In case you missed their excellent show back 8/21, Vektor is returning to the Riot Room on November 6th, a Tuesday! One of the best up and coming bands this century. You do NOT want to miss this! Opening the show are amazing dudes in Hellevate and Vanlade!
Note: It looks like Vektor is NOT headlining this show. They should still get a pretty nice set out of it, though. The headlining band is System Divide. I will save my commentary on them for myself.
Showing posts with label vanlade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vanlade. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
New shows alert!
Got some new shows announced lately! Remember - always check the sidebar for upcoming shows. I update that more often than actually posting about shows!
That Lamb of God tour that got canceled has had its make-up dates announced. It's all different bands this time, though. They'll be at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City along with In Flames, Hellyeah and Sylosis. Last time they were at the Uptown, a huge crowd showed up. Wouldn't doubt it to happen again at this show. So get there early!
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The Sword will be returning to the Record Bar in Kansas City almost exactly 2 years after their triumphant show in 2010. They'll be there on December 3rd with Gypsyhawk and American Sharks. They were really heavy 2 years ago, so I expect no different from them this time.
If you are really keen on Gypsyhawk, they have a show at the Aftershock in Merriam, KS on September 20th with Vanlade and Alsatia. A great headliner with amazing local bands. Totally worth seeing them twice!
====
Converge is coming back to the Granada theater with an absolutely stacked bill. Opening the show is local boys Mansion, then Kvelertak and Torche will light everyone on fire. The Lawrence date is special because after Torche, local legends Coalesce will take the stage to open for Converge! Legendary. Don't miss this show, because it'll be full of stage dives!
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If you want to slow things down, drone-doom pioneers Earth will be at the Record Bar on November 19th. Earplugs are recommended, they can get loud! Eagle Twin and Stebmo open.
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Keep an eye out, here and on the sidebar and all the local venue's websites. Lots of stuff is getting announced!
That Lamb of God tour that got canceled has had its make-up dates announced. It's all different bands this time, though. They'll be at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City along with In Flames, Hellyeah and Sylosis. Last time they were at the Uptown, a huge crowd showed up. Wouldn't doubt it to happen again at this show. So get there early!
====
The Sword will be returning to the Record Bar in Kansas City almost exactly 2 years after their triumphant show in 2010. They'll be there on December 3rd with Gypsyhawk and American Sharks. They were really heavy 2 years ago, so I expect no different from them this time.
If you are really keen on Gypsyhawk, they have a show at the Aftershock in Merriam, KS on September 20th with Vanlade and Alsatia. A great headliner with amazing local bands. Totally worth seeing them twice!
====
Converge is coming back to the Granada theater with an absolutely stacked bill. Opening the show is local boys Mansion, then Kvelertak and Torche will light everyone on fire. The Lawrence date is special because after Torche, local legends Coalesce will take the stage to open for Converge! Legendary. Don't miss this show, because it'll be full of stage dives!
====
If you want to slow things down, drone-doom pioneers Earth will be at the Record Bar on November 19th. Earplugs are recommended, they can get loud! Eagle Twin and Stebmo open.
====
Keep an eye out, here and on the sidebar and all the local venue's websites. Lots of stuff is getting announced!
Friday, August 10, 2012
White Wizzard -- Kansas City, MO -- August 9th, 2012
Despite it being the first night of the tour and despite the two opening
touring bands not playing the first date of the tour, White Wizzard put
on a phenomenal show. Even though they go through more lineup changes
than a preseason football squad, the group they have now are phenomenal.
Their new lead guitarists can both shred, but I was on the side of Jake
Dreyer and he was melting my face in every song. There was a nice,
thick, Maiden-esque bass sound to every song, and the new vocalist
Joseph just added to everything. They were really appreciative and there
were more than a few fans in the audience that were headbanging and
singing along with a ton of the songs.
The coolest part of the night was when someone pointed out that there were a few underage kids (the venue was 21+) were watching through the windows out on the street. Near the end of their set, someone opened the door right next to the window, and during a song, guitarist Jake walked outside and started playing to those two kids! It was so awesome. My friend and I went out there and headbanged with them! I remember when I stood outside that same venue to watch Exodus in the freezing sleet because I wasn't 21. White Wizzard totally made those kids have a memorable night!
Every song they played was awesome, especially the older stuff like 40 Deuces, Over The Top and High Speed GTO. Iron Goddess Of Vengeance was really heavy, too. Just all around good sound and great performance from the band.
We didn't get Icarus Witch and Widow, who will be on later dates of the tour. Direct support came from local heavy/power metal band Ancient Creation. One guitar, bass, drums and vocalist, but they were really heavy. They're older dudes, so instead of just emulating that classic heavy metal sound, they are the real deal! Their songs Apocalypse and Bringer Of Evil were awesome, and they can really shred.
Opening the show was good ol' Vanlade. The power/speed/thrash powerhouse added a second guitarist to their lineup again, and it only added another layer of awesome to their sound. This might have been the best time I've seen them, and they ended with a cover of Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild. Awesome!
Such a great show, even though some of the bands fell through. Next time!
