On Saturday Night EZ and I went to see the Prog Like a Sir event at Ragazzi in Cape Town. I was a little concerned that listening to progressive metal for hours on end would have the brains dribbling out of my ears from boredom. I was wrong for two reasons.
Firstly, the first two bands - Spider Queen From Planet Arachnon (great!) and The Nevernudes (these aren't so much the band's actual names as descriptions) - weren't prog in any sense. And secondly, because when Zero Stroke came on, they were so damn good that I was riveted throughout each of their +- 15minute songs. Let me put it to you like this. This was a prog metal band and there were young women there. They were dancing. I think that violates some law of the universe when it comes to prog anything.
From the moment the bass player opened with fret-tapping until the 8 string guitar came out for the final tune, there was no mistaking that this was prog. But so good. And for guitar players. OMFG. Chad Adam Brown is so ridiculously good it makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time. Watching his fingers is like watching someone constructing a house of cards at high speed while they're riding on a motorcycle. I had that same feeling I used to have watching guitar players when I was still struggling to play a D major chord. And unlike with a lot of shred guitar playing I've seen, it never felt soulless or got boring.
And let's just say that I now see why he's not very interested in 6 string guitars.
Super nice guy too, it turns out. Make an effort to catch their next show. You'll be glad you did.
https://www.facebook.com/ZeroStroke
