Rock And Shock Part II: Live at The Palladium, Worcester MA

Posted on October 29, 2014 by News Team

Day 1 of Rock and Shock 2014 had many doubters after Machine Head had canceled their tour which was to make their stop in Worcester, Massachusetts on this day. Children of Bodom and Epica were on this tour but were not able to make it out after the tour was canceled. Having said that, we were still offered a great day with Overkill taking over the headlining spot, Doyle from The Misfits and his “Rocking Dead” band playing a one off show filled with Misfits covers, as well as Battlecross who even after the MH tour was caput, still found a way to play for us. There were also a great list of opening acts before the day officially started with Swedish group, Avatar, and a sweet dose of technical death metal from Arsis. I wish I had more time to catch the local openers, but unfortunately the convention down the street at the DCU center sucked up a lot of time (fortunately not money).

In the small stage upstairs, the freak show look-a-likes in Avatar brought their unique personality and stage presence to a larger than expected crowd. Lead man, Johannes Eckerström, truly set the mood with his odd on stage antics including swinging his cane around and drinking straight from a gasoline container (please note: I am positive that he was not actually drinking gasoline). Fan favorites seemed to be ‘Let It Burn’ and ‘Smells like a Freakshow.’ This having been my first time seeing Avatar live, I am looking forward to my next experience. Possibly a headlining show with a bigger stage show perhaps?

Moving downstairs after a quick bite to eat, I put myself right on the barricade for tech death stars, Arsis. Lead guitarist and vocalist, James Malone, was on fire as per the usual. This was also my first time finally seeing Arsis (very delayed I know) so most of my time was spent staring in amazement at the fancy fretwork being displayed in front of me. However, crowd favorite ‘We Are the Nightmare’ hit towards the end of the set and that got my head banging the hardest it had all day. As if that wasn’t enough, we also got a cover song, ‘Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)’ by W.A.S.P. which certainly got the fans engaged with Arsis. I am certainly looking forward to seeing these Virginia Beach natives again with a longer set time of course.

Easily my favorite band to come out in the last 5 or so years hit the stage next, Battlecross. Unfortunate for this Michigan five piece not having their tour with Machine Head to go on, they made sure that they could still make it to R&S. The Worcester audience was treated to two songs off the previous album (‘Push Pull Destroy’ and ‘Kaleb’) while getting a steady dose of the latest material as well (‘Ghost Alive’, ‘Never Coming Back’, ‘My Vaccine’, ‘Beast, Flesh & Bone’). To close out the set, Battlecross made sure to go out with a bang with their cover of arguably Slayer’s greatest song, ‘War Ensemble.’ The pit grew into hysterics and ended the set chanting Battlecross. Before the band took their leave, lead singer Kyle Gunther (aka Gumby), reminded the Worcester crowd that they will return for a headlining show in December on a tour with the likes of Wretched. Also, Gumby may have spit out some news as he confirmed that after this late 2014 tour ends, the boys will be heading back into the studio to write their third album to follow up War of Will (Metal Blade).

Next up was Doyle of The Misfits with the “Rocking Dead” band behind him, playing Misfits tunes. The rest of the Rocking Dead consisted of Wednesday 13 (Murderdolls), Ace Von Johnson (Faster Pussycat), Kriz DK (Deadstar Assembly, Genitorturers), Alan Robert (Life of Agony) and Virus (Device, Dope, Lords of Acid) for this one time live show. Unfortunately I never got into the Misfits outside of a handful of tracks so I couldn’t be certain as to which songs they actually played. I did recognize singles such as ‘Last Caress’ and ‘Die, Die My Darling’ which got me to sing the vocals triumphantly. At one point in the set, Lamb of God vocalist, Randy Blythe, took the microphone for a song that he stated “is about being locked up in an international prison” which certainly is a statement in and of itself. Overall it was cool to know I was one of only a few people who actually saw this one time only performance.

