Scenic City Productions @ the Legs with a Bang
We welcome a new production organization, Scenic City Productions to Barking Legs this Friday. Here's a preview from Joshua Pickard of Nooga.com.
Concert Preview: Ecstatic Vision with KOZA and Never Surrender at Barking Legs Theater
Philadelphia psych rockers Ecstatic Vision will be performing with local bands KOZA and Never Surrender at Barking Legs Theater on Friday.Formed in 2013, the band wanted to "play what they wanted to hear," and so their brand of viscous psych sludge was born. Composed of guitarist/singer Doug Sabolik, bassist Michael Field Connor and drummer Jordan Crouse, they built up a dedicated following based on their explosive live shows where warped rock riffs and elastic bass lines mixed with thudding percussive rhythms. Their music is loud, unexpected and prone to throw you back a few feet in person.They signed to Relapse Records on the basis of a demo and the reputation of their feral live shows. They've toured and shared the stage with artists such as YOB and Enslaved, and put those hard-earned experiences to work on their debut record, "Sonic Praise," released earlier this year in June.Drawing influence from a diverse collection of groups including Hawkwind, Can and Amon Duul II, the band has developed what has been described as "heavy primal psych" and lays waste to stages and instruments alike. They wrap distorted guitar lines around singer Sabolik's husky growl and proceed to shatter their audience's expectations with every show they play. If you've never had the chance to see them in action, consider this your advance notice. Barking Legs Theater will shake and rumble, and as many people as possible should be there to witness it.Chattanooga sludge rockers KOZA will also be performing and bringing their muscular blend of metal and hard rock to Barking Legs. Having gotten together in January of last year, the band fell into a quick and natural rhythm, tossing off dense guitar riffs and chest-rattling percussion with the ease of band whose tenure has been far longer. Comparable in sound to bands such as High on Fire and Torche, they make these thundering sounds seem new and refreshingly devoid of the traps that the genre can often lay for unsuspecting bands.With the release of their self-titled debut last year, KOZA set themselves as the forerunners of the metal scene in Chattanooga—with waves of dark, weighted noise, they strip back the paint from numerous local venues and are poised to redefine what we think of when we consider the general aspects of the genre. Composed of singer Brooks Rose, guitarist Russ Cannon, bassist Arettie Cannon and drummer Matt Reynolds, the band works from a determined and ferocious interplay that speaks to their natural ability to mesh as a group, as well as their preternatural understanding of how these sounds can work together.Rounding out the night's lineup will be Chattanooga hard rock group Never Surrender. Previously performing under the moniker Unforgotten Troubles, the band underwent a name change inspired by singer/guitarist/founder Lebron Estrada's father. But what didn't change was their love of '70s classic rock and hard-hitting rhythms—they took the sounds of bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and brought the ferocity and rock force into this decade, with all the sinewy guitar licks and churning percussion that they could fit into each song.They released a collection of songs in August called "Lost and Buried Alive," and it was a perfect expression of their hard rock influences. They managed to channel their hard rock inclinations without sacrificing the uncompromising nature of the genre within which they work. The guitars are loud and shake everything around them, but it's the combined noise of Estrada, bassist Troy Workman and drummer Barret Griffy that really reveals how closely the band follows their influences while still carving out their own musical identity. Equal parts classic rock and alt rock melodicism, Never Surrender will make you remember why you love rock music.If you goWhat: Ecstatic Vision with KOZA and Never SurrenderWhen: Friday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m.Where: 1307 Dodds Ave.How much: $10 in advance or $12 the day of the showFYI: This is an 18-plus show.Joshua Pickard covers local and national music, film and other aspects of pop culture. You can contact him on Facebook, Twitter or by email. The opinions expressed in this column belong solely to the author, not Nooga.com or its employees.