Oregon:
Red Fang
CITY: Portland
SONG THAT GOT US: “Prehistoric Dog”
ON THE TUBES: MySpace, Web site, Facebook, YouTube
RECORD LABEL: Sargent House
WHY THEM? Twenty years after thrash killed hair metal and 10 after stoner removed virtuosity from the mix, it’s heartening to see a band like Red Fang, which combines the fun, the chops, and the bulbous weight of all three. Looking like dorks but rocking with an admirably calculated abandon, they casually toss flaming firebird arpeggios and Mastodon-y turnarounds into an otherwise Fu Manchu–y boogie van. Bryan Giles’s Ozzy-like wail floats over the pro-ceedings when not stinging like a bee. Red Fang bring a beer-can-to-the-forehead glee and irreverence that is much needed in today’s metal vortex.
BONUS BIT! Fans of LARPing and/or shotgunning brews should consider Red Fang’s hysterical video for “Prehistoric Dog” required time wasting.
