Hate Eternal returns to the Kansas City area headlining for the first time in a loooong time on February 29th at the Beaumont Club! Along with them are great blackened death metal dudes Goatwhore, which were actually the very first metal band I ever saw live! Opening the show are two bands that fit perfectly on the bill, Troglodyte and Gornography.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Upcoming show: Sabaton
A pretty fun power metal band from Sweden, Sabaton will be at the Beaumont Club on April 19th! Come get your wargaming on! Opening is Ancient Creation and Obliterate The Apex.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Upcoming shows: an awesome low-dough local show and a great progressive band!
Do you want to get the most bang for your buck? Then come to a Low-Dough show at the Riot Room! This edition takes place on February 10th, and the lineup is Troglodyte/The Roman Holiday/Marasmus/Chaos Interval. All four are amazing death metal bands from the area and you should go support them! Entry is $2 so you can spend your cash on merch or at the bar, both help out the local scene!
====
A few days before at the Riot Room, on February 7th, is instrumental progressive metal band Scale The Summit. I'm not entirely sure, but this might be their first KC-area show, and they are great! Check em out!
====
A few days before at the Riot Room, on February 7th, is instrumental progressive metal band Scale The Summit. I'm not entirely sure, but this might be their first KC-area show, and they are great! Check em out!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Touche Amore -- Lawrence, KS -- December 11th, 2011
One of my favorite live bands performing one of my favorite records of the year (spoiler alert) and it was amazing. A Touche Amore show is just as much a crowd participation event as it is a concert. And I mean screaming lyrics into the mic and bodies upon bodies swimming over eachother to try and get on stage.
The band themselves were great. I think they have a new rhythm guitarist, but he handled backing vocals as well and did them great. The drummer is still a beast, and Jeremy still leaves his everything on the stage, but he makes everyone in the crowd give there all as well. I screamed along to all the songs from "Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me" as well as a few oldies like "Cadence" and everyone's favorite "Honest Sleep". What was really awesome was how the crowd was. Yes, everyone was jumping on eachother to sing into the mic, but everyone had huge smiles on their faces while they did, most of all the band themselves. Just an all-around amazing experience.
Although Touche Amore has one more date left in Las Vegas, tonight's show was the last for Baltimore's Pianos Become The Teeth. These guys probably had the most energy of the night, along with the handful of incredibly passionate fans that were right up against the stage for them. I thought the vocalist was really good as well. They definitely had the most aggression of the night.
The first touring act was Seahaven from Los Angeles. Although I liked them enough, they play a brand of indie rock with just a tinge of post-hardcore. Definitely a supremely different kind of music than the other bands on this tour. No harsh vocals at all from them, just singing. Again, not bad, but didn't belong on this tour.
Opening the show was local band Drought Years. They were pretty fun, although I thought the vocals were much too low in the mix. More of a kind of melodic hardcore band than post-hardcore, but still lots of fun!
Art Official
Cadence
The Great Repetition
Wants/Needs
And Now It's Happening in Mine
Uppers/Downers
Adieux
Throwing Copper
~
Pathfinder
Face Ghost
I'll Get My Just Deserve
I'll Deserve Just That
Method Act
Honest Sleep
Condolences
Home Away From Here
Amends
Touche Amore: 9.5/10
Pianos Become The Teeth: 8.5/10
Seahaven: 7/10
Drought Years: 7.5/10
The band themselves were great. I think they have a new rhythm guitarist, but he handled backing vocals as well and did them great. The drummer is still a beast, and Jeremy still leaves his everything on the stage, but he makes everyone in the crowd give there all as well. I screamed along to all the songs from "Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me" as well as a few oldies like "Cadence" and everyone's favorite "Honest Sleep". What was really awesome was how the crowd was. Yes, everyone was jumping on eachother to sing into the mic, but everyone had huge smiles on their faces while they did, most of all the band themselves. Just an all-around amazing experience.
Although Touche Amore has one more date left in Las Vegas, tonight's show was the last for Baltimore's Pianos Become The Teeth. These guys probably had the most energy of the night, along with the handful of incredibly passionate fans that were right up against the stage for them. I thought the vocalist was really good as well. They definitely had the most aggression of the night.
The first touring act was Seahaven from Los Angeles. Although I liked them enough, they play a brand of indie rock with just a tinge of post-hardcore. Definitely a supremely different kind of music than the other bands on this tour. No harsh vocals at all from them, just singing. Again, not bad, but didn't belong on this tour.
Opening the show was local band Drought Years. They were pretty fun, although I thought the vocals were much too low in the mix. More of a kind of melodic hardcore band than post-hardcore, but still lots of fun!
Art Official
Cadence
The Great Repetition
Wants/Needs
And Now It's Happening in Mine
Uppers/Downers
Adieux
Throwing Copper
~
Pathfinder
Face Ghost
I'll Get My Just Deserve
I'll Deserve Just That
Method Act
Honest Sleep
Condolences
Home Away From Here
Amends
Touche Amore: 9.5/10
Pianos Become The Teeth: 8.5/10
Seahaven: 7/10
Drought Years: 7.5/10
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
2012 update
Hey all! Thanks for sticking with the blog. I was getting some year-end stuff taken care of, so I'll try to be updating more regularly now.
I was going to attend the Rites of Darkness fest (feat. Antaeus, Zemial, etc.) in San Antonio, but that fell through. My last concert of the year will be Sunday, December 11th at the Jackpot in Lawrence: Touche Amore! Also appearing: Pianos Become The Teeth and Seahaven!
A couple last-minute 2011 shows:
As I Lay Dying returns to Kansas City to the Beaumont Club on December 8th. Opening is a whole bunch of bands, including The Ghost Inside, Of Mice And Men, iwrestledabearonce and Sylosis.
Also on the 10th (this coming Saturday) at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City is BLACK LABEL SOCIETY! I doubt you'll get a chance to see these legends in such an intimate setting ever again. Opening is Texas Hippie Coalition and Hammerlord!
Now onto 2012 concerts so far:
--------
The movie Slow Southern Steel is going on tour, and with them are the bands Hail!Hornet (sludge/stoner/doom supergroup) and Zoroaster (one of the loudest bands you'll ever see) and it's stopping at the Beaumont Club on February 1st! The movie plays first, then Zoroaster slays, then Hail!Hornet kills!
====
Returning to the Granada theater after years of absence will be Children of Bodom! They'll be appearing on February 6th along with Eluveitie, Revocation and Threat Signal!
====
Sad that In Flames and Trivium canceled their Kansas City appearance this year? Well fear not, they'll be returning to the Beaumont Club in KC on February 11th! Along with the two bands will be Veil of Maya and Kyng!
====
And now for something a little different. Scott Kelly, frontman of Neurosis and frequent Mastodon collaborator, will be bringing his acoustic tour to the recordBar in Kansas City on February 21st. Eugene S. Robinson opens.
====
Get ready progressive/power fans, the tour of the year is on February 26th at the Midland by AMC in Kansas City: Iced Earth & Symphony X! It looks like it's a co-headlining show with Warbringer opening. Awesome!
====
And now for the show in 2012 that's been announced that I'm super excited for:
Killfest 2012 will be coming to Kansas City on April 26th! This legendary thrash band is bringing along a ton of awesome bands to open: Belphegor, Aborted, Suidakra, System Divide, and Diamond Plate! THRASH!
====
And that's it! I know of a few more shows happening, but they haven't been announced just quite yet. But safe to say, when they are, they will blow your minds.
I was going to attend the Rites of Darkness fest (feat. Antaeus, Zemial, etc.) in San Antonio, but that fell through. My last concert of the year will be Sunday, December 11th at the Jackpot in Lawrence: Touche Amore! Also appearing: Pianos Become The Teeth and Seahaven!
