It was a Friday night thrash and death metal rager at the DNA Lounge for Hellhunter’s “Hellbanger” EP record release show. Featuring three of the Bay Area’s heaviest bands these days – Insanity, Hellhunter, and Phantasmal Abyss.
First up was Phantasmal Abyss, a Blackened death thrash metal band from Oakland, CA. They were the newest band on the bill, being founded back in early 2022, but guitarist and vocalist Dara Santhai is well known in the Bay Area scene from previous bands like Serpent Crown. The place was already pretty full (not that the upstairs space at the DNA takes that many metalheads to fill up, but the crowd was ready to go). Call me a softie for a 3 piece metal band, but they sounded great and warmed the crowd up nicely.
The second band was Hellhunter, celebrating the release of their new record “Hellbanger”, a 5 song EP that just came out on Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records. (For those following along and full disclosure, @hectic_records and @bleedingpriest are also the dudes who bring you this site SanFran666co) . This is Hellhunter’s 3rd release, and the first record since 2016, so cause for a celebration. New vinyl!
Hellhunter put out their first demo in 2008, but they’ve been playing a lot more the past couple years after Bleeding Priest joined the band on drums. They delivered a dirty rock and roll influenced, blackened thrash metal attack that did not disappoint. Starting with 3 classic Hellhunter tunes, they then went straight into playing the new 5 song EP in order in its entirety (here’s a YouTube playlist, I’ll wait):
… and then they finished it off with 2 more classic tracks. With the blackened vocals of spiked-out frontman Gordon Liucifer, the flying V axework of Lord Godgore, driving bass of Satanik Grizzly (also the name of the last song they played), and the pounding drums of Bleeding Priest, it was a great set.
Funny aside: I went up front right before the Hellhunter set started, and some kid told me (watch out old man) to be careful with my beer. But I was over on the side pretty close to the wall, and so didn’t think much of it. Wouldn’t you know it when the pit got going, I did in fact spill some beer on myself – that room is deep but narrow, so the pit almost went wall to wall. Though I’m pretty positive it was that kid who crashed into me. Guess I can’t say he didn’t warn me!
Last up was the mighty Insanity, a Bay Area band that started way back in 1985, and are considered hugely influential in the progression from thrash to death metal, cranking up the speed of both. I didn’t know anything about them other than what I learned in Bleeding Priest’s tribute to their Demo 1985 video in his Bay Area Metal Spotlight from last week. Well that and some intoxicated guy told me out front during a smoke break between bands that Insanity invented the blast beat. I don’t know if they claim that invention or not, but either way they definitely helped popularize it apparently.
I was really impressed with Insanity, they were blazingly fast and heavy, and they sounded great. Not that wall of mud I sometimes hear from grindcore (or less together) bands. I am more of an Obituary death metal guy (I like a good riff and time changes) than a blast beat death metal guy, but Insanity was excellent live. I believe guitarist & vocalist Dave Gorsuch is the only original member, but regardless the current lineup was all in. They are definitely one of those bands I’ll look for on future metal bills after seeing them for the first time.
All in all it was a great San Francisco thrash and death metal evening. If you didn’t get a copy of Hellhunter’s new record, you can order the vinyl on Hectic.com, or the digital downloads from Bandcamp. Thanks for your support!
–Hectic
