Even though it’s not officially Halloween, tonight is the night everyone will be out and about, so we have the perfect video to get you ready for the festive evening. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Halloween
Metallica Offer Teaser For New Song Atlas Rise, Single Out This Monday
Metallica has released a 30-second teaser of their upcoming third single ‘Atlas, Rise’ from Hardwired… To Self-Destruct, due out this November 18th. You can hear it below:Continue reading
GWAR To Perform Live On The Howard Stern Wrap Up Show
It may have taken close to thirty-five years, but GWAR has finally made it to Howard Stern! Continue reading
Metallica To Release Atlas, Rise! Single On Halloween
Metallica will be releasing their highly anticipated new album, Hardwired…To Self-Destruct, on November 18th via Blackened Records. We’ve all heard the ‘Hardwired’ and ‘Moth Into Flame’ singles by now, and the legends have just announced when the next single is coming our way. Continue reading
Video: White Zombie- More Human Than Human (Sock Puppet Parody)
Halloween is almost here, and the good people at Sock Puppet Parody have a special treat for all of us. Continue reading
Iron Maiden Has Released Amazing Halloween Masks
Monster Mash Music Festival: Tempe Beach Park, Tempe, AZ
People descended on Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, Arizona Halloween weekend for the first ever Monster Mash Music Festival. Set up in the shadow of Arizona State University and right on the water, it was a great location for a big music festival. Once Tool was named as the headliner, it turned into a must see event since the band has barely toured the last few years. I flew out from Boston, by some good graces of friends for the show. The rest of the lineup was equally stacked, so it looked to be a great time in the making.
Saturday at the fest was a pretty short day between the two. It was cool to meet people not just from across the country, but across the world. I met people from Australia, Germany, Toronto, and Brazil and more. I saw more Tool band t-shirts than at any point in my entire life combined. The Halloween atmosphere was awesome with people in costumes. The whole town seemed to be in awesome spirits from the local folks I ran into.
The event was spread out with one huge stage with large screens on the sides if you couldn’t get up close. This was a factor towards the end of the night each day as the fans packed in all day. Based on demand, Tool had merch at the front gate and the special custom Monster Mash Tool posters were sold out way early, much to the chagrin of many. Still, the rest of the fest was well stocked with a massive beer garden, some cool foodage (the mediterranean wrap guys had the best grub of the weekend) and other vendors. I spent some time at the To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA) table, talking about the charity, learning all about mental illness and suicide. They are awesome and making a dent in helping people.
The first band of the weekend was With Our Arms To The Sun, and they just totally surprised everyone. They are well-known locally from AZ, but with the crowd from all over, so they were really playing to all new people today. Front man Josh Breckenridge really brings it in terms of charisma and style vocally. Their best song ‘Great Black Divide’ was frankly beyond belief and you should stop reading this review and go hear it now. Also props to drummer John McLucas, the kid is a beast. These guys will be on our radar for a long time to come. Aeges from LA was up next and they were in the Halloween spirit in costumes ranging from a hotdog with mustard, a monkey to Jason Vorhees. Aeges came to rock faces off and they did just that. The band just has that cool modern rock thing that bands like Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails (think last ten years) have, that sets them apart. People didn’t seem to mind the late afternoon sun baking us dead since the band was slaying.
It was kind of a mixed bag for Coheed and Cambria. I can’t profess to being a super Coheed fan, but being a lover of prog I have always had a respect for them. However, with their new album the Color Before the Sun, it just felt like the band had mailed it in to me. Playing a third of the set from the new album, you could just feel the air leave the venue during these tracks. They of course crushed it on all the classics. It’s a tough spot for the band that have indeed been visionary, but at least live they still deliver on the old jams. Primus however, was just gold. Although they faked me out with the inflatable mushrooms from their Chocolate Factory album, it was all greatest hits for an hour straight. The band was tight, having recently wrapped up a year on the road and Les Claypool was in top form. He joked during the set about Tool’s Maynard James Keenan during the set. On any other night, it would be hard to follow these guys.
