Published: April 24, 2008 11:21 am      

Metalfest to help band students

If you’re looking for somewhere to two-step death metal, there’s a place close by.

Big Dawg Productions is sponsoring the Permanent Damage Hard Core Metalfest Saturday at the Liberty Theatre in Hartshorne.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. The heavy metal concert starts at 5 p.m. Tickets are $8 each and can be purchased at the door.

“It’s an all-ages show and we’re starting it early so people can come, especially young people, and not be out too late,” Paul Savala, one of the organizers, said.

Six bands are donating their time, Savala said, and the money raised is to be used “for 50 percent scholarships for McAlester band students who have a good grade average and need a little help to go to band camp.”

The bands are: “Imbryo, which is on tour from Texas. Then there’s Surcease Angel, which is on tour from Tulsa. We’re one of their stops on a multi-state tour.

“Remains of Yesterday is a Christian metal band from Henryetta. Submerged in Dirt is out of the Okmulgee/Tulsa area and they’re a real popular underground band here and in Tulsa — in fact, in all of southeast Oklahoma.

“They’ve opened for a lot of big bands, and they’ve played at Cain’s Ballroom. They’re the real deal.

“Then there’s Ashes of Creation and Aviyn, which is a band out Tulsa that has a female lead vocalist. She does the stuff that sounds like growling. Her voice is like a linebacker or a pro wrestler. It’s amazing.

“And the band members from Remains of Yesterday: their youngest member is like, 12, and their oldest is about 15.

“I know, it’s awesome. And this is going to be an awesome concert.

“Plus, people don’t have to worry about any trouble or hearing any profanity from the performers. There won’t be any of that going on. This concert will be great if you want to bring your son or your little brother to their first concert.

“You’re not going to see people drinking either. What you will see is a lot of hardcore dancing. The music is heavy, heavy duty. There will be lots of kids dancing, hardcore dancing.

“Hardcore dancing is like mosh dancing, except you’re not trying to run into each other. It’s an expressive dance which has bold and aggressive moves.”

The music and the dancing, Savala said, are a current part of the local underground. “We’re targeting all these kids who do not want to come to a regular rock show. They want to hear the heavy duty hardcore metal. That’s all they want to hear,” he said.

“A lot of those kids, who want to hear the heavy, heavy metal, are here in McAlester and they have no place to go to hear that music.

“We’re doing this to raise money for the scholarships and it also gives kids the opportunity to go somewhere and not worry about the problems of a big-time concert.”

Contact Susan Brittingham at 421-2029 or e-mail sbrittingham@mcalesternews.com.