A couple last-minute 2011 shows:
As I Lay Dying returns to Kansas City to the Beaumont Club on December 8th. Opening is a whole bunch of bands, including The Ghost Inside, Of Mice And Men, iwrestledabearonce and Sylosis.
Also on the 10th (this coming Saturday) at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City is BLACK LABEL SOCIETY! I doubt you'll get a chance to see these legends in such an intimate setting ever again. Opening is Texas Hippie Coalition and Hammerlord!
Now onto 2012 concerts so far:
--------
The movie Slow Southern Steel is going on tour, and with them are the bands Hail!Hornet (sludge/stoner/doom supergroup) and Zoroaster (one of the loudest bands you'll ever see) and it's stopping at the Beaumont Club on February 1st! The movie plays first, then Zoroaster slays, then Hail!Hornet kills!
====
Returning to the Granada theater after years of absence will be Children of Bodom! They'll be appearing on February 6th along with Eluveitie, Revocation and Threat Signal!
====
Sad that In Flames and Trivium canceled their Kansas City appearance this year? Well fear not, they'll be returning to the Beaumont Club in KC on February 11th! Along with the two bands will be Veil of Maya and Kyng!
====
And now for something a little different. Scott Kelly, frontman of Neurosis and frequent Mastodon collaborator, will be bringing his acoustic tour to the recordBar in Kansas City on February 21st. Eugene S. Robinson opens.
====
Get ready progressive/power fans, the tour of the year is on February 26th at the Midland by AMC in Kansas City: Iced Earth & Symphony X! It looks like it's a co-headlining show with Warbringer opening. Awesome!
====
And now for the show in 2012 that's been announced that I'm super excited for:
Killfest 2012 will be coming to Kansas City on April 26th! This legendary thrash band is bringing along a ton of awesome bands to open: Belphegor, Aborted, Suidakra, System Divide, and Diamond Plate! THRASH!
====
And that's it! I know of a few more shows happening, but they haven't been announced just quite yet. But safe to say, when they are, they will blow your minds.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I'm back!
I went on a sabbatical, but I have some great news to update this blog with in the coming hours. So stay tuned! :D
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Ghoul -- Merriam, KS -- October 15th, 2011
That old-school death/thrash style seriously makes for some of the best live music. You know, that Razorback sound. Along with Exhumed, Ghoul does that style fantastically and tonight was no exception. On a rare headlining date from the upcoming GWAR tour, the foursome from Creepsylvania brough all of its metal to Kansas. Literally! They brought out Killbot, a giant metal dude with a spiked fist and a pincer (or a clamp for Futurama fans) and would bonk Ghoul on the head and even "attacked" the audience. They also brought out Baron Samedi during "The Mark of Voodoo" who bit off the head of a chicken, but since the venue didn't have any plastic or anything down, no blood. And last but not least, Destructor made an appearance and also beat around Ghoul and the audience. But other than the silly costumes and stuff, Ghoul can actually rip. No filler, all killer. The sound was spot-on and the band were really on their A-Game, interacting with the crowd while they shred. If Impaled is kaput, I'm totally fine with Ghoul still being around. 10/10
Troglodyte opened and were vicious as ever. They played a few songs I hadn't heard in a while, so that was awesome! 9/10
Opening was a band called Hellevate and they surprised me. They were awesome. A thrash band but the vocalist could hit King Diamond highs. And they did when they covered "Welcome Home"! Sweet! 9/10
Ghoul:
1. The Lunatic Hour
2. Off With Their Heads
3. Transmission Zero
4. Splatterthrash
5. Rise, Killbot, Rise!
6. Brain Jerk
7. Destructor
8. Maniaxe
9. Mark of Voodoo
10. Blood Feast
11. Gutbucket Blues
----
12. As Your Casket Closes
Troglodyte included:
Don't Go In The Woods...
Skunk Ape Rape
Piece Of You
Mummified Yeti Hand
Fight For Your Life
Caught (On Super 8) (seriously one of the best songs ever)
They Walk Among Us
The Only Good Hippie...Is A Dead Hippie
Fossil
Hellevate included:
Welcome Home (King Diamond cover)
Troglodyte opened and were vicious as ever. They played a few songs I hadn't heard in a while, so that was awesome! 9/10
Opening was a band called Hellevate and they surprised me. They were awesome. A thrash band but the vocalist could hit King Diamond highs. And they did when they covered "Welcome Home"! Sweet! 9/10
Ghoul:
1. The Lunatic Hour
2. Off With Their Heads
3. Transmission Zero
4. Splatterthrash
5. Rise, Killbot, Rise!
6. Brain Jerk
7. Destructor
8. Maniaxe
9. Mark of Voodoo
10. Blood Feast
11. Gutbucket Blues
----
12. As Your Casket Closes
Troglodyte included:
Don't Go In The Woods...
Skunk Ape Rape
Piece Of You
Mummified Yeti Hand
Fight For Your Life
Caught (On Super 8) (seriously one of the best songs ever)
They Walk Among Us
The Only Good Hippie...Is A Dead Hippie
Fossil
Hellevate included:
Welcome Home (King Diamond cover)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Melt-Banana -- Kansas City, MO -- October 9th, 2011
Such a fun show! Melt-Banana is a legendary band and one of the pioneers for current noise rock/punk/grindcore. Seriously, if you are serious about any of those genre's, you need to know Melt-Banana.
This was the most sound I've ever heard a four-piece band make. I was most impressed by the guitarist, Ichirou. He had a ton of pedals, and each one just produced more and more noises from his amps. At points he would glitch his guitar to make it sound like it was on the verge of exploding. Totally awesome. Another great thing he did was slowly building up his guitar riffs to their climax and right as soon as he hit that note, his rig overloaded and just blasted feedback for a split second before launching back into the song. Absolutely amazing. Yasuko is also a very unique vocalist but works extremely well with Melt-Banana's crazy song structure! The bass player was also super tiny but one of the fastest bass players I've seen! I know they don't have a permanent drummer, but it amazes me that there must be multiple people who can drum Melt-Banana tracks. That takes some skills. But yeah, crazy show. Tons of moshing and everyone was having a great time. We got an encore too, which I don't think was planned because they were turning on the lights. So much fun!
Melt-Banana (extremely partial/out-of-order)
A Dreamer Who Is Too Weak To Face Up To
Spider Snipe
Screw, Loose
Cat Brain Land
Plasma Gate Quest
Monkey Man (Toots and the Maytalls)
Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold
Shield for Your Eyes, A Beast in the Well on Your Hand
Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold
8 Short Songs (literally, 8 songs one after the other including introductions, with each song less than a minute)
Blank Page Of The Blind (end set)
What A Wonderful World (B.B. King cover)
Melt-Banana: 9.5/10
This was the most sound I've ever heard a four-piece band make. I was most impressed by the guitarist, Ichirou. He had a ton of pedals, and each one just produced more and more noises from his amps. At points he would glitch his guitar to make it sound like it was on the verge of exploding. Totally awesome. Another great thing he did was slowly building up his guitar riffs to their climax and right as soon as he hit that note, his rig overloaded and just blasted feedback for a split second before launching back into the song. Absolutely amazing. Yasuko is also a very unique vocalist but works extremely well with Melt-Banana's crazy song structure! The bass player was also super tiny but one of the fastest bass players I've seen! I know they don't have a permanent drummer, but it amazes me that there must be multiple people who can drum Melt-Banana tracks. That takes some skills. But yeah, crazy show. Tons of moshing and everyone was having a great time. We got an encore too, which I don't think was planned because they were turning on the lights. So much fun!