White Wizzard:
Torpedo Of Truth (new song)
40 Deuces
Celestina
Out Of Control
Starchild
Flying Tigers
Iron Goddess Of Vengeance
Fall Of Atlantis
Over The Top
High Speed GTO
Ancient Creation included:
Apocalypse
Bringer of Evil
Vanlade included:
Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf cover)
White Wizzard: 9/10
Ancient Creation: 8/10
Vanlade: 8/10
The coolest part of the night was when someone pointed out that there were a few underage kids (the venue was 21+) were watching through the windows out on the street. Near the end of their set, someone opened the door right next to the window, and during a song, guitarist Jake walked outside and started playing to those two kids! It was so awesome. My friend and I went out there and headbanged with them! I remember when I stood outside that same venue to watch Exodus in the freezing sleet because I wasn't 21. White Wizzard totally made those kids have a memorable night!
Every song they played was awesome, especially the older stuff like 40 Deuces, Over The Top and High Speed GTO. Iron Goddess Of Vengeance was really heavy, too. Just all around good sound and great performance from the band.
We didn't get Icarus Witch and Widow, who will be on later dates of the tour. Direct support came from local heavy/power metal band Ancient Creation. One guitar, bass, drums and vocalist, but they were really heavy. They're older dudes, so instead of just emulating that classic heavy metal sound, they are the real deal! Their songs Apocalypse and Bringer Of Evil were awesome, and they can really shred.
Opening the show was good ol' Vanlade. The power/speed/thrash powerhouse added a second guitarist to their lineup again, and it only added another layer of awesome to their sound. This might have been the best time I've seen them, and they ended with a cover of Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild. Awesome!
Such a great show, even though some of the bands fell through. Next time!
White Wizzard:
Torpedo Of Truth (new song)
40 Deuces
Celestina
Out Of Control
Starchild
Flying Tigers
Iron Goddess Of Vengeance
Fall Of Atlantis
Over The Top
High Speed GTO
Ancient Creation included:
Apocalypse
Bringer of Evil
Vanlade included:
Born To Be Wild (Steppenwolf cover)
White Wizzard: 9/10
Ancient Creation: 8/10
Vanlade: 8/10
Thursday, September 22, 2011
October preview: Death Angel
Death Angel will play their second show in Kansas City this year, after their magnificent performance in February, at the Riot Room on October 17th. They absolutely rip live, so don't miss them! Opening the show is Vanlade, At Your Throat and The Sybil.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Forbidden --- Kansas City, MO --- June 27th, 2011
Wow!
What an amazing show! Every single band was spot-on and really fun. My neck is going to be killing me tomorrow.
I got to The Beaumont Club about halfway through local epic band Vanlade. For those who don't know, Vanlade play an infectious brand of power/speed metal, not too much unlike old-school Manowar or Judas Priest. They sounded great tonight and the crowd was receptive as always.
The first of the touring bands was Havok, and I was most excited to see them. I am a huge sucker for new thrash bands, and Havok pretty much stands far above the rest of the field. They opened their set with a savage one-two punch of "No Amensty" followed right by "Fatal Intervention" and every head was banging. They actually saw my post on Facebook about requesting a song off of their new album, which they obliged and thanked me for! The song was "DOA", and it sounded fantastic. They ended with yet another blistering rendition of "Afterburner" that immolated all posers within a 50 mile radius.
I was actually a little wary about White Wizzard being on the bill, but they were actually awesome! Every member of the band is really talented, especially their bassist! I only knew their opener "Over The Top" but they ripped through their set. I guarantee that if we could get a time machine and go get Iron Maiden circa 1979-1982 and bring them to modern times, they'd be White Wizzard.
Another big reason for attending this show was Revocation. It was my third time seeing them. Although the sound wasn't nearly as good as I wished it could be, the band more than made up for it. Dave Davidson really earned his title of the Best Modern Metal Guitarist from MetalSucks. His solo on "Age of Iniquity" was worth the price of admission alone, and they've gotten so good at playing "Dismantle The Dictator" that the performance of that song will be considered legendary in time.
I can cross Forbidden off my list of legendary thrash bands to see. I had so much fun screaming along with them to classics like "Step By Step" and "Off The Edge", but even their new songs ripped, especially "Omega Wave"! Their setlist on the stage had only 10 songs on it, but they added a few, including "RIP" and a cover of Black Sabbath's "Children Of The Sea" which sounded surprisingly great! They ended the set with thrash anthem "Chalice Of Blood" and members of all the opening bands came out to sing the chorus. It was a fantastic way to end the night. Although there weren't a ton of people at this show, we let Forbidden and all the other bands know that we really appreciated and loved them for coming through time. Now to go rest my neck...
Forbidden setlist:
Forsaken at the Gates
Overthrow
Off the Edge
Forbidden Evil
Step by Step
Adapt or Die
Omega Wave
Twisted Into Form
R.I.P.
Through Eyes of Glass
Children Of The Sea (Black Sabbath cover)
Chalice of Blood
Revocation setlist:
Re-AniManiac
Cradle Robber (new song)
Age of Iniquity
Dismantle the Dictator
Conjuring the Cataclysm (new song)
Unattained
White Wizzard partial setlist:
Over The Top
White Wizzard
High Speed GTO
Havok setlist:
No Amnesty
Fatal Intervention
Morbid Symmetry
D.O.A.
Covering Fire
Afterburner
Vanlade partial setlist:
Life By The Blade
Blood Eagle
Forbidden: 9/10
Revocation: 8.5/10
White Wizzard: 8/10
Havok: 9.5/10
Vanlade: 8/10
What an amazing show! Every single band was spot-on and really fun. My neck is going to be killing me tomorrow.
