TAUNTAUN

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.......REVIEWS.......
From Decibel Magazine:

For those who are unfamiliar with Star Wars monsters, Wookieepedia defines a tauntaun as “a species of omnivorous reptomammals who were indigenous to the icy planet of Hoth.” In layman’s terms, a tauntaun looked like an adorable, hairy little T-Rex that you put a saddle on and rode through the snow. (Confession: I wanted to ride to and from school on the back of one because they looked so freakin’ cool.) Fans of the trilogy no doubt remember the brootal scene in The Empire Strikes Back where super-butch Han Solo rips the entrails from a dead tauntaun and tenderly wraps a frigid Luke Skywalker in the hollow carcass to save the little guy from turning into a Popsicle.

The similarly chilly atmosphere of Denver, CO, is home to the band Tauntaun. Their self-titled debut dishes out classic roadhouse biker metal with brawny rhythms and solos that reach for the horizon. There’s more than a bit of ’90s-era Metallica’s soap-operatic maneuvers at work here. Tauntaun could pull off playing “Priestess,” “Death Finds Us All” and “Elemental” with a tuxedo-clad orchestra lit from behind in blue. “For Us to Destroy” gets gnarly with the effects pedals and “Turn Me on Dead Man” stuffs the band’s cheeks with an extra helping of Wheaties. If we were on the verge of freezing, we’d definitely gut this band and crawl inside.
- By Jeanne Fury, Decibel, August 2009.

Tauntaun, Kingdom of Magic and Wetlands
Friday, March 6, 2009 - Bluebird Theater

Friday night's Bluebird crowd came prepared to rock and they certainly weren't disappointed. As metal reasserts itself in the mainstream Denver music scene, fans of nosehair-singeing rock are lucky to have the chance to catch lineups like this one.

...the rafter-rattling headlining set by Tauntaun. The quartet of drummer Dave Barker (Pinhead Circus, Love Me Destroyer), bassist Matty Clark (Grace Like Gravity, Sleeper Horse), guitarist Ian O'Dougherty (Uphollow, Ian Cooke) and singer/guitarist Chris Fogal (Gamits) took the Bluebird with such force and confidence that it seemed as if they were already rock stars. The technical, precise, melodic metal that this groups plies requires musical prowess and just the right amount of attitude, and these seasoned players proved that they have both in spades.

Borrowing liberally from the British New Wave of heavy metal (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden), as well as Motorhead, Exodus, and early Slayer and Metallica, the terrorists of Tauntaun hurtled through a fast-paced, well-sequenced set showcased the crew's skills. O'Dougherty's performance was particularly noteworthy as he tossed off brutal, visceral and challenging guitar lines with little indication of effort. It's as if this diverse crew was born to make this particular brand of music.

Tauntaun whipped the metal-ready crowd into a seething, steaming froth, all while making their intricate riffs, incisive harmonies, start-stop rhythms and melodic hook look easy. A crew of dedicated horn-throwers was so moved by the melodic metal mayhem that they kept trying to start a vicious pit at the apron of the stage. Unfortunately, they were either too drunk or too old (and believe me, I can relate to both) to sustain the momentum. Nonetheless, Tauntaun filled the theater with so much simmering energy that the end of the show left the crowd chanting and shouting for more. - by Eryc Eyl. link TaunTaun -
Former Gamits helmsman Chris Fogal has always been a secret shredder, and here he finally indulges his inner Hessian. With the help of a superstar lineup, Fogal has taken local metal to breathtaking new heights, with mountain-crumbling rhythms, Guitar Hero-worthy leads and searing, monolithic vocals. — Dave Herrera, Westword 12/08.

TaunTaun -
When looking at a disassembled car engine, it may seem improbable that all those tiny pieces of scrap metal could one day be constructed into something powerful. The same can be said looking at the pieces of TaunTaun.
With acts such as the Gamits, Rocky Votolato, Sleeper Horse and Uphollow under the members' collective belt, it's hard to imagine a finished product that could be heavy and powerful, but it is.
The album blends soaring guitar solos, double-bass drum blasts and enough Black Sabbath-style shredding to shame Ozzy into drinking again.
The way it's put together may seem unorthodox, but TaunTaun has constructed a beautifully brutal masterpiece that should be considered among the top local releases of the year. Review by Andy Thomas, Westword 11/08.