Melt-Banana (extremely partial/out-of-order)
A Dreamer Who Is Too Weak To Face Up To
Spider Snipe
Screw, Loose
Cat Brain Land
Plasma Gate Quest
Monkey Man (Toots and the Maytalls)
Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold
Shield for Your Eyes, A Beast in the Well on Your Hand
Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold
8 Short Songs (literally, 8 songs one after the other including introductions, with each song less than a minute)
Blank Page Of The Blind (end set)
What A Wonderful World (B.B. King cover)
Melt-Banana: 9.5/10
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Skeletonwitch -- Lawrence, KS -- October 8th, 2011
Why is Skeletonwitch one of the best live bands ever? Is it because they have unmatched stage presence? Is it because Chance is otherworldy when he's doing his vocals? Is it the spot-on solo performances? Is it their perfect sound mix? It's every one of these, and stuff that I just can't put my thumb on.
This was my sixth time seeing Skeletonwitch, third time seeing them headline. It was the longest set I've ever seen them play, and it seemed evenly divided by their three albums. While the Beyond The Permafrost tracks were insane (including one of my personal favorite songs of all time, Within My Blood, ending the set with hellish ferocity), the songs from their new album sounded amazing. The new record is definitely a lot more melodic, but still vicious as ever. And I think my new favorite live Skeletonwitch song is Crushed Beyond Dust. The entire band was firing on all cylinders tonight. The sound was impeccable, and each member gave 110%. Absolutely the best time I've seen them, absolutely one of the best sets I've seen this year or ever. 10/10
Before the main act, Wrath and Ruin played. This show also served as their record release show. They play a brand of atmospheric/industrial/doom metal that is completely suffocating and brutal. One of the songs they played (I'll have to listen to their album, which they gave away!) was one of the most violent live songs I've heard. Not in a douchey, "let's see some blood, bro!" way, but in a serial-killing stranger-murdering way. And their drummer is still really, really good! 8.5/10
Opening the show was The Cast Pattern. It's been a while since I've seen them, but it looks like they got a new vocalist and were pretty decent! I'm not a huge fan of the type of metalcore/deathcore that they play, but they do it extremely well. No sustained/annoying breakdowns at all. 7/10
Picked up Wrath and Ruin's new album, "Mouth of Oblivion". If this combination of bands entices you: Khanate, Godflesh, Xasthur, Jesu, then I highly recommend you check them out. I also got the new Skeletonwitch album, "Infernal Damnation", on green splatter vinyl. Limited to 500 copies, you bet your sweet ass I'll be posting pics of it. Came with a free poster and digital download too!
Skeletonwitch:
The Horrifying Force (The Desire To Kill)
Reduced to the Failure of Prayer
Upon Wings Of Black
Submit to the Suffering
Crushed Beyond Dust
Beyond the Permafrost
Sacrifice for the Slaughtergod
Strangled by Unseen Hands
Infernal Damnation
Longing for Domination
Fire from the Sky
Vengeance Will be Mine
Choke Upon Betrayal
Within My Blood
Wrath and Ruin (partial/out of order):
The Bug
The Edgeless Beyond
The Cast Pattern (partial/out of order):
Set Like, Three Things On Fire
My Grandpa's A Faggot
This was my sixth time seeing Skeletonwitch, third time seeing them headline. It was the longest set I've ever seen them play, and it seemed evenly divided by their three albums. While the Beyond The Permafrost tracks were insane (including one of my personal favorite songs of all time, Within My Blood, ending the set with hellish ferocity), the songs from their new album sounded amazing. The new record is definitely a lot more melodic, but still vicious as ever. And I think my new favorite live Skeletonwitch song is Crushed Beyond Dust. The entire band was firing on all cylinders tonight. The sound was impeccable, and each member gave 110%. Absolutely the best time I've seen them, absolutely one of the best sets I've seen this year or ever. 10/10
Before the main act, Wrath and Ruin played. This show also served as their record release show. They play a brand of atmospheric/industrial/doom metal that is completely suffocating and brutal. One of the songs they played (I'll have to listen to their album, which they gave away!) was one of the most violent live songs I've heard. Not in a douchey, "let's see some blood, bro!" way, but in a serial-killing stranger-murdering way. And their drummer is still really, really good! 8.5/10
Opening the show was The Cast Pattern. It's been a while since I've seen them, but it looks like they got a new vocalist and were pretty decent! I'm not a huge fan of the type of metalcore/deathcore that they play, but they do it extremely well. No sustained/annoying breakdowns at all. 7/10
Picked up Wrath and Ruin's new album, "Mouth of Oblivion". If this combination of bands entices you: Khanate, Godflesh, Xasthur, Jesu, then I highly recommend you check them out. I also got the new Skeletonwitch album, "Infernal Damnation", on green splatter vinyl. Limited to 500 copies, you bet your sweet ass I'll be posting pics of it. Came with a free poster and digital download too!
Skeletonwitch:
The Horrifying Force (The Desire To Kill)
Reduced to the Failure of Prayer
Upon Wings Of Black
Submit to the Suffering
Crushed Beyond Dust
Beyond the Permafrost
Sacrifice for the Slaughtergod
Strangled by Unseen Hands
Infernal Damnation
Longing for Domination
Fire from the Sky
Vengeance Will be Mine
Choke Upon Betrayal
Within My Blood
Wrath and Ruin (partial/out of order):
The Bug
The Edgeless Beyond
The Cast Pattern (partial/out of order):
Set Like, Three Things On Fire
My Grandpa's A Faggot
Opeth -- Kansas City, MO -- October 6th, 2011
I couldn't ask for a better performance for my first Opeth show. Going into it, I had probably heard more of Katatonia than Opeth, but I was completely floored by them. Exceptionally heavy and just overall great performances from everyone.
As soon as Opeth started The Devil's Orchard, the crowd went nuts. They actually were singing along to most every song and headbanging, moshing, crowd surfing throughout the whole show. Yeah, there was one douchebag screaming for Blackwater Park in the back of the venue, but everyone else seemed really appreciative of Opeth doing something different. The only remotely negative thing I could say is that while I definitely enjoyed their acoustic songs, it really kinda threw off the tempo of the show. Luckily, Mikael is a great frontman and engaged the crowd and even led us through a rendition of the chorus to Harvest that it all was definitely worth it in the end. Highlights were the chillingly amazing "Face of Melinda", the Rainbow-ripoff (Mikael's words) "Slither" and "Hex Omega". Definitely never missing a local Opeth show from now on. No harsh vocals = the best kind of Opeth show.
Katatonia opened the show and was warmly received. Great "doom rock" that was really quite heavy at times. "July" was probably the heaviest song from them that evening. I'm definitely going to look into them further now!
Beaumont Club was packed. I dunno if it was sold out, but there were more people there for this show than I've seen at most shows. Definitely made me feel good to see a really happy and respectful crowd, yet still huge metal fans!
Opeth:
The Devil's Orchard
I Feel the Dark
Face of Melinda
Porcelain Heart
Pyre
----
Throat of Winter (Acoustic)
Patterns in the Ivy II (Acoustic)
Harvest (just the chorus with crowd singing)
Closure (semi-Acoustic)
----
Slither
Fair Judgement
Hex Omega
----
Folklore
Katatonia
1. Ghost Of The Sun?
2. Liberation
3. Soil's Song
4. My Twin
5. The Longest Year
6. Evidence
7. July
8. Dissolving Bonds?
9. Day and then the Shade
10. Forsaker
As soon as Opeth started The Devil's Orchard, the crowd went nuts. They actually were singing along to most every song and headbanging, moshing, crowd surfing throughout the whole show. Yeah, there was one douchebag screaming for Blackwater Park in the back of the venue, but everyone else seemed really appreciative of Opeth doing something different. The only remotely negative thing I could say is that while I definitely enjoyed their acoustic songs, it really kinda threw off the tempo of the show. Luckily, Mikael is a great frontman and engaged the crowd and even led us through a rendition of the chorus to Harvest that it all was definitely worth it in the end. Highlights were the chillingly amazing "Face of Melinda", the Rainbow-ripoff (Mikael's words) "Slither" and "Hex Omega". Definitely never missing a local Opeth show from now on. No harsh vocals = the best kind of Opeth show.
