The Bad Penny (beta)

It was 3 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, the last day of Psycho Las Vegas 2021, at the House of Blues. Day Three of America’s best heavy-rock event (Day Four if you include Thursday’s kick-off pool party) often finds festival-goers picking crust out of their eyes and sipping beers with shaky hands as they brave through the finale.

Such was the case on this day — but, with the venue full to the brim, astute patrons noticed an undercurrent of anticipation that signals something special is about to go down.

Any music fan who has witnessed a show that puts over a band knows this sensation. Like an aroma guaranteeing a meal is going to deliver even before the first bite, the feeling of a band about to break is as tangible as it is undeniable.

With that, a band from Dallas called Creeping Death tore it up at the House of Blues, spewing forth a concoction of death and thrash metal that left the bleary-eyed attendees shellshocked and hungry for more.