Kylesa @ The Echoplex, Los Angeles. 10-14-13.

Kylesa are one of the most consistently awesome bands in the underground music scene. They throw sludge metal, psychedelic rock and DIY punk into a blender, and create some of the gnarliest music around. I've been following the band since their 2006 album Time Will Fuse it's Worth, and haven't been disappointed yet. They rolled through town earlier this month promoting their new record, Ultraviolet and put on another great show at the Echoplex.

Pinkish Black served as the main support act of the evening and proceeded to melt brains throughout the venue. They play an oddly compelling brand of dark wave/goth by way of doom metal. One guy on synths singing, one dude beating the shit out of his drums. That's it. Both band members are stationary and confined behind their respective instruments, but it's still the most hypnotizing shit imaginable. I was thoroughly impressed with this band's set and plan on keeping my eye on them for the foreseeable future.



Kylesa wasted no time once they took the stage, kicking things off into high gear with "Scapegoat" from Static Tensions. Thus began a long night of headbanging and trance like swaying from everyone in the audience.

I was a little surprised by the sparse crowd inside the Echoplex, this was reminiscent of their 2009 show at the nearly dilapidated Knitting Factory, not like their triumphant runs through The Troubadour, Glass House and Echoplex years prior. Scheduling the show on a Monday night, during a Dodger playoff game (when Los Angeles goes full bandwagon mode and apparently stops functioning) might have had something to do with it. Either way, Kylesa brought their "A" game regardless. They ripped through tracks off Ultraviolet and their last two albums, with "Hallow Severer" being the sole "old" jam in the set. The trippy light show, the band's dual drummers (yes, two of em'), Laura's mop of blonde hair dominating the stage, and Phillip's oh so cool skateboard-guitar/theremin rig, Kylesa's performance was a treat for senses. The band's staggering ability to jump through musical styles with ease boggles the mind. One second Laura's ethereal voice is floating above an LSD like jam session, the next, she's shrieking over the nastiest riff Tony Iommi forget to invent.

two drummers = 2x heavy

 Kylesa's musical palette is so diverse, any self respecting music fan will love something about this band (friends to metal heads, punks, hipsters, hippies, art students, stoners, classic rock zombies, you name it, they'll love it). Check out Kylesa, you won't regret it.