Katatonia opened the show and was warmly received. Great "doom rock" that was really quite heavy at times. "July" was probably the heaviest song from them that evening. I'm definitely going to look into them further now!
Beaumont Club was packed. I dunno if it was sold out, but there were more people there for this show than I've seen at most shows. Definitely made me feel good to see a really happy and respectful crowd, yet still huge metal fans!
Opeth:
The Devil's Orchard
I Feel the Dark
Face of Melinda
Porcelain Heart
Pyre
----
Throat of Winter (Acoustic)
Patterns in the Ivy II (Acoustic)
Harvest (just the chorus with crowd singing)
Closure (semi-Acoustic)
----
Slither
Fair Judgement
Hex Omega
----
Folklore
Katatonia
1. Ghost Of The Sun?
2. Liberation
3. Soil's Song
4. My Twin
5. The Longest Year
6. Evidence
7. July
8. Dissolving Bonds?
9. Day and then the Shade
10. Forsaker
Thursday, September 22, 2011
October preview: Warbringer
Ending October will be WARBRINGER on their America Torn Asunder tour! They are consistently one of the best newer thrash bands live, so this is a must-see. Opening is Lazarus A.D., Landmine Marathon, Diamond Plate, and Marasmus. Great end to the month!
October preview: The Black Dahlia Murder
On October 21st, you have a decision to make between two concerts:
Second choice is the return of modern melodeath masters The Black Dahlia Murder to the Granada in Lawrence. They're bringing along All Shall Perish and Cannabis Corpse, while Marasmus will be opening. Shred!
Second choice is the return of modern melodeath masters The Black Dahlia Murder to the Granada in Lawrence. They're bringing along All Shall Perish and Cannabis Corpse, while Marasmus will be opening. Shred!
October preview: Cavalera Conspiracy
On October 21st, you have a decision to make between two concerts:
First choice is the first time (I think?) that the legendary Cavalera brothers make their triumphant mark in Kansas City. This is the closest you'll ever get to seeing the original Sepultura line-up! Along for the ride is Otep, Earth Crisis and Mold Breaker.
First choice is the first time (I think?) that the legendary Cavalera brothers make their triumphant mark in Kansas City. This is the closest you'll ever get to seeing the original Sepultura line-up! Along for the ride is Otep, Earth Crisis and Mold Breaker.
October preview: Helmet
Helmet will be at the Riot Room on October 25th to decimate your eardrums with their heaviness. Don't miss these legends!
October preview: HAMMERWEEN 2!
The fest you all know and love is back for it's second year at the Beaumont Club on October 22nd.
Line-up:
HAMMERLORD
TROGLODYTE
At the Left Hand of God
the Roman Holiday
Marasmus
Malikai
Wrath and Ruin
After-party at the Riot Room (FREE with Hammerween ticket stub, $5 without)
The Cast Pattern
Ape Hanger
Koktopus
Hammerween is $10, or $6 with a costume. Alternatively, I will be handing out free tickets to this at most of the October shows I'm posting about. You just gotta find me. ;)
Line-up:
HAMMERLORD
TROGLODYTE
At the Left Hand of God
the Roman Holiday
Marasmus
Malikai
Wrath and Ruin
After-party at the Riot Room (FREE with Hammerween ticket stub, $5 without)
The Cast Pattern
Ape Hanger
Koktopus
Hammerween is $10, or $6 with a costume. Alternatively, I will be handing out free tickets to this at most of the October shows I'm posting about. You just gotta find me. ;)
October preview: Freaker's Ball
I haven't really liked the past Freaker's Ball's too much, but this one is pretty good. Despite being headlined by Five Finger Death Punch, legends Anthrax along with Hatebreed, Rev Theory and one local, will play at the Independence Events Center on October 21st.
October preview: Anthrax/Testament/Death Angel
A crazy thrash tour is hitting the Cotillion in Wichita on October 18th! Legendary bands Anthrax, Testament, and Death Angel will be there to rip your face off! Insane line-up.
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.
October preview: Chimaira
Chimaira will be returning to Kansas City on a headlining tour at the Beaumont Club on October 16th. Opening will be Impending Doom, Revocation and Rise to Remain.
October preview: Ghoul
All the way from Creepsylvania, GHOUL is making a triumphant mark in Kansas City at the Aftershock on October 15th! You won't want to miss their unique take on splatterthrash and horrordeath metal! Opening is Troglodyte and Hellevate!
October preview: Melt-Banana
Not necessarily metal, per se, but Melt-Banana are an undeniable influence on hardcore punk, noise rock and grindcore. One of the best live bands ever with one of the craziest live shows! They'll be making a ruckus at the recordBar in Kansas City on October 9th!
October preview: Skeletonwitch
Skeletonwitch returns to the KC area and will be slaying the Jackpot Saloon in Lawrence on October 8th! Their new album, Forever Abomination, should be out by then, so go buy it! Opening the show will be Wrath and Ruin, who is using the concert as the release show for their new album, and The Cast Pattern.
October preview: Opeth
Here's a quick rundown of all the metal shows happening in October. There's a ton, so I'll try and recap them all one post at a time.
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First up on October 6th is Opeth at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City. I've heard they're not playing any "growling" songs on this tour, so take that how you want. Going to be packed for sure, either way. Katatonia opens!
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First up on October 6th is Opeth at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City. I've heard they're not playing any "growling" songs on this tour, so take that how you want. Going to be packed for sure, either way. Katatonia opens!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Ares Kingdom -- Lawrence, KS -- September 4th, 2011
Ares Kingdom was really, really good. They have that old-school sound that only band members from the legendary Order From Chaos could replicate. The vocalist has the perfect live war metal vocals. And the lead guitarist, he could shred almost as good as anyone I've ever seen. The ratio of mindblowing solo's to song length was the best I've ever seen. Even when the bassist broke one of his strings and had to replace it during a song, he still did the vocals and the song still ruled! They also did a few covers which surprised me, but apparently they have a covers album coming out soon. But yeah, they ruled! Also one of the first "small" bands I've seen that used all full stacks.
1. Incendiary
2. Descent of Man
3. Destruction of Sennacherib
4. Silent Mortal Flesh
5. Ashen Glory
6. Firestorm Redemption
7. Die by Power (Slaughter Lord cover)
8. Ironclad
9. Tooth and Nail (Dokken cover)
Opening for them was Demized from New York. They played basically a version of brutal death metal that also had elements of black metal. And it was REALLY good. I was wondering if Ares Kingdom could do better. What really sealed the deal was that they covered Ov Fire And The Void by Behemoth and then ended their set with pretty much the perfect live song, Matando Gueros by Brujeria. I was grinning so big during that song. Great stuff.
set included:
Holy Wars (not a Megadeth cover)
Decay Amongst Society
Ov Fire and The Void (Behemoth cover)
Matando Gueros (Brujeria cover)
My buddy's band Elctrikchair also opened the show. The best way to describe their sound is thrash with literally elements of every other genre of metal music ever. And it's pretty good live! Andy is a great guitarist, but people were going absolutely bonkers over the drummer. One of the best drummers I've ever seen, hands down. Crazy stuff!
set included:
Dead Children
Crossroads
The first band of the night was a replacement, and really was the odd band out. El Canero is a straight-up old-school punk band. Songs about drinking and fighting and punk and what have you. Would've been awesome if they covered a cool old punk band, but they didn't. It was okay.
All in all, it was a good night.
