On Saturday May 30, 2026, I headed to Orangevale, California. The event was the Hell and High Water tour at the Boardwalk featuring Mythnautica, Fraxures, Trachea and HELLHEART. This metal show was fantastic and all the bands rocked.
First up was Mythnautica, a rock band from Chico, California. Their performance was energetic, and the musicians maintained tight coordination throughout. They opened with songs including “Evergreen,” “Grave Robber,” and “Whales,” each eliciting enthusiastic audience response. As the set continued, the crowd showed heightened engagement during “Submariner.” They concluded with “Decay,” a carefully chosen tribute to a singer who had died by suicide related to depression, providing a respectful and powerful ending to their set.
Next up was Fraxures from San Diego, California, and these guys shred. With songs like “Remember”, “Great Barrier,” and “Trauma Bond”, these guys handled themselves and the crowd with an awesome flair. When they played “It’s No Good,” a huge Depeche Mode song, the crowd was into it, and a good pit was forming. A definite highlight of the set. They finished up with “Blackheart,” and it was awesome. Such a fantastic group of musicians and music.
Follow Fraxures band members on social media
Travis Neal – vocals
Fred Aching – drums
Nolan Davis – guitar
Vinny Marvaso – bass
Esteban Sanchez – lead guitar
Up next was Trachea from Yuba City, California. They started with “Broken Son”, a fantastic track that whipped the crowd up. Following that one up with “Ticket”, “I Am God,” and “Dirty Sand,” they played those songs to perfection as the pit was flowing right along with them. When they went into “Pain,” they stated that they were a metal band without a song with a corny name. The name may be corny, but the song rocked as they jammed through it. The crowd agreed as they were rocking right along with them.
“Body Slammer” was up next, and it was another rocking song. That song brought us into “Mud Bomb”, a single released a couple of months ago. That song was incredible, and the crowd could tell they were proud of it. Finishing up the set was a song called “Cold Print”, and that song shredded the crowd. It had an amazing breakdown, only to ramp it back up again. Phenomenal!
Follow Trachea band members on social media
Noah Jones – vocals
Joshwa – guitar
Finally, HELLHEART hit the stage and killed it. These powerhouses hail from Modesto, California, and they jammed so hard. “Ghost In the Cage” was the second song up, and they slayed it. That song had so much power, and the crowd was into it. By the time they hit the third song, the pit was flowing again, and they hammered out “Suffering”. A fun song that was widely loved. It was a tremendous song. When they started “The Burning Effect,” the crowd surged with excitement, and the band took note. They were playing with unabandoned fury throughout their set, and that song really upped that.
When they went into the next one, the pit exploded even harder than before. These guys were playing to their heart’s content, and it showed. One of the next songs was “Thongs Wide Open” by Creed, and while they put their own spin on it, it was still awesome. They thanked all who attended before starting the last song of the night. They started “There Will Be Violence”, their last song, but it was too soon. Shredding their way through their set wasn’t enough; they had to imprint it on our minds. And like that, they said goodnight and headed off stage.
Follow HELLHEART band members on social media
Bandon Garrett – lead vocals
Jess Gilmore – guitar
Brad Dial – guitar
Jeff Amador – bass
Joshua D’andrea – drums
Follow Mythnautica on social media
Follow Fractures on social media
Follow Trachea on social media
Follow HELLHEART on social media