Put the name aside for a minute. And for goodness sake, don?t let your mother see the CD?s jewel case.
If you can do that, you?ll find that the music played by The F?ing Champs mixes serious metal with an indie appeal ? and has really developed a more signature style on their newly released album, VI.
“We like that there?s more stuff on it that doesn?t really sound like us,” guitarist Tim Green said. “It?s more of a departure from the way we usually sound, and it?s more tripped out sounding.”
The three-piece band from SanFrancisco, which records for the Drag City label, builds their songs, mostly instrumentals, around shifting time signatures, guitar harmonies, and lots of rhythm. Bands members Green of Nation of Ulysses, guitarist Phil Manley of Trans Am and founding member Tim Soete, who plays synthesizer, drums and guitar, spend a lot of time on melodies and sharp metallic riffs that are, quite frankly, very well crafted.
But those who attend the show shouldn?t expect a lot of jumping, yelling or other metal-type theatrics. The band members stay very still through their sets, playing riffs and melodies to the exclusion of everything else. That?s not to say their music lacks energy. Far from it.
“Expect to hear some loud music,” Green said. “Bring some earplugs.”
Members liken the band?s sound to death metal, which doesn?t repeat at all and has no tonal center.
Thrasher magazine has compared the band?s performance and sound to “Slayer on Prozac without any vocals or heavy metal?s swords and sorcery affectation.”
Now touring to support VI, the members are in fine form and have a bit of fun, too. In “Fozzy Goes to Africa,” stand-up comedian Neil Hamburger makes a musical cameo.
That?s plenty of variety for the members, who said they have no interest in grabbing the coat tails of heavy metal revivalism or jumping into the quagmire of politics from which the genre often draws ideas.
This is a band that likes to have fun.
“We?ll be touring more” this year, Green said. “We are also supposed to do a cover song from ?Rocky? for this arm-wrestling documentary.”
IF YOU GO…
The F?g Champs with Birds of Avalon and Red Prey (all ages show)
»Venue: The Ottobar, 2549 Howard St., Baltimore
» When: 8 p.m., doors, 9 p.m. show; Wednesday, June 6
» Tickets: $12
» More info: www.missiontix.com
