FESTIVAL REVIEW: Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023 Live at The Rave – Eagles Club


The Rave/Eagles Club is an acclaimed live entertainment complex located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is a one-of-a-kind spot to catch a heavy metal show. The multi-stage and multi-floor building has a fascinating history and many music groups consider playing there a “rite of passage” as performers. The Milwaukee Metal Fest was launched in 1987 by music enthusiast and promoter Jack Koshick, which became one of the most renowned festivals for the heavy genres in the 1990s and early 2000s. All the greats from Slayer to Meshuggah to the Misfits were all part of the impressive lineups throughout the years until it shut down in 2004. After being absent for nearly twenty years, the fest has been brought back to life by Hatebreed‘s Jamey Jasta. He bought the rights in 2022 and put together a fest to take place on Memorial Day weekend at The Rave with some of the scene’s biggest bands. Continue reading


Rock For Ronnie Concert In The Park Benefiting Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund All-Star Talent Announced


 

The Rock For Ronnie Concert in the Park will take place on Sunday afternoon, May 7, 2023 at Los Encinos Historic Park in Encino, benefiting the. Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (https://www.diocancerfund.org). The Rock For Ronnie event, slated to be an afternoon of live rock music, silent and live auctions, food trucks and fun geared to the entire family, is the cancer charity’s first post-Covid event back in the park. The event just named a who’s who of Rock and Heavy Metal luminaries for the finale/all-star jam. 

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Vio-Lence Performs in Los Angeles, Phil Demmel Considers Stepping Back from The Band Following Latest Lineup Changes


 

Vio-Lence performed at the World Famous Whiskey-A-Go-Go this past weekend, their first show with drummer Adrian Aguilar (Exmortus). This comes less than three weeks after co-founder Perry Strickland quit the band.  The band recently announced that guitarist Phil Demmel will be unable to make the group’s shows in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand in early March and will be temporarily replaced by Miles Dimitri Baker (Voidbringer, Interloper, Ex-Rings Of Saturn). In a new post to Instagram, Phil Demmel gave a “state of the Vio-lence address”, including telling vocalist Sean Killian he wanted to “shut down the band” following the recent departures, and that he may have limited to no involvement touring with the group in the future. Strickland is the second member to depart the band recently following Bobby Gufstason (ex-Overkill) a few months ago. Continue reading


Jamey Jasta’s Milwaukee Metal Fest Adds Machine Head, Deeds of Flesh, Angelus Apatrida, Midnight, Warbringer, Bodysnatcher, Vended, Malignancy, Morta Skuld, Ripper Owens, and Pissing Razors


 

Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023 has added a slew of new bands including Milwaukee Metal Fest Books Machine Head, Deeds of Flesh, Angelus Apatrida, Midnight, Warbringer, Bodysnatcher, Vended, Malignancy, Morta Skuld, Ripper Owens,  Pissing Razors, and many more. Machine Head is a particular coup for the fest since they rarely do festivals, and none in the USA for many, many years. Hatebreed frontman and podcaster Jamey Jasta purchased the rights to the fest name in 2022, the rebooted event will take place on Memorial Day Weekend at The Rave/Eagles club. Get tickets at the link below. Previously announced to head up the fest are Lamb of God, Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Napalm Death, Dark Angel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Obituary, Shadows Fall, and many more will take part in the festival taking place Memorial Day Weekend 2023, May 25-27th, 

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Watch the 2023 Cliff Burton Day Event Commemorating the 61st Birthday of The Metallica Icon


The 6th annual Cliff Burton Day, celebrating the late Metallica legend and Rock Hall of Famer Cliff Burton, as officially declared by Cliff’s hometown of Castro Valley and the greater Alameda County, was held on February 10th, 2023. It would have been Cliff’s 61st birthday. Continuing with tradition, host Nicholas Gomez hosted and spoke with Cliff’s family and friends, about their personal memories and cherished time with Cliff. Interviews include Connie Burton, Lou Martin, Flemming Rasmussen of Sweet Silence Studios, Mike Overton of Trauma, John Gallagher of Raven, Deen Dell of Vio-Lence, Brian Lew and Harald Oimoen from the movie/ book Murder in the Front Row, Photographer Gene Ambo, Castro Valley home town friends Joe Cabral, Judd of Judd’s Barn, and Tony Martin. Their stories and memories of Cliff are not to be missed and are too in-depth to be shared in just one broadcast.