Of course the largest crowd of the weekend was packed in tight for Tool, upwards of 35,000 people by some reports. Security seemed nervous about the number of people, but overall I think they did a great job. Tool’s legendary special effects heavy show was put in place and the lights went down and a huge cheer went up. The band came on stage and I thought something was unusual about them. I noticed drummer Danny Carey wearing a read headband and then I saw bassist Justin Chancellor and his fancy bell-bottoms. I said out loud “Are Tool dressed as Led Zeppelin for Halloween?” And indeed they were. No only that, they were dressed as the band and how they looked in the film The Song Remains The Same. Then Adam Jones began the familiar notes of their cover of Led Zep’s ‘No Quarter’ played and my mind was blown. It set the tone for the night, with a lot of feel-good throwback songs in the set list.
Next they played another rarely heard track, ‘The Grudge’. Normally when I have seen Tool in the past it was always a note for note, flawless performance. Each member of the band tonight seemed to be kicking the rust off in their own way. Mistakes were made, but they were few and barely noticeable to most. To me it lent an air of fragility to the band that I dig. These guys are human beings after all, not machines. Maynard was in great form in particular. He also seemed to be having a lot of fun up there, and made jokes at the band, some fans, and professed his career highlight as seeing Batman in the front row.
The band played another old-school gem in ‘Opiate’, a new song was played (now know as a smaller part of a longer track) dubbed ‘Descending’, a killer drum solo by Carey, and several of their biggest hits. All in all, the show felt like a triumph. I felt lucky to be there.
Sunday I got to the venue early, hung out with some industry folks and hydrated like a mofo on this arid, cloudless day. Ghost was up first and it was a packed crowd early right in front of the stage. I was up close and it seemed 50/50 Ghost fans and people who had no idea who they were. It was interesting to see the band deal when they didn’t exactly have the full command of the crowd. But by the end of the set, songs like ‘He Is’, ‘Year Zero’ and the surprising closer of ‘If You Have Ghost’ seemed to convert many to the flock.
Puscifer came next, and along with it the first performance of their new material for their album Money Shot (Puscifer Entertainment). Dressed as a mustachioed, pot-bellied, speedo wearing Captain America complete with shield, Maynard Keenan’s other muse seemed a lot more relaxed than his other act the night before. Aside from Maynard, the band were all dressed in snazzy suits and Lucha Libre wrestler masks, except for drummer Jeff Friedl who drew the unlucky leather clad BDSM sub get up in the sweltering heat. The presentation is all on purpose with Puscifer, but serves only to force you to face the music on their terms. And it is brilliant. Opening with the fitting ‘Grand Canyon’, one gets the immersive musical experience Keenan and his troupe are aiming for. Hearing Keenan and Carina Round trade vocal lines and weird stage mojo with each other live was one of the highlights of the weekend, and maybe my entire year.
After that I made the decision to leave the pit and get some more water and a better vantage point. Where Puscifer was high-art theater meant for the small stage, Deftones would bring the thunder of an arena band. Front man Chino Moreno whooped and crooned, running all over the set and jumping into the crowd numerous times. Although he claimed to be drunk before doing an on stage shot early on, he sang well. He did have microphone issues the entire set which was a bummer, especially when his mic cut out for half a song at one point. Joined by local resident Max Cavalera (Soulfly/Killer Be Killed) for ‘Head-Up’, it was another unforgettable moment, and the best pit action moment of Sunday too.
With darkness falling and a huge stage set unveiled, it seemed like a lot of fans were in the house to see Rob Zombie. With his over the top imagery, the stage was decked out in tribute to Universal Movie Monsters. Sadly, Rob’s voice was shot from three straight weeks of shows. During the first song he struggled to sing at all. He addressed the crowd about this after and said he refused to cancel or cut the set short. Instead he was a trooper and danced, sang his best, and asked the crowd to pitch in. I think many other artists would have bailed, but props to Rob for caring about his fans.
Linkin Park came out to close the night and the weekend for Monster Mash Music Fest. Similar to Tool, they came out in costume (cool zombie makeup, bros) and they also seemed oddly rusty. Perhaps it was mainly Chester Bennington, who has toured up a storm lately with LP and Stone Temple Pilots. It’s easy to see why these guys are one of the biggest bands in the world, even if they forgot some of the words to two of their biggest hits (‘One Step Closer’ and ‘Numb’, ugh). However, Linkin Park puts on a hands-down stellar show. From impressive lights, to solo spots for most of the guys, including a full on EDM set and DJ Joe Hahn doing a Fort Minor mini-set, it was excellent. The crowd was tired, but into it as the music rang out in the desert night for the last time. Based on my experience, I’d like to see this fest come back next year and every year!
