8 Bands of Notoriety at Crucialfest 13

There is no better way to observe Friday the 13th than by attending the first night of Crucialfest 13—it would be superstitious if you didn’t. From September 13–15, local and national bands with unparalleled talents will culminate at the Metro Music Hall, equipping our ears with the sounds of heavy metal sovereignty as we headbang our way into comas—or preferably, just into the next set. SLUG recognizes eight bands performing at Crucialfest 13 that will deliver you from office chairs to mosh pits, and whether you see all or one, you can deem that which is most alluring to embrace your inner freak.

Black Tusk

Formed in Savannah, Georgia around 2005, Black Tusk shaped the foundation of heavy music and introduced us to the murky depths encapsulating the tunes of brutal posture. Their most recent album, The Way Forward, sets a new standard for sludge metal through an alluvium of guitars, bass, drums and muddy vocals. They will perform on the second day of Crucialfest 13, September 14. 

“Dance On Your Grave”

Black Tusk = Mastodon + Red Fang

Specifically, this track is the comfort food of music that reminds you of home. The sixth song of their album The Way Forward introduces nostalgic elements of the past with a classic intro of Jonathan Athon’s guttural bass ostinato and is followed by a flurry of guitar chords and the first verse: “Your word is law but I’m not good at listening / By the time you hear yourself / We’ve all gone deaf / To what you say / Your religion disgusts me / Your tongue is of false truths.” Utah’s next anthem, maybe? 

Dehorn

An absolute local unit, Dehorn will bring instrumental industrial metal to life on September 13 for Crucialfest 13. Their recent EP, Devoured, feels alchemical between cosmic wizardry and deep sludge grunge. These perfectly executed notes of nobility outline the deepest stank faces and enact the thrill before a fantasized apocalypse. If zombies did plague the earth, they wouldn’t stand a chance with Dehorn for hype music.

“Partially Devoured”

Dehorn = John 5 + Blotted Science

The intro to this song feels like a light cycle race in Tron and Barbara is taking first—intense as hell: “I’m coming to get you, Barbara.” Following the sick tech intro is a marshaling of riffs dueling an onslaught of percussionary magic. At almost five minutes in length, this track tells a story that dances at the edges of my brain receptors and I wish it were even longer. The achievement of fast-paced beats with suspenseful pauses is brilliantly executed. 

Frail Body

Do you like your screaming with a side of blast beats? Time to take a stroll through Artificial Bouquet, where I’m certain drummer Nicholas Clemenson’s calves are burning something fierce. Released in March of this year, Artificial Bouquet champions passionate textures and a stalwart pace that tackles time signatures with reckless abandon (or, at least, some sort of pre-planned recklessness). Frail Body will perform on September 14, the second day of Crucialfest 13.

“Monolith”

Frail Body = Foxtails + I Hate Sex

The fifth song in their album Artificial Bouquet, “Monolith” makes me feel like I’m in a full-on car chase with the time signature. About a minute in, combating riffs appear chiseled from Michelangelo’s marble—a clean and concise masterwork of flawless design. The opening lyrics to a keen metalhead’s ears are as follows: “Arbitrary lines / The sum of life / Shrinks with time / A second death denied.” Vocalist Lowell Shaffer conquers elevated pitch beyond comprehension with lyrics detailing how insignificant life can feel at the end.

Howling Giant

Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Howling Giant has been a national favorite for the better part of a decade and will perform on September 13, the first day of Crucialfest 13. This incendiary trio’s most recent album, Glass Future, couples enthralling vocals overlaying a battle of riffs and absolute rippers of guitar solos—imagine Tom Polzine’s voice gracing your ears while the guitar and synth fusion cradles you into ascension. This album is nothing short of euphoric and pairs well with oregano.

