Savannah, Ga. is well-known for its rich Southern traditions, its gorgeous architecture and public squares, and its amazing array of historical homes, churches and cemeteries. One of Savannah’s lesser-known points of interest is its healthy crop of Stoner Metal bands, including Kylesa, Baroness, Circle Takes the Square and Black Tusk.
Black Tusk formed 11 years ago when guitarist/vocalist Andrew Fidler, bassist/vocalist Jonathan Athon and drummer/vocalist James May simultaneously found themselves without bands after the implosion of their Punk outfits. Since they all lived on the same street, Fidler and Athon simply walked down the block and asked May if he wanted to jam with them. The threesome subsequently adapted their Punk roots to a sludgy Metal soundtrack, retaining the speedier rhythms of the former and the pervasive density of the latter. Black Tusk became a bruising, blazing blast of heavy that typified Savannah’s unlikely Metal scene.
Fidler, Athon and May made their mark among cult Metal/Hard Rock fans with the first three Black Tusk releases. The band then signed with Relapse and recorded its major-indie-label debut, 2010’s Taste the Sin, which was critically well-regarded and did relatively well commercially. A year later, producer Jack Endino helmed sessions for the band’s next album, Set the Dial, which further developed Black Tusk’s forceful Punk/Metal hybrid.
In late 2014, Athon was involved in a motorcycle accident and placed in a medically induced coma, but was ultimately diagnosed with irreversible brain damage and removed from life support. After his passing, Fidler and May announced that Black Tusk would continue with Kylesa/Niche bassist Corey Barhorst, and that Athon had finished recording his parts for the band’s next album before his death. The brutal and incendiary Pillars of Ash was released in January to fairly ecstatic response, with many citing it as Black Tusk’s best album to date. Pillar of Ash is a fitting tribute to Athon, and the group’s tour is a raucous celebration of the fallen friend and bandmate and his dedication to Black Tusk’s core ideals of Punk attitude and Metal solidarity.
NOTE — brand music video for Pillars of Ash track “God’s on Vacation” is slightly NSFW:
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This article appears in Mar 23-30, 2016.