By Alexander de la Torre Bueno

I'm a Journalist living in DC. I dabble in music and traditional journalism.
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La Peña, Berkeley, CA, Saturday 16 July 2011

Flametal opened last Saturday night at La Peña with a traditional flamenco rumba that quickly spiraled into a mix of heavy metal head-banging and virtuoso guitar progressions. The band, led by lead guitar Ben Woods, blends a unique mix of metal and flamenco to create a sound that, although rooted in heavy rock, carries as much weight with flamenco aficionados as it does with metal-heads.

The crowd, comprised mainly of longhaired rockers and professor-looking couples, shuffled into their seats and got comfortable as they waited for the show to begin. The first half of the concert featured a more Andalusian sound with the Flametal's drummer, Thomas Perry, playing the cajon. Accompanied by two flamenco dancers Woods played in a more traditional style echoed by the twangy vibrations of Brian Spaulding's electric guitar. For those who have not experienced flamenco guitar, it is one of the most technical and dexterity-demanding guitar forms. The guitarist is often playing a sub-beat with the guitar frame, while stringing together a complex set of notes with his fingers. Woods is considered by many as a virtuoso of traditional flamenco, but says he favors the fusion his band brings to the form.

At the end of the first set audience members offered a rousing applause. A few of the intelligencia crowd crossed their legs and talked about Woods' execution and the band's place in the flamenco community. After wicking the sweat off his head, Woods made a few jokes. He called the second half of their performance the more metal portion of the show. The audience laughed, probably thinking he was joking.

Perry moved from cajon to drums and after a few initial melodic notes, the music morphed into a weave of Spanish and gothic sounds. From the height of a colorful guitar solo, songs descended into heavy heart pounding head banging drum beats. Screeching guitar entered like a wave, unleashed by second guitar Brian Spaulding. The second half was electrifying to say the least and for a few members of the audience possibly frightening. A well-to-do man by the exit fidgeted in his seat as he tried to find a comfortable position from which to bear the brunt of the band's heavy metal guitar riffs.

Others gathered at the front of the stage tossing their heads up and down to Uriah Duffy's pounding bass rhythm. Appropriate cliché: this portion of the show separated the metal heads from the boys. The head bangers drew strange looks from the intellectual crowd, and visa versa. Still much of the audience remained riveted by the band's unorthodox music. The sheer virtuosity of the performance, discomfort notwithstanding, kept everyone's eyes fixed on stage. Sweat dripping from his face, Woods lifted his head for set after set of mind blowing guitar solos. Even the band's bassist, Duffy, laid down a breathtaking fret-tapping solo.

Flametal finished their last song panting and covered in sweat. Woods, an obvious veteran of the routine, thanked the crowd and put down his guitar. They received a mix of standing and sitting applause, but the shock value said it all. Whether people were saying good or ill of the band, it's all that anyone could talk about during the intermission. The mood instilled by Woods' and his four-piece group stuck with everyone long after their show. Their music they made kept the audience's blood pumping and their eyes fixated. People could say they disliked the show, but no one dared say the Flametal lacked talent.