When we talk about legendary 817 metal, we always seem to focus on Pantera, often to the detriment of Rigor Mortis, a trio-cum-quartet that formed in Arlington in 1983 (right after Pantera) and after signing to Capital Records released an eponymous debut album in 1987, at the height of hair-metaldom. As the band’s name would indicate, guitarist Mike Scaccia, drummer Harden Harrison, bassist Casey Orr, and vocalist Bruce Corbitt were more concerned with horrific, gory lyrical subject matter, in addition to pounding speed and loudness, than with romantic guitar lixxx and heartbreak (and with torn jeans than Spandex). Rigor Mortis disbanded in the early ’90s after Scaccia left to join to Ministry, sending Orr to GWAR (and eventually to Vaden Todd Lewis’ defunct Burden Brothers, among other bands), Harrison to Speedealer (né REO Speedealer), among others, and Corbitt to, eventually, Warbeast, a relatively new and pretty kickass metal outfit whose debut album, Krush the Enemy, was released in late 2010 on Housecore Records, a label owned and operated by ex-Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo, and was reviewed by us here.
But Rigor is back, about to record some new tunes early next month and to embark on a mini-tour, with stops in Tyler, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, New Orleans, and, yes, Fort Worth, twice. Both F-Dub shows are at The Rail. The first is this Saturday with Dallas’ Creeper, North Texas’ Primordius, and Arlington’s Rabid Flesh Eaters. The second is on Fri., April 15, with NOLA’s Exhorder.
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