Meshuggah – Between The Buried and Me: Live at The House Of Blues, Boston MA

Posted on June 30, 2014 by News Team

For 25 years, Meshuggah has been terrorizing the ears and cortices of the music world, and so it was only natural that they’d bring along their apprentice masters of the mindfuck in Between the Buried and Me along for the ride. And what a ride, indeed. They could open a carnival of progressive wonders, where musical rules are meticulously followed and simultaneously twisted to Eldritch proportions. But enough of this posh music academy drivel, this is metal.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve caught Between The Buried and Me since their tour in 2009 with In Flames, but we’ll just settle for ‘a lot’. And having seen them a lot, one gets used to the Colors closing masterpiece, ‘White Walls’ being used as a closer rather than an opening. And one also gets used to the suspense in waiting for perhaps one, maybe even two gems pre-Alaska (Victory). What with the success of Colors (Victory) and having released three space-exploration reports since, they’ve obviously got a lot of material to choose from, and their priority seems to be the latter half of their career. Essentially, we can look forward to hearing mainly post-Alaska tunes as they played this night. Though keep your fingers crossed for their upcoming 15^th anniversary.

Hillarie Jason-Concert Photography-Boston-House of Blues-Between the Buried and Me (1 of 1)-2

This was one of those odd sets where BtBaM played mainly their longer songs, thus making Paul Waggoner’s statement to interviewers all-too-real. Perhaps we can stop waiting for them to bust out ‘Mordecai’ or ‘Naked By The Computer’ when they’re wrist-deep into ‘Lay Your Ghosts To Rest’, immediately followed by ‘Fossil Genera’ to cap off another amazing set. They’re changing, and we’re being taken with them as listeners and watchers. Keep writing/keep dreaming.

Meshuggah and BtBaM contrasted in a way that honestly took me off guard even though anyone with a working ear can see it immediately in their music. I refer to the aura created not only by 7-string guitars that make the sound of super-astronauts punching asteroids into other ones, but also their stage presence and light show. BtBaM was rather conservative this time, with no fancy screens, just stage lighting that undulated chromatically with the music, and kept their beards in sight. Meshuggah on the other hand was strobe hell, with lights that must be programmed by acid wizards for all of the meticulous timing. And no, you couldn’t see any of Jens Kidman’s faces from the floor unless you wanted to risk blinding yourself. Polyrhythms and infectious grooves were the name of the game. They even used the disco ball during ‘Gods of Rapture’. I don’t even remember the last artist who I’ve seen use that, if ever. Maybe The Roots?

This being their 25^th anniversary, they played the “hits”, if you will, opening up with the caustic ‘Future Breed Machine’, an industrial hellride banger that never fails to incite mechanised violence. Plenty of material from their debut album, Contradictions Collapse (Nuclear Blast), including the robotic thrash of ‘Greed’ and the earlier mentioned ‘Gods of Rapture’. Choice tracks from Chaosphere, one being the mighty ‘New Millennium Cyanide Christ’, and quite heavy on the Koloss. ‘Straws Pulled At Random’ was my favourite of the night, though I wish they had found room for ‘Spasm’ as well, while they were doing Nothing.

Encoring with Riddler-esque green lights and a back-to-back delivery of ‘In Death – Is Life’ and ‘In Life – Is Death’ from Catch ThirtyThree, I can say they’ve officially won me over. Nevermore will I be ambivalent about Meshuggah, as they put on a killer show, even if their crowd doesn’t know the physics of how a circle-pit should work. During the fast parts, people.

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Meshuggah Set List

Future Breed Machine

obZen

The Hurt that Finds You First

Do Not Look Down

Cadaverous Mastication

Greed

Gods of Rapture

Neurotica

New Millennium Cyanide Christ

Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion

Bleed

Demiurge

Straws Pulled at Random

Encore:

Mind’s Mirrors

In Death – Is Life

In Death – Is Death

Meshuggah on Facebook

Between The Buried and Me on Facebook

WORDS: SEAN PIERRE-ANTOINE

PHOTOS: HILARIE JASON PHOTOGRAPHY

EyeHateGod – Ringworm – Enabler- Phantom Glue: Live at Brighton Music Hall, Allston

Posted on June 24, 2014 by News Team

Sludge. The very name almost exudes a summer feeling about it. Just as black metal is clearly the music for frozen months of the year, great sludge and doom sounds like the music of the season for sun and sweat. This was evident by tonight’s show in Allston Rock City where we punished our ears and mangled our vertebrae in the name of metal for EyeHateGod. The band is enjoying a resurgence with an excellent new self-titled release, their first in 14 years. EyeHateGod is a band that everyone mentions as an influence, but certainly this generation is behind on their lessons in depraved southern metal violence. They are not a pretty band of well-manicured fake rockstars: these guys were born to the streets of disrepair, they are as real as it gets, and raw to the bone musically and mentally.

