CONAN, Mares Of Thrace, T̷R̷Ï̷S̷T̷Ë̷ at Transplants in Palmdale, CA

 

I had been waiting to see elite doomers Conan and especially one of my all time faves Mares Of Thrace for years. I also hate parking in L.A. and so it was worth the extra drive for me to head out to the desert to Palmdale in the middle of nowhere and rock the fuck out at one of the sickest venues I have been to in awhile. One thing I love since moving to Cali a few years ago is I am constantly finding awesome spots to rock at I hadn't been to before. Maybe I can make it back there soon for Murphy's Law or Vosh.

Transplants is an amazing brewery kind of plopped behind a Wal-Mart. They have excellent sound, a big music room w an additional bar adjacent to the main drinking area, classic video games and food trucks. Plus, it is in the fucking desert. I mean, perfect venue! Hello.

I missed the first openers but sort of heard them, as I was acclimating and talking to friends. I think they were called Vape Warlock, which is a downright amazing name. I did however enjoy a zero percent Guiness (who knew?) and find myself enamored of the adorable venue cat which was walking around unbothered.

Trio Triste were up next, from Lancaster, CA. The trio were on fire and combined anti-social metallic hardcore punk with some doomy leanings thrown in for a fucking killer set. Really like these guys and they deserve to be scooped up by Relapse or someone. Band has huge potential and a lot of stage presence. In a short time they left me very impressed. Chunky and grimy riffing w crossover parts that lean more into crusty hardcore than shorts and sneaks territory.

Mares Of Thrace are one of my all time fave metal bands who I have shouted for people to vibe with for over a decade. Current line-up featuring co-founder Therese Lanz along with current drummer Casey Rodgers are supporting one of their most sophisticated releases to date, The Loss (Artoffact). It is probably the heaviest and most emotionally harrowing release in the band's history, saying a lot for a group that has no bad releases. There is a bluesier and more pronounced emotional streak to some of the playing, paired with clobbering yet precise drumming, that really works. Rodgers comes off live like Dale Crover and Dave Lombardo's adopted son, while Lanz is a master of dynamics and raw power. 

It was also rad to hear Lanz give a spirited micro-speech about ICE and the power of yt allyship in the face of fascist authoritarianism. All in all the set was sheer brilliance and more than worth my fou hour round trip drive. True hails. 

Conan proved why they are so heralded in the scene, just a wall of undeniable riffing and groove. The set was well balanced, but the big highlight for me was a monstrous version of "Satsumo" from the debut Horseback Battle Hammer that originally made me fall in love with the audacity of their sound. Fans contorted and fist pumped and even writhed on the floor as the group demonstrated their might. 

Certainly one of the heavier bands you could ever hope to see, but in a way that squeezes you in a fierce grip rather than shoving you away with a relentless onslaught of speed. 

It was a welcome respite from how fucking ignorant the world has been the last week and I left with a big grin on my face for the scene and the good folx in it.