Snowblind Festival

Purgatory and Heaven at the Masquerade, Atlanta, GA

November 12, 2022

Atlanta has been deserving of a metal festival worthy of its contributions to the genre for a long time. An annual festival that is comparable to Desert Fest, Psycho Las Vegas, or Muddy Roots. The Snowblind Festival was exactly that! Held in Purgatory and Heaven at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia, Snowblind spotlighted artists that lean toward the stoner/sludge/doom (SSD) subgenres of metal. The Purgatory lineup consisted entirely of Atlanta-based bands including Dead Vibes Ensemble, Bog Monkey, Dyer Wulf, Realm, Dayglo Mourning, Stoneman, and Order or the Owl. The Heaven lineup was comprised of national touring acts Withered, Cloak, Year of the Cobra, Mothership, The Obsessed, Pentagram, Weedeater, Corrosion of Conformity, and High on Fire.

Kicking off the day in Heaven were two bands that call Atlanta Home. Withered combines the impenetrable dense guitar sound of doom with the speed and harshness of black metal creating one of the darkest sounds in metal. Cloak fall more into the newer generation of black metal. The vocals are distinctively black metal but the guitars are far more developed and precise than traditional black metal bringing to mind classic metal like Iron Maiden. If you’re a fan of black metal give them a listen. I can’t say that I’m familiar with the music of either artist, but I did enjoy both of their sets.

The first big surprise of the day was Seattle’s year of the Cobra. They have been on my radar for a while, and this show was just the catalyst needed to jumpstart my interest. Year of the Cobra is comprised of bassist/vocalist Amy Tung Barrysmith and drummer/husband Jon Barrysmith. Together they create some of the most pulverizing riffs of the day. Tung’s vocals can be both powerful, reinforcing the power of their music, or beautiful and subtle, contrasting with that power. One of the most impressive aspects of this band is the sheer range of sounds and moods they create from just two people with only drums, bass, and vocals. I’m impressed with this band’s aesthetic and songwriting and wouldn’t be surprised to see them experiment beyond the bounds metal. They hint at that on songs like “At the Edge.” I can honestly say the first album I’ll purchase following the completion of this review will be theirs and I look forward to following their career.

Savannah’s Black Tusk was supposed to follow Year of the Cobra but had to cancel a few days before the event. We hope all is well in their camp and look forward to seeing them soon.

Next on the mainstage was Mothership and they came to party. Hailing from Dallas, Texas,

Mothership is comprised of Judge Smith on drums, brothers Kyle Juett on bass, and Kelley Juett on guitar and vocals. Blending a seventies psychedelic vibe, the thick guitar tones of stoner metal, and an unmistakable Texas boogie, Mothership bring an undeniable energy to the stage and enough Texas swagger to fill Cowboy Stadium. If you need a cheat sheet consider a spaced out ZZ Top jamming with Red Fang topped off with some Angus Young showmanship. Mothership is ‘good time’ rock n roll and there’s just not enough of that around these days. The entire crowd was smiling and nodding their heads along with the music during their whole set. If Mothership had been around in past decades they would likely have a gold or even platinum record under their belts. This was my first experience with Mothership and I highly recommend seeing them live.

Following Mothership was the Obsessed led by founding guitarist/vocalist Scott “Wino” Weinrich. It’s hard to overstate Wino’s legendary status. Not only was he pivotal in the continuation of doom metal from the seventies to the present with both The Obsessed and St. Vitus, but along with Henry Rollins and Lemmy Kilmeister, is largely responsible for melding punk and hardcore with metal. The Obsessed reformed in 2016 and although Wino is the only original member, as principle songwriter they have maintained their signature sound and released a new album in 2017.

Next up was Pentagram. Pentagram have a history dating back to 1971 and were once heralded as the American Black Sabbath. Now in his late sixties, vocalist Bobby Liebling is the only remaining original member, but still commands the stage with the energy of someone half his age. Pentagram’s set included classic tracks like “Sign of the Wolf” and “Be Forewarned” before closing with “Forever My Queen.”