After chilling with my dude Bill Richards of Metal Wani before the show, we made our way up the block to the venue. Opening up the night are local favorites Phantom Glue and what a perfect band to open. A blend of weed-soaked grooves and crushing beats, if you are not familiar with their last album A War of Light Cones, stop reading this, go to their Bandcamp and buy it right now! We’ll wait a few minutes for you to come back and read the rest of this review. Anyway as usual, they were loud, raucous and crusty! The swelling local crowd filled up the room during their set, and headbanged lustily. If there was a list of bands that are going to the next big thing out Boston, a city with tons of quality underground bands right now, Phantom Glue would surely top the list or come close depending on whom you chat with. This was a good start to a fun night.

Enabler came on next, although it seemed like an eternity for them to hit the stage. I am used to seeing this band play small stages, and never with such a big professional set-up such as this. The first few minutes of the Enabler set, you almost felt like it was their own headline show they raged so much. On the strength of their new album La Fin Absolute Du Monde (Creator-Destructor/Earsplit Compound), this is a band on the rise. Jeff Lohber does unreal amounts of rocking out with his lanky frame shaking all over the stage. His economical guitar style enables him to touch all the bases from thrash, death beat to a punky-blackened crust and back again with ease. Bassist Amanda Daniels rocks it finger-style, at a time when many prefer the attack of a pick. Don’t let anyone tell you other-wise, plucking bassists are better than pickers, especially in metal. She is also backing up on vocals much more than I recall from their earlier tours. Not only did they play a killer set, they are awesome people to hang out with, as I did, chilling in the van with Jeff for an interview after the set, along with my pal Matt Darcy of Nefarious Realm.

Every time Ringworm plays Boston, it’s a freaking bloodbath. The fact is they can’t help their history as one of the early leaders of metally-hardcore (I refuse to call them metalcore, people) from the Cleveland scene. There are fans that specifically come out to hear those old songs and bash people in the pit, and that’s fine with me. What Ringworm has actually done is matured into a veteran sludge act, capable of much more as a band than when they started out. Human Furnace is an approachable, mellow guy off-stage, but with a mic in his hand he is like a prize-fighter: out for blood. The pit had the most action it was going to have all night, but of course. Songs like ‘Amputee’, ‘Birth is Pain’, and ‘Dollar Whore’ are mandatory pain-inducing hymns for the modern age. The entire band seemed to be energized by the love for them in the room and played their asses off too.

Earlier in the night I had seen Jimmy Bower outside of the club and and thanked him for my recent interview with him regarding Down. Back inside the tension was building to an unbearable level, although that could have been the beer and heat talking too. I had never seen this venue so filled up and body to body tight. There was a rare barricade tonight as well, as much for the band as it was there for the fans and you just knew what was coming. As the band hit the stage I again spied my man Bower, setting an entire six pack on his stack for drinking. I had to laugh! Mike IX Williams checked to see if the readiness was all, and then yowled into the microphone, “We’re EyeHateGod from New Orleans, Louisiana!” Just then an ear-drum wrecking wave of feedback came from the amps and just blew the top off this party. Even from my vantage point on the side of the stage it was perilously high volume. The impressive thing about the sound was it was loud without being too muddy, especially the guitars, which is a good thing. Mike dragged the mic stand around like a dead body while spitting his genius lyrics about pain, poverty, loneliness, and death at the crowd. If the band weren’t masters of all-mighty doom riffs, and were a coffee shop playing, acoustic jam band; I’d still come out to see Mike. He is one of the most compelling artists of the last 35 years, so whatever he is doing in your town, go see him whenever you can. True to form, it isn’t a Mike IX appearance in Boston without a “Where’s Seth? Is Seth here?” joke or two, in tribute to their late ally Seth Putnam (Anal Cunt).

EyeHateGod plays with about as much musical telepathy as you would imaging a band around this long has. The interplay between the members on stage is not telegraphed, but there definitely seems to be a presence shared by them. Led by Bower, his playing dominates as he mans the corner of the stage, always jamming with a lot of passion. Aaron Hill, now filling the drum throne for the departed skin smasher Joey LaCaze, did a great job all night. He is definitely the perfect guy to carry on with. Meanwhile Brian Patton and Gary Mader just groove so perfectly together along with Bower, you have to take notice. Smashing through song after song, you wonder how these guys can stand the volume and the weight of the music. People all around me, losing their minds, to match the guys on stage doing the same. Newer songs like ‘Robitussin and Rejection’ fit in with classics like ‘Sisterfucker’, ‘Medicine Noose’, and ‘$30 Bag’ really well. By the end of the night Jimmy’s six pack was empty, the band looked drained, and everyone in attendance was spent. Thank you and goodnight!

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EyeHateGod Set List:

New Orleans Is the New Vietnam

Sisterfucker (Part I)

Sisterfucker (Part II)

Robitussin and Rejection

Medicine Noose

Agitation! Propaganda!

