Erected upon the chunky riffage of its band members' former projects—Palace In Thunderland and Artimus Pyledriver—and bonded with a new sonic sludge steeped in psychedelia, Black Pyramid is truly a modern metal marvel.
While two of the architects behind the fledgling audio experiment, guitarist/vocalist Andy Beresky and drummer Clay Neely, will stop short of likening the construction of their Pyramid to the grueling work of civilizations past, they will say that it was not without its hurdles.
Chief among these was geography. Neely cut his teeth on the Atlanta scene and only decided to move up north when he noticed a steadily dwindling number of bands there performing the music he had in mind. Once geographically unified, the pair undertook the standard scramble to unite the visions of creative types with varied backgrounds.
And even when Black Pyramid received what its members perceive as its first big break—an association with Japan's Queen Elephantine, Beresky says there was the issue of produce projectiles to contend with.
"Not from fans, either," he says. "It was the opening band, the first time we went to meet Queen Elephantine, who just imploded on stage and broke out in a fight. Afterward, the guitarist was eating a sub and just starting flicking tomatoes at the singer's back. The singer never noticed."
Proving once again that one band's food fight is another band's tour slot, Black Pyramid, Queen Elephantine and Boston's Ichabod are currently making the rounds, replete with a March 28 show at The Elevens.
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In other news… Noho-based Americana faves The Amity Front celebrate the release of their sophomore effort, Border Towns, at the Iron Horse this Saturday, March 29 on a bill rounded out by the deliciously quirky Rusty Belle and accomplished acoustic folk rocker Ryan Fitzsimmons.
As affable Amity axe-man/vocalist Levin Schwartz reports, Borders marks the band's first studio recording that not only borders on—but fully achieves—the deep, rich textures oft exhibited in The Amity Front's live performances. While Schwartz speculates that the band's bigger, fuller sound may have something to do with the studio it was recorded in (Signature Sounds), the sonic wizardry of its engineer, Mark Thayer, or the post-production mix courtesy of Spirithouse Records, he adds that the most likely culprit is the simple fact that his is a bigger, fuller band since 2006's Highway Bound.
"We gained Lyon Graulty on slide guitar, harmonica and clarinet, and Peter Van Dyke on drums—honing in on a group that is larger than the sum of its parts," he explains. "The first album was great for its spontaneity and vibe, but we've come so far and [the additional players] give us a broader palate of sounds."
In addition to the additional members, fellow Amity Front-man Erik Alan adds that no less than The Primate Fiasco members Jazer Giles (of the aforementioned Rusty Belle) and fiddle-player Josh Rhelin will sit in as special guests on March 29 as well.
"I'm not sure how attendance will be in the hall," he concludes, "but if it's anything like the stage, I'm predicting standing room only!"
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Lastly, he may drink alone, but when George Thorogood and his Destroyers make music, as they will on Tuesday, June 10 at The Calvin in Northampton, he likes lots of folks to attend. To get your tickets, visit iheg.com or call (413) 586-8686 when they go on sale this Friday, March 28.?
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or email Garycarra@aol.com.
