Oct. 28, 2009 - Issue #732: Dan Mangan
Brontoscorpio
Blood, meet Candy: It's a pairing of sweet and gory for two Edmonton groups
Quickly gaining notoriety due to its blood-spattered, prop-laden live show, BrontoScorpio was originally conceived as a vehicle for Ross and bassist Alan Hildebrandt to continue their obsession with New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts like Angel Witch, Diamond Head and Iron Maiden. With their former project Frosted Tipz on indefinite hiatus, the pair started programming a drum machine and crafting their sound.
"When we started, there was no real vision for the band. We basically just wanted to write badass riffs in the vein of Iron Maiden and other power metal. When the Tipz ended we were writing heavier and heavier music, so we continued that—it all started with the music."
The two were soon joined by former Frosted Tipz singer Rosalind Christian and Kristine Nutting on vocals. After a stint playing live music for Nutting's play Pig, Ross was well aware of the craftsmanship and lunacy that she could bring to the band.
"Me and [Nutting] work really well together. She has a real ear for rock music; she really likes the dark and twisted sounds, and I have the ability to make those things happen. I really appreciate her stagecraft, and her dedication. She really turns it up a notch, like not sleeping for three days so she can make fake blood, or making these insane, Blade Runner-inspired outfits."
The idea for Blood & Candy, the upcoming show featuring BrontoScorpio and Christian Hansen & the Autistics, came together when a couple of members from the Autistics, who had also performed in Pig, recognized that the similarities—along with the glaring differences between the two acts—could make for a diverse and entertaining evening for all involved.
"The Autistics play very poppy, melodic and sugary music, and we play disgusting metal with a show that's filled with gore and fucking turkeys with a strap-on," Ross notes. "So the idea of Blood & Candy came from having these two very different but very theatrical bands playing together. We also have a surprise planned, but I'm not saying anything else about that."
The show also marks BrontoScorpio's debut with a live drummer. After a few near-disastrous shows left the band feeling at the mercy of a temperamental and unpredictable machine, the group decided to opt for a human replacement, and the members are enthusiastic about the results.
"When we first started, we thought that having a drum machine would be more solid, and be a more interesting way to make these crazy drum patterns," explains Ross. "But as time went on, we realized that if anything goes wrong in a live setting, you're kind of tied to it, and you're basically fucked. The live drums make us sound a lot more like the bands we're inspired by." V
Fri, Oct 30 (8 pm)
BrontoScorpio
With Christian Hansen & the Autistics
Artery, $12
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