Axes of Evil played at Spanish Moon on Friday, March 13. The venue wasn’t packed but the fans that were there full of energy and enthusiasm for a bona fide rock concert. Lafayette-based rock band Forming the Void opened for Axes of Evil with a redone set of gut-wrenching soul-sucking lamentations. Frontman James Marshall has an incredible voice that he reins in until the time comes to howl. Despite the emotional versatility of the music, the musicians did not emote during their songs. Instead, they focused on the technical aspect, the crisp sound, and thunderous rock.
            Thibodeaux-based Drysocket followed, and shredded with their metal-thrash blend. In stark contrast to Forming the Void’s stoic performance lead singer Sipp joked, swigged beer, and exchanged banter with the crowd and his bandmates. They were not as polished as Forming the Void’s set, but they were a more cohesive unit. The band members fed off of each others and the energy was palpable. By the time they were done the crowd was pumped for the heaviest kind of metal.
Axes of Evil’s Facebook page promised, “Face melting solos and songs about Vikings and Warhammer” and they delivered. Their rigid melodies all pertained to war and accelerated before culminating in grandiose displays of rebellion. There was no shortage of head-banging from the crowd. Their music was framed as an ultimate rejection of the soothing and comforting; it was inciting and jarring and offensive. They reminded Baton Rouge that they were here first and foremost to rock, and rock they did.