This month marks the start of May and the beginning of the end for the college school year and what better way to ring in the summer sun then with an absolutely unreal amount of metal! Biggest of all is the much-anticipated appearance by Mastodon and Clutch at Red Rocks taking place this Sunday, but if you can’t swing a major arena performance right now, have no fear – there is an awesome assortment of smaller shows taking place as well. Look below to see what’s happening this week in Denver metal.
Cavalera Conspiracy @ Summit Music Hall – Wednesday April 29th
Author & Punisher @ Lost Lake Lounge -Friday, May 1st
This week, fans of electronic music and metal alike can both rejoice as the amazing one-man band that is Author & Punisher graces Lost Lake Lounge with his presence. The man behind the band is Tristan Shone and what started as a hobby and thesis project has quickly become a really well respected musical act. All of the music is created by the odd assortment of analog sound equipment he has rigged up and the live performance is one that should not be missed. His sound is a bit hard to describe, but suffice to say that if you worship Godflesh along with the more traditional founders of death metal and grindcore, then you need to be at this show. Opening up are Keldari Station and Parasite Core.
Who: Author and Punisher, Keldari Station, Parasite Core
Doors: 8:00PM/ show starts at 9:00 PM
Cost: $10 in advance/ $12 the day of
Lago @ The Marquis – Saturday, May 2nd
Native Daughters @ 3 Kings – Saturday, May 2nd
One of Denver’s best instrumental metal bands, Native Daughters, are headlining an intimate night at the 3 Kings this weekend. Those who haven’t heard them yet are in for a real treat; their music is extremely layered and it can be refreshing to focus on nothing but the music without the distraction of vocals. They will be joined by feelgood thrashers Muscle Beach, as well as Sugar Skulls and Marigolds and Necropanther.
Who: Native Daughters, Muscle Beach, Sugar Skulls and Marigolds, Necropanther
Doors: 9:00PM/ show starts at 10:00 PM
Cost: $7.00
Metalpalooza @ Herman’s Hideaway – Saturday, May 2nd
If the first two metal shows happening this Saturday don’t strike your fancy, there is a third choice – Herman’s Hideaway is featuring a local showcase of metal bands as a benefit show for someone named Charles Huwig. There is a large assortment of bands playing including Myth of Creation, a band from Pueblo, Bloodstrike, a female-fronted old school style death metal band from Denver and Blakk Mantra, who play doomy and soulful metal. This show is a great deal for the amount of bands playing, so if you are looking to check out some new talent, look no further.
Who: Scarlet Canary, I Ate a Monster, The Dead Lotus Society, Fallen and Forgotten, Myth of Creation, Scarlight, Bloodstrike, Cosmic Waste, Blakk Mantra, Chain Distraction
Doors: 3:00 PM/ show 3:30 PM
Cost: $10.00 – $18.00
Mastodon @ Red Rocks – Sunday May 3rd
Earth rockers, rejoice! This Sunday, two of hard rock/metal’s biggest bands will be busting Red Rocks Amphitheatre wide open with crunchy riffs, fat grooves and a bluesy, rock n’ roll soul that’s second to none. If the pairing of Clutch and Mastodon on the Missing Link Tour seems like a match made in heaven, that’s because it is. Both bands have had a monstrous impact on rock and metal over the years, and as you’ll see on Sunday, they’re showing no signs of wearing out their pure rock fury anytime soon.
Check out the full preview for this show here.
Who: Mastodon, Clutch, Graveyard
Doors: 6:00 PM
Cost: $25-$35 in advance, $40-$45 at the doors
By Aaron Lambert and Addison Herron-Wheeler
All photos courtesy of Facebook or event pages
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