Beginner’s guide to supporting metal and hardcore local bands in Texas

By Adrienne Bast

Local Music Journalist

While metal and hardcore may not be a genre for everyone, the energy and emotion emitted from going to a show can wow just about everyone. The prime of the metal scene rose in the 80s but seems to be making a comeback in our local areas, the Austin-San Antonio metroplex, with some new twists.

One of my favorites which I had the pleasure of seeing live was Throat P**s. Not only did they have a woman killing the vocals, which is not that common in metal. They also had a saxophone jamming through the guitar chugs and fast-paced drumbeats. I was impressed by Throat P**s’s creativity and stage presence. Their music is an amazing mix between the classic vocals of sludge metal, characterized by the lead singer Swamp Wench’s deep guttural sound accompanied by slow, down-tuned guitar common with the subgenre. Mixing it up with jazzy saxophone solos is especially prevalent in their newest released album, A Slow Quiet Death.  If you are interested in seeing Throat P**s and some other great bands live then don’t miss Throat P**s, Glassing, God Shell and Houses We Die In will be performing at 13th Floor in Austin, Texas, on March 10. You can find their music on all basic streaming platforms and social media platforms under their names.

Glassing is another sludge metal band and God Shell focuses more on aspects found in the death metal subgenre with more symphonic backing tracks still using deep vocals. Houses We Die In is a metalcore band that has a similar sound to the hardcore subgenre of punk but with the screaming vocals of metal. All these fantastic bands are from Austin and can be found on social media platforms and music streaming sites (Houses We Die In is harder to find most of their music can be found in their Instagram bio @houseswedieintx).

Hardcore is another genre that is making its way into the Texas local band scene, especially in Austin. Kromathaw is one of those must-see bands if you are interested in getting into this genre. Their high-energy stage presence combined with the iconic screaming vocals gives the crowds an amazing show. I have gone to two of their shows, each one blowing me away with how lead singer, Rowan Latta, can scream for so long without his voice giving out. Not only was Kromathaw’s performance an amazing experience, but so was being a part of the crowd. The crowd shared the same energy the band was giving. The pit opened to give way to moshers whose punches matched the aggressive sound and band’s energy. Fair warning to not stand on the end of the pit if you do not want to get hit, I learned the hard way that I am not made for mosh pitting.

A band that often goes on tour with Kromathaw is another hardcore/metalcore band, Hellhög, which consists of the same drummer from Kromathaw and has a similar sound to the band S**cidal Tendencies. You can check out their Instagram for updates @hellhög.tx and listen to their single release “Fist to the Face” on music streaming platforms.

I highly encourage you to check out @kromathaw on Instagram, where they post upcoming concerts. On Feb. 02, Kick Butt Coffee will be hosting Kromathaw along with other Austin hardcore bands such as Midnight Butterfly, Live Another Day, Intrusion and Tomorrow’s Ruin. If the hardcore music scene seems like something you would enjoy, get out there. It is always great to support local bands however you can keep new music alive.