Tear Dungeon: Black Rubber & Blood

For Andrew Cashen, guitarist/vocalist for pop powerhouse Sweet Spirit and melodic punks A Giant Dog, the question’s long been which of his local acts will hit it big first? That remains undecided, but I’ll wager against option number three: Blood drooling, gimp mask-sporting, garage-metal Austin quintet Tear Dungeon.

Tear Dungeon at Hotel Vegas (Photo by Kevin Curtin)

The gang, comprised entirely of A Giant Dog and Sweet Spirit members, stormed Hotel Vegas after midnight last Sunday, taking a moment to insult the teenage audience before commencing their caustic cacophony. Think the Melvins, except soaked in piss and rolled in broken glass. After concluding a jagged song ostensibly titled "Fuck You," in which Josh Merry played on the bar and fellow guitarist Jon Fichter shot creepoid blank stares through the eye-holes of his headgear, the band sucked fake blood through Lone Star tall boys and spit into the faces of nearby concertgoers.

After growling standout tune “Love Fighter,” Cashen stopped the show to single out an innocent concertgoer. “Get out,” he screamed, pointing directly at her. “I’m serious, leave. I work here and I’ll have you kicked out!”

Terrorists against tranquility, Tear Dungeon chased every atom of peace and comfort out the back door of Hotel Vegas when they rushed the stage, leaving only awkwardness, anger, and skin sticky with fake blood. The must-see act plays Barracuda tonight, Thursday, with fellow heavies Amplified Heat and Greenbeard.