[slideshow_deploy id=’35681′]
PHOTOS BY MELINA D PHOTOGRAPHY
[amazon asin=B00000099Y&template=iframe image] [amazon asin=B00004Z459&template=iframe image] [amazon asin=B00000AEFF&template=iframe image] [amazon asin=B00BU984SK&template=iframe image]
Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats – The Night Creeper
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats release their latest album, The Night Creeper, via Rise Above Records in plenty of time for Halloween. I mention this because those psychedelic, doom-y tunes got me wrapped up in reading about Night of the Living Dead while listening to them. ‘Tis the season, after all.
‘Melody Lane’ kicks off with keyboards that I would normally despise, but find myself tolerating in this case. Even with the keys, this still manages to be one of the heavier songs on the album. The guitar solo that starts at about 4:27 is one of only a few on the album. The solo paired with a little more energy overall makes this song stand out to me more than others.
Title track ‘The Night Creeper’ is a great song that commands your attention and forces you to headbang and/or contemplate your entire existence. I have been under the weather lately so I took the latter path. As expected, the song is on the sinister side of things and excellently instills a sense of despair in the listener. I also find it oddly comforting, like a more grown up way to feed your inner goth kid and bring peace to that teenage angst from so long ago.
At just over nine minutes long, ‘Slow Death’ is a beautiful and relaxing piece. The slow tempo, minimal vocals, and sounds of falling rain make it sound like something right out of the sixties. It’s the kind of song that you can throw on at the end of a long day and just let fuzz consume your mind. Listen to it a few times and I think you’ll see exactly what I mean.
The Night Creeper is an album worthy of a place in your doom collection. It’s got all of the darkness and foreboding of regular doom but without putting you (me) to sleep. Keep your eyes peeled for Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats currently on tour with Ruby the Hatchet. See you in Boston!
7.0/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE
The Sword – High Country
Three years following the release of their last album, Apocryphon (Razor & Tie), The Sword return with High Country (Razor & Tie). I always go into things wondering if we’re going to get another Warp Riders (Kemado) record as that was how I was first exposed to the band. So, no, this isn’t Warp Riders II, but it’s pretty rad.
‘Seriously Mysterious’ is my favorite song off of the new album and I lost count of just how many times I played it while working on this review. It stands out from the rest of the album, with the intro ‘Unicorn Farm’ being the only other thing that somewhat matches it. Although not as complex as some of the other songs on High Country, ‘Seriously Mysterious’ is extremely catchy and will make you move. It and its more sinister sounding counterpart, ‘Ghost Eye’, are likely to make an appearance alongside songs like Steve Miller Band’s ‘Abracadabra’ and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstitious’ on a few Halloween party play lists this year. If your play list looks like that, I better be invited.
Fuzz-filled and riff laden, ‘Buzzards’ is another favorite selection from the second half of High Country. It is just simply a great song with a hypnotic chorus that draws you right in. I might even argue that this would have made a great choice for a song to close out the record on a more energetic note. I’d also recommend it for any upcoming road trips you may have.
High Country is a solid record overall but, as you can see, the second half of the album is where it really comes alive for me. Songs are a little meatier, a little groovier, and really help round things out, even if they tip the scales a bit more in one direction.
7.5/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE
Cannibal Corpse – Revocation – Aeon: Kentish Town Forum, London, UK
For some reason, Halloween is exempt from the Prohibition Against Mainstream Fun that prevents Metal fans from publicly enjoying other festivals. Admit that you like Christmas and you’ll be ejected from The Hall faster than if you’d been seen wearing a Five Finger Death Punch t-shirt, but celebrating Halloween is not just permitted but actively encouraged. Clearly not even a Cannibal Corpse gig is enough to spoil the one Metal Approved religious festival in the calendar, and tonight the Forum is packed with Teletubbies, scary clowns, lazily-made-up-skeletons and a man dressed as a giant penis. The audience is absolutely wired from the off, moshing to silence and bellowing for walls of death before the first band even take to the stage.
