New Show Announcement: Church ov Melkarth with Humut Tabal on July 29th

Humut Tabal is going to be incredibly busy this summer, as we have shows booked every weekend from next week until the start of my fall semester.  The latest show addition is on July 29th in San Antonio at the Korova basement.  It's a free show headlined by Houston's Church ov Melkarth, and additional support will come from Cronophage, Emperial Massacre, Courting Baphomet, and Matricide.  We're stoked about this one, so we hope to see you all there!  In case anyone's lost, our complete summer show schedule is as follows:

May 23rd - Zombies in San Antonio (this was a Somniferum show)
June 3rd - Zombies in San Antonio with Woods of Ypres (this was a Somni/HT show)
June 10th - Walter's on Washington in Houston with Spectral Manifest
June 24th - Bond's 007 in San Antonio with Angel Flesh (this was our last appearance with Somniferum)
July 2nd - Korova in San Antonio (this was a Morgengrau show)
July 8th - Trailer Space Records in Austin with Severed Faith and Shadow of Creation
July 14th - Headhunter's in Austin with Hexlust
July 22nd - The Texan in Corpus Christi with Plutonian Shore and Xapharon
July 29th - Korova in San Antonio with Church ov Melkarth
July 30th - Trophy's in Austin with Quarter the Villain
August 5th - Korova in San Antonio with Venomous Supremacy
August 12th - [this show will be announced shortly]
August 19th - Headhunter's in Austin with Xapharon
November 12th - Gathering of Bestial Vengeance Fest in Dallas with Verkommen

Needless to say, we are very excited.  We hope to see you all there!

A Favor Owed to Ereshkigal’s Sanctity

Two weeks after Humut Tabal’s headlining appearance in Houston, it was time to return to San Antonio.  We had not played in this city for three weeks, and we were glad to once again take the stage in “Satantonio” (as it is often called in the Texas extreme metal underground).  After meeting up with an old friend and getting released from academic commitments (which are growing more and more tiresome the closer I get to the end of the summer semester), I drove to Bond’s 007 Rock Bar, where I was quickly joined by Jay and Jacob from Emperial Massacre, as well as a few of their friends.  My bandmates in Humut Tabal arrived shortly afterwards, and we began to load our gear up into the Bond’s elevator (yes, elevator).  After I was wristbanded (no more blasted Xs on the backs of my hands!), I began to warm up, and before long, Hellbound Jeff and his fiancée BJ showed up.  Conversing took place, and as Beyond Death’s Reach finished their set, Njord and I were ready to take the stage with Somniferum.  At this point, things took somewhat of a sour turn, so I'll just move on.  If you were there, you know the story.  Next.

Somniferum:

Setlist:

Of Sorrow and Seclusion

Only Death Remains

In the Arms of the Cold 

Humut Tabal:

After swapping out basses with Plutonian Shore’s Waar (yet another favor we owe the Plutonian Coven), Grimzaar and Hravan emerged, completely painted up, although this was a luxury I was not afforded due to time constraints.  Performing without paint was odd to say the least, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel like Prokingu up on the stage, but my normal, human self.  Regrettable, but it did not detract from our performance.  We raged through our “greatest hits” (as I facetiously dubbed it) to much fanfare among the crowd, who were banging their heads and getting into the music, which is always great to see.  We played very well, and we made a few new fans that night that were very friendly to us in conversation later on in the night.  I was even compared to jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius, which was highly appreciated as he is one of my favorite players (I was also compared to “the Simpsons” character Sideshow Bob, hehe).  I had dedicated this set to my bandmates in Morgengrau earlier, but I would also like to extend a portion of the set to all fans of Humut Tabal, new and old:  Our gratitude is eternal. 

Setlist:

Denizens ov Eternal Night

Manifestation ov the Darkness Within

Furious Winged Helldaemons Soar

Wielder ov the Demon Blade

Frozen Death (now retitled “Through the Forest and Twisting Shadows”

After Humut Tabal exited the stage, it was time for our brothers in Emperial Massacre to slay San Antonio once more.  Their set was brutal, but was marred by a bass drum head breaking when they still had three songs left.  Sad indeed, as they are always fun to watch, but knowing Emperial Massacre, they’ll be back soon enough.

Once again, Plutonian Shore showed why they are so highly revered in this city; delivering a killer performance that even featured some guest vocals from none other than our very own Grimzaar at the last song.  It was an evening highlight, for sure.  We cannot wait to go to Corpus Christi with them on July 22^nd.