Closing out Day 1 of Rock and Shock was thrash legends, Overkill. Having just released their newest album, White Devil Armory (eOne), I expected a heavy selection of new material. To my surprise, there were 3 selections off of the new album (‘Armorist’, ‘Pig’, ‘Bitter Pill’) and at least one selection off of 8 other previous albums! Fans of all ages enjoyed classics such as ‘Wrecking Crew’, ‘Hello From the Gutter’, ‘End of the Line’, and ‘Rotten to the Core’, while also digging newer tracks such as ‘Electric Rattlesnake’ and ‘Ironbound’. The in between songs banter from front man Bobby Blitz was at its best as per the usual, calling out Boston sports fans due to his love of all things New York and the rivalry between the cities. Bobby was also very active on stage running around like it was still 1986 which is always a delight to see as there is no one else like Mr. Blitz. Closing out the show saw typical closers with ‘Elimination’ and their ever popular Subhumans cover, properly titled ‘Fuck You!’, bring the audience at the Palladium to the climax of their day.

Having been to a few of these convention/festival weekends now over the past few years, I still cannot seem to get all the timing down to ensure I get to all of the bands and cover the convention. Having said that, I am glad I got to see the bands involved on this day of Rock and Shock. Overkill and Battlecross continue to put on some of the most energetic live shows today, I got to see Arsis and Avatar for the first times, and I was also lucky to catch the one time only show of The Rocking Dead super group. Even with Machine Head deciding to kick their tour to the curb, I firmly believe that this day worked out for the better anyways and it will be hard for future R&S band day lineups to beat this one.

Rock And Shock on Facebook

Overkill on Facebook

WORDS: TIM LEDIN

PHOTOS: HILLARIE JASON PHOTOGRAPHY

11th Annual Rock And Shock Festival Part I: The Palladium, Worcester, MA

Posted on October 27, 2014 by News Team

Rock and Shock 2014 in Worcester, Massachusetts was arguably the best yet. Previously, R&S never had a great pre-party show that ever caught my eye. This year however, they put all the previous year’s pre-parties to rest. The sold out Worcester Palladium crowd was greeted to underrated opening band, Jess and the Ancient Ones, which set the scene of an occult ritual. This was only a prelude to the pre-party as the night concluded with an amazing show from the legendary, King Diamond. Having it been almost a decade since the King’s previous show in the area, the anticipation for his set to begin was almost unbearable. Before we get to The King, I believe Jess and the Ancient Ones deserve quite a good amount of praise.

Not ever listening to a single note that JATAO have recorded, I was very interested in what was so special about this band that King Diamond himself handpicked for his North American Tour. A fellow fan in the cramped pit filled me in that this band had a similar vibe to that of Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats as well as Ghost B.C. and other similar occult/psychedelic rock bands. His description was very accurate and only after half of the set was I finding myself in love with this band. The 70’s rock vibe mixed with Jess’s amazing vocals and her dance moves on stage really set the mood for what this night was all about. My personal favorite track was the 12-minute epic entitled ‘Sulfur Giants’ in the middle of the set. Not knocking any of the other tracks played (‘Prayer for Death and Fire’, ‘Astral Sabbat’, and ‘Casteneda’ to name a few) but this song gave me the same “Wow” factor as Blood Ceremony’s ‘Oliver Haddo’ does. Unfortunately we only got 6 tracks from Jess and The Ancient Ones, but it was a willing sacrifice for what was to come.

As soon as the crew on stage started setting up, a giant black tarp fell down from the ceiling and blocked our view. So as if the anticipation was bad enough, it just got worse. However, the long wait finally ended, the tarp fell, and slowly but surely each member of the band made their way up the staircase behind the drum kit. Finally, King Diamond, made his way up the same staircase, holding his cross-shaped microphone, made out of human bones, in the air. Then the evil ritual began as the first note of ‘The Candle’ was struck. Upside down crosses, a giant pentagram, and a creepy iron caste fence between the band and the crowd, made the atmosphere complete as the fans attempted to hit King’s falsettos (and failed miserably mostly). Fan favorites such as ‘Sleepless Nights’, ‘Eye of the Witch’, ‘The Family Ghost’, and ‘Welcome Home’ (complete with Gramma!) got the Palladium’s volume to ear deafening levels. Of course what would a King Diamond show be without a couple of tracks from Mercyful Fate? Well we got two tracks which made me more than happy. In fact, the entire floor started moving the instant the ever familiar riff to ‘Evil’ started and did not calm down until after ‘Come to the Sabbath’ ended. One of my favorite parts of the evening was when Gramma made another appearance during ‘Tea’ with, yes you guessed it, some tea in a tea kettle for King! It is without a doubt that the downside to this evening for all was after the 14 songs had been played and the night came to an end.

