The Texas leg of the Dead Alive’s Thrashville Terror Tour concluded Tuesday night at the Ridglea Room in Fort Worth. The band was touring in support of their sophomore release, The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter. Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth were the fortunate specimens to experience the thrashing madness of Dead Alive.
The four date trek brought Dead Alive to the Lone Star State for their Texas debut. Support for the band came from fellow Nashville thrashers Phantom.
Throughout the tour, local bands served as support for both Dead Alive and Phantom.
For the Fort Worth show, five bands were scheduled but one dropped the day of the show even though two members were present.
The second local act, Shark Bait, a beach themed thrash band pulled double duty for the night. The band’s attire consisted of colorful Hawaiian shirts, jeans and shark fins attached to each member’s back.
Their set consisted of thrash versions of beach related songs such as the B-52’s “Rock Lobster” and Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville.” It was only fitting for the band to conclude with Accept’s “Fast as a Shark.”
The gents in Shark Bait then switched gears and stage clothes later in the evening bringing the night to an end as Scream Bloody Four, a tribute to Death.
The white Gibson Flying V safely tucked away in the mobile multi-guitar vault of the load-in area foreshadowed what was to come. Like southern biscuits and gravy, a white Flying V and thrash metal are meant to be together.
Strapped with the Flying V, a shirtless rhythm guitarist / lead vocalist Matthew Byerlee led Phantom through an impressive set of classic sounding thrash with hints of groove metal. It was ideal while playing the Fort Worth / Dallas area to bring their set to a close in the most honorable way. Phantom threw down an impressive cover of Pantera’s “Mouth for War.”
Following a brief set change and proper placement of gravestones and skulls, Dead Alive was ready to bring life to the erected cemetery. The vacated band slot from earlier in the night allowed the band to add additional songs to their set.
With a pulse pumping through the PA, Dead Alive launched into “Re-Agent,” the second track from TMoDLVBM followed by “Flip of the Switch.” These two songs back to back quickly injected electrified energy into the transitioned graveyard.
Bassist and vocalist Count Scapula was sporting a lab coat and a face painting similar to the Crimson Ghost. The stage became Scapula’s laboratory as he guided the band through their set.
Dead Alive continued following the tracking of TMoDLVBM with “Volt,” “No Signs of Life” and “Hollow Man,” the thick and heavy track from the album.
The slower “Hollow Man” allowed Dead Alive to transition to their debut, Rise of the Skeleton Army for one track, “Triumph of the Dead” and followed up with “Evil Dead.”
Dead Alive brought the night to a close with “Blood in the Water,” an unreleased track that will see the light of day during Shark Week.
Scapula had no issues bringing to life his diverse vocals on TMoDLVBM to the stage.
It’s evident the four years of high school theatrical training for Scapula have transcended to the thrash metal stage. That skill set here and there add additional layers and dimensions to the Dead Alive experience.
Dead Alive’s set of horror thrash metal was perfectly delivered as the band sliced through their set. It wasn’t a nightmare, it was a fine tuned introduction of their Nashville horror thrash metal to Texas.
It’s evident that Scapula has spent time crafting and fine tuning the Dead Alive experience. The musicians in Dead Alive easily handle their respective roles.
A skeleton may just be bare bones but not Dead Alive when on stage. For the resources available, Dead Alive took the audience on a memorable trip through the cemetery and Ludvig Von Brainmatter’s adjacent laboratory.
Willy Wonka may sugar coat everything but not Scapula. The only coating imported from Thrashville is 100% pure American made, horror thrash metal and it’s addictive.
Brutal Planet Magazine’s review of Dead Alive’s The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter.
For Dead Alive merchandise, visit the band’s office website at Dead Alive Official.
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