A fun way to pay homage to your favorite band can be starting a cover band. Some cover bands go above and beyond to not only sound like the people they are imitating, but to also dress and even look like them down to the hair and facial details. One band that decided to put a unique spin on the cover artist idea is the legendary Mac Sabbath. Imbodying the ideas of Black Sabbath if they had sponsorship deals from McDonalds and wore costumes like they were the live band at a satanic Chuck E. Cheese. Pioneering the Drive Thru Metal genre, Mac Sabbath has been singing about the perils of the golden arcs for a decade. Celebrating 10 years as a band, they came to one of their favorite venues, the Observatory in Santa Ana, CA and bringing D.I. and The Venomous Pinks to raise hell.

Opening the night was a three piece all female punk band from Arizona known as The Venomous Pinks. These girls were ready to raise hell and throw down just as heavy as any male punk band. Fronted by guitarist Drea Doll, she was armed with a voice full of intensity and rage. Not so much singing but commanding the crowd with her lyrics. Bassist Gaby Kaos screamed melodies alongside Drea and sync’d her playing perfectly with drummer Cassandra Jalilie. The two crafted bombastic rhythms that got the mosh pits started for the night. Playing songs mostly off their album Vita Mors, The Venomous Pinks infected the crowd with chaotic energy that would continue to grow throughout the night.

Up next was the Orange County natives known as D.I. As soon as the band hit the stage, but before a single note could ring out, the crowd was already screaming and ready to let the mosh rage. Helmed by Casey Royer on vocals, who was more just shouting at the crowd. But we ate it up. Guitarists Clinton Calton & Trevor Lucca tackled the fast simple punk melodies with ease and mixed in some quick but punchy guitar solos. Bassist Eddie Tatar and drummer Joey Tatar crafted the rhythm section with an almost running groove to it. This running groove helped keep the energy alive in the moshers to never let the pit stop. D.I. fully turned the Observatory into a hardcore show, with people jumping on stage, two stepping with the band, before launching themselves back into the crowd. The band fed off this chaos and their energy seemed to pick up as the crowd got more rambunctious. D.I. did not let the energy slow down even for a moment with songs like “Living in the USA,” “Johnny’s Got a Problem,” “Imminent War,” “Falling Out,” “Obnoxious,” “Richard Hung Himself,” “(I Hate) Surfin’ in H.B.,” “Guns,” and “Youth in Asia.” I have always heard of the name D.I. but finally getting to experience them was a whole other beast. They’ve been around for over 40 years, and they still continue to incite rage and chaos with the new youth of the nation.

A curtain was draped over the stage to allow a transformation into the drive thru restaurant we were all about to dine at. As the driving guitar to “Organic Funeral” rang out over the crowd, people cheered with anticipation. The curtain was ripped away as Mac Sabbath took the stage. Ronald Osbourne engaged the crowd strapped into a straight jacket. This madman could only be contained for the first song, before ripping himself free to truly embrace the chaos of the world we had just walked into. Flanked by guitarist Slayer MacCheeze and bassist Grimalice, this quartet is rounded off by drummer the Catburglar. These found entities imbue Black Sabbath sounds with lyrics about the horrors of fast food. All the while their Employee of the Month flings french fries into the crowd. When I say the crowd ate this up, I am speaking literally as people were eating the french fries. If there is one thing Mac Sabbath can do it is inciting pandemonium in the crowd. As my experience with Mac Sabbath shows continues, they cause some of the wildest crowds of any band I have experienced. With Songs like “Sweet Beef,” “More Ribs,” “Grilled by Death,” “The Lizard,” “Beth,” “Chicken for the Slaves,” “Frying Pan.” And “Pair-a-Buns,” the crowd could not be contained from showing their love for their McDonald’s overlords.

Mac Sabbath continues to be a hidden gem in the metal and overall music world. It can be tough for a cover band to really break out into the general public, but these guys have such a unique spin on the idea, you can’t help but have fun at one of their shows. This was their 10th anniversary show of being a band, and they don’t seem to be planning to stop. Drive Thru Metal could make its way to a city near you, and no matter how long the line is to place your order, the meal will leave you happy that tried something new.