Overall, this night will be one of my favorite shows this year, let alone ever. King Diamond’s vocals were beyond what I expected out of the man who has been doing this for over 30 years and is a survivor from a triple bypass surgery. As equally as astounding is how great Jess and the Ancient ones ended up being. Sure some fans wanted Ghost or 3 Inches of Blood, but JATAO certainly made a statement on this night opening up for such a legendary name. I can only hope that when this new King Diamond album comes out (whenever that is) that I get the privilege of seeing him tour once more. If you were foolish enough to not attend or simply did not live close enough to a stop on this tour, then you best hope for a second chance.

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King Diamond on Facebook

Jess and the Ancient Ones on Facebook

WORDS: TIM LEDIN

PHOTOS: HILLARIE JASON PHOTOGRAPHY

On The Road… with Tiger Flowers and Hivesmasher

Posted on October 17, 2014 by News Team

Experimental hardcore facemelters Tiger Flowers have been decimating stages since the release of their album Dead Hyms (Melotov/Deathwish) last spring. They have done a bit of touring in support of the album regionally, but also are the frequent go to band for a warmup act or a head-breaking headline spot in clubs in their native New York City such as the Archeron, Saint Vitus, The Knitting Factory, and Grand Victory and more. No stage or competing band intimidates these veterans of the scene, and their live shows are usually an explosion of energy and ferocity. They recently played the Archeron again, and were joined by another band we rather like, their tour-mates in Boston bred sonic miscreants Hivesmasher. Photographer Meg Loyal was on hand to capture the action for Ghost Cult with this photo set.

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Tiger Flowers on Facebook

Hivesmasher on Facebook

PHOTOS BY MEG LOYAL PHOTOGRAPHY

X Japan: Live at Madison Square Garden, New York City

Posted on October 17, 2014 by News Team

X Japan are, without a doubt, Japan’s most enduring and influential rock band. And yes, even though they are, by the by, a Metal band, their sound, their aura, and their tendency to do it big and loud, is very much based in the kind of spectacle rock at its finest is supposed to create. Taking on Madison Square Garden was the band’s dream concert since they began to see their dedication turn into liquid success shortly before the untimely death of guitarist Hide, who is, in spirit, still considered by fans and the band to be part of the action.

Untold amounts of anticipation could be sensed around the venue, sitting atop the historic Penn Station in the center of New York. Fans milled around, periodically erupting into the signature call-and-response warcry of “We Are! X!”, and judging by how much X Japan merch and hide/80s Toshi cosplay was to be seen, nobody cared about being ‘that guy’. To date, Iron Maiden or Kiss can get away with that, is how huge X Japan is as a force of rock history. With every minute that wasn’t 8:00 pm Eastern time, I swear my heart crept closer to my throat as the symphonic rendition of ‘Amethyst’ played over the speaker. Upon the fateful hour’s arrival, the grandfathers of J-Rock themselves stepped onstage, glorious as they ever have been, kicking off with a one-two hit of ‘Jade’ and ‘Rusty Nail’, pyrotechnics included, mercilessly hooking the already engaged audience with the mighty power metal number ‘Silent Jealousy’, which certainly got heads banging vigorously as Madison Square Garden has probably never seen.