Angel Flesh closed out the night with a superb set that reminded me of Dissection, and afterwards, it was time to go get some nourishment after a night of dehydration.  Unfortunately, as we pulled into the restaurant, I realized I had left my backpack at the venue, and drove back to retrieve it.  Sadly, they did not have it, and I went home, angrily ranting in my car.  Luckily, I woke up to a message from none other than Plutonian Shore’s Zvs, who had recovered my bag.  That’s another time he’s pulled us out of the fire, and we can only hope that one day, we will repay our debt.  The funny thing was, I’d had a premonition that said it would be Zvs and Devastation that retrieved it, and I am glad to say that premonition was correct.  Zvs and Amethyst will be treated to a meal in Corpus; that is for sure.

Overall, it was an evening of extreme highs and lows.  The highs should be obvious; the lows will not be discussed here.  Needless to say, we look forward to returning to San Antonio on August 5^th with our brothers in Venomous Supremacy to deliver a unified Dread Lair assault on this city.  We are also in talks of an Austin show in the upcoming weeks, but we are just waiting to hear back from a few people so I don’t want to say anything here yet.  Whatever the case, I cannot wait for the next show.  The Helldaemons will take flight once more…

New Show Announcement: Humut Tabal with Xapharon and Plutonian Shore in Corpus Christi

*Exhales*  What a weekend!  After a (mostly) excellent performance on Friday, to witnessing Hod, Hexlust, and Death Rites 666 destroy on Saturday, to finding myself at a free folk punk show on Sunday, it is safe to say that this has been quite an interesting last couple of days.  The full report from Friday will be coming soon, but it bears mentioning that Humut Tabal will be playing in Corpus Christi on Friday, July 22nd with the mighty Xapharon, Eternal Crown, Kill to Thrill, and most excitedly, our Dread Lair bretheren Plutonian Shore.  This is a free show, so we expect any and all Corpus Christi metalheads to come out in full force.  The split between Plutonian Shore and Humut Tabal will be released before you know it, so as soon as it is released, we'll let you know.  Horns up!

Preparation for a Pathway

Five things:

1)  I spent most of yesterday falling into a pit of madness.  While I am back in the realm of the sane, that journey was a most fitting to prepare for the chaos of tomorrow's show in San Antonio.  Any and all attendees should be prepared.  Njord and I will also be performing with Somniferum, so come out early and rage with us.  This will be my second time sharing the stage with Plutonian Shore and my first time sharing it with Emperial Massacre, so I can't wait.  See you all there!

2)  In Morgengrau news, our first show is next week at the Korova on July 2nd.  Come out and hear some bludgeoning originals as well as some old-school Pestilence and Asphyx songs performed by tried-and-true metalheads who don't know the meaning of the word "commercial".

3)  A new show is in the works that is highly anticipated.  All I'll say is:  Texas black metal fans: brace yourselves.

4)  The artwork for the Plutonian Shore/Humut Tabal split has been revealed.  Naturally, it looks superb.  Details will be revealed soon.

In Keeping Secrets of Stygian Oath

As some of you may have heard, Humut Tabal and Plutonian Shore will be releasing a split, entitled "Oaths of Stygian Dusk".  The split will be available through the Dread Lair, and it is safe to say that we are quite excited about it.  I witnessed Plutonian Shore play one of the new songs when they opened for Vital Remains and I can guarantee that their end of the split will be superb (as is ours).  This release is especially notable since I will be making my recording debut on backing vocals for a sound collage of terror, as I joined the band too late to record bass for the split or the upcoming album.  As previously mentioned in this chronicle, we will be playing a show with Plutonian (and Njord and I will also be playing with Somniferum) on June 24th at Bond's 007 Rock Bar here in San Antonio, and we hope all of you will be there!  Many upcoming shows are in the works, and we cannot wait to unleash our hellish black metal upon the Texan masses.  We are ready, are you?

In related news, all fans of Humut Tabal and black metal should brace themselves for a bombshell that I can't reveal yet, but I will say is legitimately exciting.  For now, I can say that we will be playing the Gathering of Bestial Vengeance Fest in November in Dallas with God Slaughter, Steal Bearing Hand, and Verkommen.  Once more details are revealed, I will make a more complete post about it.  Until then, prepare for an onslaught of black metal mayhem!  Initiate madness!