Ares Kingdom: 8.5/10
Demized: 8/10
Elctrikchair: 7.5/10
El Canero: 7/10
1. Incendiary
2. Descent of Man
3. Destruction of Sennacherib
4. Silent Mortal Flesh
5. Ashen Glory
6. Firestorm Redemption
7. Die by Power (Slaughter Lord cover)
8. Ironclad
9. Tooth and Nail (Dokken cover)
Opening for them was Demized from New York. They played basically a version of brutal death metal that also had elements of black metal. And it was REALLY good. I was wondering if Ares Kingdom could do better. What really sealed the deal was that they covered Ov Fire And The Void by Behemoth and then ended their set with pretty much the perfect live song, Matando Gueros by Brujeria. I was grinning so big during that song. Great stuff.
set included:
Holy Wars (not a Megadeth cover)
Decay Amongst Society
Ov Fire and The Void (Behemoth cover)
Matando Gueros (Brujeria cover)
My buddy's band Elctrikchair also opened the show. The best way to describe their sound is thrash with literally elements of every other genre of metal music ever. And it's pretty good live! Andy is a great guitarist, but people were going absolutely bonkers over the drummer. One of the best drummers I've ever seen, hands down. Crazy stuff!
set included:
Dead Children
Crossroads
The first band of the night was a replacement, and really was the odd band out. El Canero is a straight-up old-school punk band. Songs about drinking and fighting and punk and what have you. Would've been awesome if they covered a cool old punk band, but they didn't. It was okay.
All in all, it was a good night.
Ares Kingdom: 8.5/10
Demized: 8/10
Elctrikchair: 7.5/10
El Canero: 7/10
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Saviours -- Lawrence, KS -- September 2nd, 2011
First night of Saviours and Bison B.C.'s tour before they get with Weedeater for a larger tour. Weedeater/Saviours/Bison B.C. is a tour everyone should see.
1. Heathen Eye
2. Grave (new)
3. Fire of God (new)
4. Cretin (new)
5. Holy Slaughter
6. We Roam
7. ? (I think it was Cavern of Mind)
One of the loudest shows of the year. Saviours is a lot heavier than last I saw them, but when they kick in and go fast, it rules. Cretin sounded the best of their new songs, and We Roam was mind-blowing. Excellent stoner NWOBHM worship.
Bison B.C. opened and were great. Definitely fast and heavy. They fit in perfectly with Saviours.
Opening the show was Melting Point of Bronze, who were really good. They also fit in perfectly on this bill, kick-ass rock and roll mixed with deaththrash.
Overall, real good show. Gotta be up in 7 hours now!
Saviours: 8.5/10
Bison B.C.: 8/10
Melting Point of Bronze: 7.5/10
1. Heathen Eye
2. Grave (new)
3. Fire of God (new)
4. Cretin (new)
5. Holy Slaughter
6. We Roam
7. ? (I think it was Cavern of Mind)
One of the loudest shows of the year. Saviours is a lot heavier than last I saw them, but when they kick in and go fast, it rules. Cretin sounded the best of their new songs, and We Roam was mind-blowing. Excellent stoner NWOBHM worship.
Bison B.C. opened and were great. Definitely fast and heavy. They fit in perfectly with Saviours.
Opening the show was Melting Point of Bronze, who were really good. They also fit in perfectly on this bill, kick-ass rock and roll mixed with deaththrash.
Overall, real good show. Gotta be up in 7 hours now!
Saviours: 8.5/10
Bison B.C.: 8/10
Melting Point of Bronze: 7.5/10
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Diamond Head -- Kansas City, MO -- August 23rd, 2011
Diamond Head playing in Kansas City in 2011 on a Tuesday night. Who would've thought? Not a huge crowd, but everyone who was there made so much noise and showed so much love that it looked like Diamond Head was having the time of their lives on-stage. And honestly, it was probably the best pure rock'n'roll/old-school heavy metal live performance I've ever seen.
Firstly, the venue. It's a place called Knucklehead's. It has an inside stage (also part of a bar/restaurant) but the show was on the outside stage. It's a pretty large stage with all the lights and stuff, but rows of tables/bleachers and even an upstairs deck where people could sit and watch. The sound was, in short, impeccable. I don't think I've ever even been to an inside professional concert venue where the sound was that good.
And speaking of the sound, not only were Diamond Head crystal clear in every instrument, there's just that tone that only they can replicate. It was straight out of the 70s/80s that I doubt anyone else could pull off. It made everything so much better.
Diamond Head was really energetic, especially Eddie on bass and, of course, Brian Tatler on guitar. Brian was flawless and was shredding the entire night. Their vocalist, Nick Tart, might've only been with the band for about seven years, but he was all over the stage headbanging with people and letting them sing into the mic. He even bent down to a guy in a wheel chair and kept high-fiving him. Their attitudes transcended to the audience, everyone was just drinking, singing, clapping, headbanging and smiling. The most positive metal crowd I've ever been a part of!
Diamond Head is definitely a band known for their classics (I mean, they're the songs that Metallica based their band off of!) but even the newer stuff was great! "Skin on Skin" was really heavy, and "Nothing To Lose" had a great groove. But everyone really kicked in as soon as the first classic of the night, "The Prince", started. It was chillingly good. They played all the songs from their album "Lightning To The Nations" except one, which is pretty much a dream come true. My neck is sore from how hard I was head-banging to the immortal "Am I Evil?" which every metal fan should know by heart.
No opening band, over early. Diamond Head came on at 8:15, were off by 9:30. Totally fine by me, they crammed every second with bad-assery and just pure, unadulterated METAL.
Diamond Head: 10/10
1. Play It Loud
2. Nothing To Lose
3. The Prince
4. Give It To Me
5. In The Heat Of The Night
6. Skin on Skin
7. From Heaven to Hell
8. It's Electric
9. Pray For Me
10. Sucking My Love
11. Helpless
12. Am I Evil?
----
13. Lightning To The Nations
Firstly, the venue. It's a place called Knucklehead's. It has an inside stage (also part of a bar/restaurant) but the show was on the outside stage. It's a pretty large stage with all the lights and stuff, but rows of tables/bleachers and even an upstairs deck where people could sit and watch. The sound was, in short, impeccable. I don't think I've ever even been to an inside professional concert venue where the sound was that good.
And speaking of the sound, not only were Diamond Head crystal clear in every instrument, there's just that tone that only they can replicate. It was straight out of the 70s/80s that I doubt anyone else could pull off. It made everything so much better.
Diamond Head was really energetic, especially Eddie on bass and, of course, Brian Tatler on guitar. Brian was flawless and was shredding the entire night. Their vocalist, Nick Tart, might've only been with the band for about seven years, but he was all over the stage headbanging with people and letting them sing into the mic. He even bent down to a guy in a wheel chair and kept high-fiving him. Their attitudes transcended to the audience, everyone was just drinking, singing, clapping, headbanging and smiling. The most positive metal crowd I've ever been a part of!
Diamond Head is definitely a band known for their classics (I mean, they're the songs that Metallica based their band off of!) but even the newer stuff was great! "Skin on Skin" was really heavy, and "Nothing To Lose" had a great groove. But everyone really kicked in as soon as the first classic of the night, "The Prince", started. It was chillingly good. They played all the songs from their album "Lightning To The Nations" except one, which is pretty much a dream come true. My neck is sore from how hard I was head-banging to the immortal "Am I Evil?" which every metal fan should know by heart.
No opening band, over early. Diamond Head came on at 8:15, were off by 9:30. Totally fine by me, they crammed every second with bad-assery and just pure, unadulterated METAL.
Diamond Head: 10/10
1. Play It Loud
2. Nothing To Lose
3. The Prince
4. Give It To Me
5. In The Heat Of The Night
6. Skin on Skin
7. From Heaven to Hell
8. It's Electric
9. Pray For Me
10. Sucking My Love
11. Helpless
12. Am I Evil?
----
13. Lightning To The Nations
Monday, August 15, 2011
October: still busy for metal
Just announced:
Creepsylvania's own GHOUL will bring their brand of Splatterthrash to the Aftershock in Merriam, KS on October 15th! Will Killbot make an appearance? Who knows! Opening will be Troglodyte!
