steady, clicking cadence. Think Ildjarn, Black Funeral, albeit with a much deeper sound, and you're on the right track. Expecting nothing, I was pleasantly surprsied as Harassor were tight, brutal, and chock full of catchy songs and nihilistic atmosphere. Awesome! I had a chance to briefly chat with the drummer afterwards, who indicated that Harassor was merely a hobby for the trio. Even so, I intend to track down whatever demo material Harrassor happen to have floating around out there.
Valdur has vaulted to the top of my favortites list for their heady mix of primal ferocity and songcraft. As my esteemed colleague and I discussed after the show, there's a hint of primal majesty about this band's sound, an intangible quality that is difficult to attain, black metal or otherwise. I expect this band to just get better and better with time, and I'll say again that Valdur are probably the best USBM band that you've never heard of.
The pictures...
Harassor (note the unique drummer positioning)...
Valdur
The video...
Harassor
Valdur
2 comments:
A good evening, indeed! Valdur are criminally underrated.
I used to go to the blvd alot, its too bad i hear the new ownership isn't going to allow metal to be played. I wasn't able to catch the Valdur show, but I did you Lightning Swords of Death there a few times. Good Shit
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