Methamphetamine

Parish Motel Sickness

Dixie Whiskey

$30 Bag

Kill Your Boss

EyeHateGod on Facebook

Ringworm on Facebook

Enabler on Facebook

Phantom Glue on Facebook

WORDS: KEITH (KEEFY) CHACHKES

PHOTOS: MEG LOYAL PHOTOGRAPHY

An Evening with Sevendust: Live At The Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA

Posted on June 20, 2014 by News Team

At this point in the career, Sevendust knows they have achieved a certain status as the elder statesman of modern heavy rock or active rock, whatever industry buzzword is trending this week. They are still hungry like a new band, putting out quality releases and always putting on a fine show. At the same time, they don’t play it safe artistically. This is why in spite of my love of music that is progressive, extreme, harsh, and thrashy; I still come back to this band that I have always respected. They have been a part of my many musical journeys for a long time. Whether seeing their first tour in New York at a long gone tiny club, to watching 300,000+ people jump up and down to a song they never heard before (‘Rumblefish’) at Woodstock `99, to their recent record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, I am proud to say I was there.

We were in for a treat tonight, with no opening act and just “An Evening With” format. I didn’t even realize the show was long sold out and there were a ton of people waiting to get inside, when I arrived at The Paradise. As evidenced by my earlier show this year with Carcass, this venue should not host really extreme bands or their fans. However for some lighter, more relaxed concerts such as Crosses or the unplugged show tonight; it’s a solid choice. The first really hot day of summer in Boston meant the AC was on full blast so we were feeling chilly in the dark rectangular room. Meanwhile the stage sat ready for a while with some LED candles adding to the mood of the stage filled with guitars, bar stools, and music stands.

Sevendust finally came on stage to their intro music, and the packed crowd approved. As the band took their seated spots for the night and checked their gear, Lajon Witherspoon welcomed the crowd and promised a good time. Drawing on their new album Time Travelers & Bonfires (7Bros.) The immediately launched into ‘Trust’ and the band sound great. Playing acoustically, and only augmented by their touring piano player Kurt Wubbenhorst, they played a flawless evening of music. Even if they were just doing straight up acoustic versions of their heavier songs note for note (which they are not) it is a challenge to play electric acoustic live in a large venue. The rub is even the best acoustic guitars sound too thin at times. It’s also unforgiving for mistakes, but then again, I heard none tonight. The second song of the night was my personal favorite since their first album, ‘Prayer’. I think this song works even better given this treatment than the original. ‘Crucified’ is one of their older songs they have given a slightly new arrangement to on the new album. Known to be a hard hitter behind the kit, Morgan Rose thrashed around and smashed his drums like any other time I have seen the band. Maybe just a touch softer. The entire band also sounded great singing together, not just Lajon and Clint Lowery either. ‘Under It All’ was the first of the new songs played and it fit right in with the oldies and deep cuts too. The gems they pulled out tonight were especially sweet if you were a long-time fan.

Ever the performer, Lajon got out of his seat, prowled the stage, and connected with the crowd as much as possible. It was cool to hear the entire room sing hits like ‘Denial’ just as loudly as a new cut like ‘Gone’. Lajon told stories about the songs, and the making of the new album, thanking the fans for the support. The band left the stage briefly only to return a little later to play some more. The second set had another new song ‘Come Down’, their well known cover of ‘Hurt’ by Nine Inch Nails. ‘Karma’ is a song the band has never played live and it still sounded fiery in this format too. Before closing out the night with a fitting 1-2 punch of ‘Angel’s Son’ and closer ‘Black’, Witherspoon talked about the late Lynn Strait of Snot for whom ‘Angel’s Son’ was written for as well as Dimebag Darrell. It’s nice how the band have kept their perspective all these years. Whether or not you are a fan, if you have a chance to see this tour, do yourself a favor and go get a ticket.

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Sevendust Set List:

Trust

Prayer

Crucified

Xmas Day

Under It All

Skeleton Song

The Wait

Denial

Disgrace

Rumble Fish

Gone

(Intermission)

Come Down

Hurt (Nine Inch Nails cover, Johnny Cash version)

Karma

Got a Feeling

Encore:

Angel’s Son

Black

WORDS: KEITH (KEEFY) CHACHKES

PHOTOS: ECHOES IN THE WELL

Sólstafir – Junius – Infera Bruo: Live At the Middle East Upstairs

Posted on June 18, 2014 by News Team

As much jealously as US metal fans claim to have when it comes to the amount quality bands, and tours Europe has, we do get some quality shows. One such tour is the recent tour from Icelandic metallers Sólstafir and gazetastic post-rockers Junius. For Junius, this was a hometown show since there are local and the place was jammed packed equally for both top bands with an occasional crossover of styles. It was cool to have a bit of a diverse bill for change, since had been seeing a lot of same-sounding bands of late. The upstairs part of the Middle East venue is a poorly lit pool of sweat on a good day, so this was a good environment to hear some heavy music.