I got to The Beaumont Club about halfway through local epic band Vanlade. For those who don't know, Vanlade play an infectious brand of power/speed metal, not too much unlike old-school Manowar or Judas Priest. They sounded great tonight and the crowd was receptive as always.
The first of the touring bands was Havok, and I was most excited to see them. I am a huge sucker for new thrash bands, and Havok pretty much stands far above the rest of the field. They opened their set with a savage one-two punch of "No Amensty" followed right by "Fatal Intervention" and every head was banging. They actually saw my post on Facebook about requesting a song off of their new album, which they obliged and thanked me for! The song was "DOA", and it sounded fantastic. They ended with yet another blistering rendition of "Afterburner" that immolated all posers within a 50 mile radius.
I was actually a little wary about White Wizzard being on the bill, but they were actually awesome! Every member of the band is really talented, especially their bassist! I only knew their opener "Over The Top" but they ripped through their set. I guarantee that if we could get a time machine and go get Iron Maiden circa 1979-1982 and bring them to modern times, they'd be White Wizzard.
Another big reason for attending this show was Revocation. It was my third time seeing them. Although the sound wasn't nearly as good as I wished it could be, the band more than made up for it. Dave Davidson really earned his title of the Best Modern Metal Guitarist from MetalSucks. His solo on "Age of Iniquity" was worth the price of admission alone, and they've gotten so good at playing "Dismantle The Dictator" that the performance of that song will be considered legendary in time.
I can cross Forbidden off my list of legendary thrash bands to see. I had so much fun screaming along with them to classics like "Step By Step" and "Off The Edge", but even their new songs ripped, especially "Omega Wave"! Their setlist on the stage had only 10 songs on it, but they added a few, including "RIP" and a cover of Black Sabbath's "Children Of The Sea" which sounded surprisingly great! They ended the set with thrash anthem "Chalice Of Blood" and members of all the opening bands came out to sing the chorus. It was a fantastic way to end the night. Although there weren't a ton of people at this show, we let Forbidden and all the other bands know that we really appreciated and loved them for coming through time. Now to go rest my neck...
Forbidden setlist:
Forsaken at the Gates
Overthrow
Off the Edge
Forbidden Evil
Step by Step
Adapt or Die
Omega Wave
Twisted Into Form
R.I.P.
Through Eyes of Glass
Children Of The Sea (Black Sabbath cover)
Chalice of Blood
Revocation setlist:
Re-AniManiac
Cradle Robber (new song)
Age of Iniquity
Dismantle the Dictator
Conjuring the Cataclysm (new song)
Unattained
White Wizzard partial setlist:
Over The Top
White Wizzard
High Speed GTO
Havok setlist:
No Amnesty
Fatal Intervention
Morbid Symmetry
D.O.A.
Covering Fire
Afterburner
Vanlade partial setlist:
Life By The Blade
Blood Eagle
Forbidden: 9/10
Revocation: 8.5/10
White Wizzard: 8/10
Havok: 9.5/10
Vanlade: 8/10
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Death Angel -- Lawrence, KS -- February 11th, 2011
I'm feeling it. Going all out two nights in a row is putting a strain on my body, but it feels pretty effin' good. For their first show in Kansas City since 1987, Death Angel ripped the rowdy Friday night crowd in half. It was a good night for metal.
A country show at a nearby venue caused me to park further away than normal, thus only catching the last 1 1/2 songs from KC's own power-metal titans Vanlade. I walked in on what sounded like a new song, and it sounded really awesome. The last one they played (it seemed they got their set cut short) was Breakin' The Law by Judas Priest, but they definitely put a thrash spin on the song. Best time I've ever seen them play it! I'll hold off on giving them a numbered review this time since I barely saw any of them, but I already can't wait to see 'em again!
Next up was At The Left Hand of God (or: drunkenly screaming ATLHOOOGGG!!!) and they were the odd-man out on this bill but brought a refreshing breath of air to the crowd. I'm always a big fan of these guys live and they never disappoint. The lead singer has ditched the keyboard and it seems like they play melodic death metal/metalcore in the vein on As I Lay Dying...but better! Great stuff, though the crowd wasn't too much into them. A more appropriate show for them, and they'd get tons of applause! Always a pleasure with ATLHOG.
And then came the best thrash band from the Midwest, Hammerlord. They were definitely on top of their game tonight, and they (for lack of a better word) absolutely thrashed through their opening set. Demon Fever was particularly vicious. Amazing as always. Oh, and still some of the best guitar playing I've ever seen in a live setting.
Bonded By Blood was the first of the touring bands. They were a little bit better than the last time I saw them, opening for Early Man. They seemed like they were kind of sloppy last year, but they were a lot tighter this time around. I love new thrash, but Bonded by Blood has yet to win me over. They're getting there, though.
Lazarus A.D., on the other hand, was pretty much the only band I wouldn't pay to see again. They had some pretty fun thrash parts, so it wasn't all a loss. But they definitely sounded way too much like Pantera for my liking. The crowd seemed to like them, though.
And then came Death Angel. They were outstanding. And they told us time and time again that we were by far the best crowd on the tour so far. People were spazzing out the entire time, everyone was singing along, not only to classics like Seemingly Endless Time, but also new ones like Claws In You. It was absolute chaos and absolutely insane. And let me tell you, Thrashers is probably the best live thrash song I've ever heard. Absolutely INSANE! I can't say it enough! Death Angel, please don't wait 24 years to come back again!