Following a new song entitled ‘Beneath The Skin’ from an upcoming album -which I’m sure will be off the charts- entertaining guitar/bass duel where Pata and Heath demonstrated the chemistry that enables them to time and time again wow the general populace of the world with both spur-of-the-moment innovation and precision mastery. Loosing the more standard hard rock number ‘Drain’ before an epic violin solo by Sugizo, the time was ripe for ‘Kurenai’, a piece as invigoratingly metal as it is tastefully composed. Another new song, ‘Hero’, had Toshi inviting the audience -and Yoshiki too, but he said “No fuckin’ way”- to sing along with the chorus, complete with words on the screen. The guys in X Japan are nothing if not interactive. After the appropriately titled ‘Born to be Free’, the band takes a well-earned intermission while Yoshiki, composer extraordinaire, took the stage hitoride to grace us with a piano solo featuring Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’, and even ‘Star Spangled Banner’ made an appearance at one point too. So meaningful was this concert to the band, and just being able to finally give American fans the show they were waiting for, it was impossible to see this as hackneyed in the slightest, and I’m unpatriotic almost to the point of treason sometimes.

Yoshiki’s mindblowing drum solo, complete with symphonic backing, was a whole show in and of itself. Reaching and maintaining heights of climactic power I could have never imagined while his drumset hovered about on a glittering platform, and select wristbands throughout the audience did the same, it was a testament to the amount of time the band has spent in perfecting their art. Speaking of art, I cried at last when, after a moment to let Yoshiki cool down after his time as a comet, the band played ‘Forever Love’, displaying images of old concerts, them just hanging out, and enjoying all that rock allowed them to as the massively creative individuals they are. The real tearjerker was arguably Yoshiki’s telling the story of the band’s trials and struggles over the years, of his and Toshi’s nearly half-century of friendship, and their gratitude for having fans and professionals that cared enough to bring to life the event of which I type. Restarting the rock with their comeback song, ‘I.V.’, followed by the endlessly anthemic rager ‘X’, and plenty of throat-rending shouts of “We Are!” by Yoshiki, always to a louder and more impassioned response of “X!” from the crowd, they took leave of the stage once again, but no one was fooled. They still hadn’t played ‘Endless Rain’ or ‘Art of Life’ yet.

I’m sure you can fill in the blanks from here.

Ending with an acoustic version of ‘Forever Love’ over the speakers as the band pelted the audience with roses -to say nothing of the confetti, streamers, and fireworks- and Yoshiki’s body itself -they weren’t ready for that stagedive-, I was left in emotional rapture. I’d laughed, I’d cried, I’d screamed like a barbarian, I’d cried more, and I sure as hell cried a little more. Literally a once in a lifetime concert, among the best live music events I’ve witnessed, and, come to think of it, the only concert I feel funny about calling a ‘show’; it would seem blasphemous to ever think of X Japan as a gig I decided to see. It was more of a spiritual obligation. After all:

We are X.

Sean Pierre-Antoine with XJapanMSG cosplayer

X Japan on Facebook

SEAN PIERRE-ANTOINE

Judas Priest: Live at Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, CT

Posted on October 15, 2014 by News Team

Judas Priest rolled into Foxwoods Casino Grand Theater like a freight train for their eighth stop on the current Redeemer of Souls tour into what seemed to be a sold out show or at least close to it. And how amazing would it be to see a band like Judas Priest right up front with no barrier? Well if you had always dreamed of that, and you were lucky enough to be seated in the first four rows, then this was your lucky night! The theater is a traditional one with permanent seats on the floor and a small orchestra pit but there was no barrier and the first four rows were allowed to stand right at the stage. And as soon as that huge Judas Priest banner dropped from the ceiling, those who could did and those who couldn’t were envious. To be inches away from Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill and newest member Richie Faulkner? I’d say that is something to remember and brag about for years to come.