The first band I caught was the surprising black metal merchants of Infera Bruo. They play an insane meld of sounds ranging from classic old-school black metal, to psychedelic soundscapes, to more finer-ground post-metal bleakness. In spite of having little in common with the headliners, Infera Bruo took the stage like they owned it and just made everyone in attendance cower at their form. Front man Galen is very charismatic, changing his style up vocally from a fiendish bark to a more tempered sound as the music shifted. It was also hard not to be impressed with their keyboardist Germanicus, worked his magic on synths and effects with some really classic industrial elements from his vintage gear. As a whole the band kept my attention no matter they song, and they hop from one genre to another naturally. To a man Infera Bruo are masterful performers, and it has been a long time since I was this impressed with an opener. We’ll be looking out for their next release on Bindrune Recordings with great interest.

The night had gotten off to a slow start apparently, before I even got there, so the fellas in Junius were visibly annoyed that they were late getting on stage (not due to Infera Bruo, but the venue). Junius also brings their own stage lighting, preferring to control their own atmosphere visually as well as musically. They set up quickly and with no fanfare they got underway. The crowd has swelled to the front, and lucky for a shorty like me, the band is very tall. On the smallish stage looked like giants, but even more they sounded like gods. For some bands these condition are less than ideal, but with the patience of a fine craftsmen, Junius plays passionate music for the thinking person. Opening with ‘Hiding Knives’ the band led by Joseph Martinez, took the audience on a heart-wrenching tour de force. The back lighting of the band for some reason made me think of the torture scene in Reservoir Dogs: oddly uncomfortable and bracing myself for what was to come. I don’t think the average person appreciates how hard it is to play gently and slow, since most people who play in some form of metal start out jamming with speed as their guide. Junius are not just talented, but tasteful with their choice of different layers of sounds, coloring each part of a song. Bombastic and solemn all at the same time, we witnessed some folks in the front actually moved to tears during their set. Drawing heavily on their new EP Days of The Fallen Sun (Prosthetic), they surely proved to be one of the must-see bands live in 2014.

Sólstafir was a lot more relaxed coming to the stage, but then again they were drinking and hanging out at their merch table the entire show. They definitely showed what a really successful band does, understanding that this is their lone chance to connect with the fans, hanging out, telling stories and getting very intimate with people. Although a few people left following Junius, if you were still in the house tonight, it’s because you were meant to be there. They also got down to playing immediately and opened up with a string of their more heavy rock-orientated fast numbers. I think this surprised some fans, following the dreamer sounds of earlier in the night, but it was refreshing. Aðalbjörn “Addi” Tryggvason is one of the best performers and band leaders you will ever see. Wildly passionate in his every movement, sung note, and chord that he struck, he was amazing. The entire band had an air about them, like veterans (which they are) of the metal world, and the world at large. Raucous, exciting performers, they were not unlike what I imagine a young Thin Lizzy must have been like in Dublin ca. 1975. As my fellow scribe Wren Leader whispered in my ear at one point, “they are doing Icelandic cowboy songs”. It made sense really. Great songs, no pretense about the music they make. The long set was again, heavy on fast numbers to start. The dull dark room was less suited to these bombastic numbers and I had wished they were in a bigger, better club at this point, with proper lighting and staging. Later in the show however, when the band loosed up their set and slowed things down considerable with their more doom and drone inspired work, it worked. This is where the band really shines. Even though all the songs are sung in the tongue of their homeland, the music definitely no less meaningful or effective. You could hear a few die-hards singing a long in fact! Tracks like ‘Svartir Sandar’, ‘Fjara’ will just make you weep. So heavy and deep, it wasn’t fair. I felt lucky myself to witness this epic band on US soil. I am also happy for those smart enough to make it out for this short tour, and the lucky devils who caught them in the daylight at Maryland Deathfest recently.

Sólstafir on Facebook

Junius on Facebook

Infera Bruo on Facebook

WORDS: KEITH (KEEFY) CHACHKES

PHOTOS: ECHOES IN THE WELL

Blackfield – John Wesley: Live at the Best Buy Theater, New York City

Posted on June 17, 2014 by News Team

I’m not quite sure if this was Blackfield’s last show or last show with this lineup, it remains unclear to me. Tonight’s show had a feeling of closure and finality. Having newly discovered this group I can say I was regretting not finding them sooner. The night started off with fellow Porcupine Tree alumni John Wesley. Not at all what I was expecting when I heard who was in his band. Wesley and his solo band put on a massively mellow and grooving set. Fellow guitarist and vocalist Ian Medhurst won me over very quickly. I was even more impressed with his rhythm section: former Iced Earth drummer Mark Prator and Sean Malone of Cynic. Their musicianship was uncanny. They powered through eight songs of new and old tunes with little or no effort.Continue reading →

Paganfest 2014: Live at The Palladium, Worcester, MA

Posted on June 8, 2014 by News Team

The last stop on this year’s Paganfest America tour was Worcester, MA, in the tiny upstairs portion of The Palladium. With a lineup consisting of the Finnish darlings Korpiklaani and Turisas, Taiwan’s Chthonic, Germany’s VARG, and Cincinnati’s own Winterhymn, it was bound to be an excellent way to spend a Sunday night.

