There's a good reason many parents fear metal bands. The misanthropic shrieks of black metal artists and the torture-and-rape themes of death metal albums aren't ideal topics for dinner conversation -- unless you're dining with Slayer, one of the inspirations for both of these subgenres.
Slayer also seems to be an inspiration for "Great Wall of 'Gina," a track from Must Destroy, the latest album by local stoner-metal trio Droids Attack. While the band tends to adopt a slower tempo and a sludgier sound than most Slayer songs, it seems Droids Attack has been listening to Reign of Blood on repeat and pondering its subject matter, especially that of the closing track, "Raining Blood."
The video for "Great Wall" starts out with shots of the band rocking out in an eerie red light as local burlesque babe Moxie Rhodes does a sultry dance with a feather boa. A skull grins at the camera from the t-shirt of Brad Van, the band's vocalist and guitarist, as Tony Brungraber attacks the drums and Nate Bush lays the bass on thick.
Then it begins to rain -- blood. Instead of screaming and running away, the band revels in it. Rhodes seems to be in ecstasy as she smears herself with the stuff, and Van even opens his mouth for a drink.
The whole scene is like a postmodern slasher film in which the murdering psychopath is never revealed and the chainsaw is hidden from view. Whether you should fear the slashing is up for debate. After all, it's happening onstage, and Halloween is just around the corner.
More music and information about Droids Attack are available on its MySpace page and Crustacean Records profile. The band will be putting on costumes for a special, Halloween-themed performance of Helmet songs at the Crystal Corner on Saturday, October 30.
MadTracks highlights songs performed by local musicians. All content is provided with permission of the artist.
