Priestess / Pride Tiger / Twin Fangs / Fat Dave Crime Wave

Priestess are from Mars, Pride Tiger are from Venus. Well, it sure turned out that way as the slanty brick room gender-split like a junior high dance hall. All the boys and girls just couldn’t come to terms — you should’ve seen the pillow fight! After the actually Fat Dave Crime Wave and Twin Fangs turkey-basted notoriously juicy Edmonton rock into our e-holes — Fangs Paul Coutts and Penny Tentiary being especially jagged — on lurked what in many ways turned out to be a battle of drummers, the not-so secret stars of both outfits. Turning from Maiden and Priest towards Thin Lizzy, Pride Tiger guitarists Bobby Froese and Sunny Dhak (both old ice-ballers of 3 Inches of Blood) laid down wet Vancouver licks overweight with promise and groove. Drummer/singer Mattski Wood sparked Animal (the Muppet) energy and, as I was saying, our women kept squeaking and squealing as the hair flipped. Yes, I’m jealous. But soon enough, the uglier-in-the-best way Priestess took the mountaintop as Canada’s best radio-playable metal act, from name to viral riffs. Since when are drum solos so captivating? Vince Nudo wailed on us and his candy cane kit while fellow hairball Dan Watchorn channelled a guitar fuzz that would be at home in Strapping Young Lad. Bassist Mike Dyball and Mikey Heppner circled, as the former sang through Hello Master almost in its entirety, plus a couple new ones. But Nudo’s work was most memorable. What I want to know is if Edmonton’s such a metal town, where the fuck was everyone? Not hockey again!