Live Doom: The Kept
Drop-tuned metal from brothers Brandon and Tyson Arnold
On the bandcamp page for Wichita Falls’ The Kept, the bio reads in-part “We tune low and play loud,” and based on what I saw at their show at the Iron Horse, The Kept is as advertised.
A self-described Doom Metal project from brothers Brandon and Tyson Arnold, The Kept played their first gig in 2015 and they are heavy. At the hands of guitarists Tyson Arnold and Jeff Catlin, The Kept chugged drop-tuned Gibson Flying V’s for more than an hour. Gritty vocals by Brandon Arnold were delivered in hypnotic verses, then hammered home in the choruses by the group, shouting along in unison.
There are undoubtedly more contemporary, relevant comparisons to be made, but I’m an old fart and I can only characterize The Kept in the context of what I know. A bit of Texas’ own Pantera was present in the musical atmosphere all night, and I felt like The Kept reminded me of a modern, drop-tuned Biohazard. (I’d love to hear them do a cover of Biohazard’s “Five Blocks to the Subway.”)
The Kept performed like a team of professionals to such a degree that it was more like watching a national act coming through the Falls than it was watching hometown boys gracing a very familiar stage. Consider this a heads-up to big name acts — if you have to follow The Kept onstage, I hope you have your sh*t together.
Bassist Nick Knowles is perfectly content to stand in the back and bludgeon his bass to death. Late in the set I saw him just slamming his right hand against the strings like a mallet, effectively turning his bass into an electric percussion instrument through force of will. It was impressive, but it made me wonder if he does it often and whether his hand hurts the next day.
Drummer Stephen Welch hits ‘em hard with metronome timing that meshes in perfect fashion with the chugging metal of The Kept, giving the music a sound of mechanized precision. I personally can’t get enough of the headphones on a drummer bit, either. I’ve always thought it was cool, gives a kind of science fiction/futuristic look, and it looks cool in a photo, too.
Is that a Rock God visage from Brandon or what?
I noticed at the gig that The Kept uses a logo that is a very cool pastiche of the old Thin Lizzy logo. I got in touch with the guys after the show and they told me they are huge Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath fans and “wanted to start a project that blended those classic rock influences with the heavier metal projects we’ve played in before.”
The Kept’s Lizzy-inspired logo is cool, too. I regret not getting one of their shirts at the merch table. Next time for sure.
I’ve seen all kinds of shows since moving to Wichita Falls, but this was the first time I got to visit my personal wheelhouse — metal — and The Kept was a great way to get started. I mean, when one of the band’s most popular tracks is called “The God of Tits and Wine,” you pretty much know what you’re getting right up front, and I’m freaking cool with it.
It is apparent that the live show is where you really understand the weight of The Kept, and it’s something you have to see in person. From an old timer to the younger generation of metalheads, put your devil horns up and spend some time surrendering to the grind of The Kept.
Brandon called Kevin Gilmore of It Hurts to Be Dead onstage for a sing-along late in the set. The guys told me they’ve been friends for a long time.
We know Kevin is as big of a fan of the Misfits as we are, so if he’s at the show we get him up for some fun sing alongs. Kevin is a great dude and we need to play with IHTBD more!
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All photos by the author, © FallstownFUSE.com
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