alt metal – The Cosmic Clash

Live music review: Tomahawk and Melvins descended on a sold-out Emo’s

July 21, 2026 Case Cockrell 787 Views alt metal, Buzz Osborne, concert, Emos, hard rock, live music, Melvins, Mike Patton, Review, rock n roll, sludge metal, Tomahawk

Mike Patton has spent three decades collecting bands like other people collect vinyl, and every one of them draws the same crowd, showing up less for the setlist than for whatever version of Patton decides to appear. This time it was Nashville’s Tomahawk, and the Monday, July 20 stop at Emo’s Austin sold out fast. After a canceled Sick New World Festival in 2025 for the band’s 25th anniversary, Tomahawk’s reunion after 12 years off took a backseat until now.

Case Cockrell Live Music Review

Live music review: Flagman brought deep fried alt metal to Lost Well

July 18, 2026 Case Cockrell 484 Views alt metal, Austin, concert, Flagman, live music, metal fusion, Mr. Bungle, Primus, prog metal, Review, slap-bass, The Lost Well

Seattle-by-way-of-Orlando trio Flagman made their way south this summer to deliver their slap-bass mayhem to Austin metal stronghold Lost Well on July 16 – the second stop on their summer tour to spread their self-proclaimed brand of “deep-fried alt-metal.” Formed in 2015 around frontman and bass virtuoso Sam Stewart, the band has rotated through members over the years while keeping the bassist as the focal point of their roadshow. Since the dawn of the doomscroll era, artists and brands alike have been riding the algorithm to rack up streams and hopefully, enough chump change for Denny’s on the road. If you’re a Primus guy or a Mr. Bungle kind of weirdo, this band is for you.