Malkuth, Liturgy, Mount Eerie Mix Black Metal and Indie Folk on Halloween

"Happy Halloween -- the best holiday of the year," Phil Elevrum of the Microphones and Mount Eerie greeted Market Hotel in Brooklyn on, well, Halloween. Mount Eerie makes American folky music inspired by black metal. It's some parts pseudo black metal, most parts singer-songwriter like Bright Eyes.

In absolute Halloween spirit, Liturgy layered their faces in thick corpse paint. It was the first time I saw a mosh pit for the black metallers. But, better than that, it was the first time I saw a young man in a banana suit moshing.

"Go home!" an impatient Mount Eerie fan chanted during Liturgy's set. From where that costumed fellow stood, you couldn't even see Liturgy, because they were covered people headbanging to the fierce tunes of 'Renihilation.'

Despite Liturgy playing the best set I've seen from them yet, the real excitement of the night soared away after a vicious set from Malkuth, which contains members of the N.Y.C. experimental outfit No Neck Blues Band. For the few regular metal show goers in the back, it was the first time seeing the band perform in front of more than 15-20 people at a time.

But, the packed up and sweaty Market Hotel didn't stop the vicious Malkuth from giving me goosebumps. While New York has become a mecca for new black metal -- Negative Plane, Black Anvil, Villains, Agrath and a page full more -- Malkuth remains the most interesting one to watch.

Liturgy will play with Shrinebuilder and Rwake on Nov 15. at Le Poison Rouge and Liturgy and Malkuth will play with Krallice and Orphan on Nov. 13 at Union Pool.