The show started and the whole theater erupted in screams and cheers. Almost the entire theater stayed on their feet for the near 2 hour set which combined both old and new songs. Rob Halford proved he still has the pipes, hitting the torturously high notes on songs like ‘Victim of Changes’ with seeming ease and power. Even with multiple outfit changes from Rob and the classic motorcycle entrance, the set never lagged once which can be no easy feat for any band let alone one stacked with so much material to cover. Each song brought new waves of excitement through the crowd which never seemed to get enough from the legends. I myself could have and would have watched another hour easily. They sounded amazing and never mis-stepped. Personally I would have loved to hear something off of Rocka Rolla and Stained Class, but you can’t have everything you want.

So it’s been 40 years you say? Well they sure haven’t slowed down much judging by their non-stop, high speed performance and they left us all wanting more, chanting, “Judas Priest!” over an over at the end. I can only hope they come back again, and again, and again. Maybe some more of the early stuff I love so much next time. Go to see them when they come around on this tour and you will not be disappointed.

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Judas Priest Set List

Battle Cry

Dragonaut

Metal Gods

Devil’s Child

Victim of Changes

Halls of Valhalla

Love Bites

March of the Damned

Turbo Lover

Redeemer of Souls

Beyond the Realms of Death

Jawbreaker

Breaking the Law

Hell Bent for Leather

Encore:

You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’

Living After Midnight

(Heavy Duty)

Defenders of the Faith

Beginning of the End

Judas Priest on Facebook

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY HILLARIE JASON

Coheed and Cambria – Thank You Scientist: Live at House of Blues, Boston MA

Posted on October 14, 2014 by News Team

I went with my brother and a friend to see Coheed and Cambria’s Neverender Tour with special opener Thank You, Scientist. This tour is in celebration of the tenth anniversary of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, and the band has played the album through from start to finish across the country. Having missed their full “Neverender” set (spanning the entirety of their first 4 albums) in New York years ago, this opportunity seemed too good to pass up. While we managed to get VIP tickets for the show, we missed out on the meet-and-greet “Platinum” tickets that were available for pre-sale. The “Gold” VIP tickets came with a VIP lanyard card, and allowed for a half hour early entrance and a special acoustic song by the band.

We arrived at the House of Blues Boston about an hour before we were due to be let in. Once they started shuffling us into the venue, we took a curious turn by walking through the venue, out a back door, and around to a side door which led into the actual stage area. We filled in with the platinum VIP holders, and were greeted with a wonderful acoustic cover of the Jimmy Eat World track ‘A Praise Chorus‘. Once the song ended, the doors officially opened and we had another hour or so before Thank You, Scientist would take the stage.

Thank You, Scientist is the first act to be signed to Claudio Sanchez’s Evil Ink label, branching out from comics and into the realm of up-and-coming musical talent. As a large act (7 people playing 20+ instruments), they can definitely fill a stage, and they do it well. With songs equally catchy and crushing, Thank You, Scientist present a very eclectic cross-section of what the prog genre can be. On top of your standard prog-metal musicians, they also have 2 brass players and a lead violinist, who all worked off each other satisfyingly well. Lead vocalist Salvatore Marrano’s strange stage antics and strong voice tied everything together for a wonderfully off-kilter performance.

As Coheed and Cambria were preparing to go on, a giant three-dimensional Keywork logo was revealed, illuminated by lights built into the logo itself. The house lights cut out to a single spotlight illuminating a ringing phone onstage, cuing the entry of the band during their opening track, ‘The Ring in Return‘. The crowds’ eagerness was palpable; as soon as the song started, bodies were already moving through the air. Whatever breathing room we had was gone, as everyone pushed to get as close to the stage as possible. Unfortunately, I was quickly forced to resign myself to a corner by the merch booth for most of the set. However, in spite my location, I had a great view of the band as they continued to move flawlessly from each song to the next.

The title track, ‘In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3‘, hit the crowd like a bomb. Opening up with a fan favorite that would normally close out their set, people wasted no time throwing themselves around and screaming their hearts out for the entirety of the eight minute track. The crowd’s intensity only increased from there, as the band went directly into ‘Cuts Marked in the March of Men‘, Claudio’s voice soaring through the thunderous riffs and time changes that made this album hold up perfectly ten years later.

