Ludicra

Formed in 1999, the San Francisco quintet Ludicra concentrates on unadorned black metal free of gothic keyboards, pagan folk touches, or electronic elements, taking cues from outfits such as Darkthrone, Gorgoroth, Dodheimsgard, and Bethlehem. The lineup features guitarist John Cobbett of Hammers of Misfortune and the Lord Weird Slough Feg, guitarist/vocalist Christy Cather, bassist Ross Sewage also of Impaled and formerly of Exhumed, vocalist Laurie Sue Shanaman, and drummer Aesop. An earlier configuration also contained Jesika Christ, previously of the Bay Area death/black metal band Sangre Amado, who contributed songwriting to the group’s debut. That record, Hollow Psalms, surfaced in 2002 through the Bay Area label Life Is Abuse and included guest appearances by Melynda Jackson of Subarachnoid Space along with Lorraine Rath. Ludicra maintain a steady performance schedule around San Francisco, where their forceful stage presence has earned them notice while sharing bills with acts ranging from the death metal quartet Impaled to the post-hardcore/noise group Total Shutdown and the instrumental math metallers the Fucking Champs. Their follow-up, Another Great Love Song, arrived on Alternative Tentacles in fall 2004, with Fex Urbis Lex Orbis appearing two years afterward.