No Cause/No Cure

Ozzfest didn’t touch down anywhere near Kansas City this year, requiring an eight-hour road trip to Noblesville, Indiana, for die-hard headbangers. But Jim Kilroy’s locally charged Rock and Metal Fest offers just as many heavy bands (20 in all), with the added appeal of club-crawl mobility and accessibly priced liquor. Perhaps the best band on this bill is No Cause/No Cure, which opens the Davey’s Uptown slate. Led by Erik Schmutzler, whose operatic grasp recalls Rob Halford’s earliest screams for vengeance, this quartet churns through manic, warped-carnival compositions. Alternating inventive progressions with rhythm-driven grooves, No Cause/No Cure delivers enough virtuoso variety for adventurous listeners without alienating garden-variety mosh-heads. And unlike the headliners at Ozzfest, this group remains in its creative prime. For a full five-venue calendar, see www.Banzai Magazine.net.