Pentagram have one of the greatest comeback stories in rock history. Whether you’re a fan or not, I highly recommend Last Days Here about singer Bobby Liebling and his attempts to keep the band alive through countless professional and personal setbacks. It’s one of the most compelling music documentaries I’ve ever seen.

Following Pentagram a large portion of the crowd made their way to Purgatory where Atlanta doom merchants Order of the Owl, led by guitarist Casey Yarbrough and bassist/vocalist Brent Anderson, were ready to take the stage. It was good to see Brent back on stage and that his recent bout with cancer couldn’t derail their return. I’m sure I can speak for all in attendance in wishing him a speedy recovery. As an Atlanta favorite, it made sense for Order of the Owl to headline the local stage, but there were enough people crowded into Purgatory that they could’ve just as easily played earlier on the main stage. As if it wasn’t enough to see them return to the stage, they ended their set with Will Fiore, Anderson’s former bandmate in Zoroaster, joining them onstage to play Zoroaster’s “Bullwhip.” This was a definite festival highlight. Maybe next year we can get a full Zoroaster reunion.

After Order of the Owl closed out the local stage, everyone migrated back to Heaven for the final three acts: Weedeater, Corrosion of Conformity, and High on Fire. Weedeater always deliver live. New drummer Ramzi Ateyeh anchored the groove. Dave “Shep” Shepherd churned out the fuzziest Southern fried riffs of the day, and bassist/vocalist “Dixie” Dave Collins works the crowd into a frenzy. Collins growls into the mike like he’s simultaneously chugging whisky and gargling rusty nails. His delivery is as fervent as a deranged street corner preacher forecasting the end of the world while summoning the holy spirit in a cloud of bong smoke. Collins is one of the most engaging frontmen in metal. Weedeater’s formula is simple but effective. They could stand alone on their monstrous riffs and performance, but their tongue in cheek lyrics shouldn’t be overlooked. Collins is clever and his word play adds humor to otherwise punishing tracks such as “God Luck and Good Speed,” “Weedmonkey,” and “Mancoon.”

Corrosion of Conformity took the stage next. Now forty years into their career, COC shows no sign slowing down. Beginning as a hardcore band in the early eighties, COC’s sound evolved with the addition of guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan in the late eighties. Although there were metal bands from the South before them, COC are one of the first, if not the first, to actually sound like they are from the South. The seventies gave us Southern rock. COC gave us Southern metal. The core of bassist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman, and Keenan create an unmistakable groove that evokes a ZZ Top meets Black Sabbath vibe that has kept their sound current throughout the duration of their career. For COC it’s all about great songwriting and the diversity of their catalog has kept them immune from trends and welcomed by audiences alongside thrash, grunge, nu metal, and of course stoner metal bands. COC’s set included “Bottom Feeder,” “Seven Days,” and “Senior Limpio,” before closing out their set with their three classics: “Vote with a Bullet,” “Albatross,” and “Clean My Wounds.”

After a full day of new and legendary bands we were down to the last act. High on Fire is nothing short of a metal juggernaut. Drummer Coady Willis had big shoes to fill with the departure of founding drummer Des Kensel, but had no problem holding down the rhythm with bassist Jeff Matz. Matz is a phenomenal bassist combining an aggressive overdriven sound similar to Cliff Burton or Lemmy Kilmeister with the precision of Geddy Lee or Steve Harris into one of the most brutal and unique bass styles in metal. His style compliments Matt Pike’s guitar style which is far more technical than most doom bands. Pike employs the speed and intricacy of thrash into complex riffs without losing any density in his tone. Most bands would need two members to fill his role in the band as Pike plays the riffs, the solos, and provides vocals, thus maintaining his position as one of the top metal artists of this millennium. Opening with “Turk” High on Fire’s set also included fan favorites “Steps of the Ziggurat,” “Carcosa,” and “Rumours of War” before closing out the show with “Snakes for the Divine.”

Snowblind was an amazing festival with one of the best lineups I’ve seen in years. I have to thank Syd Howell for putting this show together, the Masquerade staff for keeping the show running smoothly all day, all the artists who played, and of course the fans who attended. Hopefully, this will be an annual event, although it will be a challenge to top this year’s lineup.

Snowblind Gallery