Nothing like a good change of pace back in Bangkok. On Saturday night, I attended a thai death metal concert at a venue called "Hollywood Awards." I think the name is referring to the Academy Awards because there were two large golden statues guarding the exterior of the building. The venue was an enormous cavern that looked something like the entrance to Universal Studios, with a fake rock fascade and neon lights. This concert was on a Saturday afternoon. I thought this was odd because I couldn't imagine a metal concert before nightfall. Evidently, the venue is quite pricy to rent, and the "Thailand Metal Festival" could only afford an afternoon slot. In the evening, Hollywood Awards becomes a discotec and coyote bar catering to a different sort of clientele. It seems that metal music and their fans are universal and uniform across continents. This thai version was identical to the shows I've been to in the US, complete with deep-voiced growls, long hair, and black clothing, except perhaps for the slightly more buddist vibe. By this, I mean that there was a good-natured politeness to the scene, and instead of singing about decapitating babies (a death metal favorite), I imagine that they were singing about somewhat less gory, if still dark, subjects.