The Best OC Metal Concerts in November

It’s November, and there are now less than two months till 2016 comes to an end. And with this election cycle, we know everyone is losing it. What better way to decompress and vent some of that frustration than attending a good old fashioned mosh pit? As usual, the OC region never disappoints when it comes to a constant supply of metal concerts, local gigs and tours this month. Whether you’re into prog/djent, the new school metalcore, '80s, doom or grindcore, we got you covered. Here are some of OC’s best metal concerts in November.

Napalm Death/The Black Dahlia Murder
November 4th, The Observatory Santa Ana
Though Napalm Death has (many) more years of experience than The Black Dahlia Murder, don’t think that both bands aren’t equally as brutal. Tomorrow, fans at the Observatory will get a chance to have their faces, and bodies pummeled by a band considered to be a pioneering force in the Grind core genre, the mighty Napalm Death. From the UK, the band has been fighting against oppression, exploitation, corruption and wars for now approaching three decades. While Detroit-based metalers The Black Dahlia Murder might not have as many years experience as Napalm Death, they have proved themselves to be worthy with an intense show that is a mix of thrashy, majestic, melodic death metal, with hints of black metal and groove twisted throughout. Be sure to not miss opening acts Misery Index and Abnormality, whose sole purpose is to crush fans and warm them up by bursting their ear drums with high doses of fierce extreme metal madness, so if you catch this show be ready to mosh.

Midnight Communion
Long Beach(various Venues November 11-13)
If November corresponded with a sub genre of metal, the obvious choice would be Doom. Both sometimes creep on slowly, and the Fall’s colder darker days with less sunlight seem to resonate with the long, intense and buzzing fuzzy and cerebral riffs, pounding, slow burning sound of the drumming that Doom metal is known for. As such, it makes sense to throw a three day Doom Metal fest in Long Beach this month, each night at a different venue. The three day multi venue festival is also set to feature a slew of local artists, illustrators, visionaries and ink slingers, including Adrian Baxter, Jesse Schaller, Nate Burns, Jennifer Josling, and from Costa Mesa’s Port City Tattoo, Drake Sheehan and Tim McAlary, among tons more. All shows are either 18+ or 21+, sorry kiddies.

Friday (11/11) Que Sera in Long Beach hosts an all day line up of sinister sounding doom and gloom, featuring headlining act INVDRS from Salt Lake City, plus Xialba, Trapped Within Burning Machinery, Communion, Cloven, Drainage, and many others.

Saturday(11/12) will be at Di Piazzas, and will be headlined by Virginia based stoners, sludge/doom band Cough, as well Fistula, Hell, Seven Sisters of Sleep, and LA based Deathkings, among many others.

Sunday(11/13)
The final night of the festival will be held at Alex’s Bar, and will feature local doomsters Destroy Judas, as well as 16, Funerary, Teeth, Un, and LA based oceanic doom metal band Cetacean

Steel Panther
November 5th, The Grove of Anaheim
If you love the nostalgia of the Sunset Strip glam metal scene this is definitely a band to catch live. As entertaining as they are talented, the band has traveled the globe keeping the spirit of hair metal alive and well. This will sure to be an explosive night of Aqua Net, leather pants, eyeliner, weed, beer and some of the sleaziest, hedonistic metal out there. Time to party like is 1985. But, in case you miss this show, don’t worry, it looks like Steel Panther will be performing lots of shows in the LA area this month, including numerous nights at the famous Roxy on Sunset in Hollywood.

Attila, Chelsea Grin, Emmure
November 7, The Glasshouse Pomona
Get ready for a dose of American metalcore at this show, with three prominent, relatively younger bands on the metalcore scene in the US, each with a similar yet distinctive sound, and a solid fan base. All bands were formed in the early to mid 2000s, and have gained notoriety among the metal scene through heavy touring schedules and promotion on social media. This is the next generation of bands to represent the heavy music scene, and though the label of metal core might fit, the bands have been known to tour with various pop punk and metal bands, and have appeared on various installments of the annual Warped Tour. Get ready for some serious hardcore slam dancing, but be careful in the pit, this is an all-ages show.

Animals As Leaders
November 11, The Glasshouse Pomona
This LA-based progressive/experimental band will play for fans in Pomona on 11/11, is sure to mezmerize those in attendance, as per usual, with a heavy instrumental sound that defies classification. Don’t pigeonhole these guys. Is it extreme? Yes. Technical and full of musical virtuosity? Yes. Imagine a concept that spliced metal with jazz fusion, prog rock, classical electronic and various sub genres of extreme metal. The musicianship of the band is top notch, and will appeal to anyone who digs amazing instrumental passages. Imagine taking the music of Mars Volta, Intronaut, Mastodon, Wes Montgomery, Buddy Rich, Meshhuga, Rodrgio y Gabriella, Steve Vai, and Joe Satriani all into one, and you might get an idea of what this band stand for musically.

Dark Tranquility
November 30, The Grove of Anaheim
Dark Tranquility are a crucial band when it comes to the Gothenburg, Sweden melodic death metal scene and sound. Formed in 1990, the band has been producing music that is the epitome of the Swedish melodic death metal sound. Perhaps a bit underrated, Dark Tranquility’s name truly displays what the band stands for, a darker, aggressive and sinister tone, is coagulated with a very melodic and at times atmospheric sound. With 11 albums and numerous world tours, Dark Tranquility show no sings of slowing down anytime soon.