“Siren Song” 

Howling Giant = Ozzy Osbourne + Dragonforce

The second song of Glass Future opens with hastened beats and dancing chords before the buildup to a thicc riff (yes, thicc). Polzine’s voice shortly follows, perking up your ears and instilling visions of a colorful abyss (thanks for the mental kaleidoscope, Polzine). The lyrics foster a yearning to escape the cement and steel of civilization and embrace the ocean’s boundless waters. “Silhouetted by the streetlights / Engines rail through city lines / Ride on, the destination / Fractured skyline in your eyes,” he sings.

Last

A local favorite, Last blends cutting-edge hardcore with atmospheric synths to procure a level of mental ecstasy that one may think could only be acquired via substances. I feel like I’m crawling through a field of corpses to reach the horizon, grappling the edge of life and death, while listening to their most recent album, Sifting Through Ash for the Belongings of Our Loved Ones. Last will appear on September 15, the third day of Crucialfest 13. 

“Depleted Host”

Last = The Devil Wears Prada + Enter Shikari

Okay, hear me out—Last’s genre is so seductively unique that I scoured the pits of my playlists for anything remotely similar. However, this song’s creeping vocals partnered with buildups outlining our doom reminds me of The Devil Wear Prada’s Zombie EP II, specifically “Nora,” mixed with synths akin to Enter Shikari’s album Common Dreads, and their titular song “Common Dreads”. 

Mars Red Sky

We are graced with international talent. Founded in Bordeaux, France in 2007, Mars Red Sky’s cultivated experience is threaded through their most recent album, Dawn of the Dusk. And although they’re not as meaty as their performing counterparts, they’ve established a signature sound both visceral and sedimentary. They will perform on the first day of Crucialfest 13, September 13.

“Break Even”

Mars Red Sky = Arctic Monkeys + Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

The first track of Dawn of Dusk is an ode to the roots of stoner rock by opening with chunky distortion and a yawning bass coupled with lulling vocals. “For any sort of pain, there’s a market and a remedy / Stocks bonds up and down the chain of custody / Keeper of the Flagstaff, a sniper at the ready / Prone to snap hands clapping cracking codes and ribs / Fire up and down the rapids shoot the medicine / He’ll quit and join the race, the rank and file for normality.” This verse circumferences the polished and peerless writing of the entire album. 

Moray

This local band is nothing short of impressive. Their album The Natural World weaves haunting intermissions between 12 tracks of auditory debauchery ranging in stories from a dead artist’s dreams to a religious man’s dying crops. If that doesn’t pique your interest, then may locusts curse your grain and the food you prepare from them. Moray will perform on the second day of Crucialfest 13, September 14. 

“Impermanence”

Moray = By The Thousands + Blessthefall

The eighth track of The Natural World opens with howling guitars silhouetted by Christian Degn’s superlative screams: “Has the funnel weaver moved from the mouth of its den? / The air stays cool in the mornings, the sun stays low but rises.” The horripilation is steadfast as the song advances because the skills behind the writing—both lyrically and musically—are transcendent. 

The Otolith

This local quintet is a portable doom symphony pumping Utah’s veins with a healthy dose of instrumental and vocal sorcery. Their album, Folium Limina, is the pinnacle of harmonious complexities, bewitching listeners with six ethereal tracks spanning an hour. Were I standing upon the Duncansby Stacks, I’d want The Otolith playing in my ears with the wind dramatically whipping my hair as I stare into the distance and contemplate my existence. They will perform on the third day of Crucialfest 13, September 15.

“Hubris”

The Otolith = Apocalyptica + Nightwish

A velvety guitar and ghostly violin introduce the fourth track of Folium Limina, trailed by a mesmerizing chorus and a steady drum. “Who plays the agonist / In skies below us / Waiting in passages / Prescribing onus,” they sing. The Otolith paints melancholy as a familiar friend, but one we welcome and often sit with.

Read more about concerts in Salt Lake:
Opaque Shades: Strength Through Tenure and Tenacity
Bikini Kill @ The Union 08.25