Priestess preview

Priestess
Double Door, Chicago
Thursday, July 6, 2006

Metal . . . hip?

Apparently that’s now the case. The music, generally avoided by music elitists like the piss-soaked homeless guy on the bus, is suddenly becoming O.K. to listen to. The Sword and High On Fire played the Intonation Festival; Witch features Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis; Wolfmother seems to be everyone’s “Next Big Thing;”and Early Man released its full-length debut, Closing In, with indie rock royalty in Matador Records. The movement has been coined “hipster metal,”and Montreal’s Priestess will undoubtedly be lumped in.

More consistently heavy than Wolfmother, but less overtly “metal”than The Sword or Early Man, Priestess’ RCA debut, Hello Master, often lends itself more to big-riff/big-hook hard rock of AC/DC or Thin Lizzy than it does the bludgeoning attack of Motorhead or Black Sabbath, but because the Canadians make ample use of all those influences, the group should appeal to headbangers and rock ‘n’ rollers alike. Though Hello Master is long on distortion-drenched guitars and infectious choruses it’s short on distinct songs. The band is a bang-up live show, though. We know because earlier this year Priestess rolled through town with Early Man and The Sword and pounded out a sweaty, boozy set at Empty Bottle that just as convincing as its considerably more-hyped tourmates.

Bible Of The Devil headlines; The Resinators and Blackmaker open.

— Trevor Fisher

Category: Stage Buzz, Weekly