Something I always do is avoid using “I” in a review. I always avoid talking in the first person and just give a description of the show and let the reader form an opinion. I recently got the opportunity to see Mr. Bungle in Philadelphia and they are no ordinary band so this will not be an ordinary review.
To say I was ecstatic walking into St. Vitus Bar for the first time in four years would be a massive understatement. As I approached the familiar corner of Manhattan Avenue and Clay Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and the ominous black door with a bunch of metal heads already gathered outside, I could feel a rush of happiness through my entire body and brain. Not very grim or troo sounding, I know. Saint Vitus Bar is just not another place to me, it was like a second home to me for the second life that I had living in New York from 2016 to 2021. Nostalgia is a powerful drug, but the reality is that I deeply and truly love this venue and everybody associated with running it. The fact that it survived the worst of times in the music industry is a testament to the power that it built and the fans that continue to support this place. Unsurprisingly, the show was a sellout tonight.
In the thirty-plus years of their existence, Collective Soul has managed to produce more than a few hits and they were on full display as their tour with Rubikon came to the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA.
On Thursday, July 20th, I was fortunate enough to be amongst many others in attendance at Wally’s in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, where Royal Thunder took the stage in support of their newest album Rebuilding the Mountain (Spinefarm Records). This was the first time I had seen a Royal Thunder performance since they toured for their previous record Wick in 2017. After some time away from touring, the Atlanta rock band soared back into our ears & hearts in a way that only Royal Thunder could. With an awe-inspiring spell of entertainment right on Hampton Beach that evening. As the lights dimmed and the house music dissolved to a halt, Josh, Mlny, and Evan sauntered onto the stage into view. The trio that gave us such fantastic records previously were reunited at last. The energy between the three bandmates before us seemed to resonate throughout the room like an unheard sound. It was hard to ignore the feeling of anticipation building, for the heart of Royal Thunder was whole again.
Casket Robbery has been on a whirlwind tour that lead up to Michigan Metal Fest, and they stopped over at the world-famous Cobra Lounge in Chicago on August 13th to bring death metal to the Sunday night crowd.
One of my favorite things about living in the Bay Area is the sheer number and variety of metal shows on a weekly basis. There’s nothing else quite like it and one can always find something new to step outside their musical comfort zone. This week was no exception as I booked it across the bridge to DNA Lounge in San Francisco to hear The Convalescence, W.o.R, and Yes Devil.
The Metallica Family descended on New Jersey from all around the world for the kickoff date of the 2024 North American tour of Metallica’s M72 tour. On the back of the excellent 72 Seasons album released this spring on Blackened Recordings (read our review here). Reports from the European tour were high, especially their impressive turn at Download Festival. The two shows, per city, no repeats in the setlist is matched only in its ambition by the incredible in-the-round staging and all weekend-long Metallica Takeover events, including pop-shops, a Metallica film festival, side concerts with Metallica-related bands, a Ross Halfin photo book Q & A book signing and more.
What better way to spend a screamy, dreamy Tuesday evening, than embarking on a little adventure to the city for a night of black/ death metal at DNA Lounge in San Francisco, CA! I arrived with a clean slate, not having seen any of the bands before and I was anxious to see what type of experience they would deliver.
The night got started with viral youth sensations, Hammerhedd, and their mathematically rhythmic opening act could lull you into a false sense of security if you didn’t know they were the calm before the storm. Hammerhedd reminded me of the classic djent sound of Mesuggah, circa 1994’s None. Their groovy, chonky, hypnotic riffs even gave me Nirvana/ Bleach vibes at times, particularly the angsty tint of the vocals. Overall, their sound was a pleasant warm-up as we eased into the show but their stage presence is still maturing. The trio finished leaving the crowd in a state of anxious anticipation of the chaos to come.
Melvins bring the punks out and into the heat in Athens!
It was July 3rd and the weather has started getting really hot in Athens, Greece around this time but it hasn’t stopped Punks, Goths, and Metalheads of all varieties from coming out of their cooler homes at 7 PM for doors. They immediately packed the industrial venue of Technopolis to catch Pigs at 7:30, and of course to have a good spot for Melvins.