Creepsylvania's own GHOUL will bring their brand of Splatterthrash to the Aftershock in Merriam, KS on October 15th! Will Killbot make an appearance? Who knows! Opening will be Troglodyte!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
October: Always busy for metal
A couple of shows have just been announced for October!
First up:
The Black Dahlia Murder will be returning, YET AGAIN, to Lawrence to slay us! They'll be headlining The Granada in Lawrence on the strength of their new album, Ritual. Opening for them is All Shall Perish and Cannabis Corpse. The Black Dahlia Murder always have the best live shows, so get ready to headbang!
================================================================
The next October show is quite a doozy:
WARBRINGER comes back to KC on their headlining tour for their new albums, Worlds Torn Asunder! It'll be at the Beaumont Club on October 30th (Halloween Eve!) with LaZarus A.D., Landmine Marathon, Diamond Plate, Vanlade and Meat Shank! Spoooooooooky!
First up:
The Black Dahlia Murder will be returning, YET AGAIN, to Lawrence to slay us! They'll be headlining The Granada in Lawrence on the strength of their new album, Ritual. Opening for them is All Shall Perish and Cannabis Corpse. The Black Dahlia Murder always have the best live shows, so get ready to headbang!
================================================================
The next October show is quite a doozy:
WARBRINGER comes back to KC on their headlining tour for their new albums, Worlds Torn Asunder! It'll be at the Beaumont Club on October 30th (Halloween Eve!) with LaZarus A.D., Landmine Marathon, Diamond Plate, Vanlade and Meat Shank! Spoooooooooky!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Prepare to accelerate your living!
One of my personal favorite live bands, SAVIOURS, will be returning to the heartland on September 2nd at the Jackpot Saloon in Lawrence. Opening the show will be another great band, Bison BC!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Exhumed -- Merriam, KS -- July 21st, 2011
Okay, so my only complaint about the night is that parking at the Aftershock completely sucks. Their lot isn't nearly big enough and we ended up parking 3 rows deep so the cars in the middle were SOL if they had to leave early. But aside from that, Aftershock's biggest show yet was absolutely awesome.
First band up was The Roman Holiday from Independence, and they were surprisingly good. I've seen them evolve and get better and better with each performance, and this was by far their best-sounding show. Too bad they weren't around 25 years ago, or they would be Cannibal Corpse. Can't wait to see them again at Hammerween II!
The only disappointing band of the night was Upon The Wake. It was their last ever show, but they were so disjointed and looked so nervous up on stage that it looked like it was their first show. Their vocalist ruled, though.
Troglodyte, fresh off their blistering (quite literally) set opening for Rob Zombie on Sunday, tore everyone in Aftershock a new face. They have a second guitarist now, and it only adds to their greatness. Caught (On Super 8) is still one of the best damn songs ever written. Long live Sasquatch Death Metal.
The band with the biggest crowd of the night, though, were hometown heroes Origin. It was the last date on their first US tour for "Entity" and they were welcomed home with insane style. The new vocalist, Jason (I got his automagraph!), was so awesome. He's every bit as good of a vocalist as James was, but his stage presence is so much better. He was physically pulling people out of the crowd to stagedive, and during The Aftermath, they had everyone on stage to headbang, and even some moshing and crowdsurfing! I haven't seen that since Suicidal Tendencies back in 2008. But I can't forget Paul, John and Mike. They all sounded fantastic and the sound itself was really clear for both the instruments and the vocals. It was really a legendary performance. It was all filmed and will be used for their music video for "Expulsion Of Fury!"
I'll admit, I wasn't entirely looking forward to Cephalic Carnage. Their last CD was really underwhelming to me, but they actually did a pretty good job. When they were straight-up grindcore, they were pretty fun. Whenever they tried to do anything else, it wasn't that great. There's some better bands that could've taken their place, but there's a LOT more worse bands that could've been there.
Exhumed was so good. Their brand of Carcass worship has more personality and original touches that probably makes them my favorite (at least live) death metal/grind/goregrind band. Matt sounded just like he does on record, and his solo's were spot-on, but Wes had some amazing solo's as well. The vocals were really clear, even for being right up next to the stage. "Casketkrusher" was so good it gave me chills, and ending the night on "The Matter Of Splatter" was just one of the highlights of my year. Hopefully they come back real, real soon!
Exhumed:
All Guts, No Glory
As Hammer To Anvil
Necrotize
Necromaniac
Casketkrusher
Through Cadaver Eyes
In The Name Of Gore
Slaughtercult
Torso
Limb From Limb
guitar solo
Forged In Fire, Formed In Flame
In My Human Slaughterhouse
Decrepit Crescendo
drum solo
Waxwork
-----------
The Matter Of Splatter
Cephalic Carnage:
Wraith
Warbot
Raped
?
Drums
Genital
Abraxas
Weed
Lucid
Origin included:
Expulsion of Fury
Wrath of Vishnu
Finite
Portal
Disease Called Man
The Aftermath
Purgatory
Swarm/Saligia
Possibly some more
Troglodyte:
Symphonies Of Sasquatch
Piece Of You
Mummified Yeti Hand
Fight For Your Life
Caught (on Super 8)
Bring Me The Head Of Bigfoot
Beaten And Eaten
Hit By The Hendersons
They Walk Among Us
The Only Good Hippie...Is A Dead Hippie
Exhumed: 9.5/10
Cephalic Carnage: 7/10
Origin: 9/10
Troglodyte: 8.5/10
Upon The Wake: 5/10
The Roman Holiday: 8/10
First band up was The Roman Holiday from Independence, and they were surprisingly good. I've seen them evolve and get better and better with each performance, and this was by far their best-sounding show. Too bad they weren't around 25 years ago, or they would be Cannibal Corpse. Can't wait to see them again at Hammerween II!
The only disappointing band of the night was Upon The Wake. It was their last ever show, but they were so disjointed and looked so nervous up on stage that it looked like it was their first show. Their vocalist ruled, though.
Troglodyte, fresh off their blistering (quite literally) set opening for Rob Zombie on Sunday, tore everyone in Aftershock a new face. They have a second guitarist now, and it only adds to their greatness. Caught (On Super 8) is still one of the best damn songs ever written. Long live Sasquatch Death Metal.
The band with the biggest crowd of the night, though, were hometown heroes Origin. It was the last date on their first US tour for "Entity" and they were welcomed home with insane style. The new vocalist, Jason (I got his automagraph!), was so awesome. He's every bit as good of a vocalist as James was, but his stage presence is so much better. He was physically pulling people out of the crowd to stagedive, and during The Aftermath, they had everyone on stage to headbang, and even some moshing and crowdsurfing! I haven't seen that since Suicidal Tendencies back in 2008. But I can't forget Paul, John and Mike. They all sounded fantastic and the sound itself was really clear for both the instruments and the vocals. It was really a legendary performance. It was all filmed and will be used for their music video for "Expulsion Of Fury!"
I'll admit, I wasn't entirely looking forward to Cephalic Carnage. Their last CD was really underwhelming to me, but they actually did a pretty good job. When they were straight-up grindcore, they were pretty fun. Whenever they tried to do anything else, it wasn't that great. There's some better bands that could've taken their place, but there's a LOT more worse bands that could've been there.
Exhumed was so good. Their brand of Carcass worship has more personality and original touches that probably makes them my favorite (at least live) death metal/grind/goregrind band. Matt sounded just like he does on record, and his solo's were spot-on, but Wes had some amazing solo's as well. The vocals were really clear, even for being right up next to the stage. "Casketkrusher" was so good it gave me chills, and ending the night on "The Matter Of Splatter" was just one of the highlights of my year. Hopefully they come back real, real soon!
