The heavy riffs and infectious wit of Portland, Oregon’s Red Fang are catching the attention of more and more with every album release. Red Fang is on the road once again, supporting their latest release, 2013’s Whales and Leeches. They are making a stop at the Rock and Roll Hotel in D.C. this Saturday, May 31, and take it from me—these guys do not disappoint live.
Bursting onto the scene with their blistering self-titled debut album in 2009, Red Fang found themselves in a strange middle ground of the stoner rock genre. Slightly more complex than the typical Black Sabbath-influenced band, yet not as experimental or progressive as contemporaries like Mastodon. They formed their own unique path, and the metal world quickly took notice.
Aside from the crushing riffs and well-written songs, what quickly became apparent about Red Fang was their sense of humor. With hilarious videos like “Wires” and “Prehistoric Dog,” their ability to have a laugh and not take themselves very seriously shined through.
After the success of their self-titled album and 2011’s Murder the Mountains, they have upped their game in 2013 with the release of Whales and Leeches, their most critically acclaimed album to date. It was seemingly recorded on the fly, as bassist-vocalist Aaron Beam told Spin magazine, “We had almost no songs when we started. It was like frantic-panic songwriting sessions.” The result was a solid, tight effort that reached #66 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
Keeping with their tradition, they recruited Portlandia star Fred Armisen to appear in the video for their first single, “Blood Like Cream,” which featured a zombie horde with a thirst for beer, not brains.
Want to see Red Fang this Saturday? We know the guys on the band have an affinity for beer, primarily of the cheaper variety. Just tell us what your favorite or go-to cheapo beer is below—no craft beer snobbery, please—and you can score a pair of tickets to the show! My personal pick? An ice-cold Pabst Blue Ribbon. The winner will be randomly selected this Friday, May 30th. Cheers!
