Haymakers in Hamtramck.

Carbon Decoy drop a banger with special guests Glass Chimera and Velvet Snakes. Live at Outer Limits Lounge 2024.

(Photo credit, the internet)

The best thing about Detroit, by far is the quality of music that is conceived here. Mediocrity runs rampant here, be it sports or politics or manufacturing Detroit always seems to fall just a bit short. That’s where the music scene comes in and restores a champion like quality to a city that can be lousy with banality more often than not. I guess there is a reason that they call it Detroit Rock City. It’s also the reason why I’ve stayed around my whole life. the Music makes it worth it. While there are great scenes across the country, Detroit is a cut above the rest. The dirty, grimy, blue collar, grind shines throughout the music that comes out of here.

The hottest band to come out of Detroit in quite some time is Glass Chimera. I discovered them at the Corktown Music Festival last year, when they scorched the stage at The Lager House. Brynn and I were immediately hooked with their unrelenting and intense show causing us to catch them whenever we can. We saw them a few more times throughout the year, each gig the band getting more explosive, even tighter, and finding ways to take the energy levels up ten notches, without sacrificing any quality of sound. Fucking professionals. So when Carbon Decoy announced their record release show with Glass Chimera on the bill Brynn and I just had to be there.

Carbon Decoy is another behemoth from Detroit, we had yet to catch them live, but I had checked them out on Spotify when Glass Chimera posted on their socials about Decoy. They had played a gig to close out 23 together, but a gnarly case of Covid had kept Brynn and I from making it out to the show. I was wicked impressed with the material Carbon Decoy had available on Spotify.

I was excited to get out to this gig, and get my hands on the new Record from Decoy. I was expecting it to be a monster show and neither band disappointed.

Another local act WICCANS were originally slated to kick off the night, but for reasons unknown had to drop off the bill last minute. Ypsilanti hard rockers Velvet Snakes stepped in and provided a ferocious set, frontman Logan who looked like Daisy Jones and Mitch Hedberg fucked and had a kid brought on vocals that channeled the pipes of Iggy Pop and Lux Interior from The Cramps. The band bringing on the dirty, electric garage sound that Detroit is famous for. Fuzzy, trippy, and heavy. A Very Brown sound. I was hooked throughout the set, and was pleasantly surprised to find they have some material available on Spotify. They were very impressive live and knew how to get the full crowd warmed up for a long night ahead.

(Photo credit Brynn)

You can find them on Instagram at velvet_snakes_band

I for one an anxious to catch them live again and dig into their material.

Glass Chimera was next up, with their signature lab jackets in tow ready to medicate the crowd with their sonic treachery.

Picture this,

You hop on a greyhound heading for Death Valley with your dad’s Cream records, mother’s Xanax, your sisters Adderall, and the shake and stems from the jar of mushrooms your brother has stashed under his bed. With a knicked bottle of NyQuil to wash it all down. After some turbulence and a mild blackout you wake up getting pissed on by some slack jawed street worker outside the Velveta room on 6th street in Austin, Tx. This is the kind of journey Glass Chimera takes you on. A wild ride, riddled with a cacophony of unrelenting peaks and valleys that forces you to face the unknown head on.

The rhythm section holds the tightest grooves, channeling the spirits of Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, but with balls that have actually dropped. The Lead singer and guitarist is a master of manipulating sounds that would make Jimi cream himself with envy, using feedback as a sherpa to take us on this wild journey. I’m not saying these guys sound like the Butthole Surfers, but they definitely invoke the psychedelic fury that can be found on the Surfers early records. They are loud, but clean, ferocious and fast, fuzzy and dirty, tight and crisp. Punk as fuck really.

The fellas plowed through what I think may have been the best set I’ve seen yet from them last night. Each time I see them they get better and better. Fucking professionals. They left the crowd needing more, providing a cosmic journey that could have gone on for hours without being the slightest bit boring.

These guys need to signed by the right label, or the very least given all the dollars to start putting out some records and to be touring at the national level. They really are that good. While I love being able to catch them at bars around the city, they have the kind of shit that should be seen by huge crowds across the country. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about a new group, do yourself a favor and pick up their EP on Band Camp, glasschimera.bandcamp.com follow them on Facebook and Instagram @Glasschimera_ and for their next gig? Get yer ass there, and let your mind be blown by these maniacs. You’ll be more than pleasantly surprised with the quality of product that will penetrate them ear holes.

Finally it was time for the stars of the evening, Carbon Decoy! This was our first time seeing these guys live. Another Detroit Power Trio, which sees Drummer Casey Rowe handling the vocals. The sludgy, fuzzy, muddy doom from these fellas is enamoring. Mesmerizing from start to finish they were even more impressive than my expectations based from what little I had heard of them through Spotify. They were on fire, and gave the room a sales pitch that was undeniable with their performance. The band was also wicked tight and brought infectious grooves that took the crowd on an adventure through sound. Visceral and uncut rock and roll gold.

I made sure to snag a copy of the new record and the demo tape they were hocking as well. Quality investments for my ear. I gave the record a spin this morning and they spared no expense in crafting a phenomenal fucking album. Track for track there’s no filler, and the artwork and quality of the vinyl itself screams “we ain’t here to fuck around” True professionals that also need to find the proper national attention. They bring some serious heat to the stage and the studio and deserve recognition for their musical prowess.

Find them on Facebook and Instagram @carbon.decoy.band the new album can be found on Spotify, but you should really do your self and the band and buy the new record, “Superstition Plagues the Purity of All” Be sure to catch them at their next gig as well, and get fucking wrecked by their high energy show.