Dethklok, Mastodon

Say what you want about metal music—and you’re probably right about the tatoos, testosterone, and taurine—but you’ve got to admit it: These dudes are ambitious.

Like the extinct wooly beast they’re named for, Atlanta-based Mastodon have rampaged through this decade on the front end of what’s being called the new wave of American heavy metal. In 2004, they turned (well, banged) heads with Leviathan, a concept album based on Moby Dick, but this year they outdid themselves. Crack in the Skye follows an astral-projecting quadriplegic who burns his umbilical cord on the sun and drifts into Czarist Russia where he warns Rasputin of his impending assassination and is rewarded with returned use of his body.

And Dethklok. Well, they don’t even exist. Technically, they’re a Cartoon Network death-metal band (think Gorillaz) built around metal stereotypes like Norwegian guitarist Toki Wartooth (complete with his Flying V and Fu Manchu), Irish American drummer Pickles (pot-bellied and skulleted), and lisping bassist William Murderface. On screen, their nemesis the Tribunal describes them as the “world’s greatest cultural force,” and live, their creator and frontman Brendon Small describes them as “a Disney ride, but with murder.”

Together with Converge and High on Fire, this is the Metalocalypse tour. Consider yourself warned. The show comes to the Washington Avenue Armory (195 Washington Ave., Albany) on Sunday (Oct. 25) at 6:30 PM. Tickets are $33. Call 512-5203 for more info.

Local Harvest Festival

Celebrate the season of plenty with a visit to the Local Harvest Festival—sponsored by Honest Weight Food Co-Op, Capital District Local First and yours truly—when the Washington Park Lake House transforms into a bustling local foods marketplace, featuring local farmers, bakers, restaurants and artisans sampling and selling their creations.

And if the fresh local bounty isn’t tempting enough, entertainment opportunities abound, including a pumpkin painting contest, a bike raffle, a chef’s challenge with Chef Andrew Plummer of Creo, children’s activities from the SUNY Artist’s Co-Op, and more.

The folks behind WRPI’s Hello Pretty City will also be on hand, hosting a crop of local music talent with live performances by Ashley Pond, Armfee and Railbird Jr.

The Local Harvest Festival takes place on Sunday (Oct. 25) from 2 PM to 6 PM at the Washington Park Lake House (Washington Park, Albany). Admission is free. For more info, e-mail capitaldistrict1st@gmail.com.

Zombie Film Feast II

The dead rise again this weekend for WAMC’s second Zombie Film Feast, and this year the monster mash promises to be more horrific than ever.

The three-day Feast features screenings of eleven zombie flicks (including Dead Snow, pictured) spanning two decades of horror lore and gore and introduces an ultimate zombie slaying marathon in the Gaming Vault—with six gaming stations set up in the Linda’s famous bank vault.

Saturday, the apocalyptic antics explode with a Zombie Walk, “Thriller” dance-off, brain-eating competition, all followed by a Zombie Prom, featuring the Hellions of Troy and music by Zombie Bomb and 104.9 the Edge. So doll yourself up in your festering best; “dead is the new alive.”

The Zombie Film Feast kicks off tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 23) at the Linda (339 Central Ave., Albany) when the Gaming Vault opens for business at 4 PM, followed by the first film screening (American Zombie) at 6 PM. Saturday (Oct. 24) the horror hits the streets when the Zombie Walk heads down Lark Street at 5 PM toward the Linda for more feast-ivities. The movies and gaming continue all weekend, culminating in a final “zombie slayoff” Sunday evening. Individual movie tickets are $6, admission to the Zombie prom is $8; the “All-Feast Pass” buys admission to all the weekend’s screenings and events for $30. For more info, including a complete schedule, visit wamcarts.org/zombie.