By “Tampa” Earl Burton
Live Review: Castrofate, Awaiting Abigail, Blood of Angels, and The D.O.O.D. – The Brass Mug, Tampa, FL – February 13, 2026
It was already spooky enough on Friday the 13th in Tampa, but it got even more spooky at the Brass Mug last week. A quartet of bands brought different stylings of hard rock and metal – some sludgy doom rock, some out-and-out thrash, and even some alt-metal – that entertained the intimate crowd that gathered at one of Tampa’s venerable music showcases. At the end of a four-hour show, both the bands and the audience were spent from the power that surged through the amps on Friday night!
Castrofate Opens the Show
The band Castrofate, led by vocalist/guitarist Dan Castro, was the opener for the evening’s festivities, and the band more than held up under the scrutiny of the audience. Formerly from New York but now calling Tampa home, Castrofate came out of the gate humming on all cylinders, powering through a forty-minute set that delivered for the extreme metal fanatics. Under Castro’s leadership, the band seems to have settled down, at least as their lineup goes, but the music still cranks; I picked up a copy of Castrofate’s 2022 album, We are Flesh, Blood, and Bone, and the tunes on the album were just as devastating there as they were live.
Coming out of the second slot were the visitors from out of town, Texas’ Awaiting Abigail. Over the past year, Awaiting Abigail
has become one of the biggest breakout stars, winning the Dallas Entertainment Awards’ prize for Best Alternative Band earlier this year. The members of Awaiting Abigail brought their show, featuring their new EP Bad Mind, and entranced the audience. Vocalist Abigail Hill was on point throughout the evening, and the other members of Awaiting Abigail – guitarist James Smith, bassist Laurie Barnett, keyboardist Kori Tolfa, and drummer Heather Hammonds – delivered a powerful alt-metal styling throughout the night. Of particular interest was their new tune, “Anxiety,” which they would close their show with. Awaiting Abigail also demonstrated solidarity with their fellow performers, sticking around to watch the other bands on the bill rather than heading to the next stop – that is something you do not see often.
AWAITING ABIGAIL
It’s The D.O.O.D. & Blood of Angels!
Once Awaiting Abigail was off the stage, The D.O.O.D were ready to hammer their instruments and entertain the crowd. The D.O.O.D. – an acronym for The Distinguished Order of Disobedience – brought their bombastic power to the Brass Mug stage, using a mixture of metal, punk, and some thrash, in creating their sound. It would serve as an excellent platform for the band, who really seemed to attack their music through their all-too-brief set.
Brian ‘Monkeyboy’ Amoroso led the group, his glowering persona accentuating the band’s aggressive stylings. He was supported by dual guitarists in Indy Brumbaugh (lead) and Raynus (rhythm/vocals), while Jonzey (bass) and Rudy (drums) held down the foundation of the band’s sound. Their 2024 release Dissonance was particularly focused on, and that is an album that needs to have more ears on it (especially the tune “The Well”).
Rounding out the night for the Brass Mug deviants was the band Blood of Angels. The Tampa rockers blended several forms of metal into a brew uniquely their own. With vocalist Randy Reyes leading the way with powerful vocals, guitarist Aaron Robinson, drummer Jonathan Rushford, and a bassist only known as “The Maggot,” brought a brutal metal force to the evening’s entertainment.
Here’s the thing about extreme metal: many people ignore it because it is “too hard,” or because people say they “can’t understand what they’re singing.” These are lazy arguments, because extreme metal is just as expressive as any other type of music. The powerful, aggressive musical arrangements only accentuate each band’s style and help deliver their message effectively.
This was the case on Friday night at the Brass Mug. Whether it was the alt-metal approach of Awaiting Abigail or the more aggressive sounds of Castrofate, The D.O.O.D., or Blood of Angels, they all had stories to tell through their music. It made for an excellent evening of music, regardless of style, and kept the Brass Mug audience entranced throughout the evening. Here is looking forward to the next opportunity to check out these excellent musicians.
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