Death Angel (same as Chicago)
01. I Chose The Sky
02. Evil Priest
03. Buried Alive
04. Mistress Of Pain
05. Claws In So Deep
06. Seemingly Endless Time
07. This Hate
08. Relentless Revolution
(Acoustic outro from Claws In So Deep played over the P.A.)
09. Truce
10. Purgatory (Iron Maiden cover, no vocals) /
11. Veil Of Deception
12. Opponents At Sides
13. Bored /
14. Heaven And Hell (Black Sabbath cover)
15. Thrashers
16. Lord Of Hate
17. River Of Rapture
18. The Ultra Violence (Intro) / Thrown To The Wolves
LaZarus A.D. included:
The Onslaught Pt. 1 - Revolution
American Dreams
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Bonded By Blood included:
Immortal Life
Feed The Beast
Prototype: Death Machine
Hammerlord:
Wolves At War's End
Creating Destruction
Demon Fever
Cloudsplitter
The Ballad Of Rusty Tomaski
Tombstone Piledriver
At The Left Hand of God included:
The Tower Is Tall But The Fall Is Short
Vanlade included:
Breaking The Law (Judas Priest cover)
Death Angel: 9/10
Lazarus A.D.: 6/10
Bonded By Blood: 7/10
Hammerlord: 8.5/10
At The Left Hand Of God: 8/10
Vanlade: n/a
A country show at a nearby venue caused me to park further away than normal, thus only catching the last 1 1/2 songs from KC's own power-metal titans Vanlade. I walked in on what sounded like a new song, and it sounded really awesome. The last one they played (it seemed they got their set cut short) was Breakin' The Law by Judas Priest, but they definitely put a thrash spin on the song. Best time I've ever seen them play it! I'll hold off on giving them a numbered review this time since I barely saw any of them, but I already can't wait to see 'em again!
Next up was At The Left Hand of God (or: drunkenly screaming ATLHOOOGGG!!!) and they were the odd-man out on this bill but brought a refreshing breath of air to the crowd. I'm always a big fan of these guys live and they never disappoint. The lead singer has ditched the keyboard and it seems like they play melodic death metal/metalcore in the vein on As I Lay Dying...but better! Great stuff, though the crowd wasn't too much into them. A more appropriate show for them, and they'd get tons of applause! Always a pleasure with ATLHOG.
And then came the best thrash band from the Midwest, Hammerlord. They were definitely on top of their game tonight, and they (for lack of a better word) absolutely thrashed through their opening set. Demon Fever was particularly vicious. Amazing as always. Oh, and still some of the best guitar playing I've ever seen in a live setting.
Bonded By Blood was the first of the touring bands. They were a little bit better than the last time I saw them, opening for Early Man. They seemed like they were kind of sloppy last year, but they were a lot tighter this time around. I love new thrash, but Bonded by Blood has yet to win me over. They're getting there, though.
Lazarus A.D., on the other hand, was pretty much the only band I wouldn't pay to see again. They had some pretty fun thrash parts, so it wasn't all a loss. But they definitely sounded way too much like Pantera for my liking. The crowd seemed to like them, though.
And then came Death Angel. They were outstanding. And they told us time and time again that we were by far the best crowd on the tour so far. People were spazzing out the entire time, everyone was singing along, not only to classics like Seemingly Endless Time, but also new ones like Claws In You. It was absolute chaos and absolutely insane. And let me tell you, Thrashers is probably the best live thrash song I've ever heard. Absolutely INSANE! I can't say it enough! Death Angel, please don't wait 24 years to come back again!
Death Angel (same as Chicago)
01. I Chose The Sky
02. Evil Priest
03. Buried Alive
04. Mistress Of Pain
05. Claws In So Deep
06. Seemingly Endless Time
07. This Hate
08. Relentless Revolution
(Acoustic outro from Claws In So Deep played over the P.A.)
09. Truce
10. Purgatory (Iron Maiden cover, no vocals) /
11. Veil Of Deception
12. Opponents At Sides
13. Bored /
14. Heaven And Hell (Black Sabbath cover)
15. Thrashers
16. Lord Of Hate
17. River Of Rapture
18. The Ultra Violence (Intro) / Thrown To The Wolves
LaZarus A.D. included:
The Onslaught Pt. 1 - Revolution
American Dreams
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Bonded By Blood included:
Immortal Life
Feed The Beast
Prototype: Death Machine
Hammerlord:
Wolves At War's End
Creating Destruction
Demon Fever
Cloudsplitter
The Ballad Of Rusty Tomaski
Tombstone Piledriver
At The Left Hand of God included:
The Tower Is Tall But The Fall Is Short
Vanlade included:
Breaking The Law (Judas Priest cover)
Death Angel: 9/10
Lazarus A.D.: 6/10
Bonded By Blood: 7/10
Hammerlord: 8.5/10
At The Left Hand Of God: 8/10
Vanlade: n/a
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Toxic Holocaust -- Kansas City, MO -- November 23rd, 2010
Great show from Joel and the boys, though it was really, really short. I think they barely just played for a half hour, but they did manage to squeeze a lot of songs in. It took a couple of songs to get the crowd kicked in, but I was headbanging and singing along to a lot of songs. I think I was the only person who knew all the lyrics to War Is Hell! Would love to see them again on a headlining tour, not just an off-date.