Wait a minute. A folk metal band…from Ohio? It’s true! If you’re like me, you’re used to folk metal coming from European countries but Winterhymn plays the part well, violin and all. It may have been the last show of the tour but they played as though it were the very first and the crowd danced and drank along with every song. Even their tour mates in VARG got involved when they came onstage to prank the band by slathering them in fake blood in the middle of their set. All in all, it was a job well done.

Let’s get this out of the way right now: I love Germans and I probably shouldn’t be allowed into their country unsupervised. That said, how did I feel about VARG? I loved them too and judging by the crowd’s reaction, they agreed with me. I had heard of this band in passing but this was my first time actually being exposed to their music. One of the highlights of the evening was when Winterhymn came back out to stage dive and crowd surf near the end of VARG’s set. They were the heaviest band on the bill and easily wound up sneaking into my number two spot because of this. They were loud, energetic, and perhaps even a tad intimidating. I would love to see them again in the future.

The third band on the bill was Chthonic. Their sound seemed a bit out of place compared to the other bands. It was bit too monotonous for my taste but they were visually interesting. Chthonic was using screens and lights in an area where most bands choose to not to simply due to the lack of space for anything, but the musicians themselves. Overall, they weren’t bad but they also didn’t wow me either. I didn’t have a very strong opinion either way after this performance but I am willing to give them another shot the next time they come Stateside.

I have to be completely honest and say that the reason that I even went to this show in the first place was specifically to see Turisas again. If you have never had a chance to see them live, you can usually pick out fans in the crowd by their red and black war paint. There were more crowd surfers during Turisas’ set than any other band but it was their closing song that really took the cake. Sure, they have a ton of great original material but everyone and their mom has a huge soft spot for their cover of Boney M’s ‘Rasputin’. The band pulled over a dozen people up on stage to dance and sing along with them. It was a great way to end things and I’m glad that years of demanding to have that song played has finally paid off.

Headliners Korpiklaani seemed a bit more subdued than the last time I had seen them. I was expecting lots of dancing and men resembling wizards making strange hand gestures. The typical playful banter was instead replaced with their brand of face melting folk metal. Korpiklaani definitely put on a top notch show and things were significantly less boozy until the band ended with ‘Happy Little Boozer’ and we danced with our Jager Bombs held up high. It was a mess. It was interesting to see a group that I usually consider more of a “party band” take a different approach and I believe it worked well. Could this be a sign of things to come? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what these Finns have into store for us next.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t enjoyed attending a Paganfest show. From the great lineups bursting at the seams with incredible talent to fellow fans dressed in full Viking garb, these events are not to be missed and grow in size every year. Here’s hoping Paganfest 2015 gets moved downstairs so we can get some real dancing in.

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Paganfest on Facebook

WORDS BY ALEIDA LA LLAVE

PHOTOS BY CHRIS SMALL OF CWS PHOTOGRAPHY

Mastodon – Gojira – Kvelertak: Live at The Palladium Worcester MA

Posted on June 4, 2014 by News Team

There is nothing like a dismal, cold, rainy spring night to put you in the mood for some progressive metal. Of course the atmospheric conditions screwed up traffic royally (and it might have also been the NHL playoffs in Boston at the time), and that wrecked many a commute out to Worcester, MA for this epic show. Usually I am out to the venue early to see people and chat with bands, but on this night it was a struggle for me and my girlfriend to get to the venue on time. By the time we got there there was an unprecedented double line around the venue, waiting in the rain, just for will-call. This caused hundreds of people waiting to get in to miss Kvelertak and the start of Gojira. What a bummer for us. Weather permitting or not, I’ll be early next time a show of this stature comes to town, since this was a near sell out. Never again.

So we go into the venue in time to hear Gojira’s second song ‘The Heaviest Matter of The Universe’, and it was killer. Gojira is a brilliant band and the place was absolutely enthralled with them. Commanding the crowd from center stage, Joe Duplantier was the absolute master of the moment on this night. The audience hung on his every word and movement, and this was best crowd I have ever seen for this band. The mosh pit looked brutal and everyone in the room was singing along to songs like ‘Backbone’, and ‘Flying Whales’. Joe’s brother Mario is just godly on the drums and the band was tight as can be in the short, but amazing set. Closing with ‘Oroborus’, Gojira reminded all in attendance that they are an upper-echelon modern metal band: harsh enough to satisfy the most stringent fan of brutal bands, but tuneful and progressive enough to earn respect. Gojira is a band that as Slayer found out recently, is nearly impossible to follow for even the greatest of bands.

The change over for Mastodon seemed to take forever, which was disappointing considering how sparse the stage set ups were. Still the show started early, and Mastodon hit the stage by 9:30. When the lights came up a roar let out, that signified that despite some unpopular (or popular depending on your tastes) turns in their career, a lot of people are still down for Mastodon. I was a little surprised the crowd filled in even more and had not thinned at all after Gojira. Meanwhile, Mastodon opened with the cool choice of ‘Hearts Alive’ which is not only a fine way to start the show, it added throwback feeling to the night. Crafting a slick set list of recent hits and old favorites, the band rocked all night long like the seasoned veterans they are. Usually as Brent Hinds goes, so goes the band. Tonight he was lazer-focused and brilliant, and the band followed suit. This made this one of the top times I have ever seen the band.