Fortunately, their enthusiasm is not misplaced as openers Aeon, having apparently not been told that they’re just a support band, rip into their set as if they’re headlining. In a recent interview with Ghost Cult, Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster described Aeon as a personal favourite of his, and it’s instantly clear why. They’ve been given a rich, heavy sound far beyond most openers and they don’t waste it, delivering taut, commanding bursts of powerful, Deicide-esque Death Metal with utter confidence and control. The audience prove that a band who act like headliners get treated like it, with a crowd response extremely healthy for a band playing at 7.30 to a venue that still hasn’t filled up.
Next up, Boston’s Revocation betray their simplistic name with an ambitious mash-up of Death Metal, Thrash and Hardcore with more progressive elements. It’s a complex, often surprisingly subtle blend that eschews many of the more traditional trappings of Death Metal, with Hardcore-style shouted vocals (occasionally giving way to clean-sung choruses), jagged song-structures and frequently dissonant changes of mood and tempo within a track. On paper they’re an odd choice to support a band as orthodox as Cannibal Corpse, and some old school Death Metallers in the audience are visibly perplexed, but for most people here the sheer savagery of the performance and the band’s clear enthusiasm wins through, earning another hero’s welcome (not to mention a circle pit in which the man in the penis costume sticks out like the world’s sorest most misshapen thumb).
By the time Cannibal Corpse take to the stage the audience are so wired that they’d probably circle-pit to ‘Let’s Get Ready To Rumble’ (PJ and Duncan) on a loop, but the band don’t use that as an excuse to cut corners. By this point in their career, reviewing Cannibal Corpse almost seems pointless – if you’re reading this you know exactly what they sound like and whether you like them or not – but live the sheer, undeniable enormity of their performance simply overwhelms everything else. On record their familiarity can be almost comforting, but live they take repetition to the point of transcendence, one idea repeated so often and so powerfully that it annihilates everything else. The point of a Cannibal Corpse review is not to tell you what they sounded like, but to attempt to capture just how good it was.
The first thing you notice about Cannibal is that the flashy showmanship and theatrics employed by both support bands are entirely absent. With the exception of some endearingly awkward stage banter from George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher (challenging the audience to a headbanging contest; sincerely exhorting them to “keep supporting fucking Death Metal!”), there is almost zero communication between band and audience – they stand in a line, lock their feet in place and simply hammer out one song after another like there’s nothing else in the universe. It seems jarring after the usual Metal posturing, but is entirely fitting and consistent with the band’s aesthetic of unrelenting, no-nonsense Death Metal. The second thing is how utterly, terrifyingly tight and precise they are. Watching Alex’s fingers is dizzying in itself, a more fitting visual accompaniment to the musical assault than any amount of shape-throwing or play acting would have been, and it rapidly becomes clear that you are watching a band who – twenty six years and thirteen albums into their career – still rehearse every single day. The music is literally everything, and within the tight parameters they have set themselves, they have attained absolute mastery.
Every possible criticism of their performance – the lack of variety; the relentless, no-pause-for-breath pacing; the lack of showmanship – misses the point of what it is they do, and why. Those aren’t bugs, to steal a phrase from a different world entirely, those are FEATURES. Cannibal Corpse are essentially a machine, constructed solely for the purpose of musically punching the listener in the face as many times as they can until the lights go on – if that’s not for you, that’s through no failing of theirs.
In a genre as insular and niche-focussed as Death Metal bands who dare to put their heads above the parapet will often be derided as sell-outs, but Cannibal Corpse are not just the most successful band in Death Metal, they are its purest and most dedicated adherents, and are still at the very forefront of the genre after twenty-six years.
Cannibal Corpse Setlist
Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead
Fucked With a Knife
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Kill or Become
Sadistic Embodiment
Icepick Lobotomy
Scourge of Iron
Demented Aggression
Evisceration Plague
Dormant Bodies Bursting
Addicted to Vaginal Skin
The Wretched Spawn
Pounded into Dust
I Cum Blood
Disposal of the Body
Make Them Suffer
A Skull Full of Maggots
Hammer Smashed Face
Devoured by Vermin
RICHIE HR