Setlist included:
Metal Attack
Summon The Beast
Reaper's Grave
Death Brings Death
War Is Hell
Bitch (New Song)
666
Lord Of The Wasteland
Nuke The Cross
Wild Dogs
Vanlade opened and slayed. Sounded even better than before. Koktopus played afterwards, but I was illegally parked so I didn't get to see 'em. Fun, but cold, night!
Toxic Holocaust: 8.5/10
Vanlade: 8/10
Setlist included:
Metal Attack
Summon The Beast
Reaper's Grave
Death Brings Death
War Is Hell
Bitch (New Song)
666
Lord Of The Wasteland
Nuke The Cross
Wild Dogs
Vanlade opened and slayed. Sounded even better than before. Koktopus played afterwards, but I was illegally parked so I didn't get to see 'em. Fun, but cold, night!
Toxic Holocaust: 8.5/10
Vanlade: 8/10
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Havok -- Merriam, KS -- November 16th, 2010
Although they're from Denver, I really feel like Havok is a local band and hometown heroes. They always begin or end tours here and, like tonight, on a Tuesday night a ton of people show up who are big fans and sing the words and go crazy. It was my first time seeing a show at the Aftershock in Merriam, KS and the sound system wasn't too fantastic, but the stage was really big and it's an overall nice bar/grill! It was also my first time seeing Havok with two guitarists. They came earlier this year but had just lost their lead guitarist, so this was definitely better, and the second guitarist REALLY helped their sound. All the songs sounded great, but I was really impressed by the new song D.O.A. It just might be the best straight-up thrash song written in a long time! Afterburner was a highlight, but the ending Slayer covers were insane and the most fun I've had at a show in a while! One of the best performances this year by far!
Good ol' Vanlade opened right before Havok and they sounded great as always, although they only played with one guitarist this time. While every member of the band is fantastic on their own (especially the drums!) it sounds better with another guitar to even it out. No Judas Priest cover this time, but these dudes get better and better!
Meatshank sounded fantastic considering the spotty sound system at the Aftershock. The guitarist absolutely shred his face off and the bassist is still one of the most fun to watch. They played a good mix of old and new and were very well received by everyone.
Out of the two bands I hadn't heard before, Nefirum was far and away the most impressive. Looking at the band members, you'd think they had just come in from a day at school, but they played some vicious black metal with a tinges of thrash and a hint of death. Really, really impressive.
The first band of the night was Hellevate. They don't play the kind of metal I'm a huge fan of, but they did it really well and ended with a pretty sweet cover of Black Sabbath's namesake song. Evil, but nice!
Havok set:
Ivory Tower
Morbid Symmetry
Identity Theft
D.O.A.
Time Is Up
Fatal Intervention
To Hell
Melting The Mountain
Afterburner
Postmortem (Slayer cover)
Raining Blood (Slayer cover)
Havok: 10/10
Vanlade: 9/10
Meatshank: 8.5/10
Nefirum: 8/10
Hellevate: 7.5/10
Good ol' Vanlade opened right before Havok and they sounded great as always, although they only played with one guitarist this time. While every member of the band is fantastic on their own (especially the drums!) it sounds better with another guitar to even it out. No Judas Priest cover this time, but these dudes get better and better!
Meatshank sounded fantastic considering the spotty sound system at the Aftershock. The guitarist absolutely shred his face off and the bassist is still one of the most fun to watch. They played a good mix of old and new and were very well received by everyone.
Out of the two bands I hadn't heard before, Nefirum was far and away the most impressive. Looking at the band members, you'd think they had just come in from a day at school, but they played some vicious black metal with a tinges of thrash and a hint of death. Really, really impressive.
The first band of the night was Hellevate. They don't play the kind of metal I'm a huge fan of, but they did it really well and ended with a pretty sweet cover of Black Sabbath's namesake song. Evil, but nice!
Havok set:
Ivory Tower
Morbid Symmetry
Identity Theft
D.O.A.
Time Is Up
Fatal Intervention
To Hell
Melting The Mountain
Afterburner
Postmortem (Slayer cover)
Raining Blood (Slayer cover)
Havok: 10/10
Vanlade: 9/10
Meatshank: 8.5/10
Nefirum: 8/10
Hellevate: 7.5/10
Friday, November 5, 2010
Whoops!
About that Toxic Holocaust show on the 23rd: It's at the Czar Bar in KC, not the Riot Room. Sorry for the mix-up!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Get ready for Thrashgiving!
Back again to lay waste to Kansas City is a tiny little band called TOXIC HOLOCAUST! It'll be their second Kansas City show this year, and we have to show them that we want them to keep coming back! It's on November 23rd at the Riot Room and Vanlande and Koktopus will open.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Just in time for Thanksgiving
Another pretty "eclectic" tour will be hitting Aftershock in Merriam, KS on November 16th. Wretched will be headlining, and thrashers Havok will be supporting, along with Armed For Apocalypse. Opening the show will be KC's own speed-demons Vanlade. A diverse bill, but Havok alone should make it worth the cost!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
KC Metal on MetalSucks.net!
I sent an e-mail to the guys at www.metalsucks.net about how much I love the local metal scene here, and they did a piece on it!
http://www.metalsucks.net/2010/10/26/readers-choice-metal-from-the-kansas-city-area-edition
Check it out!
http://www.metalsucks.net/2010/10/26/readers-choice-metal-from-the-kansas-city-area-edition
Check it out!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Vektor -- Kansas City, MO -- July 26th, 2010
Every so often, there is a concert where you have an absolute blast because you recognize all the songs, sing along with them, and actively engage with the performers on stage to make a night memorable. You leave the venue and you play the songs over and over in your head for the rest of the night and you can't listen to the album versions anymore without wishing you were back at that concert, banging your head and slamming with your friends in the pit.
