[Collaborative metal performance with Doverh on drums, Cesta Embersoot on guitar, and Xepher K’awiil on vocals]
Cesta strolled up to the stage in heavy black leather boots. ‘IRON LYNXES’ was sewn into the back of her denim battle vest with the face of a roaring lynx below it. Numerous other patches adorned the old vest: ‘ELITE TAUREN CHIEFTAIN’, ‘MY OTHER RIDE IS YOUR MOTHER’, ‘GNOMETALLICA’, ‘BLIGHT BOAR’, SLAYER’, ‘CANNIBAL QUILBOAR’, ‘STAND IN THE FIRE’, ‘ALESTORM’, ‘GRIND GEARS’, ‘BANSHEE WAILERS’, and more!
Cesta hefted up a brutal-looking electric guitar. The body of the instrument curled into vicious, pointed blades on both sides. At her touch, a pair of horns sprouted from the head. Countless half-peeled stickers from other bands dotted the instrument. But one part of the body remained untouched: The signature from Elite Tauren Chieftain’s lead guitarist, Bergrisst.
Doverh takes the stage with bloodshot eyes, with well done banshee under-eye makeup down her cheeks. She wears a simplistic, black marching uniform fit with brown leather armor plates and plenty of belts and spiked chains by her waist. Doverh inspects her simplistic, classic set of rock and roll drums, that were also fit with unique additions like a Xylophone, multiple kick-pedals either for cymbals or her massive kickdrums. On the front of her kickdrums display a nice, well detailed piece of artwork reading “The Blight Stripes” written in red, black, and white.
Coming behind the bassist, guitarist, and drummer, a junoesque woman followed to take her place at the microphone stand. Musical tech was set around them to allow their live performance to mirror the clean studio sound while remaining evocatively raw. A wolfish grin blossomed on those full deep plum lips as her hands wrapped slowly over the microphone. She wore black jeans with a midriff baring top and vibrant combat boots. Her smokey eye makeup complimented that bold color choice. Her intricate white henna sleeve was on display under the lights, striking against deep caramel skin. Midnight blue curls were left free to fall wherever they pleased as she pressed forward.
Behind her, a tiny wyrmtongue in a similar leather battle jacket. ‘VOZ SQUAD’ was sewn into it with a tiny demonic smiley face. He pushed a giant amp up to the stage and jammed the guitar’s jack into it. From there, Cesta began to fiddle with the tuning pegs, occasionally strumming a note. Once done, she awaited the signal. Felfire coalesced between her index and thumb, solidifying into a scorched guitar pick. Blazing green flame trailed the pick as she brought it to the strings. She began to strum gentle, light notes. Despite the monstrous-looking instrument, each note produced a soft sound like tinkling glass. Cesta settled into a riff, continuing to strum as her black-nailed fingertips deftly fretted each note.
Doverh opens with her kick cymbal, quickly following with her lifting her custom, black, red, and white drumsticks to land on both her right and left drums before quickly clashing with the two cymbals above them to break the song out of the gorgeous melody of guitar, and into the darker tone. To be joined by base, she starts playing a simple drum beat, but quickly bounces her left knee, making her kick cymbal clatter from both it’s own kick mechanics and the occasional drumstick applied. It sounds fast, and rather difficult, however, Doverh makes it look anything but.
“Step forward…and meet a new sunrise. A coward..is shivering inside” Xepher sang in a melodic soft tone, her right hand slipping down the stand in hold. “Today I’ll… be a friend of mine~. Who swallows suffering with smile” Her low euphonious tone carried the note as hands released the stand to float around her. “I drew a different reality. With unconditional loyalty. Ego hardly can be piqued…‘Cause I’m selfless” Hands drawing whimsical shapes as her minor vocal fry sustained that last word. Xepher’s eyes came to close as she swayed to the trance of the instrumentals, body fluid and loose.
Without warning, the guitar’s sound exploded, aggressive and distorted. The sheer noise blasted Vozraal off of the amp. The warlock’s eyes blazed bright felfire. It crackled around her, wrapping around the fretboard and igniting the strings. Flames blasted out of the instrument’s head. Each note violently roared from the strings as she strummed. Cackling skulls manifested within the green flames, wafting off of the instrument and fading into the air with a fanged smile. Her wyrmtongue took cover for dear life, tiny red hands clasping over the back of his head as if mortar fire was raining down.
Doverh joins in behind the tune of the guitar, matching with heavy kick drums and cymbals to match the beat of the wailing, crackling guitar. Doverh grits her teeth and bangs her head a fair amount as she goes.
“Scale armour blaze!” Working from the diaphragm, Xepher projected her voice through controlled false cord screams. This sound was generated by the opening of the vocal folds to allow enough air to pass through, thus flapping the false folds. “Virgin innocence” Xepher’s motions were sharp and firm, knees bending as she carried the growl. “One being brings life. Another runs for death” She maintained an even volume growl that wasn’t pushed to create the aggressive sound. As Xepher repeated the chorus, her body leaned upwards into the mic as arms shot outwards. An expressive hand crawled towards the audience as her vowel shapes heightened the growl at “Another runs for death”.
Just as quickly the guitar blared with brutal force, it calmed. Its roaring sound gave way to gentle notes like falling rain. Cesta continued picking at the strings, her flames extinguishing from the fretboard. The horns on her guitar’s head retracted back in until they were only tiny stubs by the tuning pegs. Voz looked up with wary eyes and stood to his feet. As Cesta closed her eyes, the wyrmtongue took a seat by the amp and held a red-scaled arm up. In his hand, an ignited lighter. He slowly waved it, enjoying the brief reprieve.