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Celebrate Cliff Burton Day Commemorating the 61st Birthday of The Metallica Icon


This year is the 6th annual Cliff Burton Day, celebrating the late Metallica legend and Rock Hall of Famer, as officially declared by Cliff’s hometown of Castro Valley and the greater Alameda County. Continuing with tradition, host Nicholas Gomez will speak with Cliff’s family and friends, about their personal memories and cherished time with Cliff. These stories will bring you back to the influential early days, with an in-depth look into the life, the times, and the location of an unknowing musical phenomenon. Watch Jerry Only of Misfits pay tribute to Cliff in this video. 

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Jamey Jasta’s Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023 Books Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Napalm Death, Dark Angel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Obituary, Shadows Fall, and More! 


 

Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023 has announced its comeback for 2023! The iconic, midwestern, multi-day event was the stuff of legends and is returning to prominence in 2023. Hatebreed frontman and podcaster Jamey Jasta purchased the rights last year and today announces the lineup for Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023. The rebooted event will take place on Memorial Day Weekend at The Rave/Eagles club. Get tickets at the link below. Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Napalm Death, Dark Angel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Obituary, Shadows Fall, and many more will take part in the festival taking place Memorial Day Weekend 2023, May 25-27th, 

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PODCAST: Episode #199: Gary Alcock Interviews Phil Demmel of Vio-Lence About Their New EP and Phil-ing in with Lamb of God


Ghost Cult scribe Gary Alcock interviewed the swiss-army knife of metal guitarists, Phil Demmel of Vio-Lence, just after the band’s first-ever UK show at Bloodstock Open Air 2022. Phil discusses his past success in the UK with Machine Head, how hot it was at BOA, his current status with Vio-Lence, filling in with Lamb of God, gigs trying to navigate the landscape of being a working musician, the new EP Let The World Burn (Metal Blade), and more!

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FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2022 Part 2


Catton Park, United kingdom, 14 Aug 2022, Lamb of God performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine

 

SATURDAY

Considering most people are already feeling like overcooked baked potatoes wrapped in tin foil, the fact that today is meant to be the hottest day of the festival really isn’t the best news. Still, that certainly doesn’t deter a healthy crowd from shaking off the hangovers and getting on with the business at hand, Baest and Lost Society both grabbing the main stage by the scruff of the neck while Sister Shotgun and Mastiff do the same on the Sophie stage.Continue reading


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Bloodstock Open Air 2022 Part 1


Catton Park, United kingdom, 12 Aug 2022, Behemoth performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine

Main Stage and Sophie Lancaster Stage

 

THURSDAY

If there are two things we love doing in the UK, it’s complaining about the weather and queuing for things. Well, this year at Bloodstock Open Air, both are freely available and at no extra charge. Not a moment goes by without a comment on the sweltering heat or about having to wait to cross the road to the festival ground. Yes, not content with spending two hours in the main queue, campers have now invented a brand new line to join before even getting that far. For the first time ever, a line has formed for people pulling trolleys and sack carts. Almost a quarter of a mile of people waiting in a surprisingly orderly queue before joining an even bigger queue. England, never change.

 

With the heat already playing its part, I finally arrive at the Sophie Lancaster Stage in time to catch Italian nutters Nanowar of Steel who send the audience into hysterics with daft costumes and a “Wall of Love” (a traditional wall of death that climaxes with people hugging each other to George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’). Preceding the infuriatingly catchy ‘Norwegian Reggaeton’ with Burzums outdoor recipe for roasted salmon (“you place the freshly caught salmon on a rock and burn down the church next to it”) the band then take the opportunity to use the mighty ‘Valhalleluja’ to build an Ikea coffee table, holding it aloft for the elated crowd. Accompanied by an actual goblin for the duration of their set, US act Nekrogoblikon certainly put on an enjoyable show but find it tough following such a display of irreverent insanity. 

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