Hit Pick

With a safety record to rival Amtrak's, Derailed conducts runaway locomotives of the headbanging variety. Fast and heavy, the trio -- guitarist/frontman Russ Fahnestock, bassist Matt Flanagan and drummer Scott Lewis -- cranks the decibels up past hardcore's pain threshold for a pleasingly melodic, punk-informed brand of gritty, proletarian metal...

By John La Briola

August 14, 2003

Audio By Carbonatix

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "leaderboardInlineContent",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "tower",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]

With a safety record to rival Amtrak's, Derailed conducts runaway locomotives of the headbanging variety. Fast and heavy, the trio -- guitarist/frontman Russ Fahnestock, bassist Matt Flanagan and drummer Scott Lewis -- cranks the decibels up past hardcore's pain threshold for a pleasingly melodic, punk-informed brand of gritty, proletarian metal. More than a little indebted to the classic, behemoth sounds of Black Sabbath (the three moonlight with ex-Boss 302 crooner Rich Groskopf, as an amusing Ozzy-channels-Morrissey entity known as the Black Smiths), Derailed knows exactly how far to ride the "Crazy Train" before balling the jack in its own right. Masters of the sped-up power dirge, Fahnestock and company rode the rails with distinction on last year's impressive Noise Tent 2002 sampler -- something of a harbinger of spring in these here parts -- and followed it up six months later with their debut full-length, Apocalypse Later. Warming up the stage for Hydra Head Records' nationally touring showcase of ultra-heavy acts on Thursday, August 14, at the Larimer Lounge, Derailed joins New Hampshire's Scissorfight, Seattle's Harkonen and Chicago-based Pelican for an evening of shredding bombast, rock-steady riffs and Flying V guitar haze. Admit it: A band like this comes in handy during those precious moments when you want nothing so much as to smash somebody's face.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.