After I was released from my academic commitments, I was picked up by Hravan, Grimzaar, Njord, and Hravan's girlfriend, E., and after a lengthy drive that took us through many small-time Texas towns (La Grange included, get your ZZ Top references ready), we finally arrived at Walter's on Washington in Houston, Texas. After paying for parking (since we apparently parked in a private lot), we began to load our things into the venue, where Bound in Flesh was playing a killer set. Unfortunately, we'd missed Pariah Messiah, which was vastly unfortunate since we were all looking forward to seeing them. Alas. Regardless, what we saw of Bound in Flesh was superb, and the members of the band were very friendly and hospitable.
Speaking of which, we had opted to put on our paint as soon as possible (with the exception of Njord, who prepared during Spectral Manifest's set). We are trying out a newer style of paint that focuses on grey, like decaying matter, although my paint came off as very much like Absu's Proscriptor McGovern. Not that this is a problem, but I would have liked my paint to be a little more original. The green room was very nice, and everyone who came in was very friendly and accommodating. They have our utmost gratitude. Grimzaar and I ran through "Soul Void" and "Misanthrope ov the Barren Waste" in an unplugged manner since it had been ages since we ran through them as a full band, and I was confident that we would perform well. However, there was a minor issue: One of my tuning pegs had fallen off at some point in the night, but thankfully, the soundman had a pair of pliers on-hand, which allowed me to tune my G-string. I believe his name was Terry, and once again, I would like to extend my thanks to him.
Our new friends in Mhinotahn performed after we finished putting our paint on, and they did a stunning job with their crusty black metal that even included a cover of Celtic Frost's "Dethroned Emperor". This was apparently their first show, and they did an excellent job. We would love to play future shows with them, and everyone should keep an eye out for them, as I see this band going places. Spectral Manifest performed next, and while we couldn't catch all their set (due to performing pre-performance business), what we did see was killer as always. Further appreciation was whenever Cryptos recognized a riff from Averse Sefira's "Vomitorium Angelis" that I played during soundcheck, and while some may accuse me of incessantly worshiping them, there is no denying that without them, I would not have taken the path I took. I was also approached by a gentleman who requested I play "some Cliff Burton". As Burton is my biggest influence, I obliged, butchering the intro of "Anesthesia" since I hadn't played the song in ages. He seemed appreciative nonetheless and complimented me after the show, along with many others.
Finally, it was time for us to perform. To put it simply, it was one of the best hours of my life. Every little mistake that was made the last week was rectified, and a gallery of the devoted were up in the front row, banging their heads, showing their enthusiasm in a way most admirable way. We ended on "Wielder", an excellent choice on Grimzaar's part, and it is safe to say that we satisfied our current fans and made several more.
Humut Tabal setlist:
Misanthrope ov the Barren Waste
Manifestation ov the Darkness Within
Nemesis Triumphant
Frozen Death
Furious Winged Helldaemons Soar
Soul Void
Wielder ov the Demon Blade
Needless to say, it was an amazing show, and while I said it before, everyone who made it possible has our eternal gratitude. Special thanks go out to The Adversary, Spectral Manifest, Mhinotahn, Bound in Flesh (especially Tony), Pariah Messiah (we'll catch you next time, we promise), our brothers in Venomous Supremacy who came out to support, the soundman who was so good to us, and anyone else who enjoyed our set. We'd like to return to Houston at least one more time before the fall starts, so if we get anything booked, we'll definitely let you know about it.
Whenever it was all over, we embarked on a journey to IHOP where we quickly consumed a meal that was delivered to us by an exceptionally polite waitress. After that, we ventured to Cryptos's place, where we talked until about five in the morning about various subjects (the man is always engaging to have a conversation with) before we passed out and woke up at around noon. On the way home, we paid the famous Buc-ees rest stop a visit and restocked up on food. I arrived in San Antonio and promptly passed out, reflecting on a wonderful time.
I leave you with this photo of me, taken from the official Mhinotahn band blog:
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