Avenger of Blood: Fast, fierce and spiky
There’s football on TV, dudes are mauling one another, and yet it seems almost quaint compared to the violence that Shannon Frye’s speaking of, his obvious relish manifesting itself in a wide, wolf’s smile.
“It’s extra bloody,” he says of his band’s new direction through a grin, tattooed arms jutting out of a sleeveless Darkthrone T-shirt as he sits at the bar at the Cheyenne Saloon on a recent Wednesday evening.
Frye, drummer and founder of Vegas metal badasses Avenger of Blood, explains how he’s achieved this end: with more leather, spikes, speed and a touch of evil.
Avenger has been around for more than a decade in various incarnations, but the band is coming off several years of downtime as members worked to solidify their current lineup. The group’s last record, 2008’s “Death Brigade,” released on notable indie label Heavy Artillery Records, should have further established them in the national metal underground, but the band fragmented right around the time it was completed and wasn’t able to fully capitalize on such a strong album.
Now, Avenger is back with a retooled sound, a fiercer visual aesthetic and its first show in ages at the Cheyenne Saloon on Saturday.
“I had to start over,” Frye says. “And then, it’s like, ‘OK, we’ll start over musically, start over with a new image, a new mindset and push it as far as we can this time.’ ”
In the past, Avenger weathered endless comparisons to German thrash greats Kreator, especially vocally, but that won’t be the case moving forward, as the band has adopted a faster, more death metal-influenced sound.
They’ve recorded three new tunes, which are now available online for free. We’ve heard a pair of them, “Aggressive Psychotic Behavior” and “Spawn of Evil.” Both come on like an invading army with frenetic soloing from guitarists Brandon Gulling and Marc Flores, some of Frye’s most dexterous drumming and magnificently pained vocals from R.A. Carnage.
Frye says Avenger has fielded inquiries from several big-name metal labels. Judging by the ferocity of the new material, they should land a deal sooner than later.
Until then, there’s this weekend’s gig, which will double as the beginning of a new era and an end to fence sitting.
“I’m really anxious to see the look on people’s faces,” Frye says. “That’s what I’m most excited about. Either you’re going to love it or be offended and hate it. There’s no in-between.”
Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com
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