San Jose, Calif.-- This past Sunday, January 13th, 2002, five bands, Maelstrom, Asylum, San Resina, Spiritual Eclipse, and Lords of the Manor, performed a Sunday Cactus Club show that, when originally scheduled, had no special meaning, other than another heavy show at the downtown San Jose club. This was supposed to be a standard show that allowed fellow metal fans to file into the venue and check out the latest from some of the area's better bands.

Sadly, this was not the case in the end, for this show wound up serving as the first of two very special memorial shows for a man that meant as much to the music scene as the scene meant to him.

The man who could do it all musically. Rob Lumbre: April 27, 1977 - January 5, 2002

That man was Robert Charles Lumbre.

The story begins in 1997 with a show at the fabled Cactus Club with Six Feet Under headlining. Leading up to the final act was a variety of underground heavy bands opening the show to a sparse crowd. Included on the bill was Stepchild, True to Form and a straight heavy thrash band known quite simply as Osmium. Performing on the opposite side of the stage was this big ball of hair with the killer chops as Rob tore through the Osmium set that night unaware that he was influencing, even if subconsciously, the making of Powerslave.com which would see the light of day two years later.

Fast forward to 1999 and the idea behind this site was born. By this time, Rob had seen the juggernaut known as Osmium fade into the shadows (where they would remain until after the new millennium) and had moved onto a new act, jumping into the veteran black / death metal crushing sound of Psypheria, located in the Sacramento region.

It was a cool summer day in the middle of 1999 that Powerslave.com was introduced to the man who would appear on so many of these pages. Introduced to a man that would help this site in numerous ways that are not even known to this very day. Introduced to a man that became a friend to this effort, and helped bring exposure to so many talented bands in the Northern Californian region.

In the beginning, Powerslave.com lacked any bands or serious content. At this point in 1999, it was simply this idea that needed attention and direction. It needed help and Rob was one of the first (incidentally, the Sacramento act The Council was the other serious help in the very beginning) to introduce Powerslave.com to a load of brand new bands and of course, his current band, Psypheria. Rob brought so many new bands to this site and helped to grow this effort, supplying new names as well as content through the music he played and his knowledge of the scene.

Rob Lumbre performing with Psypheria on October 15, 2000 at the Cactus Club

On July 31st, 1999 (incidentally the same day this site officially launched), Rob and his fellow band mate guitarist / vocalist Tom Persons sat down with this site and conducted an extended interview about their current band Psypheria and the scene in general.

Rob, from that interview on his move from Osmium to Psypheria: "This one, Psypheria, is a lot more musician-oriented. People who listen to it wouldn't necessarily go off raging like people who went to Osmium shows did. Osmium was straight like mosh pit music. When we wrote songs for Osmium, it was basically if we couldn't see ourselves moshing to it we didn't play it. Psypheria is way more technical and way more complex."

A little less than a month had passed and Rob introduced the punishing sound of Vile through a show at San Francisco's Slim's on August 19th, 1999. It was this show that Powerslave.com was able to be introduced to a host of brand new bands through Rob and his knowledge and love for the scene. The show turned out to be a good one, with the now popular Systematic opening the show to a sparse crowd and Vile basically blowing everyone off the stage with their typically sick and twisted riffing and vocals.

In March of 2000, Rob would appear on the reviewed pages of Powerslave.com for the first time as Psypheria performed at the Sacramento Metal Fest which keyboardist Lyle Livingston had organized. The show, which happened at Bojangles club, had a large crowd and plenty of heavy music with a strong closing set from Psypheria. It was at that show did Rob's musical ability become apparent, watching him tear through the highly technical sound with his monstrous bass guitar, all the while knowing he had played the guitar while in Osmium during their first run together in the mid to late Nineties. It was simply a sight to remember, that first moment seeing a friend perform in the band he had been talking about and knowing the music. It was one of those moments that typically defines a memory for an entire period of time. The show went off and Rob's name hit the reviews, where it would appear many times in the next couple of years through the assorted different bands he shared the stage with and performed some of the most extreme metal.

San Resina's Frank Renteria performing at the first of two memorial shows at the Cactus Club

-------------------

The first memorial show for Rob at the Cactus Club On January 13th, 2002, came off well, drawing a respectable crowd for a Sunday night. The bands, Maelstrom, Asylum, San Resina, Spiritual Eclipse, and Lords of the Manor, never lost sight of why this show was special and the man behind the reason.

This was probably the best way for Rob to be remembered as, when it comes down to it, Rob was about as metal as they come in terms of his knowledge of the music, his passion, and his unbelievable talent as a musician.

Of course, this was the first of two shows dedicated to Rob, with the second happening on February 2nd, 2002 at the Cactus Club and will feature some top of the line talent including Impaled, Deeds of Flesh, and Ragweed.

And of course, bands Rob performed with at one time or another will also be on hand including Severed Savior, Psypheria and the one and only Osmium.

It will certainly not be one to miss, for many reasons that go beyond the usual motivation.

This is Part I of a special two part feature about Rob and the impact on the scene he made in his 24 years with us. Tune in on February 3rd, 2002 (the day after the second Memorial show) as we look more at his career in the scene including his time with Mucus Membrane, the return of Osmium and his short time with Severed Savior.

Slave's Comments

	No comments have been made.

Post a Comment

	Register | Forgot password | View Recent Comments Hey Slave, you are not logged in. Login using your Slave's Quarters login and password. If you do not have one, visit our Community Boards and register.   Username:     Password: Log me on automatically each visit Login