And then there's a Vektor show.
The thing that makes Vektor stand heads and shoulders above the rest of the playing field is that while they are perfect on album, they are above perfect on stage. They recreate each piece of art (I refuse to call them just "songs") down to its most minuscule details and makes them even better on stage. Every song they perform (tonight was all from the best thrash metal album of at least the past ten years, "Black Future") is instantly recognizable and catchy in its own way. Not once are you left wondering which song they're playing or when they're going to get to a song you recognize. "Black Future" is a masterpiece, the musicians who performed it are geniuses, and to see them perform these amazing musical achievements live is something everyone should be truly grateful for.
Each song was memorable in its own right, but each song also had moments in them that stood out. Screaming along with "Black Future", wondering in amazement how someone could make such a beautiful song during "Accelerating Universe", and opening up the pit with friends during "Hunger For Violence" just to name a few. I won't say it's just the small things that made Vektor so good, but every single movement of every single song was just absolutely mind-blowing. Without a doubt, Vektor is the absolute best live band that is touring these days, not just because of their technical ability, but because these songs sound even better live.
Talked with Blake (whom I told about how my grandparents know his family) and Erik afterwards. Apparently their next release is done being written and will be half new material, half re-recorded old material. Afterwards, they'll make the third album which may be a concept album.
I can't really do justice to the other bands tonight in this review. It wouldn't be fair:
Vanlade was really fun. Played a few songs I've never heard. "Life By The Blade" and "Blood Eagle" are still awesome to sing along with and their cover of "Breaking The Law" will always be fun.
Mitnal was kind of disappointing. The most one-dimensional guttural vocals I've ever heard and their music sounded more like a wall of noise. Had a few worthy moments.
The Tards were more clear sounding this time, but it just made me realize that they really want to emulate Kill 'Em All Metallica way too much.
Vektor:
Black Future
Oblivion
Forests Of Legend
Destroying The Cosmos
Accelerating Universe
Hunger For Violence
Vanlade included:
Blood Eagle
Life By The Blade
Breaking The Law (Judas Priest cover)
The Tards included:
Give Me The Guillotine
Vektor: 10/10 (tied with Celtic Frost for best live performance I've ever seen)
Vanlade: 9/10
Mitnal: 5/10
The Tards: 7/10
And then there's a Vektor show.
The thing that makes Vektor stand heads and shoulders above the rest of the playing field is that while they are perfect on album, they are above perfect on stage. They recreate each piece of art (I refuse to call them just "songs") down to its most minuscule details and makes them even better on stage. Every song they perform (tonight was all from the best thrash metal album of at least the past ten years, "Black Future") is instantly recognizable and catchy in its own way. Not once are you left wondering which song they're playing or when they're going to get to a song you recognize. "Black Future" is a masterpiece, the musicians who performed it are geniuses, and to see them perform these amazing musical achievements live is something everyone should be truly grateful for.
Each song was memorable in its own right, but each song also had moments in them that stood out. Screaming along with "Black Future", wondering in amazement how someone could make such a beautiful song during "Accelerating Universe", and opening up the pit with friends during "Hunger For Violence" just to name a few. I won't say it's just the small things that made Vektor so good, but every single movement of every single song was just absolutely mind-blowing. Without a doubt, Vektor is the absolute best live band that is touring these days, not just because of their technical ability, but because these songs sound even better live.
Talked with Blake (whom I told about how my grandparents know his family) and Erik afterwards. Apparently their next release is done being written and will be half new material, half re-recorded old material. Afterwards, they'll make the third album which may be a concept album.
I can't really do justice to the other bands tonight in this review. It wouldn't be fair:
Vanlade was really fun. Played a few songs I've never heard. "Life By The Blade" and "Blood Eagle" are still awesome to sing along with and their cover of "Breaking The Law" will always be fun.
Mitnal was kind of disappointing. The most one-dimensional guttural vocals I've ever heard and their music sounded more like a wall of noise. Had a few worthy moments.
The Tards were more clear sounding this time, but it just made me realize that they really want to emulate Kill 'Em All Metallica way too much.
Vektor:
Black Future
Oblivion
Forests Of Legend
Destroying The Cosmos
Accelerating Universe
Hunger For Violence
Vanlade included:
Blood Eagle
Life By The Blade
Breaking The Law (Judas Priest cover)
The Tards included:
Give Me The Guillotine
Vektor: 10/10 (tied with Celtic Frost for best live performance I've ever seen)
Vanlade: 9/10
Mitnal: 5/10
The Tards: 7/10
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Godhate: Setting the bar for extremity
Godhate, blasphemous death metal from Sweden, will be dominating Kansas on TWO dates! (at this time)
First date is at the Boobie Trap bar in Topeka on August 29th.
Godhate
Common Grave
Natron
Walking Corpse Syndrome
Elctrikchair
Confined In Flesh
Second date is the day after, August 30th, at the Bottleneck in Lawrence.
Godhate
Common Grave
Natron
Vanlade
Elctrikchair
Confined In Flesh
Very awesome.
First date is at the Boobie Trap bar in Topeka on August 29th.