The band usually doesn’t waste time talking to the crowd until the end of the night. Basically they ran the through the set in a professional manner, mixing better known songs like ‘Crystal Skull’ with deep cuts like ‘Siberian Divide’ and ‘Naked Burn’. Some nights the bands’ ambitious writing causes the band to struggle to replicate the sound of their albums, but on this night everyone sounded strong as could be. Since they past the mid-way point in the tour, but Troy Sanders sounded especially great tonight, especially on his upper-register lines. Although a lot of fans were concerned with the set list ahead of the show, I thought this was one of the better set lists I have heard in the dozen plus times I have seen this band. Not only was there less reliance on the material from The Hunter (Warner Bros), for the first time ever, I felt that even without their best known songs such as ‘Iron Tusk’ and ‘March of The Fire Ants’, they were able to put on a satisfying, highly entertaining show. Bring on the new album and more tours, please!

Mastodon Set List:

Hearts Alive

Divinations

Crusher Destroyer

Capillarian Crest

Black Tongue

Bladecatcher

Crystal Skull

Siberian Divide

Naked Burn

Megalodon

Oblivion

Blasteroid

Chimes at Midnight

High Road

Bedazzled Fingernails

Aqua Dementia

The Sparrow

Mastodon on Facebook

Gojira on Facebook

Kvelertak on Facebook

KEITH CHAHCHKES

Crosses ††† – Nostalghia – Death Valley High: Live at The Paradise Rock Club, Boston MA

Posted on May 29, 2014 by News Team

As sometimes happens in the world of music journalism, one finds out last minute that they are going to a show that night. A quick shift in gears in order to make it to the show on time, and it’s off to the races, er the venue. Lucky for me weeknights in Boston are easier to get around than other cities I have lived in, and I wanted to get in just after doors opened. I had a chance to grab a rare weeknight adult beverage, mingle with my Metal New England crew, and catch opener’s Death Valley High. It was definitely an odd mix of metal fans in the room, obviously brought out mainly for Chino Moreno and his new band Crosses or †††, and vis a vie his other notable groups Deftones and Team Sleep.

Death Valley High hit the stage and they seemed to have ten guys in the band, packed on to the little stage taken up with gear. It was really only a handful of dudes, but they had a stage presence you couldn’t help but notice. They we’re a wake up call to the crowd that certainly wasn’t expecting this. Front man Reyka Osburn, with his Adam-Ant ca. 1982 make up job, is a one-man tornado on the stage. Screaming into the mike, playing guitar, and just generally whipping the crowd into a frenzy, he certainly was entertaining. It took the audience a few songs to grasp the deft blend of Nine Inch Nails style arena ready electro-goth, alt- rock posturing, with some legit throwback 80s synth work, but I dug it right away. The burned through a bunch of songs from their debut Positive Euth (Minus Head Records) and even tossed in a brief cover of ‘Rebel Yell’ by Billy Idol that has people moshing. By the time the band was ready to leave the stage and mentioned it was their first ever show in Boston, the crowd gave them a big reaction, for a little known opener.

Normally a band like Nostalghia comes along and I am all about it. Those that read these reviews of mine, perhaps think of me as a meat-and potatoes prog-rock nerd and thrash junkie going back to my childhood. But on a normal day the weirder and more out of the box a band is, the more I am apt to give them a fair shake and check them out. I prefaced this all with a detour into Keefy-land because Nostalghia came on the stage and instead of setting an ethereal mood before the headliners, they sucked all the energy and good vibes out of the room. I just wasn’t feeling it, and by the bewildered looks in the room, many felt the same way. Likely in a different setting than this, I will give them another chance, but tonight they didn’t impress me one iota.

After getting some fresh air and a fresh beer I was ready for Chino and †††. Obviously the band is not just about Chino, but he does tends to be the focal point in anything he does, doesn’t he? The group is as much as Shaun Lopez (Far) and Chuck Doom’s as it is Chino ‘s pet project, the music being the sum of their combined creativity. Also much hyped is whether the band is a witch-house group, but I hate to break it to the sub-genre gestapo, they are not. Still, they hit the stage slowly as if we were at an art presentation, coming out one at a time to opening track ‘†hholyghs†’ as the final reveal. Chino is a smooth bastard if nothing else, acknowledging the audible oohs and ahhs from both sexes as he came out. It was an orgy of Chino fangirl and fanboy worship that made me wince with every orgasmic “I love you Chino!” cried out, but at least he lived up to it with his performance.

The band was excellent as they cut through just about every song in the bands catalogue. Chino, in this setting is more like a Jazz chanteuse or a 70s R&B crooner; adopting his breathy soulful feminine wail, for the club acoustics and improvising here and there with certain phrases. There is no cheating live with Chino as so many others do, and he was in fine voice. He certainly enjoyed himself here and frequently stepped on to speakers that brought him closer to the crowd, each time making a connection with the fans. The unsung hero of the band is Lopez, who laid down a wonderful torrent of droning guitar parts, and slick keyboard work. If I had only one complaint tonight it was the electronic snare sound of Dino Campanella on the drums. The guy is a powerhouse player and a fine performer. However, he alternated between two clackity clacking snare timbres that ranged from mildly annoying to grating on my last fucking nerve all night. Oh well.

