Credit: Todd V. Wolfson

Föllakzoid

Hotel Vegas, Thursday, March 14

Though a country with a rich cultural history, Chile is so far away from the world of rock it might as well be in another star system. So it only makes sense that Santiago boasts one of the best new cosmic rock bands in ages. With an excellent new LP out on hip indie Sacred Bones, Föllakzoid already had the boosters fired. Takeoff achieved, the group took the crowd on a journey through time and space, guitar crashing, electronics throbbing, and motorik beat propelling the melodic noise forward through a galaxy of reverb. The first leg simulated looking out the window during warp drive travel, though apparently the energy drain was too much and killed the electricity on stage right. Power restored, the band built its intensity as the rocket moved closer and closer to a black hole, pulling out just in time to escape the gravity well. The final leg of the odyssey slowed the propulsion but kept the edge, like floating powerless in a meteor shower. The full house may have been kidnapped on this star trek, but clearly enjoyed the ride. As well it should have: Föllakzoid’s intergalactic wanderings translated into space rock bliss.

This article appears in March 15 • 2013.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.