Review: Skullcrusher at The Moroccan Lounge, Los Angeles

MusicReviewShows

Jul 10

☆ BY Fiona Pestana ☆

A WHITE DRAPE BILLOWED ON THE PROJECTION BEHIND SKULLCRUSHER’S HELEN BALLENTINE, — donning an angelic ensemble: a white shirt and skirt, white ballet slippers and tights, and a white doily-like ribbon tied around her neck.

Her surname, Ballentine, feels like an appropriate combination of “ballerina,” signified by her shoe choice, and “valentine,” with love of all kinds being a common thread throughout her music. Her artist name, Skullcrusher, signifies her contrasting side as an emotional heavyweight, enduring pain and longing strong enough to crack bones.

The intimate Moroccan Lounge transformed into a sort of secular chapel, the whole crowd silently mesmerized by Skullcrusher and her co-performer Mal’s patient, atmospheric show. Ballentine’s soft, high voice floated above distorted guitar and piano, sounding both ethereal and organic, like sailing to heaven through a forest, or through a storm.

This performance begins L.A.-based Skullcrusher’s summer tour with a local show, accompanied by fellow local artist Mal, who also served as the night’s opener. Skullcrusher played mostly new music, perhaps indicating a project release in the near future. Mal announced a project, “Fallen Friend,” coming out in August.

Skullcrusher’s new songs felt psychedelic, with a near-constant reverberating hum backing every graceful melody. Even the old songs transformed from a slightly harder indie folk to more meditative, trippy versions. Each piece blended together seamlessly, with mostly fluid transitions between songs. If a moment of silence ever occurred, a soft “thank you” punctuated a song before entering the next one.

During Ballentine’s set, Mal, a guitar and pedal wizard, added powerful yet soft layers. They made nonverbal vocal effects through a microphone and quietly thundering sounds with their guitar, leaving it humming on the ground as the duo exited the stage. Skullcrusher could have kept going; the crowd clapped like they wanted more.

Mal opened the show with a similarly dynamic set, performing all but one song completely alone, with just their voice, guitar, and pedals. They took the stage humbly, calm yet confident, and began the night so smoothly. Mal plays with such range, shifting from indie folk rock to shoegaze-y distortion, from soft to gritty, so quickly. Their technique indicates expertise, sometimes just wiggling their finger on a string, vibrating just enough to make a buzzy sound.

A few times, Mal thanked the crowd for being so quiet, which made them snap out of their captivated stares just to applaud.

When the show ended, the room of mullets and $6 PBRs left their collective dreamstate.

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We couldn’t be more stoked to have Suriel Hess as our new headliner for our upcoming LA show 🤩 🫶 Not gonna lie, us & Notorious Noise kinda went OFF with this line up & you’re not gonna wanna miss it - ticket link in bio 🎫