It's been interesting to witness the evolution of Phillip of Nazareth over the past few years. When I saw them back in 2011, during one of the Homegrown Music Festival binges, they were a straightforward band of fast-playing young punks. I don’t know what to make of them anymore. If I had to try, I’d say they were somewhere along the lines of prog-metal-jazz-punk-funk fusion – like Rush and Black Sabbath got together with Herbie Hancock to remake a Black Flag album.
I know it’s rock and roll, and I know I like it.
This week, some pretty sweet footage of the band playing a set at Beaner’s Central appeared on the Internet. That’s it posted below.
Phillip of Nazareth // Beaners Central - 9/28/2013 - Part 1 from Mason Lehto on Vimeo.
I’m always amazed at how strong Phillip of Nazareth is when they play live. Drummer Cory Coffman and bassist Andy Pletcher handle a solid rhythm section, while guitar player Josh Mutchler provides the high-end squeals and riffs from his Gibson SG. Their songs tend to be long strings of complicated arrangements that seem to change genres from riff to riff. They definitely don't screw around with simple song structure, and they don't want to be put in a box.
Phillip of Nazareth recorded this album back in 2010. If you want to get a sense of the transformation this band has undergone (and continues to undergo), compare the album below to the video up above.
They're currently taking a break from gigs until sometime in December. Until then, just watch the video and make sure you don’t miss them next time they get onstage.