Distorted Evil, Heraklean, Inferno Antichrist, and Iodine at Ren’s Den

Intro: 

I was born on June 25th 1991. In Chinese Astrology, that is the year of the Metal Goat.(Seriously!) June 25 is international Beatles Day! And June is also gay pride month! 

I usually curse the day that I was born. But now… I’ve learned to accept, embrace, and even celebrate it.

Summer is my favorite season. I love the sun. I love the relief of the heat when you finally get to jump into a crisp clear blue swimming pool of nice cold water. I love bikinis and swimsuits. I love miniskirts and flowy dresses. I love sipping iced drinks on the balcony. I love barbecue cookouts with grilled corn and cheeseburgers and hotdogs and kebabs and potato salad and fresh watermelon slices. I love enjoying a cool bubble bath or shower. I love riding my skateboard, even though it hurts when I fall off. 

Summertime is the best time, you’re no good, well that’s still fine. Cruise the city, start a crime. Skate or die, skate or die!

So on my birthday this year, I went “home” to Santa Fe for a few hours, just to temporarily visit with my family. But immediately afterwards, I caught the first train that I possibly could, in order to make it in time, to this epic local show in Albuqurque! This was the gift to and from myself that I was truly looking forward to, all along. Here’s why:

Concert Report:

Iodine were freaking on point. This was the epitome of classic badass old school thrash. The dudes were wearing t shirts like Metallica and Judas Priest, who are great bands, but their influences seem even heavier. I’m talking Dark Angel, Numskull, Exodus, really fast and speedy and technical. The guitarist had a Jackson, the bassist had some kind of fretless build. The name Idoine reminds me of that royal indigo, deep purple, midnight blue liquid topical astringent that our parents, aunties, and uncles used to put on minor scrapes and scratches. It was always stored in a dark, dusty forgotten wooden medicine cabinet, overgrown with cobwebs, like an 18th century apothecary alchemist experiment. Stung like all high hell, that stuff! Smelled weird and strong, too. Also reminds me of making invisible ink with lemon juice. Or hyper-processed sodium chloride products, refined for mass human consumption. It’s an evocative name for an provocative band. Vivid imagery lends itself well to extremely heavy and intense musicianship.

Inferno Antichrist is a local favorite band for several good reasons. These absolute mad lads are always a grand old time. Their ending song was one of the absolute FILTHIEST riffs I’ve ever heard. Gnarly. Their bassist has a five string. Inferno Antichrist are a rising star of local prominence, making the rounds for Blackened Death Fest, 505 Grind Fest, and other fan favorite annual events. They are recurring regulars at Ren’s Den. They even played a sold out show opening for the mighty Peeling Flesh performing at Launchpad. You know, the infamous concert where a chick got knocked clean out cold. My old bones are too frail for such moshing shenanigans.

I remember, back as a teenager and/or young adult at Warehouse 21, my fellow youths and I would refer to the chairs and couches as “pussy thrones”. If you weren’t actively dishing out and/or recieving bloody noses and black eyes, you were a total poser! But now, in the year of our Lord, 2026, I have spent a ripe 35 years on God’s green earth. I feel exhausted and tired, I have taxes and bills, nobody can afford health insurance, and the existence of life on earth is somewhat of a cosmic joke, regardless. My existential nihilistic midlife crisis is more so psychological than physical at this point in time. But I do appreciate the sentiment. I remember when I was still full of piss and vinegar and hope and ambition. Go get ’em, tigers!

Herakleion were a catchy and thrashy band touring all the way from New Orleans, LA. Their drummer, Speed (That’s literally his name, according to Encyclopaedia Metallum) was rocking Voivod merch, which is always a great sign. 

They must listen to Atheist, especially the cult classic favorite track, Third Person, from Jupiter. Either that, or maybe it’s the psychological phenomenon of emotional projection. Like when your favorite color is purple, so everything and everyone looks purple, all the time, as if you’re wearing lilac colored glasses. Or when you’re literally obsessed with spiders, and so you keep noticing them in anything and everything, from tapestry, to art, music, dance, and maybe even food. So maybe I just see Atheist everywhere, just because I already listen to them all day, every day! 

I could have sworn that I smelled the faint aroma of incense. Patchouli? Dragons Blood? Nag Champa? Whatever it was, it felt warm, relaxing, and soothing. The experience was truly immersive for all five senses. 

The band barges into the audience and plays in unison, carefully choreographed with prestigious precision. I’ve always wanted a so-called “Devil’s Threesome”, but I do wish that they had at least wined and dined me first!  The guitarist Apollo and bassist Christian (again, actual names pulled directly from the Metal Archives) marched headfirst into the front lines, and played their instruments while practically spooning each other, and sticking the instrument necks into people’s faces. I forgot the safe word! All joking aside, their interaction with the audience helped break the ice, and helped make everyone feel more comfortable to move around, headband, mosh, or even just smile and laugh. Even an extremely awkward introverted nervous wreck such as myself had a great time.

Distorted Evil are a blackened thrash metal outfit hailing from my hometown of Santa Fe, NM. They have a badass logo. Bat wings, spiderwebs, scratchy spikey lettering… I needed their merch in my life! The t-shirt looks even cooler after I chopped the sleeves off. 

The people in front of me were doing the macarena. Or maybe the chicken dance. Unless it was head, shoulders, knees, and toes? I don’t know. I’m not a choreohrapher. What I do, know is that their dance moves sped up or slowed down, in direct proportion, to the tempo of the music. No easy feat! 

Apparently, the guitarist/vocalist didn’t do his signature raccoon eyes, at least according to other audience members who were present at the time. But what do I know? This was my first time ever seeing them perform live. This is the impressively high standard to which I will forever measure all future performances.(No pressure.) But from now on, the racoon eyes will just be a bonus!

Outro:

Christmas falls exactly on my half birthday. Which means that Jesus is only half as important as me. 

Just kidding. I know it’s probably the other way around. I’m probably only half as important as our immortal lord and Savior, Jesus H Christ. I don’t want to be vain or anything. 

What’s that? Someone being vain? In MY metal scene?! God forbid! Banish the thought!!!

All teasing aside, this was the most epic birthday present to myself, and I appreciate each and every single last individual who was involved! Y’all so totally rock, and my love for you is as eternal, as it is unconditional!