Judgement Day brings metal's wrath to Monstros Pizza

Originally published Feb. 20 2008 in The Orion.
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On the soundtrack to life, Oakland's Judgement Day would be fitting for moments of despair, drama and even lustful encounters. The band's catastrophic sound is loud and full of emotion.

However, it is not often that a metal band is seen playing acoustic street shows using a violin and cello.

After one year as a band, Judgement Day played outside of a show in 2004 featuring critically acclaimed, indie experimentalists Cursive, said Anton Patzner, Judgement Day violinist. The street performance impressed Cursive band members and the bands exchanged contact information. Shortly after, Cursive's label mate, Bright Eyes, invited Patzner to play violin and tour as a member of its extended band.

Judgement Day will be the center of attention when it plays at 8 p.m. Friday at Monstros Pizza, but the band has served as side project for its three members for many years, said Patzner. His cellist brother, Lewis Patzner, worked on a performance degree at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore while Anton toured with Bright Eyes. Drummer Jon Bush also worked on other musical projects.

Touring with Bright Eyes allowed Anton Patzner to learn some things that he could use with Judgement Day, he said.

"I've learned a couple of tricks of putting on a good show," he said.

Constant touring became monotonous, but he enjoyed the opportunity to play with a lot of musicians, he said. He did not expect Bright Eyes frontman, Conor Oberst, to embrace onstage jamming.

"He wants everyone to do their own thing," Anton Patzner said.

Since he has diverse music interests, he was relieved Oberst welcomed ideas, he said.

Assorted musical influences are heard in Judgement Day. One listen to the band's eerie strings and nonexistent vocals prove it is not a typical metal band. Strikingly, no guitars are in the band.

Violins and cellos in metal music are not new, but most people do not understand how strings can make a metal band, Anton Patzner said.

"Our friends would ask, 'How does that work?'" he said.

Some listeners may confuse the cello for a guitar, he said. The band manipulates sounds and creates illusions, he said.

"It's part of the challenge and fun," Anton Patzner said.

He grew up listening to movie soundtracks, he said. His first exposure to popular music was Nirvana, but he and his brother studied classical music.

Thanks to their family and its strong musical background, the brothers have been playing music for 15 years, Anton Patzner said. Their mother is a violinist for the San Francisco Ballet and their father teaches music at the College Preparatory School in Oakland.

Even though classical music is a big part of the family, the brothers' parents are supportive of Judgement Day's endeavors into the world of metal music, he said.

"They already knew I wasn't going to play classical music," he said.

Judgement Day has been working on its second full-length album and acoustic extended play, Anton Patzner said. The acoustic EP will be ready by Friday's show, but the band plans to release the full-length in May.

The show will be one of the first shows the band has played this year as a three-piece, he said. The band played a few acoustic shows in January while Bush was traveling in Israel.

Whether the band is playing electric or acoustic shows, the doom elements of its music inhabit the band members' bodies and inspire spastic movements.

Chico's Blood of Cain has shared the stage with Judgement Day and will play Friday's show.

"They make me pull out the horns," said Blood of Cain vocalist Frankie Swa. "You can mosh to them."