Wroht, Mortal, Lazarus, Apraxia, Viscelator
- Hectic
- Sep 21
- 2 min read
Neck of the Woods
San Francisco, CA
September 20, 2025
My second time out to Neck of the Woods in just over a month, after not seeing a show there for a decade or two. A lot more metal shows seem to be coming through that club these days.
I started the day early, partying in the Mission with some friends and checking out the hundreds of low rider cars in the “King of the Streets” parade put on by the San Francisco Lowrider Council. The weather was warm and the crowd was going well before noon.
After some tacos and a bit of bar hopping things were primed and ready, and we took an uber out to the avenues to the Neck of the Woods. The 5 band bill thankfully started early around 6:30 PM, and I wanted to catch the first few bands, so the timing was perfect. This Saturday night local death metal showcase was in the smaller downstairs space, as there was some indie rock show going on upstairs on the second floor.
Viscelator started off the evening with their brand of Oakland thrash metal. It had been a couple of years since I last saw them, and I believe the lineup has changed slightly since then, maybe in the rhythm section, but still with the same singer / guitarist. A solid opening set.
Second up was Apraxia, the Frolic spinoff with a bit more of a fun take on death metal. These guys are always having a good time, even though the sound at the Neck of the Woods wasn’t as good as the previous time I saw them (at the DNA Lounge). Ian from Wroht came on and sang a cover tune by Bloodbath (?) during their set as well.
Lazarus was a bit different than the other bands, and not just for having come down from Sacramento. Their style of Black Metal was interesting, though I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 3 piece metal band without a bass player. Just guitar, drums, and a singer. Hmm. They were full of energy and had some good riffs, pretty entertaining, but I missed the low end.
Mortal from San Jose was the supporting act, and just as good as they were last month at the Pussy Palace show. Some old school death metal delivered with the intensity it deserves. Definitely an up and coming group.
Unfortunately we had to leave before Wroht came on, due to the 7+ hours of drinking at that point making us sloppy and sleepy. I saw them a month ago upstairs at the same club however, and are noticing them on a number of the bills of upcoming shows. Definitely worth catching if you are a local metal fan.
–Hectic
