by Sky Disco Saturday night, the progressive death metal band, Hung played their last show of 2011 at the Knitting Factory. Hung was created by Juilliard trained musician Lyris Hung, who has played with everyone from the Transiberian Orchestra, to Indigo Girls and Jay-Z. I saw her play electric violin with Slanty Eyed Mama a while back, and knew I had to see more. I had never seen anyone maneuver a classical type instrument the way Lyris did, making use of numerous floor effects and even strumming her instrument like a guitar player.

I’m thrilled that I got to see her in action with Hung.The only thing missing for me was a remote with a slow-motion feature to study the group’s skillful time signature changes. Having never been to a death metal show before, I was curious to see how the violin would be incorporated into the music. I wasn't disappointed: it’s a lot of fun to see an expert violinist passionately rock out. It actually felt like I was listening to an electric composition on the scale of a masterful symphony.

Every musician in this band impressed with their musical prowess. Guitarist Evil John delivered intricate patterns and solos in an effortless manner. Bassist Sam Roon was dynamic, accurate and speedy. After trying four previous drummers to complete Hung, Lyris found a perfect match with Kenny Grohowski, who was trained in jazz at the New School and has collaborated with Vernon Reid and Peter Cincotti. Moscow-born vocalist Dmitry Kostitsyn was charismatic, his dark growl a perfect addition to the instrumentation. See the YouTube clip after the jump to hear for yourself.