there is something in the Savannah water and it’s tainted with metal
by Heath Fenton
Every once and a while a vibrant music scene will emerge from some random city. More recently it has happened in cities such as Seattle, Montreal, and Detroit to name a few. It’s not like these places needed to get put on the map, but the music scene they provided created a folklore of hipness amongst the music community. The latest city to gain such steam is a most unlikely one. The sleepy southern hollow of Savannah Georgia has been gathering speed in the underground metal world. Black Tusk is one of the heads of the Savannah three-headed band monster also consisting of Baroness and Kylesa. Some buzz publications might have you believe that Savannah is the new place for bands to move to and live out your rock and roll dreams. Nothing could be further from the truth, stresses Black Tusk guitarist/vocalist Anton Fidler. “That has been a giant misconception. Savannah barely even has a scene. People seem to think that it’s us, Baroness and Kylesa playing every fucking weekend. It’s not like that at all. Savannah has an art college and there’s just a ton of hipster kids and they just want to listen to DJs and indie rock.” In fact, Savannah doesn’t even have a record store. But whatever city council has been spiking the Savannah water supply with it has rubbed off the right way on a few.
Fidler and his Black Tusk band mates Jonathon Athon (bass/vocals) and Jamie May (drums/vocals) all formed on the same street. They grew up through their formative years with some like-minded folk and eventually just started their own little metal scene through friends and hangers-on at a DIY venue called The Jinx. If they were all to tour together and the bus crashed killing them all, the Savannah underground music scene would be wiped clean. Black Tusk are so constantly lumped in with the other two Savannah bands that you’d think they’d get sick of the comparisons. Although there is a similar Savannah sound steeped in a proggy sludge, the reality is that all three have unique characteristics to their sound. Black Tusk is like the dirty ugly cousin. “It’s like this,” explains Fidler, “we’re the Motörhead , Kylesa are the Pink Floyd and Baroness are the Led Zeppelin.” An analogy I couldn’t agree with more. With roots sprung from an early love of punk rock, Black Tusk can get it all on with crust, raunch, sludge and they hit hard. Fiddler goes on, “It’s sometimes a little bit of punk rock, sometimes a little bit of rock and roll and always heavy metal.
Black Tusk are currently touring their fourth album entitled Set the Dial, their debut for Relapse Records. And they’ve been touring their ass off since 2006. They will be returning to Vancity after just playing here a couple of months ago as one of the openers for the KEN mode/Todays the Day tour.
I was at the show and they absolutely pummelled the Rickshaw’s hard concrete walls. That was their first time in Canada for about three or four years, Fidler figures. It’s the usual story of border problems that have steered Black Tusk away: “It’s definitely a hassle but once we’re across all the Canadian shows are awesome. Great enthusiastic crowds.” Fidler says about crossing the border last tour. “I was a little taken aback about spending 50 dollars on a 30-pack of beer. That was a little bit crazy.” But grouchy border guards and expensive beer aside, Black Tusk have nothing but good things to say about our fair country.
Black tusk play the Rickshaw theatre on May 5th with Kvelertak and Burning Ghats.
