Metal, Noise and Horror Comes to Baltimore

March is in full swing, and you can feel the anticipation of long, warm and sunny days throughout the city. Winter exists in part to give such a stark contrast of spring and summer, and I think it's fair to say almost everyone in Baltimore is looking forward to opening their windows to let the afternoon breeze in, even if there are bars on them.

As the city around us prepares for the lightness and rebirth of spring, the Hexagon prepares for the exact opposite. This Saturday it's featuring an evening of Metal/Noise/Horror, an amalgamation of all things dark, Gothic and desolate. The show is being put on by a group of people who wanted an opportunity to showcase something new and different in Baltimore.

I recently met up with Timothy Wisniewski and one of his counterparts in organizing Metal/Noise/Horror at Idle Hour in Federal Hill to discuss what, to some people, would be a night of music best suited to be the soundtrack to a nightmare. I asked them what their motivations were in organizing and putting together something so frighteningly bleak and brutal.

One of the purposes of the night of Metal/Noise/Horror is to be the antithesis of all things Baltimore, as far as the current popular art alt rock acts that pervade the city. There will be three DJs and surrealistic horror films beginning at 7 p.m., followed by 11 bands playing 30-minute sets. Only Putrid Servant and Lady Piss are from Baltimore, and two other bands, Revolta and Kakerlak, are from Maryland. The other acts represent the Mid-Atlantic, hailing from Philly to New York to Northern Virginia.

Influenced by the WFMU radio show My Castle of Quiet hosted by William Berger, it was important to Wisniewski and his co-organizers to bring outside bands in to showcase music and visual acts that aren't currently represented in Baltimore. This is a day of experimental ambient noise music with fringe metal elements merged with the horror genre in a day-long descent into darkness. Drawing from the intermediary areas of synth and guitar, industrial sounds and straight-up noise, the bands of Metal/Noise/Horror reflect a kinship outside of the usual ties to scene or genre—a grimy, antisocial approach to music.

Incorporating visual elements to the show were also important to everyone involved, and abstract horror films and generally disturbing images will be shown during the evening as well. For the organizers, this is a personal endeavor to unify dark musical and visual components. This is not a show for everyone, but it is something new for Baltimore, and it shows that MICA students aren't the only residents in this city with a drive to expose new artistic enterprises to Baltimore.

The show begins at 7 p.m. this Saturday, 10 bux at the door. There is also a Second Saturday art show prior to Metal/Noise/Horror, so show up early.

Keeping with the uncomfortable, awkward fringe element, Neil Hamburger will be performing Monday at the Ottobar. If you don't know who he is, I encourage you to go without Googling him if you want to have an unforgettable experience. Polarizing, unapologetic, and most likely drunk, Neil Hamburger has been around forever. Go to Ottobar Monday night to find out why.

If you're not brave enough for the Anti-Hipster Festival this Saturday, there are some other, tamer things going on this week:

• Friday at the Wind Up Space: Goodby New Plans, Embarrassing Fruits, and Lush Farm, 10 p.m., $8, must be at least 21 years old

• Wednesday, March 16 @ the Ottobar: The Pretty Reckless. Watch the beginning descent of tween Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen. Doors at 7 p.m., all ages.