Godhate
Common Grave
Natron
Walking Corpse Syndrome
Elctrikchair
Confined In Flesh
Second date is the day after, August 30th, at the Bottleneck in Lawrence.
Godhate
Common Grave
Natron
Vanlade
Elctrikchair
Confined In Flesh
Very awesome.
Skelator -- Kansas City, MO -- June 29th, 2010
Heavy metal is alive and still killing posers, everywhere it goes!
Tonight's show just proves once again how diverse and awesome Kansas City's metal scene is and just how good they all go together. Throw in a true metal band from out of town, and you've got a good night and a sore neck tomorrow.
First band was Meatshank from KC. If thrash breaks are illegal drugs, Meatshank are Colombian druglords. They play thrash faster, heavier, and more evil than your typical "Big Four" bands. The solo's are more technical, the bass is more hard-hitting, and the drums are just off the wall. Equal parts thrash and death and everything is great. Can't wait to see them again.
Back from a big ol' tour, Vanlade tore it up next. One of my favorite local bands, this was definitely the best time I've seen them. The bass sounded especially good and heavy this time around. Brett Scott on vocals sounded better than ever before and his range is getting more and more impressive. Still salivating for more Vanlade.
All the way from Washington, Skelator is real heavy metal and they don't mess around. They draped banners over the amps, waved around a "Skelator" flag and even started the show waving a giant broadsword around. They sounded like a current version of Grave Digger or Accept or Manowar or all of them combined. Epic stuff, awesome solo's, and lots of headbanging. They also did a cover which I can't recall, but it was by Jack Starr or one of his bands. Awesome!
Surprisingly, Skelator did not close out the show. Crossover thrash dudes Shred Scare from KC ended the night on a high, and obscenely loud, note. The guitars dominated everything for the first song, but after that things started to even out pretty well. Played an obscenely short set. Shorter than usual. It's not often you get D.R.I.-esque thrash played for you at a tiny venue. Bring on more Shred Scare!
Meatshank included:
Meatshank
S.O.L.
Vanlade included:
Blood Eagle
Life By the Blade
Breaking The Law (Accept cover)
Skelator included:
Death To The False
Time Of The Sword Rulers
You Traveled Many Miles (For A Heavy Metal Show)
Shred Scare included:
World War Brew
P.C.
Meatshank: 9/10
Vanlade: 9/10
Skelator 8.5/10
Shred Scare: 8/10
Tonight's show just proves once again how diverse and awesome Kansas City's metal scene is and just how good they all go together. Throw in a true metal band from out of town, and you've got a good night and a sore neck tomorrow.
First band was Meatshank from KC. If thrash breaks are illegal drugs, Meatshank are Colombian druglords. They play thrash faster, heavier, and more evil than your typical "Big Four" bands. The solo's are more technical, the bass is more hard-hitting, and the drums are just off the wall. Equal parts thrash and death and everything is great. Can't wait to see them again.
Back from a big ol' tour, Vanlade tore it up next. One of my favorite local bands, this was definitely the best time I've seen them. The bass sounded especially good and heavy this time around. Brett Scott on vocals sounded better than ever before and his range is getting more and more impressive. Still salivating for more Vanlade.
All the way from Washington, Skelator is real heavy metal and they don't mess around. They draped banners over the amps, waved around a "Skelator" flag and even started the show waving a giant broadsword around. They sounded like a current version of Grave Digger or Accept or Manowar or all of them combined. Epic stuff, awesome solo's, and lots of headbanging. They also did a cover which I can't recall, but it was by Jack Starr or one of his bands. Awesome!
Surprisingly, Skelator did not close out the show. Crossover thrash dudes Shred Scare from KC ended the night on a high, and obscenely loud, note. The guitars dominated everything for the first song, but after that things started to even out pretty well. Played an obscenely short set. Shorter than usual. It's not often you get D.R.I.-esque thrash played for you at a tiny venue. Bring on more Shred Scare!
Meatshank included:
Meatshank
S.O.L.
Vanlade included:
Blood Eagle
Life By the Blade
Breaking The Law (Accept cover)
Skelator included:
Death To The False
Time Of The Sword Rulers
You Traveled Many Miles (For A Heavy Metal Show)
Shred Scare included:
World War Brew
P.C.
Meatshank: 9/10
Vanlade: 9/10
Skelator 8.5/10
Shred Scare: 8/10
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Mulligan's: Bringing the metal to Olathe!
Apparently, there's a new (or new to me) venue and production company that's booking tons of local metal shows in Olathe, including a metalfest!
The place is called Mulligan's Bar & Grill at 911 S. Parker St. They have lots of shows coming up, including performances from Vanlade, The Tards, Torn The Fuck Apart, Meat Shank, and a 2-day metalfest with performances from Christ Hate and Unmerciful, with more TBA!
www.myspace.com/killinitentertainment for all the shows.
Awesome!
The place is called Mulligan's Bar & Grill at 911 S. Parker St. They have lots of shows coming up, including performances from Vanlade, The Tards, Torn The Fuck Apart, Meat Shank, and a 2-day metalfest with performances from Christ Hate and Unmerciful, with more TBA!
www.myspace.com/killinitentertainment for all the shows.
Awesome!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Havok -- Kansas City, MO -- May 14th, 2010
I guess I have a new favorite new thrash band. Havok is what all newer thrash bands should strive to sound like, at least in the live sense. Even though they were missing their lead guitarist and the rhythm guitarist had to learn all the solos that morning, they sounded great and had amazing energy and really got the crowd going. I can only imagine how good they'd sound with a full band. They did a killer cover of Slayer's Postmortem as well. The stuff from the new album was fantastic, too.