Exhumed:
All Guts, No Glory
As Hammer To Anvil
Necrotize
Necromaniac
Casketkrusher
Through Cadaver Eyes
In The Name Of Gore
Slaughtercult
Torso
Limb From Limb
guitar solo
Forged In Fire, Formed In Flame
In My Human Slaughterhouse
Decrepit Crescendo
drum solo
Waxwork
-----------
The Matter Of Splatter
Cephalic Carnage:
Wraith
Warbot
Raped
?
Drums
Genital
Abraxas
Weed
Lucid
Origin included:
Expulsion of Fury
Wrath of Vishnu
Finite
Portal
Disease Called Man
The Aftermath
Purgatory
Swarm/Saligia
Possibly some more
Troglodyte:
Symphonies Of Sasquatch
Piece Of You
Mummified Yeti Hand
Fight For Your Life
Caught (on Super 8)
Bring Me The Head Of Bigfoot
Beaten And Eaten
Hit By The Hendersons
They Walk Among Us
The Only Good Hippie...Is A Dead Hippie
Exhumed: 9.5/10
Cephalic Carnage: 7/10
Origin: 9/10
Troglodyte: 8.5/10
Upon The Wake: 5/10
The Roman Holiday: 8/10
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The rest of July!
Don't forget these awesome shows in the rest of this month!
July 7th
Beaumont Club
BURY YOUR DEAD (feat. original vocalist MATT BRUSO)
Evergreen Terrace
For The Fallen Dreams
In The Midst Of Lions
Genosha
----
July 11th
recordBar
LITURGY
Dope Body
----
July 16th
Sandstone Amphitheater
ROB ZOMBIE
As I Lay Dying
All That Remains
Escape The Fate
Hammerlord
----
July 18th
The Granada
SUICIDE SILENCE
UNEARTH
All Shall Perish
Red Fang
----
July 19th
Crossroads KC
CINDERELLA
Hammerlord
The Dead Girls
----
July 21st
Aftershock
EXHUMED
ORIGIN
Cephalic Carnage
Troglodyte
The Roman Holiday
----
Get out there and get moshing!
July 7th
Beaumont Club
BURY YOUR DEAD (feat. original vocalist MATT BRUSO)
Evergreen Terrace
For The Fallen Dreams
In The Midst Of Lions
Genosha
----
July 11th
recordBar
LITURGY
Dope Body
----
July 16th
Sandstone Amphitheater
ROB ZOMBIE
As I Lay Dying
All That Remains
Escape The Fate
Hammerlord
----
July 18th
The Granada
SUICIDE SILENCE
UNEARTH
All Shall Perish
Red Fang
----
July 19th
Crossroads KC
CINDERELLA
Hammerlord
The Dead Girls
----
July 21st
Aftershock
EXHUMED
ORIGIN
Cephalic Carnage
Troglodyte
The Roman Holiday
----
Get out there and get moshing!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Upcoming moshfest: Bury Your Dead
You might think Bury Your Dead coming to town wouldn't be anything special, but they just had their original vocalist, Mat Bruso, rejoin the band! Seriously, that's cause for celebration. Don't come to this show unless you want to mosh and have a fantastic time! They'll be at the Beaumont Club on July 7th. Opening are Evergreen Terrace (!!!), For The Fallen Dreams, In The Midst of Lions, and Genosha. Come and mosh!
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
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
HOLY FFFFUUUUU!!!!
DIAMOND HEAD IS COMING TO KANSAS CITY
DIAMOND HEAD IS COMING TO KANSAS CITY!
DIAMOND HEAD! IS COMING TO KANSAS CITY!
WOW!
If you don't know the importance of Diamond Head, you must not be a very big fan of metal.
They'll be at Knucklehead's in Kansas City on August 23rd!
WOAH
And guess which band got famous for COVERING Diamond Head?
DIAMOND HEAD IS COMING TO KANSAS CITY!
DIAMOND HEAD! IS COMING TO KANSAS CITY!
WOW!
If you don't know the importance of Diamond Head, you must not be a very big fan of metal.
They'll be at Knucklehead's in Kansas City on August 23rd!
WOAH
And guess which band got famous for COVERING Diamond Head?
Friday, June 3, 2011
The Drapery Falls on Kansas City
Returning after a triumphant show in 2009, Opeth comes back to the Beaumont Club in Kansas City on October 6th. Along with them are doom rockers Katatonia. Don't miss this!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Low Dough Show: Rob Zombie!
98.9 is doing their biggest low dough show EVER, by having ROB ZOMBIE at Sandstone! Along with him is As I Lay Dying, All That Remains, Escape The Fate and local thrash legends HAMMERLORD! Best part: Tix are only $9.89! It's July 16th!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Touche Amore -- Lawrence, KS -- May 16th, 2011
Partial/Out of Order set (first two and last 3 are correct order):
~ (new song)
Cadence
And Now It's Happening In Mine
Nine
Always Running, Never Looking Back
The Great Repetition (new song)
Home Away From Here (new song)
I'll Deserve Just That
Honest Sleep
Adieux
---
Suckerfish
Great show, as always. Touche Amore has a special connection with Kansas, and it's not just the song wehatefredphelps.com. They recorded their new album in Eudora with Ed Rose (they were also celebrating the leak of their new record tonight!) and Sean Ingram (Coalesce) was in the audience, and they gave shout outs to him. The crowd did as much vocals as Jeremy did, with everybody (and I mean everybody) rushing the stage for the final refrain of Honest Sleep. Cadence was also fantastic, and the new songs had a great, thrashy feel to them. Can't wait for that album. We also convinced them to do an encore, which I don't think they ever do. It was a great night, and I can't believe it took me this long to see them headline.
Opening bands were Canyons and Meth Horse. Canyons has a pretty big following and they play good old-fashioned metalcore/hardcore that sounded great. The opening band, Meth Horse, blew me away though. I'd consider them a mash-up of Tragedy, early Napalm Death and Man Is The Bastard. Probably my new favorite grind/hardcore/PV band from around here.
Touche Amore: 9/10
Canyons: 8/10
Meth Horse: 8.5/10
~ (new song)
Cadence
And Now It's Happening In Mine
Nine
Always Running, Never Looking Back
The Great Repetition (new song)
Home Away From Here (new song)
I'll Deserve Just That
Honest Sleep
Adieux
---
Suckerfish
Great show, as always. Touche Amore has a special connection with Kansas, and it's not just the song wehatefredphelps.com. They recorded their new album in Eudora with Ed Rose (they were also celebrating the leak of their new record tonight!) and Sean Ingram (Coalesce) was in the audience, and they gave shout outs to him. The crowd did as much vocals as Jeremy did, with everybody (and I mean everybody) rushing the stage for the final refrain of Honest Sleep. Cadence was also fantastic, and the new songs had a great, thrashy feel to them. Can't wait for that album. We also convinced them to do an encore, which I don't think they ever do. It was a great night, and I can't believe it took me this long to see them headline.
Opening bands were Canyons and Meth Horse. Canyons has a pretty big following and they play good old-fashioned metalcore/hardcore that sounded great. The opening band, Meth Horse, blew me away though. I'd consider them a mash-up of Tragedy, early Napalm Death and Man Is The Bastard. Probably my new favorite grind/hardcore/PV band from around here.
Touche Amore: 9/10
Canyons: 8/10
Meth Horse: 8.5/10
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Touche Amore hates Fred Phelps, but loves Lawrence!
Touche Amore, amazing emotional post-hardcore band from California, will be returning for the third time in two years. They'll be at the Jackpot on May 16th with Canyons opening!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
DRI KC ASAP BTW!
