Remember, there are only three people in this band; Sam Waters, the guitarist and vocalist, Melissa Lonchambon Ryan, the bassist and vocalist, and Anthony Vallejo, the drummer and vocalist. Yes, they all sing. And they all sing well. In fact, they pretty much do everything well. Only three people in this band, yet it sounds like a wall of sound, an army of riffs. In all my years, I’ve never seen a more technically masterful group of musicians. Watching them perform is simultaneously inspiring and terrifying; inspiring because you want to be just as great as they are live, and terrifying, because you know you never will be.
Aside from being one of the absolute best metal bands in Houston, Omotai is also one of the most challenging. Their music, while not as easily accessible as some of the more prominent metal bands in Houston, is easily more complex and more thoughtful, provoking and engaging the kind of reaction, which ultimately feels much more rewarding than your typical head banger’s fare. In this writer’s opinion, Anthony Vallejo is hands down the best drummer in Houston, regardless of what some poll says. Have you seen him play? You’ll never see anything else like it.
You have an opportunity to catch them in a really different environment this Saturday. For one, they’ll be playing during the day. Two, they’ll be playing in a record store– an environment that doesn’t give a lot of room for circle pits and unnecessary buffoonery, only leaving you enough room to simply (as if there was anything simple about it) enjoy the show. A lot of their live material will be from their new album, but they are constantly writing and progressing, so you never know what to expect.
If you are a musician, or ever aspire to be one, and even if you aren’t, you should be at Cactus Music, at 5:00pm this Saturday, and you just might take something away from that show which will inspire you forever.
You can RSVP to the event here, and check out our review of Terrestrial Grief, here.