The band played through the entire album flawlessly, with some highlights including ‘The Crowing‘ and ‘A Favor House Atlantic‘. I found myself completely engrossed by the atmosphere they were creating, and was caught completely off guard when they started playing ‘The Light and the Glass‘. A longtime favorite of mine that I thought I’d never hear live, the band played through it like it was a permanent fixture on their set list.

The first track to get encored was ’21:13′, the hidden track on In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 (Columbia). As another track that almost never gets played, I felt exceedingly fortunate to see both live in one set. Following ’21:13′, they played the track ‘Neverender’ (From Second Stage Turbine Blade), another fan favorite and the namesake of the tour. Coheed and Cambria took a moment off stage to switch instruments before their second encore set, starting with ‘Goodnight, Fair Lady‘ (The Afterman: Ascension), followed by ‘Number City‘ (From The Afterman: Descension). Claudio invited The horn section from Thank You, Scientist onstage to play along with them for ‘Number City’, for what ended up being the one of the most entertaining songs of the night.

For the final encore of the night, two tracks from Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV, ‘Ten Speed (of God’s Blood and Burial)‘ and ‘Welcome Home‘ were played. The raw energy being put out by the band was impressive, considering how long they had been playing already. The Neverender Tour is a fabulous idea and an incredible experience. I sincerely hope they’ll be returning with other albums from their catalog.

Coheed and Cambria on Facebook

TAZIO YANDELL

On The Road…. Accept

Posted on October 7, 2014 by News Team

Heavy Metal legends Accept are criss-crossing Europe on a huge headline tour. They are out on the road supporting their acclaimed, Andy Sneap produced Blind Rage (Nuclear Blast) and back to putting on the high energy performances that made them a major draw in the 1980s. In his review of Blind Rage, Ghost Cult’s Mat Davies opined that “Accept have rarely sounded as fresh, vibrant or exciting. Well, not since they invited us to place our balls to the proverbial wall, anyway.” TJ Fowler (Fowler Photo/Skullbanger Media) caught their recent concert in Tampere, FI and provided us with these exciting photos of the big rock show.

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Accept on Facebook

Fowler Photo on Facebook

Crowbar – Revocation – Havok – Fit For an Autopsy -Armed For Apocalypse: The Worcester Palladium

Posted on October 3, 2014 by News Team

There have been a lot of killer tours of late, but few packed the variety and the punch of the bill accompanying Crowbar on their latest jaunt. Rather than take out a bunch of similar bands with an overlapping fanbase, the creators of this tour package took a bunch of cool bands that are all slightly different in genre and fandom make-up and sent them out to do something really unique. It definitely worked, because for a Tuesday night, the upstairs of the Palladium was fairly thick with heshers and heifers by the time my awesome photog for the night, Meg Loyal, and I rolled into the venue.

Armed For Apocalypse was already on when I got in, and they seemed to be going over well with the the early crowd. Apparently I also missed a slew of great local talent, which pissed me off. Promoters of shows: stop beginning before 7 PM on a weeknight (Tuesday) when most of your crowd is driving from 65 miles away or more during rush hour. Armed… meanwhile put on a killer show I wasn’t expecting this early. Their talents lay somewhere between a sludgy metal base with some grooves, death metal flair, and occasional flashes of technicality. They also had a gang-vocal-thing going on from most of their band that I liked too. We’ll be looking out for these guys again!

Fit For An Autopsy has been grinding it out live non-stop this year. They continue to pick up steam since adding Greg Wilburn to their ranks. The Palladium crowd also takes a fancy to this band they know very well from numerous shows and fests, and so the crowd was amped up and the pit was instantly activated. These guys always put on a killer performance and inspired the best, most violent pit action of the evening. There is just something about the way they carry themselves with confidence and the brutality of their style, I can really see them stepping up to the level of a Suicide Silence or a Whitechapel when their next album drops in 2015. You’ve been warned, don’t sleep on this band!

