Down from the badlands of the Antelope Valley swooped a quartet of metal aficionados known as DistortedFate, pumped and primed to showcase their own heavy sound at Paladino’s on Friday, September 28th. Consisting of guitarist Bob Spears, vocalist Mike Weinberg, bassist Aaron Cross, and drummer Brian Banner, the crew shredded out a half-dozen original numbers, plus an Iron Maiden cover, to the approval of a spirited house at the Tarzana nightspot.
The set opened with “Haunting,” a song that was true to its name, with the way that Mike’s minor-key crooning matched Bob’s introductory plucking. The cut broke quickly to a speedy pace, revealing that Mike also has a flair for the devilish kind of wildcat growling that’s so prevalent with many of today’s more extreme metal bands. “Haunting” gave way to “Rage,” another apt anthem that kept listeners’ attention with clever tempo changes and fierce vocals. “Sea of Doom” featured another mournful intro, breaking quickly into open-eyed, jumping fury, as Bob’s leads built from crafted precision into lightning frenzy. The band then covered Iron Maiden’s “Ides of March,” during which Mike plunged onto the floor, glad-handing fans and stirring up energy. A cut called “Vanished” was credited to Rick Spears, during which Mike executed an uncanny kind of robot-zombie 
shuffle. Next was “Out of Time,” and then came another aggro-laden tune entitled “Justified Anger,” which was accented by “hey-hey-heys” from the crowd.
Clean-cut and athletic, Mike kept an easy, familiar banter going between songs, earning nods of acknowledgment from the floor. Clad in camo-pants, Aaron looked and moved like a skater, ramped and amped for action. Behind the drums, goateed Brian flailed with faithful precision, grinning like he was at Disneyland. And Bob, a true six-string master, kept his long hair waving and his fast fingers flying, staunchly determined to embody his band’s motto: “Pure Metal.” DistortedFate may be the band’s name, but one thing is clear: These guys are good, focused rockers – and clearly, they will be heard.
