The popular Halloween tradition of local bands performing cover sets in various levels of costume continues. This year, Lodge of Sorrows is offering the best heavy band lineup in years. Experimental alt-rockers Klept take on System of a Down, a band you never see get the cover show treatment. It’s a strong match, as each band bends hard music genres into sonic pretzels with the skills to back it up. Lobstrosity is a thrash metal band at heart, so their interpretations of genre godfathers Slayer should be tight. Like Klept, Lobstrosity adds weirdness where it fits, but don’t expect a chansons version of At Dawn They Sleep. Perhaps the most intriguing and anticipated set is the Bastardane-Basically Nancy combo covering the iconic PJ Harvey’s early trio era. If you’ve not heard her second album Rid of Me, stop whatever bullshit you’re doing right now and listen to it. Your interest in seeing this will likely skyrocket. The raw, uncompromising, straight-ahead, big-riff rock, matched with a decidedly non-victim feminist attitude from the early 90s, just might be the highlight of the evening. Finally, Space Coke does the inventors of heavy metal Black Sabbath proud, as they’ve done for years closing out their shows with a never-ending cover of Sweet Leaf. If there was an award for casting, Space Coke as Black Sabbath would win.

DEPARTURE + BACK IN BLACK @ COACH’S CORNER
FRI OCT 27 | 7 PM

A bit of a reach for a Halloween-themed collection of shows, but a case can be made that quality tribute bands are still dressing up in costume for a party with music, drinks and fun. Departure (pictured) plays the best of Journey, a non-scary band with a scary-good guitar player in the great Neil Schon. He’s the driving force behind 100 million global record sales and the dozens of hit songs that made it happen. Departure plays them all. Back in Black, the album, was an absolute monster. With a literal title mourning the acute alcohol poisoning death of their charismatic lead singer Bon Scott and declaring their return, Back in Black is a classic rock Bible, selling 50 million copies and inspiring legions of young rockers. The tribute band Back in Black plays songs from the broader Bon Scott and Brian Johnson eras, delivering the full range of the AC/DC experience since 1990. Fans will know every single song they play, since it is a scientific fact that any AC/DC song can fit on any AC/DC album.

NEKROMANCE + LOVECRY + HEY, CHROMA @ EL ROCKO LOUNGE
SAT OCT 28 | 8 PM

Fresh off a strong appearance at The Maxines album release party, Nekromance will reapply the corpse paint for a Saturday night EP release party of their own. Self-described as anything from heavy dreamo with a goth vibe to [insert genre here], it may be best defined as modern grunge with dark themes. The EP is a four-song story about a detective who loses his mind investigating a brutal murder, a Poe-like tale perfect for the season. Vocalist Ava Foster is the live performance focus, but the quartet has come a long way in a short time, like many Savannah bands who have been just bursting with creative output post-lockdown. Gainesville’s Lovecry plays dreamy shoegaze and slowcore with fits of energy and lots of passion. Northern Georgia’s Hey, Chroma plays Savannah so often you might think they’re from here, but they play here a lot because Savannah loves their experimental ambient alt-rock enough to keep them coming back.

VISION VIDEO + BENEATH TREES @ SOUTHBOUND BREWERY
TUE OCT 31 | 8 PM

Halloween lands on a lame Tuesday night, but that just means there’s another chance to get out and let loose after a weekend of pre-celebration and maybe some rest on Sunday. But the real wiccans and warlocks must gather on All Hallows’ Eve, and Athens’ goth rock professionals Vision Video provide the ritual. Billed as “dance music for the end-times,” it’s an all-sensory experience heavy on visuals matched with First Wave sounds inspired by Joy Division, The Cure, and all aficionados of black lipstick, black clothing, and black, chunky shoes. Athens has a thriving music scene and a storied history, so bands that stand out in any era are usually worth noticing. Vision Video’s multimedia performance and strong songwriting put them squarely in that category. Garage punk duo Beneath Trees draw from rock duos like Local H and White Stripes with a lo-fi sound similar to Sebadoh’s angrier Jason Lowenstein songs.

SEVERED BY DAWN + CORRUPTED EMPIRE + OSHINER @ EL ROCKO LOUNGE
THUR NOV 2 | 8 PM

With a name reminiscent of the Golden Age of Slasher Films, Severed by Dawn headlines a post-Halloween show to keep the spirit of doom alive for a few more days. The Columbia, SC band’s foundation is first wave death metal like Deicide and Death, with building blocks of hardcore, beatdown and punk. As aggressive as it often is, SBD can take it down to midtempo-circle pit speed and throw some unexpected melody at you. Opening is Savannah’s hard-edged Corrupted Empire, who’ve released one heavy AF single after another, underscoring their commitment to their craft. Oshiner, Savannah’s psychedelic metal stoners get the shindig started with progressive, powerful grooves.

This article appears in Connect Savannah | October, 2023.