CONCERT REVIEW: Death Angel – Exploding Zombies – Die-Sect Live at The Machine Shop


 

The unexpecting town of Flint is home to one the nation’s most celebrated independent music venues. The Machine Shop is a nationally acclaimed medium-sized concert hall that has been hosting, supporting, and celebrating bands for over twenty years. They accommodate a variety of acts and tend to favor heavier genres. This diamond in the rough was the perfect spot for Thrash Metal legends Death Angel to put on a headlining show. The boys from the Bay Area brought their magic to Michigan on one of their off days from the Klash of the Titans run. Kreator and Sepultura teamed up for a thrash-filled tour with Death Angel and Spiritworld as special guests. The hard-working quintet sprinkled in a few headlining gigs during the month-long tour and The Shop was lucky enough to snag one of them. Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Ice Nine Kills – SKYND – Lansdowne – Defying Decay Live at Manchester Academy 1


 

Opening up the night was Bangkok’s Defying Decay, the seven-piece crammed to the very front of the stage at Academy 1 with masses of equipment behind them. Their sound was a heady cocktail of bludgeoning heaviness and melodic cadences, with frontman Jay Poom Euarchukiati poppy cleans and a liberal dose of groove rounding off the potent mix.

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CONCERT REVIEW: August Burns Red – The Devil Wears Prada – Bleed From Within Live at Royal Oak Music Theatre


 

April showers started to sprinkle when a line of people outside the Royal Oak Music Theatre, located in the Detroit suburbs, began to move. The long queue was due to the fact the Metalcore masters, August Burns Red was in town to celebrate their 20-year anniversary. They brought along The Devil Wears Prada and Bleed from Within to help them party. Many rejoiced when the doors of the historic movie palace finally opened. Sneakers skidded across the art-deco hall and clamored straight to the front row claiming their spot to witness such acclaimed acts in their favorite genre. Soon the large, multi-level venue was flooded with flannel and a raucous was raised as many eager fans awaited their heroes to take the stage.Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Enslaved – Insomnium – Black Anvil Live at Saint Andrew’s Hall


 

It was a typical, quiet Monday evening last week in downtown Detroit. Except at the city’s treasured music venue, Saint Andrew’s Hall. There was a bit of a hullabaloo happening at the preferred concert spot because metal titans, Enslaved and Insomnium brought their North American co-headlining tour to town. Both of these acts are experts in their respective genres and both of them are on the road to promote their newest full-length albums that have come out earlier this year. The place was buzzing with anticipation as metal fans of all sorts filed in to hear the new tunes.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Ville Valo – Kælan Mikla Live at Saint Andrew’s Hall


HIM (aka His Infernal Majesty) is one of the biggest, most successful bands to come out of Finland. Love Metal is not only the name of their fourth full-length album, but it is a genre of music they invented. So, it is fair to say many were dismayed when these Finnish fellas broke up six years ago. Yet hope was rekindled when frontman Ville Valo (aka VV) announced his debut solo album in 2022. Neon Noir (Heartagram Records, read our review here) was released earlier this year and has received high praise. Now the man is on the road again sharing his new tunes and some HIM classics on his headlining world tour. Valo brought his romantic rock to Detroit and blessed Saint Andrew’s Hall with his presence. The Live Nation venue was a perfect pit stop for this tour since it is a premiere music site that caters well to hot and flashy rock bands. Our local baseball team, The Detroit Tigers, had their opening day the same evening as Valo’s big show so the streets of the city were bustling and full of hubbub. That energy spilled into the beloved hall and made the night a colorful experience.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Vader – Krisiun – Decrepit Birth Live at the Sanctuary


Detroit has many pocket-sized music venues, and the Sanctuary is one of the city’s favorites. Settled in the hamlet of Hamtramck, right next to Motor City, this bitsy concert hall is a spot where fans can experience their beloved bands in a comfortable and intimate setting. Death Metal virtuosos, Vader are on the prowl in North America for their 40th Anniversary, and they brought their Revelation of the Wicked tour to town. Along with Death Metal heavyweights, Krisiun and Decrepit Birth, this lineup came to the Sanc ready to delight and destroy.Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Eluveitie – Omnium Gatherum – Seven Spires Live at The Majestic Theatre


 

The snow had finally tapered off right when the doors opened for the night’s event at the historic Majestic Theatre. This beloved spot is one of Detroit’s preferred venues to catch a heavy show. Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Battlecross: 7th Annual Battle Christmas with Child Bite – Shit Life – Nethergate Live at The Token Lounge


 

‘Tis the season for fun festivities and what better way to get in the spirit of things than to attend Battlecross‘ 7th Annual “Battle Christmas.” The much-beloved band hosts a cheery evening with other great groups making it a highlight of this time of year. Hundreds gathered on the west side of Detroit last Friday to join the party. Resting between two Detroit burbs, The Token Lounge is a comfortable-sized venue that has been enjoyed for over fifty years. Hosting a wide variety of acclaimed acts, this delightful destination is a local favorite to catch a show and was the perfect place to host Battlecross’ extravaganza. Not only was this their much-anticipated annual get-together, but it was also their last show before going on an indefinite hiatus. Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Soen – Oceans of Slumber Live at Lincoln Hall


 

Chicago is renowned for being home to some of the country’s most acclaimed concert venues. Lincoln Hall resides just north of downtown and has been voted as one of the best spots for live music in the city by sites like Yelp and Foursquare. The owners of Schubas Tavern opened their second location in 2009 in a hundred-year-old building and have been hosting transcendent live appearances since. Soen picked well to make this their Midwest stop on their one-month-long North American tour.

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