At the midway point of the night, I caught myself feeling very positive about the current scene, and that a tour like this can even happen and pass through our neck of the woods. Sentiment. I need to watch that! Meanwhile Havok came on and clearly had some of their own fanbase in the house, because their entire front of the stage was more or less a total circle pit for their set. A band that has hit the 10-year mark and also has a big following in our area, had a triumphant feeling hitting the stage and thrashing their balls off. Front man David Sanchez, like his entire band, has some sweet musical skills and has a shriek not unlike Mark Osegueda of Death Angel, who make a fair comparison for the band too. Special note goes to Marshall Wieczorek of Wretched, who was filling in for Pete Webber behind the kit did a great job. The band recently signed with Century Media and are also planning a new album for next year.

The Palladium, even the more intimate part of the venue upstairs, can be a clusterfuck on any given day. It was cool seeing a lot of my my local brethren of metal fans and friends at the show. It had been a very heavy week of shows in our surrounding area, with many national and local bands worth seeing. Still, I was impressed that by the time Revocation took the stage, the place was pretty full. Ans why not? Being a Boston band and playing this venue was practically a hometown show and many people in the house were sporting their Revocation shirts (a no-no to me, but good for the band I suppose). The anticipation was higher than usual, since the band has signed a new deal with Metal Blade and are on the cusp of dropping their new album Deathless. The band played a tight set with a mix of “hits” and new songs that left bodies sweaty on jaws on the floor. As usual, a lot of folks are just here for the guitar fireworks in the form of Dave Davidson and Dan Gargiulo. Their rhythm section was augmented tonight too, with Jon “The Charn” Rice (Scorpion Child, ex-Job For a Cowboy, The Red Chord) filling in for Phil DuBois (arm injury). Revocation is just one of those bands that wears many hats and pulls it off extremely well.

Heading back stage to interview Revocation, I was just wrapping up my chat when I heard the strains of the first few songs of Crowbar’s set. The went on pretty quick with little turnover apparently, but I didn’t miss much. The crowd was doing the “slow acknowledgment” head-bang to ‘Symmetry In White’ when I finally made it back downstairs. Kirk Windstein made a funny crack about turning all the lights off, then just relegating the rest of the night to a sparse spotlight, that was befitting of this workman-like band. As their set list shows Crowbar is as important to this genre as they relevant today, with a string of great songs and new material that holds up too. Kirk likes to slide to the side of the microphone when not singing, an unintentional but necessary move that puts him where he belongs, front and center. He has a solid group of guys behind him these days, but it makes him shine that much brighter.

About half-way through the set I realized this was about the best Crowbar show I’d ever seen. Kirk has raised his game up a few more levels than he was already at over the years and his laser focus on this band has definitely paid off. While a lot of people associate the band with ‘All I Had (I Gave)’, it was a song like ‘Planets Collide’ that really write the story of this band in granite. Kirk, his voice up to a mic and his hands around a guitar neck are a treasure to the metal community. I hope we get to enjoy them for a long time.

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Crowbar Set List:

Cemetary Angels

Walk With Knowledge Wisely

Symmetry in White

Self-Inflicted

Planets Collide

The Lasting Dose

Sever the Wicked Hand

Liquid Sky and Cold Black Earth

Conquering

High Rate Extinction

New Dawn

All I Had (I Gave)

I Have Failed

Crowbar on Facebook

Revocation on Facebook

Fit For An Autopsy on Facebook

Armed For Apocalypse on Facebook

WORDS: KEITH CHACHKES

PHOTOS: MEG LOYAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Arsis – Allegaeon – Exmortus – Scalpel: Live at The Brighton Music Hall, Allston MA

Posted on September 29, 2014 by News Team

Spearheading the events were practiced local (body) openers, Scalpel, who are honestly one of the few forever-local-band-syndrome Death Metal bands that I can enjoy seeing repeatedly. They’ve done the honours of opening ceremonies for Aborted, Morbid Angel, and Gorguts, just to name the recent ones that stick out. It’s nasty, brutal, primitive, and hairy, technically proficient when appropriate, and inciting brainless pit violence the next. By “brainless pit violence”, I kinda mean a few guys tossed each other around and bumped shoulders like so many rams, but clearly the music is working the way it should. For fans of Brutal Death Metal, as you may have guessed.

