Born To Night, Reverse Order & Brain in a Cage

This was my first venture into the newly titled Riff Raff, for what I was hoping would be a good night of local metal. First off, I have to give it to Riff Raff for booking bands and giving them exposure to a crowd which would not normally come to a metal show. Local metal bands have never had a huge draw in Chico, unless the band added some sort of moniker to their music style such as “hardcore” or some other prefix. There are just too many categories for metal now and I am taking it upon myself to unite them all under one banner. Any music with distorted guitars and screaming or yelling vocals will be referred to as “LOUD.”
So anyhow, the first LOUD band of the night was Brain in a Cage, a local threesome of what looked like 15-year-olds, who I had heard a lot about from their previous gig at Riff Raff. Let me be the first to say they are awesome. They may still be young and need some improvement, but since they are young they’ve got the time, unlike some of you old LOUD musicians who might need to hang it up. It was really nice to see younger kids getting into and creating some LOUD music and taking it in a more classic direction than what you’re fed from the radio and TV. Their sound would really prosper, though, from louder equipment. Also, some of their songs seemed a little too repetitive.
Next up were what seemed to be the new heirs to the local LOUD throne, Reverse Order, who might be able to take that seat with time. First off, maybe it’s just a personal preference, but vocal effects bother me, and their singer, whose voice was really good when not on the effects, used them just a tad too often (and also, when you have a wireless guitar, there is a point when you can overuse your mobility). But regardless, this band was large both in sound and stature. It was very amusing to watch all five of them try and fit themselves and their equipment on the Riff Raff’s tiny stage — their size was immense, and they had the music to back it up. With saw blades and dual bass drums on the drum kit and the lead guitarist sporting his BC Rich Warlock, they are most definitely LOUD and gunning for the local throne. But be wary boys, rumor has it that Fallon’s making a comeback.
Last but not least, Born To Night, featuring ex-members of One Eyed Chode and Dung Beetle, a three-piece local instrumental ensemble took the stage. While probably playing the most technical and advanced music of the night, it was weird timing for the band to play. After sitting and listening to two LOUD bands with vocals, it seemed a little late in the lineup for instrumentals. Not to take away from the band at all, though — they were very good. With odd times and changes in their riffs, an almost overpowering bass and a especially talented skin man, they brought something special to the table. They made you sit back and appreciate what was going on as opposed to just listening. I really enjoyed the band and would like to hear them recorded, but as for that night it was just not the right thing to close with.

– B. Huge
– Photo by Matt Beier

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