Metal Anarchy

Last night (October 23), I attended the Hollywood Undead, Butcher Babies, and Demrick concert at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA, and it was a great show.

Rapper Demrick kicked things off with an interesting set. He was pretty good, if you like straight up rap music, but he seemed a bit out of place at this particular concert. Granted, headliners Hollywood Undead do rap, but they still have a rock vibe, which Demrick was lacking. A highlight from his set was a track called “Skyscraper.”

After Demrick’s set, Butcher Babies took the stage for a metal onslaught. I’ve seen the band live four times now, and they always manage to top their selves. This time, the group’s set was heavily focused on new tracks off their upcoming album “Lilith,” which will be out Friday (October 27). Frontwomen Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey were on point the whole time and were able to keep the energy in the room at a high point. That combined with guitarist Henry Flury, bassist Jason Klein, and drummer Chase Brickenden’s musicianship made their performance solid on all fronts. Highlights from their set included: “Monster’s Ball,” “POMONA (Shit Happens),” “Headspin,” and a “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, “Igniter,” and “Magnolia Blvd.” medley.

Butcher Babies finished up, and then it was time for rap rockers Hollywood Undead. The group took the stage with their trademarked masks, which they wore for three songs, and opened with their anthemic track “Whatever It Takes” off their new album V (out October 27). From there, they just kept the energy building throughout the night. The band were definitely having fun up onstage and it was infectious. They were also really good at getting the crowd involved, whether it be something simple like having them wave their hands or something bigger like inviting one fan onstage to perform “Comin In Hot.” There stage setup was appealing as well, with decent lighting and shooting sparks. Basically, all these elements wrapped together made for an awesome show. Some highlights from their set included the aforementioned “Comin In Hot,” “Undead,” “Dead Bite,” “War Child,” “Everywhere I Go,” and their finale “Hear Me Now.”