California’s Exmortus (not to be confused with Tampa old school death metal) embraces antiquity without shunning modernity. With influences equal parts scorching NWOBHM licks, Black Thrash barbarity, and classical sensibility to taste. A welcome contrast to Scalpel, awash in gore, Exmortus’ rousing, anthemic approach is the meeting ground between Holy Grail -represented by the bassist’s choice of shirt- and that bygone Baroque swagger of early Children of Bodom, sans keyboards, plus signature ESP models. Melodic, but not too much so, there were hints of power metal scattered throughout, but never in danger of erupting into an inflatable swordfight.

As much as I wish I could sing praise to Allegaeon for their brand of admittedly decent Melodic Tech-Death, I found this Colorado crew to be ultimately uninspired. Though vocalist Ezra does have an animated stage presence and the band is certainly competent, I’ve heard so many similar acts that I can scarcely feel as impressed as others seem to be. I think of Sylosis, who play a very similar style; Scar Symmetry, who have, in my mind, captured a distinctive take on the Melo-Death sound; and Dark Tranquillity, whom we may ‘blame’ for this strain of Gothenburg mysticism. Their breakdowns seem obligatory rather than energetic, and the solos, while thankfully, not long-winded, don’t seem constructed to the best of their ability. If this is their best, then it’s just not my cup of tea. Or maybe it’s a cup of tea I’ve had too many times.

Technical Death Metal poets laureate in Virginia’s Arsis have once again given us a sermon in the obscure day to day sorrows of humanity. Their title pays homage to a poetry term running counter to thesis; it is the unaccented beat in a work of verse, and/or the unaccented part of a measure. Indeed, Arsis’ particular style meshes the ‘Elegant and Perverse’, a mournful take on death metal that incorporates both the twisted brutality and the flowing melody it is capable of, with equal portent.

Conducting the proceedings with a symphonic grandeur was of utmost importance, this year marking the 10th anniversary of the band’s landmark album, A Celebration of Guilt (Willowtip), an album whose corrupting influence has blackened many a heart with its majestic hooks, its malicious, sharp-edged sheen respected by both Technical and Melodic camps; opening, as expected, with out favourite love song, ‘The Face of My Innocence’, to exposing the folly of falsity in ‘The Sadistic Motives Behind Bereavement Letters’, and the chronicles of bestial nightmare itself through the venomously sweet ‘Wholly Night’. It was like a walk-through of essential Arsis, with ‘We Are The Nightmare’ and the abbreviated, but no less brilliant, version of ‘A Diamond For Disease’ making much appreciated appearances. Breaking the pattern of ‘Maddening Disdain’ (I tried), we were treated to an amusing cover of ‘Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)’ by W.A.S.P., which James Malone says they learned mainly to get laid. I suppose the fact that they play it now means either it works, or it has yet to. I’ll stick to their originals, myself, and would have preferred to hear ‘The Cold Resistance’ in its place, but a rare talent like Arsis deserves to succumb to their baser instincts between composing some of the more brilliant Death Metal this side of Keats. The video for ‘Forced To Rock’ will be all the evidence I need, I’m sure.

Arsis on Facebook

Allegaeon on Facebook

Exmortus on Facebook

Scalpel on Facebook

SEAN PIERRE-ANTOINE

On The Road…. With YOB and Pallbearer

Posted on September 19, 2014 by News Team

YOB and Pallbearer are both out on the road in support of stellar new albums. YOB’s Clearing The Path To Ascend (Neurot) received a 9/10 from Ghost Cult earlier this month. Pallbearer’s Foundations of Burden (Profound Lore) was a rare 10/10 from us and was our August Album of the month. Both bands recent teamed up for a co-headlining run of dates in the UK and Luke Denham of Luke Denham Photography caught both bands in front of his lens. A full review is coming soon. In the mean time, enjoy these shots!