Show Report: Sulfuric Cautery (6)/Trichomoniasis/Ectopic Pregnancy/Lithopaedia (2)/Septic Fumes (2) @ Towne Ave, 3/1/2025 (#15)
I like it
Trichomoniasis finally made the trek to LA. On a bill so loaded it'd make even the most gluttonous bagel orderer faint, the "free death" trio's debut was one of the early highlights of the year. It may have been freezing outside the Skid Row-located Towne Ave, but it was going to be hot as hell inside...in more ways than one. What am I even writing? Am I leading into a SportsCenter highlights package? Whatever. This is what happens when you try to write while sleep deprived. Onward.
Septic Fumes started the show hot — literally. (We're keeping this going, eh?) The band was dying in the mostly unventilated Towne Ave space, mainly because an industrial floor fan whirred away impotently in the corner of the room. When it came time to jam, the band asked me to hit the lights, which put me on light duty for the rest of the night. Hey, we all need a purpose in life. Anyway, Septic Fumes played selections from its upcoming EP on Headsplit, and it sounded good, in the vein of what I’m starting to believe is a distinctly LA style of goregrind: fast, with the timbres of death metal vomiting all over the core portion of grind. An out of control garbage truck filled with still bloody butcher knives, if you will. And you can tell all of these bands are thinking of the live show, adding groove parts that reliably whip pits into a frenzy. Post-set, I went to say to the singer/guitarist nice set, but he was gassed, fatigued by the Towne Ave sauna, and decamped to a frigid Skid Row instead.
I feel confident calling Lithopædia one of LA’s best death metal bands. There’s not a lot of competition, which isn’t to say the scene is terrible; it’s just that there’s not much of a scene. Who else is around? Civerous? Kommand? Harlequin? Civerous is a legit force of nature live, even if its albums don’t do a lot for me. And I'd legit love to see Harlequin if it's still kicking. Lithopædia, though, is a double threat, crushing the unrelated environs of the studio and the stage. And that’s even going off its paltry recording history: three songs on a New Standard Elite promo. But those songs literally slam, showcasing exactly how the trio gets down: ancient, almost Embryonic Death-esque brutality cut with grade-A slowdowns. The band also seems to genuinely enjoy the stage, losing themselves within the assault By the time you read this, I’ve probably caught Lithopædia playing a, I kid you not, VFW hall. How ‘90s. Oh, and rumors of a forthcoming full-length abound.
No offense to Ectopic Pregnancy, but I remember zilch about its set. The unseasoned chicken of a grind sandwich was an unenviable spot to be in when it came to this lineup, especially between such spicy morsels. I should probably eat lunch instead of watching Sandwiches of History. Anyway, Ectopic Pregnancy was definitely grind of a type that was not uncommon that night, but beyond that, I’ve got nothing. That may be more of a me problem than what they actually brought to the table. It's incredible some days that I can even remember that I have a memory.
Trichomoniasis? Whew, doggies, that set lodged itself in my permanent memory banks. The trio took the stage and immediately started churning out guttural gunk. Guitarist/singer Hunter Petersen and drummer Faustino Rodriguez were joined by a bud on bass and unleashed holy hell upon an unsuspecting younger audience, opening up a portal with from-the-gut gurgles and the type of riffs that sound like Disgorge getting invited on a G3 tour. It was almost overpowering, making me feel like I was witnessing a sequel to The XTC of Swallowing LDOH Feaces. Petersen barfed and shredded, the bassist conjured a deep bass thrum, and Rodriguez pounded out blasts while acting as a jackhammer during slowdowns. Rodriguez, in particular, was fueled by the chaos. As soon as the set was done, he tossed his sticks and flipped the crowd off. Mission accomplished. Oh, and I scored a glow-in-the-dark shirt. Color? Glowing slime green, naturally.
For normal bands, Trichomoniasis would be a tough act to follow, but Sulfuric Cautery is no normal band. The best thing about living in the general Los Angeles area is that I can see Sulfuric on the reg, and this sixth time was one of the finest, with the band playing primarily new material. After plenty of shows and tours, this lineup of Isaac Horne and Cam has solidified into Sulfuric's best, an all-out attack that has slowly folded in far more death metal into its hyper-ping turbo grind madness. Going long about the band completely misses the point. You have a split second to register an immediate reaction to a song, and then it's on to the next.
Speaking of having no time to register a reaction, while standing outside waiting for a Lyft, a woman ambled up to me. Without warning, she touched my hand and told me her name. I responded with, "Pleasure to meet you," and my name. She looked me dead in the eye and said, "I don't LIKE IT!" and stormed away. …what? What’s the true meaning of my name? What does my aura transmit to the residents of Skid Row? I'm still flummoxed by this. Never change, DTLA.
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Stoked to hear that Lithopaedia are still going and a full length might be coming. Their demo is unreal.