WHEN THE San Jose Event Center says it starts at 6:30pm, they mean 6:30pm. High on Fire, Converge, Mastodon and Dethklok wasted no time jumping onstage to deliver a wild mix of styles. Opening the show was High on Fire, with their distinct brand of stoner rock. This three piece just get better with every year. The next band, Converge, was not well received. Rule #1: Don’t book a straight-edge hardcore band with metal acts. It wasn’t pretty. They were booed. But they weren’t bad, it was just the wrong crowd for their music. Bassist Nate Newton finally had enough and told the hecklers, “Oh, you hate us. You hate us soooo much. Ow! My pussy hurts so bad.” Mastodon took the stage next and took the audience on a progressive metal space trip. They are reminiscent of a harder version of prog rock pioneers Hawkwind. Aided by a huge screen with psychedelic images, Mastodon proved you it’s not about how fast you play, but how well you play. Fans of Adult Swim will know the headlining act, Dethklok, as the greatest dysfunctional animated metal band on Earth. But there is an actual four-piece band led by creator Brendon Small. They play the music, and the giant screen behind them flashes the animation from the show. All the Metalocalypse favorites are there, including interludes by Boneface. However, in all honesty, I would’ve been just as happy without the screen. In fact, it got a little annoying after awhile. Really, the musicianship of this band, including touring guitarist Mike Keneally, who played in 1988 with Frank Zappa, is phenomenal. Dethklok, as a band, could stand out on its own and not have to rely on silly—albeit funny—animation. Hey, Brendon! You don’t need that cartoon gimmick. I’ll still show up regardless.
