Venomous Concept, Kill the Client, Murder Construct @ The Viper Room

The Viper Room is probably best known as the place where River Phoenix died. But it is also a good, if strange, concert venue. It is an intimate room with good sound. In fact, it is so intimate that bands have virtually no space to sell merch. Tonight the bands hawk their wares outside, as winos and burned-out rockers (and their burned-out gals) hover nearby. Welcome to the jungle, baby.

What makes the Viper Room strange is its mixed clientele. Since it’s on the Sunset Strip, beautiful people are always there, no matter what bands are playing. Occasionally the Viper Room hosts underground heavy music. I’ve seen Shrinebuilder and Zoroaster/Black Tusk/Dark Castle (and missed Saint Vitus/Stone Axe) there. Tonight is the first show of fast music I’ve seen at the Viper Room. Lining its walls are booths of reserved tables. Those usually hold well-dressed, unsuspecting patrons. When metal starts up next to them, the looks on their faces are priceless. They inevitably scurry to non-metallic safety. Tonight they take only 30 seconds to do so.

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Murder Construct are old but not. They are a collective of veterans (Leon del Muerte (Exhumed, Phobia, Intronaut), Danny Walker (Intronaut, Exhumed, Uphill Battle), Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation), Kevin Fetus (Watch Me Burn), Caleb Schneider (Bad Acid Trip)) who have taken almost 10 years to get their first record deal. Relapse will put out their debut EP this fall. Due to their members’ other commitments, Murder Construct rarely play live. But they have gotten together to support Venomous Concept on some West Coast dates – and, boy, do they sound “together”. The pedal goes to the metal from the first note, letting up only for precise, directed noise interludes.

Grindcore has many sides, as tonight’s bill shows. One version of it involves drums, bass, guitar, and vocals pushing the apocalypse towards the listener as one. (The current lineup of Brutal Truth is adept at this.) The sound is a constantly approaching wall of distortion, subdivided on the molecular level by riffs, blasts, and screams. Walker attacks his ride cymbal like it’s his enemy; del Muerte heaves his body into his riffs. Ryan channels Barney Greenway’s spazzout act and seems certifiably insane. The crowd likes it rough, and is pleased.

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Kill the Client present a different take on grindcore. It’s meaner and more low-slung. With his shaved head, beard, and “F**K YOUR AFFLICTION SHIRT, PUSSY” shirt, vocalist Morgan comes across as a demented fullback. Unlike Murder Construct’s all-encompassing attack, Kill the Client are a clenched fist – specifically, an uppercut. It comes from below, thanks to James Delgado’s overdriven bass, and it’s relentless. In fact, after its initial impact, the set is so withering that the crowd mostly just stands there, stunned.

Halfway through the set, Morgan jumps onto the floor and stalks the space in front of it. He seems oblivious to the presence of others. The energy of the set has simply dictated that he get down and menace the crowd close up. Back up on stage, guitarist Chris Richardson is head down, hard at work on his axe, carving out swaths of grind and metal. Afterwards I ask Richardson about this – yes, the band consciously added metal to its attack so it would have more balls than powerviolence’s punk slant. And afterwards, Morgan is lying outside on the sidewalk, not far from where River Phoenix gave up the ghost. The energy of the set has simply dictated that he recover facing the sky.

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Venomous Concept don’t need to worry about their punk music having balls. They are grindcore all-stars – half of Brutal Truth (vocalist Kevin Sharp, bassist Dan Lilker), half of Napalm Death (guitarist Shane Embury, drummer Danny Herrera), plus some guitarist tonight whom I can’t identify – so they’ve earned their cred many times over. Tonight they are just metal guys playing punk rock. The songs aren’t terribly interesting – they’re basically hardcore b-sides – but their live delivery is. Venomous Concept are a band of brothers who are at ease with their status, and who just want to kick out the jams. They are relaxed on stage, with the exception of Herrera, who, even while playing knuckle-headed punk rock, still injects jaw-dropping blastbeats and power.

Sharp is the most relaxed of all. Swilling beers and lurching around barefoot, he’s having a grand old time. He’s found that zone of drunken stage banter where he can make fun of the crowd, and it won’t be insulting, and he can make fun of himself, and it won’t be self-deprecating. He’s just pushing buttons, oiling gears, and making sure the show goes on. And, boy, does it go on. Punk rock never felt so long. But it’s a good slog. Hall of famers are on stage, and friends and family are gathered ’round. Things could be worse. We could be dead at the Viper Room.

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VENOMOUS CONCEPT TOUR DATES

For remaining Venomous Concept tour dates, see here.

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KILL THE CLIENT LP GIVEAWAY

Kill the Client have a new album, Set for Extinction, out on Relapse on October 26. Their last record was called Cleptocracy. I am giving away one blue vinyl LP of Cleptocracy (200 were pressed, I believe). For a chance to win it, simply assess the truth of this statement: “Grindcore is not metal”. Leave your answer in the comments. I will pick a winner randomly from the entrants. International entries are welcome. This contest closes at midnight EST, Friday, September 24, 2010.

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