Infernal Eternal

When certain gods betray us, we must remember that there will always be those who raise the flag far above those of the fallen faith.  Those who say "there just aren't bands like X anymore" clearly aren't looking hard enough.  I can only hope to one day be included among the ranks of these warriors.

Nemesis Triumphant

On June 10th, we headlined the Dread Lair showcase in Houston, Texas.  This show was especially significant to me because I would be performing on the same stage where I witnessed my idols Averse Sefira for the first time, so once again, there was a heavy burden on us to do them justice.  Fortunately, I am proud to say that the show went very, very well, as we shared the stage with some amazing bands and surpassed our own expectations.

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:

Horns up.

New show announcement: Humut Tabal and Somniferum on June 24th

As you could discern from the title, Humut Tabal and Somniferum will be playing on June 24th at Bond's 007 Rock Bar.  We are honored to share the stage with our Dread Lair brothers in Plutonian Shore, as well as our friends in Emperial Massacre.  All other information can be found on the flier below.

Hope to see you all there!

A Glimmer of Intellect

I see this graffiti nearly every day as I walk, and it never fails to put a smile on my face.  Glad to know that there are still people who haven't fallen under the mind-numbing spell of "Jersey Shore", "The Real World", and other cancerous tripe that continues to personify the "short bus society" that we live in.  Let the peons absorb themselves in whoever "The Situation" is screwing this week, the rest of us will deal with actual problems.

Abolish the rules made of stone...

When I was 14, I was introduced to this song, and I have never looked back.  It's hard to believe I've been a fan of this band for a full third of my life.  Although, considering its excellence, should you be surprised?

Flight of the Helldaemons

After over two months of preparation, the June 3rd show with Canada's Woods of Ypres was finally upon us.  I had been with Humut Tabal for nearly three months, and a member of Somniferum for two, and we had prepared ourselves to the best of our abilities.

Due to academic commitments (taking three summer classes may not have been as good of an idea as I'd thought), I arrived at Somniferum practice at approximately five in the afternoon.  It was an unusually good practice which would foreshadow the rest of the night.  At about seven, Njord and I left for Zombies, arriving on-time but incredibly frustrated with my GPS, which seemed to be trying to kill us with its foolish "keep left" and "keep right"s.  Upon arrival, I found the Woods gentlemen setting up outside and introduced myself.  They were very polite and friendly, and I am glad to have met them.  After some chit-chat, I began to load my things into the venue.  Soon, we were greeted by our good friends in Plutonian Shore as well as my bandmate, E. Morgengrau.  The latter noted that I seemed particularly energetic, and while some of that could be blamed on the two energy drinks I had consumed in order to keep myself awake through class, most of it was likely due to the anticipation of finally playing with Humut Tabal on the stage.  As the evening went on, we were joined by Aaron Goregrowler, Walt of VBT, Hellpreacher Johnny and friends, Eric and Fry, members of Emperial Massacre, Spectral Manifest, and another of my Morgengrau bandmates, Nick, among others.  We began our soundcheck at roughly eight, and before long, the madness was underway.

Somniferum:

Having gotten over any potential stage jitters from whenever we played at Meat and Metal Mondays, Somniferum emerged as a much tighter band, and things went very smoothly on a musical level.  We could all hear each other, there were no off-key moments to notice, and any technical difficulties were kept to a minimum.  Adrianna and Rachel both sang very well, Zach's guitar playing was top-notch (and his Absu reference was most appreciated), and Njord was as good a drummer as ever.  I had initially decided that this would be my last show with Somni since balancing one's time between three active bands is incredibly difficult (to say nothing of the PKT and academic studies), but I will be playing one last show with them on June 24th at Bond's Rock Bar in San Antonio since Humut Tabal is also playing (and since Hellbound Jeff of Emperial Massacre asked us very politely).  Hope to see you all there!

Somniferum Setlist:

In The Arms of the Cold

Only Death Remains

Death’s (I never remember this title)

Of Sorrow and Seclusion

New Song

Humut Tabal:

After Somniferum finished, we were a bit behind schedule, so we quickly donned our paint and took the stage.  "Frozen Death" was the first hymn of the night, and we played it very well.  Unfortunately, I had neglected to crack my knuckles in between sets, so my plucking was a little slower than usual, but it was a minimal issue.  The majority of the performance was good (albeit with a few hiccups), with Grimzaar, Njord, and Hravan giving their all in terms of intensity, and I don't think I stopped headbanging once, except for whenever I went to do some backing, Impaled-style vocals on "Wielder" and "Helldaemons".  I myself felt transformed into a completely different entity once I was onstage.  Once we started playing, I ceased to become my mortal self and transcended into an entirely different beast.  My paint and blood was running, but it felt entirely natural, and by the end of the night, my shirt was covered in its fair share of corpse paint.  We decided against playing "Nemesis Triumphant" in favor of "Denizens ov Eternal Night", and while I was hesitant due to not having rehearsed it in a while, we absolutely slayed it, ending on a strong note before we hauled off our gear with the help of Bryan from Plutonian Shore.  Grimzaar's choice of an ending was the right one, indeed.

