There's Artimus Pyle, the man -- Lynyrd Skynyrd's drummer with the epic name. Then there's his band, aptly called the Artimus Pyle Band. Then there's Artimus Pyledriver, the brutal Southern-fried metal band with all the Confederate flags and stuff.
And then there's Artimus Pyle, the Prank Records band that mixes abrasive punk rock with chugging metal breakdowns. With members hailing from Seattle and Milwaukee, it might seem from the outset that there's nothing to connect this Artimus Pyle to the South. And there's certainly little to connect it to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The band's pedigree, however, owes a bit to the South; its metalcore sound brings to mind plenty of angry Southerners from the past decade. Other Prank Records bands like His Hero Is Gone and Damad (and the wildly popular ex-Damad band Kylesa) hail from Tennessee and Georgia, respectively, and combine high-energy blast beats with sludgy Sabbath worship. Likewise for Carolinians-gone-north Facedowninshit, now on Relapse Records, whose more recent albums provide a close comparison for much of Artimus Pyle's output.
Artimus Pyle's variation on punk and metal is typically dour -- expect songs with depressing titles like "Lumps of Human Refuse" and "Meaninglessness." But that doesn't mean it's all to no discernable end: The band frequently brings a brutally angry critique of the business lifestyle ("Gray Flannel Suits," "Financial Incentives") and touches fearlessly on hot-button political issues like the war on terror.
Artimus Pyle's American tour with Sweden's Regulations stops at the Braddock Elks on Fri., Aug. 10. Here's hoping the folks who show up know which Artimus Pyle they're in for. There likely won't be a rebel flag to be found in the joint.
Artimus Pyle, Regulations, Kim Phuc and Icon Gallery. 8 p.m. Fri., Aug. 10. Braddock Elks Lodge #883, 424 Library St., Braddock. $8. All ages. 412-271-1335