Partial/out of order set:
The Root Of All Evil
The Path To Nowhere
Morbid Symmetry
D.O.A. (new song)
Postmortem (Slayer cover)
Afterburner
But after last night, I'm convinced that Kansas City and the surrounding area has some of the best local metal bands in the country right now. We got a pretty eclectic mix of bands last night and most of them are good friends with one another, so different members from different bands teamed up for lots of covers. It was epic.
First band up was Vanlade, my new favorite local band. They play old-school power/thrash/speed metal in the vein of Accept, Judas Priest, Helloween, etc. Their twin guitar attack is unmatched right now and they really know how to control a crowd. Most of the crowd was singing along, too. I really hope these guys get really huge.
Partial/out of order set:
Blood Eagle
Black Sails Cross The Seven Seas
Life By The Blade
Wings Of Fire
Meatshank was the next band. I'd heard about them a lot, but it was my first time seeing them. As a three-piece, they made as much noise as a full band and their guitarist is one of the most talented I've ever seen live. They play a style of death/thrash that was pretty refreshing. They brought on the bassist for Stonehaven (in full corpsepaint no less) to sing their song "Meatshank" and then brought on the guitarist from Vanlade for a couple of covers. It was all fantastic.
Partial/Out of Order set:
Meatshank
The Antichrist (Slayer cover) (as MeatVanHaven)
For Whom The Bell Tolls (Metallica cover) (as MeatVanHaven)
Kansas City has an awesome black/viking band. They dress up in animal pelts, chainmail and corpsepaint. And guess what? They're really, really good. If Enslaved never went progressive. If Windir was still alive. If Nocturno Culto would get up and do something. That's what Stonehaven sounds like. Pure Kansas City Black Metal.
Partial/Out of Order set:
Black Sails
Adorned In Frost
The last local band was Shred Scare. They sound like early D.R.I./Municipal Waste. Needless to say, there was lots of moshing and lots of screaming along with the band. They brought back the vocalist for Vanlade and, as VanScare, they did a great cover of Breaking The Law. These guys are going out on a huge tour soon, so I hope lots of people get exposed to this party metal band.
Partial/Out of Order set:
Bred to Shred
Thrash N' Burn
Breaking The Law (Judas Priest cover) (as VanScare)
World War Brew
Havok: 9/10
Shred Scare: 9/10
Stonehaven: 9/10
Meatshank: 9/10
Vanlade: 9/10
Partial/out of order set:
The Root Of All Evil
The Path To Nowhere
Morbid Symmetry
D.O.A. (new song)
Postmortem (Slayer cover)
Afterburner
But after last night, I'm convinced that Kansas City and the surrounding area has some of the best local metal bands in the country right now. We got a pretty eclectic mix of bands last night and most of them are good friends with one another, so different members from different bands teamed up for lots of covers. It was epic.
First band up was Vanlade, my new favorite local band. They play old-school power/thrash/speed metal in the vein of Accept, Judas Priest, Helloween, etc. Their twin guitar attack is unmatched right now and they really know how to control a crowd. Most of the crowd was singing along, too. I really hope these guys get really huge.
Partial/out of order set:
Blood Eagle
Black Sails Cross The Seven Seas
Life By The Blade
Wings Of Fire
Meatshank was the next band. I'd heard about them a lot, but it was my first time seeing them. As a three-piece, they made as much noise as a full band and their guitarist is one of the most talented I've ever seen live. They play a style of death/thrash that was pretty refreshing. They brought on the bassist for Stonehaven (in full corpsepaint no less) to sing their song "Meatshank" and then brought on the guitarist from Vanlade for a couple of covers. It was all fantastic.
Partial/Out of Order set:
Meatshank
The Antichrist (Slayer cover) (as MeatVanHaven)
For Whom The Bell Tolls (Metallica cover) (as MeatVanHaven)
Kansas City has an awesome black/viking band. They dress up in animal pelts, chainmail and corpsepaint. And guess what? They're really, really good. If Enslaved never went progressive. If Windir was still alive. If Nocturno Culto would get up and do something. That's what Stonehaven sounds like. Pure Kansas City Black Metal.
Partial/Out of Order set:
Black Sails
Adorned In Frost
The last local band was Shred Scare. They sound like early D.R.I./Municipal Waste. Needless to say, there was lots of moshing and lots of screaming along with the band. They brought back the vocalist for Vanlade and, as VanScare, they did a great cover of Breaking The Law. These guys are going out on a huge tour soon, so I hope lots of people get exposed to this party metal band.
Partial/Out of Order set:
Bred to Shred
Thrash N' Burn
Breaking The Law (Judas Priest cover) (as VanScare)
World War Brew
Havok: 9/10
Shred Scare: 9/10
Stonehaven: 9/10
Meatshank: 9/10
Vanlade: 9/10
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Thrasho De Mayo
Looks like Havok will be returning to Kansas City. It will be at the Scion Lab on May 14th at the Scion Lab. Joining them will be Vanlade, Stonehaven, Shred Scare and Meatshank.
Monday, April 5, 2010
One of the best local shows!
Scion Lab never disappoints.
Some of the area's best bands. Five bux! Friday night! You can't miss it.
Some of the area's best bands. Five bux! Friday night! You can't miss it.
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