Humut Tabal Setlist:

Frozen Death

Manifestation ov the Darkness Within

Wielder ov the Demon Blade

Furious Winged Helldaemons Soar

Denizens ov Eternal Night

After we hauled all of our gear off, we had an excellent time watching the rest of the bands.  Most regrettably, I missed the first half of SM's set due to breaking down our gear, but once I had returned I witnessed the duo of Depravis and Cryptos tear Zombies up.  It was their first time playing this city and I am proud to say that they clearly made a good impression.  We'll be on their turf next week, and we can't wait to show Houston how the Dread Lair operates.  Plutonian was absolutely stellar.  I've said that they are the best up-and-coming black metal band from San Antonio, and after Friday's show, it would be a statement that would be tough to argue.  Vesperian Sorrow were also very good, and I happened to catch a long-sleeved shirt that was thrown by their singer.  Woods of Ypres played for about an hour-and-fifteen minutes, which was an excellent experience.  Our friend Erin helped film the show, which was appreciated by the Woods gentlemen.  Their show in Houston the next day was regrettably canceled, but they'll be back in November at the Goregrowler's Ball.  Needless to say, I will be there in the front row banging my head. 

After the show, we all went to a local restaurant with Spectral where we discussed topics ranging from the Houston metal scene to the luck in retrieving a potentially-stolen camera bag to how big of a travesty the new Morbid Angel album is (but that is a post for another day).  Overall, this night was a grand success, and I am personally honored to have shared the stage with all of these amazing bands.  Next week, we aim to conquer Houston as part of the Dread Lair showcase featuring Spectral, Mhinotahn, Bound in Flesh, and Pariah Messiah.  Hope to see you all there!

Anoint. Alight. Align.

We did our idols justice last night.

May our horns never lower.

The Calm Before The Storm

Tomorrow will be a very important day in the world of Humut Tabal.  We have honed our attack and will be taking no prisoners.  We, and our brothers in Spectral Manifest and Plutonian Shore will represent the Dread Lair to the highest extent, and we can only hope that we will not disappoint.

I leave you with this song, a manifestation of all that represents Texas extreme metal.



Prepare yourselves.

Initiation

In keeping with the model of Averse Sefira's Wrath, Demilich's Antti Boman, Triptykon's Tom G. Warrior, and Impaled's Ross Sewage (all musicians I greatly admire on a personal level), I, Prokingu of Humut Tabal, Somniferum, and Morgengrau (among others) have decided to start a chronicle of my performing history that would be most suited to this format (as opposed to other writing outlets that I partake in).  I will be contributing show write-ups, studio updates, and things of that nature, so anyone interested can keep up-to-date.  A complete list of booked shows can be found below.

UPCOMING SHOW SCHEDULE:

June:

3rd - Somniferum/Humut Tabal @Zombies, 4202 Thousand Oaks, San Antonio with Woods of Ypres, Vesperian Sorrorow, Plutonian Shore, and Spectral Manifest at 7:00PM.  $10. 

10th - Humut Tabal @Walters on Washington, 4215 Washington Ave, Houston with Spectral Manifest, Mhinotahn, Sculpting Atrocity, Bound in Flesh at 8:00.  $8 in advance/$10 at doors.

July:

2nd - Morgengrau @The Korova (basement), 107 E. Martin, San Antonio with Cerebral Desecration, Kinfolk, 443, Collect Your Dead, and Eviscerated at 8:00.  $5.

8th - Humut Tabal @TBA, Austin, with Severed Faith, Shadow of Creation, Machine 13, and One Shot One Kill.

16th - Humut Tabal @TBA with Hexlust.  This show and the previous one are in the process of being re-located.  I will keep you all informed on their fates.

August:

5th - Humut Tabal @The Korova (basement), 107 E. Martin, San Antonio with Dis, Sturmgewehr, Venomous Supremacy, Misskarrage, Redeemed Chaos at 8:00.  $5.