East Beast

Friday night, I headed over to The Garrison to see Yamantaka Sonic Titan. It wasn't as full as their 2013 show which played to a packed crowd. Since then, the band itself has gone through several personnel changes including the departure of the lead singer/founder. I was curious to see if anything was lost.

They sounded just as powerful as last time. It was strange to see some many POC performers on stage. But that simply showed how lily-white the music scene is in Canada. Covered in white make-up with individual designs in black or red streaks, they ran through a set full of driving numbers thanks to unearthly vocals (which sometimes ascended into high-pitched howling), furious drumming, and chunky guitars. In fact, they only had one extended stage banter where the drummer exhorted the audience to go out and vote in the upcoming election.

Though the numbers came mostly from their first 2 albums, there were also a few new songs. These tend to be more instrumental with only a smattering of wordless vocals. These were still primal yet seemed diminished from before. Yamantaka stood out because they incorporated non-Western rituals, gestures, and ideas into their music and show. It looks like with the loss of some old members (Ruby Kato Attwood, John Acheta), they are turning into an excellent, but "typical" heavy-rock band.