Most of the night the audience was transported away between lush trip-hop and pop anthems, to shimmering post-rock flourishes. The killer set list included hits like ‘Bi†ches Brew’ and ‘†he Epilogue’, but also the underrated numbers like ‘Blk S†allion’. The simple stage set up with just the minmal giant crosses with alternating lights fit the music perfectly sparse. Someone should give their lighting designer a medal, because i have have seen folks go too far in the past. When they came back out to the steamy, packed room for the encore and did a cover of ‘Goodbye Horses’, I totally started freaking out and lost my shit. The song made famous by Q Lazzarus is famous for its inclusion in the film The Silence of Lambs and now has a big place in pop culture too. Being a massive fan of anything Thomas Harris, I went berzerk. The cover was totally unironic and worked well with the bands musical style. Closing out a fun night with ‘†he Years’, everyone was left exhausted and satisfied.

††† Set List:

†hholyghs†

†his Is a †rick

Bi†ches Brew

Fron†iers

Blk S†allion

Bermuda Locke†

†elepa†hy

Prurien†

Nine†een Eigh†y Seven

†he Epilogue

†

†rophy

Op†ion

Encore:

Goodbye Horses (Q Lazzarus cover)

†he Years

Crosses ††† on Facebook

Nostalghia on Facebook

Death Valley High on Facebook

WORDS BY KEITH (KEEFY) CHACHKES

PHOTOS BY GREG WALKOWIAK

Ghost B.C. – Live at Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Posted on May 28, 2014 by News Team

Ghost B.C. has positioned themselves as one of the most interesting – and polarizing – bands in music today. Not at all black metal, but with all of its satanic trappings; candy-coated pop without any the sweetness; gimmicky but presented with a conviction that is admirable. You either love them or hate them, but you know who they are. I have loved the band since the first time I heard ‘Year Zero’. Deny it all you want, but the moment you heard the choral bellows of “Belial, Behemoth, Beelzebub! Asmodeus, Satanas, Lucifer!” You were caught off-guard and they had your attention. I would dare say that those who do not like them have to grudgingly admit this band takes their music as seriously as their image. But can they deliver all of this dichotomy, pomposity and schtick live?

The answer is a resounding YES. Ghost has created a sound that appeals to a broad range of rock fans. The have the melodic sensibility to corral rock/hard rock fans, the horror/punk edge that appeals to the punk rockers, and the lyrical/visual melancholy dripping with keyboards that woos the Goth crowd. Even with that mix, their music still has enough crunch and groove to appeal to many metalheads, especially those who appreciate singing as opposed to the screamers that dominate the genre. The crowd is as undefinable as the music they have come to experience, but one word that could be used is dedication. While the crowd was very respectful of the rockabilly-tinged crooning of Seattle-based opener King Dude, it was clear from the t-shirts, face paint and chatter who the throng was there for.

From the background music, to the lighting, to the incense, to the cathedral-like backdrop complete with stained glass windows, Ghost knows how to set a mood. Much credit has to be given to the attention to detail that makes you feel as if you are part of a satanic church service as much as a show, and that it’s more than just throwing on some face paint and a costume. This band is so 100% committed to their image and its presentation, even a non-fan can respect it.

The Nameless Ghouls filed onstage to the gloom of ‘Masked Ball’, and launched into ‘Infestissumam’. His Unholiness Papa Emeritus II strolled onstage and up to the microphone for ‘Per Aspera ad Inferi’ complete with his Pope-esque robe (with inverted crosses), the mitre (tall pointed pope hat), and the staff bearing the huge Ghost logo on its top. He is striking figure, and all of his movements, gestures, and speech patterns during his between-song commentary shows this man has done his Papal homework. Stoic, never headbanging, never so much as a sway or dance, he really bears himself as the role requires. The front line of Ghouls are quite animated, and interact with each other and the audience more than some reviews would lead you to believe. The band’s musicianship was tight and quite exceptional, able to nail the genre-skipping their songs demand with ease. The fans were screaming along to every word, swaying and dancing, and there was even a pit now and then. The last song performed was ‘Monstrance Clock’, and ended with the band leaving the stage to the crowd’s chanting of the lyric, “Come together, together as a one! Come together for Lucifer’s son!” I have not seen this kind of intense reverence for a band since I saw Neurosis last summer. These folks are INTO IT. And it was a damn good time.

For all of its darkness, it was fun, amazing concert experience. Even if you are not their biggest fan, do not pass up the opportunity to see Ghost live – it will be worth every penny of that ticket.

