Witchaven, Exmortus getting heavy in Vegas

They hail from the land of sunshine, bikinis and George Clooney -- so what are the dudes in Exmortus and Witchhaven so pissed off about?

Not sure what it is about California that has long made it such fertile terrain for poseur-punching thrash metal, but the trend continues from the early '80s to today.

Not that there's anything trendy about either one of these bruisers.

Exmortus blast forth with rugged death thrash powered by awesomely over-the-top, rubber-wristed lead guitar work, while Witchhaven dirty things up with touches of black metal misanthropy.

Despite being unrelentingly heavy, both bands are also pretty catchy -- like the plague.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.