It was a blistering cold night in New England as Slayer guitarist and co-founder Kerry King unleashed a hellish sonic assault upon the small Boston nightclub, The Royale for his first North American Headline Tour. King’s band is made up of metal legends that include Mark Osegueda of Death Angel on vocals, former Vio-lence and Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel, Hellyeah bassist Kyle Sanders, and Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph.
After a decade, the legendary heavy metal group, God Forbid, returned to the West Coast with a few California shows slated for mid-December in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their album, Gone Forever. On Friday the 13th, a killer lineup hits The Regent Theater in Downtown LA with support from local California crushers, Thrown Into Exile, Skinlab, Exmortus, and Burton C. Bell. Continue reading
It started out as a quiet Monday evening in Midtown Detroit last week, but the show happening at The Magic Stick was going to change all that. The snug, swanky second-floor spot is a former bowling alley that provides an intimate space to catch some of the best, up-and-coming bands out there. So having Swedish stars, Orbit Culture headline at this cozy hall made a lot of sense. The Extreme, Modern Metal darlings are currently opening on a few dates for the “Here Comes the Pain” tour with the legendary Slipknot. When they are not crushing it in arenas playing for maggots, they are making their own headlining appearances. They brought along Chicago’s Repentance with them to Detroit and the night was about to get very loud.
It’s August 2004 and two legendary hitters in the heavy metal kingdom just released two iconic albums; Leviathan by Mastodon and Ashes of the Wake by Lamb of God on the same day. Fast forward 20 years and these two legends are joining forces to perform each respective album to an insanely amped Los Angeles crowd while on a joint headlining North American tour, “Ashes of Leviathan.” Continue reading
Spring is here and the warmer weather has numerous bands hitting the road. A multitude of metal acts have made their way to Motor City and the locals are pleased as punch to have them. The Swedish darlings, In Flames graced Detroit with their presence last week. This notorious act has been on a month-long headlining trek and they brought along the mighty Gatecreeper, plus Creeping Death with them. Saint Andrews Hall is a venue known for their affection towards heavier acts and were ready to host the considerable commotion this tour would cause.Continue reading
The Majestic in Midtown Detroit was buzzing and bustling with multiple excited crowds last Friday evening. The entertainment complex has two venues and each one was hosting world class acts. The swanky second-floor spot, affectionately known as the Magic Stick, welcomed metallers, High on Fire’s headlining tour to its stage. This prized powerhouse trio hit the road to promote their newest full-length record, Cometh the Storm (MNRK Heavy, review here). It was a homecoming show for frontman Matt Pike making the loud, rowdy evening extra special.Continue reading
Unleash the Archers is a band that reliably produces songs that are unconventional and wildly exciting. This Canadian Power Metal act has broken barriers in the genre by their dauntless divergences, hearty songwriting, and overall efficacious passion. The quintet is preparing to release their sixth full-length album, Phantoma (Napalm Records), which elevates their innovative skills and strengths to new heights.
Finland is reported to be one of the happiest countries in the world. Even though it can produce some fantastically grim Metal acts, this Nordic nation has some jubilant bands as well. Continue reading
Breaking away from the pack of Modern Metal bands, Infected Rain is fulfilling their promise as one of the the best underground buzz bands of the new millennium. Their new album Time (Napalm Records) goes super hard, but more importantly, showcases their maturity as writers, riff dealers, and how to make every song stand on its own. It’s rare to get to see a label trust a band to follow their muse and really grow and change from album to album. Continue reading
As we barrel down towards the end of the year, we are sharing End of Year lists from staff, bands, and some friends in the business. Check out our Senior Editor Steve Tovey’s picks for his Top Albums of 2023!Continue reading