Doverh transitions out of loud performance just as her other bandmates, however, she plays her first verse, with many more quick notes. It’s rapid, and back to back, keeping the adrenaline rush if not going deeper into one.
“No promises I ever give…Don’t rely on me and I won’t deceive” Xepher masterfully transitioned back to her clean vocals from that powerful growl. “The beginning or the end you can’t tell. When I wave my fin and shake my tail” This verse sung at a higher pitch from the last, hands fluttering upwards. The note of tail wavered as her hips rolled to the melodic instrumentals. “I grew in different normality~ With unblamable morality~ Hooks and nets are there for me, but..” Xepher cooed those words, eyes darting over the audience now. “I’m skittish” A coy smirk curving those lips to display fang-like teeth.
SYKE. Cesta’s guitar roared with even more force. The sound blasted Voz over the crowd’s heads. The wyrmtongue squealed as he flew through the air like a demonic cannonball. CRASH. Hopefully, he didn’t land in any of the merchant stalls. Unfazed, Cesta continued to strum that vicious instrument. The amp beside her crackled with green flames. Even it grew horns as sound visibly reverberated from it.The warlock stomped a heavy boot onto the amp. It boomed out with a howl, amplifying Xepher’s growls. The machine rumbled like an angry demon hunter Cesta’s boot. She smashed her steel-plated toe into its head. It submitted. For now.
Doverh’s heavy drumming quickly turns from more of the same to a quick succession of hammering on the drums, going into a tiny drum solo before ending it on a single cymbal clash. Then silence on her part, creating an emptiness for the sustained guitar note to be the focus for a moment. Doverh lightly taps out a few cymbal notes as the song calms.
“Scale armour blaze! Virgin innocence” Xepher’s husky voice boomed with immense passion, filling the air with an electric sensation. The mic ripped from the stand as her body leaned backwards in a curve, flowing tresses whipping about. “One being brings life. Another runs for death” The growler’s core strength evident as the vocal distortions bellowed forth. Xepher’s knees bent low as her head thrashed forward to the repeat of the chorus. She was no longer tethered to one spot, body moving with that unbounded energy across the stage. Thick curls thrashed about her face as the mic was pressed close for a fry scream.
Under Cesta’s heel, the amp quieted as the song relaxed once more. The demonic amp fell still, the flames around it snuffing. Voz waddled back toward the stage, scooching through the crowd to join in with his master. The warlock tipped her chin toward the amp under her feet, commanding the demon to maintain it. As Voz nodded in acknowledgment and took his place, Cesta stepped off of the amp. She picked at the strings with closed eyes, enjoying the break as she bobbed her head to Xepher’s vocals.. She’d need her energy for the next part.
“Neptulon’s child shivering inside” Xepher slid down to the ground, curly hair draped about her face like a wild mane. Her head lifted upwards as eyes appeared to close, raw fervor etched across that visage. “Drowns in the liquid gold” Body swaying to one side as a hand snaked out to the crowd. “Cherished his life to the underworld~” An even tone elongated the last word, creating a mellifluous sound. “Meet me flashing when winter cries” A ferocity glowed in Xepher’s eyes as she sensually rose back up. Muscles tensing for the final breakdown. Her body slanting as she rocked back and forth, arms pushing upwards.
Cesta shot a signaling glance to Voz. The wyrmtongue cranked the amp’s volume up to 20. In a quick flurry of distorted notes, the amp roared to life again. The diabolical machine sprouted mechanical legs and even a tail. Voz piloted the machine like a horrific animatronic. It spewed fire out into the air as Cesta’s guitar ignited with flames. But regardless of the heat, she strummed with pride!
Doverh lays on heavy notes, almost every one heavy and fast, and most certainly joined by a kick cymbal. Doverh wrinkles her face and bangs her head to the maddening beat as the song reaches it’s climax. Doverh bounces both her feet, and makes the whole area shake as every note is joined by a heavy metal kick drum beat and cymbal until their final notes ring. She closes with a calculated flurry of notes alongside the guitar’s closing.
“Pisces swimming through the river. All their life against the stream” Xepher threw her head back in pure fry scream interlaced with overtones. “Searching for a hook to catch on. And see their sun beam~” The jump from distortion to her high mix register was effortless. In that moment, she took the cleans and screams connecting them into a unified thread. “Then suffocate in painful tortures. On cutting tables of callous men. Under a knife of handsome butchers” A crescendo of so many emotions poured from the woman as she jolted up. “Emeralds are ripped away!” Nails dragged beneath her vibrant eye as the false cord scream rose in pitch. Xepher repeated those words like an enraged siren chanting her spell on the sea. The final scream projected through an incredible amount of compression strength. Tendrils of ice crinkled up her pronounced throat muscles till she fell silent.
The ren’dorei’s hair ignited in a bright green blaze. It floated behind her as if she were in zero gravity, sound booming all around her like artillery fire. Despite the explosive volume, Cesta remained resolute in the face of this heavy metal apocalypse. She ended with a quick flurry of brutal notes, in rhythm with the blasting drums as flames spewed out of her guitar’s head in a flashy conclusion as she flung the guitar around her body.
Drums- @ben-doverh , Guitarist- @embersoot , Vocals - bluexepher
Performed live on April 1st, 2020 at @menagerieboutique @succulent-tart
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