Cephalic Carnage

Friday, June 5

Easily one of the most tripped-out acts in the history of grindcore, Cephalic Carnage taps the terrifying depths of real-life conspiracies and unexplained supernatural phenomena with a suitably mind-warping approach. The bandmembers’ avid enthusiasm for the high-grade weed that proliferates in their native Rocky Mountain region shows in both the rigorous technicality of the music and the underlying paranoia that fuels frontman Lenzig’s lyrics. On the other hand, few — if any — bands could make subjects such as government experiments on civilians and getting sexually assualted by a ghost sound like fun, but that’s exactly what Cephalic Carnage manages to do, strangely enough. And, where so many grind acts turn their music into a flat, droning blur onstage, Cephalic’s unbridled enthusiasm, kick-ass musicianship, and laugh-out-loud goofiness ensures a live show with an intensity matched only by the likes of the Dillinger Escape Plan. Infamous black metalers Mayhem are also on the bill, so it’ll be interesting to see if Cephalic performs its hilarious black metal parody number in full costume. Keep your fingers crossed… With Mayhem, Marduk, Cattle Decapitation, Ceremonial Castings, Withered, Inquinok.

Fri., June 5, 5:30 p.m., 2009