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Ghost Set List:

Infestissumam

Per Aspera ad Inferi

Ritual

Prime Mover

Jigolo Har Megiddo

Con Clavi Con Dio

Elizabeth

Body and Blood

Death Knell

Here Comes the Sun (Beatles cover)

Depth of Satan’s Eyes

Stand by Him

Genesis

Year Zero

If You Have Ghosts (Roky Erickson cover)

Encore:

Ghuleh/Zombie Queen

Monstrance Clock

Ghost BC on Facebook

King Dude on Facebook

WORDS: LYNN JORDAN

PHOTOS: KEITH JOHNSON/BIG SHOT CONCERTS

The Golden Gods Tour – Live at Iron City, Birmingham, AL

Posted on May 27, 2014 by News Team

There are some great tour packages these days, but the tradeoff is that each band may get a little less stage time than they (or their fans) may be used to. An example of this is the Golden Gods Tour headlined by Black Label Society. The opening bands, in order, are Butcher Babies, Devil You Know and Down. However, it is a quality bill, and I highly recommend that you catch this tour when it rolls your way.

Skipping the bigger city of Atlanta and stopping in Birmingham, AL at the venue Iron City Birmingham, the show started early with one of the “love them or hate them” bands, Butcher Babies. I happen to like them, and they are showing that they aren’t some kind of fluke as they continue to tour off of their summer 2013 release Goliath (Century Media). The band wasted no time getting down to business for their 30 minute set. Of course, the lead-singing ladies Carla Harvey and Heidi Shepherd command the stage and everyone’s attention with the strong voices, looks, and constant motion, but their band should not be overlooked. Solid and keeping it tight, they were a great musical support while the ladies did their thing. Butcher Babies has grown in notoriety, and I am sure there were many there who were curious or waiting to hate. But I have a feeling that by the time their set was over, Butcher Babies had themselves some new fans.

In our last issue, I had reviewed the Devil You Know’s debut album, The Beauty of Destruction (Nuclear Blast), and rated it very highly. But of course, I couldn’t wait to see them perform the material live, and they did not disappoint. Warmly welcoming Howard Jones and his return to the stage, the crowd was ready to absorb the new music. I was curious as to how the band would be received since the material is still so new and there are no ‘classics’ to fall back on, but the crowd was into it, and the band was flawless. Musicians Francesco Artusato (lead guitar), Roy Lev-Ari (guitar), Ryan Wombacher (bass) and John Sankey (drums) are technicians, but the taste they display when they could easily over do it really showed their skill. Another short set, they crammed in ‘A New Beginning’, the single ‘Seven Years Alone’ and the closer ‘Shut It Down’. They were polished, but did radiate enough raw energy to keep the crowd more than *ahem* engaged. Howard’s stage banter was humorous as always and he sounded fantastic, and it was great to see and hear him in such fine form and getting back into the grind of touring.

I absolutely love Down and have had the pleasure of seeing them on several occasions. However, this is first time I’ve seen them with second guitarist Bobby Landgraf and bassist Pat Bruders, who are just great and seem like they were always there. I did miss seeing Kirk Windstein at first, but the solidity of the new members made me forget about that quickly. They opened with ‘Eyes of the South’ and played new favorites ‘We Knew Him Well’ and ‘Witch Tripper’ off of Down IV Part 2 and Down IV Part 1 – The Purple EP (Down Records/Independent Label Group) respectively. They made the most of their 40-minute set, and Phil Anselmo was gracious and self-deprecating. He apologized for the band, saying that they really didn’t get to practice much, but it certainly didn’t show. Jimmy Bower kept it tight, and Pepper Keenan was just on fire. I am loving where Phil’s voice is right now as it has really rounded out, and sounded warm and full. They closed with the mighty “Bury Me in Smoke” before they left the stage. While myself and many others in the audience wished they had more time, they made good song choices such as ‘Lifer’, ‘Stone the Crow’ and ‘Losing All’.

While the crowd showed respect to Devil You Know and for Down, there were very many there to see Black Label Society. Once Down was done, the crowd clearly became more anxious and rambunctious, getting ready for Zakk Wylde and crew. I have not seen BLS in a very long time, so I was overdue to catch them live. The huge BLS banner dropped and the band kicked in with ‘My Dying Time’, the killer track from BLS’ latest release, Catacombs of the Black Vatican (E1 Music), then dove right into ‘Godspeed Hellbound’. BLS had the audience in the palm of their hand from the get-go. With his band Dario Lorina (rhythm guitar), John DeServio (bass) and Jeff Fabb (drums) backing him, Zakk clearly has the foundation from which his guitar can soar, and the crowd ate it up. Other songs performed included ‘In This River’, ‘Suicide Messiah’, and they ended the night with ‘Still Born’. It was a great set, and what you go to a rock show for.

This is definitely a tour worth catching, and dates have been selling out. So if you are considering going, don’t wait too long to get a ticket. Reasonably priced with a dynamic and diverse lineup, this is one tour that will give you a great bang for your hard-earned buck.

Black Label Society on Facebook

Down on Facebook

Devil You Know on Facebook

Butcher Babies on Facebook

LYNN JORDAN

Ghost Cult Magazine

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Category Archives: Concert Reviews: USA