Saturday's Metal Mania

As the entire music industry swarms Red River, pillaging everything in its path, Into the Void would like to lift its devil horns in honor of four local metal purveyors who punish ears year-round and who, coincidentally, all have showcases Saturday night that will leave your Sabbath blackened. I dub thee unforgiven.

Tia Carrera
10pm, Red 7
Like every good trip, the improvised instrumental jams of Tia Carrera take on a life of their own, following their metal muses (mainly the Melvins and Blue Cheer) through purple hazes laced with fleeting feats of ecstasy. Unrehearsed and unrelenting, this trio won’t stop until your mind is blown.


Blackholicus
11:20pm, Redrum
Traversing through the cosmic universe with lightning speed and a tandem guitar gallop reminiscent of the new wave of British heavy metal, Austin’s Blackholicus embark on classically minded metal voyages led by the siren shrieks of bassist Margaret Myrick. The quartet’s galactic, self-released debut album, Variations in Death Minor , is fit for stadiums.


Lions
11pm, Bourbon Rocks
The bestial fury of Austin’s Lions is a hazardous combination of ZZ Top-inspired, Texas-sized boogie and heavier-than-thou Sabbath sludge. Scorching stoner metal. The quartet’s appropriately titled, seven-song debut, Volume One, marked the beginning of the end.


Giant Squid
9:30pm, Maggie Mae's
While Giant Squid may have left Red River in favor of the West Coast, the quartet continues to make waves with their debut leviathan, Metridium Field, which was released locally in 2004 and re-released late last year nationally, courtesy of the End Records. Produced by all-around metal savant Billy Anderson (Melvins, High on Fire, Neurosis), Field pulls listeners under. The recent addition of cellist Jackie Perez Gratz, formerly of Amber Asylum, adds to the submergence.