GWAR, Soulfly, and King Parrot Deliver the Goods at House of Blues in San Diego [Photos]

“The Return of Gor Gor” U.S. tour with GWAR, Soulfly and King Parrot hit San Diego’s House of Blues last week. The venue, with a 1,500-person capacity, was packed with people of all ages, colours, and sizes. Dozens wore white t-shirts, making themselves ripe targets for the spewage of blood that would ensue during GWAR’s raucous performance.

King Parrot’s half-hour set stoked the crowd. Formed in 2010, the Australian grindcore quartet has toured internationally with the biggest acts in heavy music. Singer Matt Young thrashed about the stage, getting right up in the audience’s face. “Fuck You and the Horse You Rode in On” was a scorcher. Loud. Energetic. Fun.

Metal vets, Soulfly, began their set with “No Hope = No Fear,” a back to the beginnings: classic, dark, and heavy, that set things up right. The thrashy/nu metal cut “Seek ‘n’ Strike” had the crowd jumping. Vocalist/guitarist Max Cavalera (ex-Sepultura) and son, drummer Zyon Cavalera, lead guitarist Mike DeLeon, and bassist Chase Bryant delivered a set of older favourites as well as a few tracks from Chama, the album they released last year.

The stage was too small to fit GWAR’s props, and with the added heft and size of their costumes, the band wasn’t moving with the ease they would have had at the bigger venues. No matter. Despite the limitations on space, the intergalactic scumdogs of heavy metal, featuring Blothar the Berserker (vocals), Balsac the Jaws of Death (guitar), Grodius Maximus (guitar), Beefcake the Mighty (bass), Jizmak the Gusha (drums), and other unnamed players, gave their audience what they came for.