Looking
at the Psycho California line-up for 2015 really looks like a dream come true
for any stoner doom fanatic. Three days of pure heavy musical bliss? Who can
turn that down!? Naturally, I was eager to see this event go down and Thief did
not fail to deliver. As I got to the Observatory in Santa Ana, I could see
rockers wearing everything from Saint Vitus to Sleep shirts symbolizing that
this music scene was finally making big waves and showing its class on such a
grand scale. After checking in and saying hello to the many friends I have made
through this music, I got settled to see Radio Moscow first on the main stage. Straight up these guys kick major ass and
can get anyone going with their old school style and fantastic punch as a band.
The Radio Moscow boys are living proof that the roots of rock n roll are very
much alive today. Parker Griggs has an amazing voice that can be compared to
some of the greats from back in the day.
After checking out their set I had
some interviews to do and finished in time to see the mighty Conan in action. Conan
is just sonic Terror. Ferocity is one way I can describe Conan’s music and
hearing it live was just as impressive as when i heard it on record. They
played “Hawk as Weapon” and it really made my day. Conan gave a sludgetastic
delivery(complete with their signature black hoodies), setting a pretty high
standard for the rest of the bands that had to follow up their set. From there
I checked out Los Angeles locals Ancient Altar who did the LA scene proud.
Paired up with some of the biggest names in the scene today these boys held
their own and did the local doom scene proud as their set was representative of
the quality and class that Los Angeles has to offer. If you are reading this
please check out Ancient Altar as soon as possible, their dual vocal attack is
something grand! These dudes destroy! (A special shout out to the Ancient Altar
boys).
After
a break and some interviews it was time for the legendary Bedemon. Bedemon
showed everyone that music is from the soul and no matter what time it is,
class is forever. It was only 6pm and the building was going nuts. Everyone who
witnessed the set took part in music history. For the first time ever….Bedemon
live! Wino is simply a lifer in this music scene and his presence and voice are
one of a kind. Mr. Geof O’Keefe was incredible to watch on stage as he jammed
with the rest of the band and i felt like he was teaching me how to properly
play music. You know when they talk about soul and music? I think it’s safe to
say these gentlemen have it. The entire band looked like they were having the
time of their lives up there. Big props to Thief for making that happen, it was
amazing to have witnessed something so epic that I did in fact, shed some
tears. As I explained to Pellet (a behind the scenes hero!) that this entire
band and performance was like the scene and progress coming full circle. The
vanguard of heavy music present and performing showing us youngsters how it is
done. It is as if an artifact from ancient Egypt was just discovered and has
given us more to history to analyze and reflect on. Frank, Greg, Geof and Wino,
I must thank you all for the experience. ( I did an interview with Geof of
Bedemon as well. Stay tuned for that!).
After
a stunning performance by Municipal Waste it was time for Seattle’s Bell Witch.
The Duo was just stunning. I saw people crying during their performance.
Outside or not, nothing can stop this band from sounding great. Material for
their latest album was played and it sounded just as it did on record. Always a
great thing when bands can replicate what you hear on record live. Bell Witch
are masters of their craft. Cough delivered a devastating performance right
after which included new music for those of you who cannot get enough Cough in
your lives. Cough always blows me away when I see them live and they sound
PERFECT. While I was very tired by the time Cough played, it didn’t matter
because they woke me back up! (They played “Crippled Wizard”!!!!)
My
favorite performance of the whole festival came from Acid Witch. This band just
oozes heavy metal and boy, do they have some of the most badass riffs I have
heard in a long time. High energy, great sound and great interaction with the
crowd proved to be the routine for these headbangers. Playing great songs such
as “Witchfynder Finder”, “Stoned to the Grave”, and “Evil” Acid Witch fucking
killed it. Despite being the first band on the main stage that day they still
kicked ass and set the mood for the rest of the day. If you have the
opportunity to see Acid Witch live, you need to get on that ASAP. This band
will always be a favorite of mine. (Shout out to Acid Witch. Thank you for the
Interview). Pallbearer stepped up to the plate delivering an intimate and
emotionally powerful set. This band just grabs your attention and offers some
seriously moving music along with that. Bravo to Pallbearer, at this rate these
guys will end up in the doom metal hall of fame as they are simply just that
good. Saturday was wrapped up by the mighty sonic titan’s Sleep. What can I
say? The guys are living legends and are always a fan favorite. At times some
issues with sound mixing occurred but despite all that they left everyone
happy. They really got things moving quickly opening with the heavy and
powerful “Holy Mountain”. Sleep ended Saturday with a bang.
I
was very anxious to see Om. Om was
like a religious experience and did not move from where I was standing for
their entire set. You know that musical high people talk about? Yeah, I felt
that during Om. It was that incredible. Everything was on point and the nature
of their music is the kind that captivates everyone in the room. Seriously, Om
was that fucking awesome. I had always wanted to see Om live and had really
high expectations for them. I can safely say that Om lived up to the hype and
gave a damn good show. Everything was in perfect harmony during their set. Drum
fills, Bass fills, FILLS FOR DAYS. The whole thing was just special. I will
never miss out on Om live ever again! Also representing the Los Angeles Doom
metal scene were Doomsters Deathkings. Their music is a journey that can be
just as beautiful as it is aggressive. Nick has an very powerful voice that you
feel in your chest. Epic and devastating. They killed it. During their set
everyone was headbanging in approval. Deathkings just sounded amazing and also
made Los Angeles doom metal more than proud! Check out their recent split with Rozamov!
The
festival was wrapped up with the legendary Pentagram. After speaking with Bobby
Liebling for about 40 mins before the set, I was like a kid in a candy store. I
wanted to see Bobby out there and just work the crowd. Bobby Liebling and Co.
just tore the place down. They never disappoint and with their performance
everything came full circle. The vanguard of doom metal was on stage and
showing everyone how it is done. They played Last Daze Here and man it was just killer. Bobby Liebling still has
it! When he performs it is like a lesson and the way he works the crowd is just
world class entertainment! This is how it is done folks! I want to thank Pellet
Pelletier for the chance to interview Pentagram and Bedemon. This was simply
epic! Bobby Liebling is not just a musician to me, he is a teacher.
I
always think to myself, “no way can thief beat the last festival they put on”
but they just keep delivering quality experiences that as of now are both
legendary and one of a kind. When people look back in the future, Psycho
California will be remembered forever. This is forever going to be in the
history books of heavy music. Thief. Bravo. You guys did it again!
Words by:
Frank Heredia
