Death Valley High w/ Deep Sleep Operator
Gabe’s — Sunday, March 30 at 9 p.m. (Free)
One band believes the Zombie Apocalypse has already begun. The other claims to be non-human from an alien planet. A little extreme, I know. But then again, hard rock has always been an outlet for the obscure.
These two twisted bands are Death Valley High and Deep Sleep Operator, and they’ll be bringing their peculiar brands of rock to Gabe’s Sunday night. But, despite their unusual subject matter, these bands actually have a likable sound.
Death Valley High will be promoting their new album, Positive Euth, which builds from their acclaimed debut Doom, In Full Bloom. From that album, the track “Multiply” won the Independent Music Award for Best Rock Song, and they have a strong contender for the same award this year with their lead single “How2kill.” Their music, which they describe as a “mixtape to a doomsday dance party,” features distorted guitar riffs over surprisingly catchy beats that do, in fact, make you want to dance. Reyka Osburn’s vocals are very reminiscent of Deftones’ Chino Moreno, in the way that they start gentle, but deviate between eerie whispers and forced screams.
Deep Sleep Operator is a one man band created by science-fiction fanatic Mark Ehlers, who says his music is what Steven Spielberg’s nightmares sound like. Appropriately enough, his 2012 debut, While The Earth Sleeps, is a concept album about aliens taking over Earth.
Ehlers assaults listeners with aggression and sinister Alice Cooper-like snarls, convincing us he’s part of the alien invasion. But with tracks like “Spiritual Warfare,” and its climactic guitar solo finale, we’re okay with it.
The show is free, so don’t hesitate to stop by if you are intrigued by themes of death, the supernatural and the extraterrestrial — or if you want to see one of the weirdest rock shows ever. The alien invasion kicks off at 9 p.m., and will be followed by the Zombie Apocalypse until about 11 p.m.