If you can't make the D.R.I. date in Wichita, they will be at the Record Bar (after destroying it in January 2010) with 3 Pac, Attention Seeker, and Whyte Bitch! Don't miss this legendary band!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Between The Buried And Me -- Lawrence, KS -- April 26th, 2011
It took getting past their new EP being played, but I've decided that tonight was the best time I've seen BTBAM live. They absolutely killed it opening for Mastodon last year, but the song selection and the talent that oozed from the stage tonight easily trumped any former performance of theirs.
The EP, "The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues" (played in its entirety tonight) definitely wasn't bad live. In fact, Lunar Wilderness had some jaw-dropping parts in it. It's just that the songs hadn't matured to be fully appreciated in a live setting. Still great, but what came afterwards just blew the EP out of the water. Focusing mostly on their last two records, the snippet (by snippet I mean about 10 minutes) of Swim To The Moon and the whole Ants Of The Sky performance were definitely the highlights from BTBAM. The soundscapes they create and the pure emotion they put forward in those two songs are unmatched. Sun Of Nothing was epic with lots of crowd sing-alongs, and I was definitely happy they pulled out Fossil Genera - I had forgotten they were playing it on this tour! The band themselves were spot on, the guitar and drum solo's were really awesome, and it was just a fantastic performance. A killer rendition of Selkies ended the set, and I hope they come back soon.
But I hope they come back with a better band directly opening for them. After a few minutes of backtracking, this is the third time I've seen Job For A Cowboy (i've paid to see them five times - blech) and they have honestly gotten worse over time. They pounded out the first three or four songs with no downtime in between them and it came out as just a cacophonous jumbling of dissonant down-tuned notes with no apparent direction in mind. I would blame it on the venue for their sound, but I know better. Job For A Cowboy just prefers their music to sound like this, and it just doesn't sound good.
Opening the show was The Ocean. People were wary about what to expect, but I think they won over the crowd around the third time the vocalist dove into the crowd! I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. I'm eager to check them out on record.
My only comment on the crowd is that I am a firm supporter of the "don't mosh during BTBAM" movement. That's all.
Specular Reflection
Augment Of Rebirth
Lunar Wilderness
Sun Of Nothing
Ants Of The Sky
Guitar Solo
Swim To The Moon (partial)
Drum Solo
Fossil Genera - A Feed From Cloud Mountain
---
Selkies: The Endless Obsession
Between The Buried And Me: 9/10
Job For A Cowboy: 3/10
The Ocean: 7.5/10
The EP, "The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues" (played in its entirety tonight) definitely wasn't bad live. In fact, Lunar Wilderness had some jaw-dropping parts in it. It's just that the songs hadn't matured to be fully appreciated in a live setting. Still great, but what came afterwards just blew the EP out of the water. Focusing mostly on their last two records, the snippet (by snippet I mean about 10 minutes) of Swim To The Moon and the whole Ants Of The Sky performance were definitely the highlights from BTBAM. The soundscapes they create and the pure emotion they put forward in those two songs are unmatched. Sun Of Nothing was epic with lots of crowd sing-alongs, and I was definitely happy they pulled out Fossil Genera - I had forgotten they were playing it on this tour! The band themselves were spot on, the guitar and drum solo's were really awesome, and it was just a fantastic performance. A killer rendition of Selkies ended the set, and I hope they come back soon.
But I hope they come back with a better band directly opening for them. After a few minutes of backtracking, this is the third time I've seen Job For A Cowboy (i've paid to see them five times - blech) and they have honestly gotten worse over time. They pounded out the first three or four songs with no downtime in between them and it came out as just a cacophonous jumbling of dissonant down-tuned notes with no apparent direction in mind. I would blame it on the venue for their sound, but I know better. Job For A Cowboy just prefers their music to sound like this, and it just doesn't sound good.
Opening the show was The Ocean. People were wary about what to expect, but I think they won over the crowd around the third time the vocalist dove into the crowd! I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. I'm eager to check them out on record.
My only comment on the crowd is that I am a firm supporter of the "don't mosh during BTBAM" movement. That's all.
Specular Reflection
Augment Of Rebirth
Lunar Wilderness
Sun Of Nothing
Ants Of The Sky
Guitar Solo
Swim To The Moon (partial)
Drum Solo
Fossil Genera - A Feed From Cloud Mountain
---
Selkies: The Endless Obsession
Between The Buried And Me: 9/10
Job For A Cowboy: 3/10
The Ocean: 7.5/10
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Are you ready for the SLAMZ?
Ready to get GUTTURAL?
TXDM legend Shawn Whittaker will be bringing Insidious Decrepancy to the Boobie Trap in Topeka on June 21st. Support will come from Abolishment of Flesh (TX), Torn The Fuck Apart and Whoracle. Come get br00t4l!
TXDM legend Shawn Whittaker will be bringing Insidious Decrepancy to the Boobie Trap in Topeka on June 21st. Support will come from Abolishment of Flesh (TX), Torn The Fuck Apart and Whoracle. Come get br00t4l!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Amon Amarth -- Lawrence, KS -- April 16th, 2011
Set 1
War of the Gods
Töck's Taunt - Loke's Treachery Part II
Destroyer of the Universe
Slaves of Fear
Live Without Regrets
The Last Stand of Frej
For Victory or Death
Wrath of the Norsemen
A Beast I Am
Doom Over Dead Man
Set 2
Twilight of the Thunder God
Masters of War
Live for the Kill
With Oden on Our Side
Guardians of Asgaard
Asator
Varyags of Miklagaard
Thousand Years of Oppression
Without Fear > Victorious March > Gods of War Arise > Death in Fire
Encore:
Cry of the Blackbirds
Runes To My Memory
The Pursuit of Vikings
Just absolutely awesome. In terms of performance, this might've been the best metal show I've ever seen. Amon Amarth was spot on, and the crowd was insane. The opening of War Of The Gods (which I also got on tape) was just epic in every sense of the word. The Surtur Rising set was really solid, and that really surprised me. It's definitely a better album than most think. Destroyer Of The Universe and A Beast I Am were real thrashers, but I think my favorite was the closer, Doom Over Dead Men. It's just got that great, mid-tempo melodic death metal beat that just makes for great headbanging.
In between sets, I hooked up with Nick (aka Nick_To_The_Face) and it was awesome that he made it! Lemme know if you can make it to BTBAM
The second set started off great. People went absolute nuts for Twilight Of The Thunder God and so many people were singing along that Johan didn't even sing the chorus. Live For The Kill got a great reaction, Asator was great to hear too. I dug the medley, although I wish they would've made Death In Fire its own song. The only song of the night I didn't like too much was Thousand Years Of Oppression. It was cool near the end, but that song made me feel the fatigue. Encore was just great, and we had a great sing-a-long to Pursuit Of Vikings. It's been a while since Amon Amarth had been in Lawrence, but the sold out crowd at the Granada will hopefully bring them back time and time again.
Oh, and we also sang Happy Birthday to their bassist, Ted.
Amon Amarth: 9/10
War of the Gods
Töck's Taunt - Loke's Treachery Part II
Destroyer of the Universe
Slaves of Fear
Live Without Regrets
The Last Stand of Frej
For Victory or Death
Wrath of the Norsemen
A Beast I Am
Doom Over Dead Man
Set 2
Twilight of the Thunder God
Masters of War
Live for the Kill
With Oden on Our Side
Guardians of Asgaard
Asator
Varyags of Miklagaard
Thousand Years of Oppression
Without Fear > Victorious March > Gods of War Arise > Death in Fire
Encore:
Cry of the Blackbirds
Runes To My Memory
The Pursuit of Vikings
Just absolutely awesome. In terms of performance, this might've been the best metal show I've ever seen. Amon Amarth was spot on, and the crowd was insane. The opening of War Of The Gods (which I also got on tape) was just epic in every sense of the word. The Surtur Rising set was really solid, and that really surprised me. It's definitely a better album than most think. Destroyer Of The Universe and A Beast I Am were real thrashers, but I think my favorite was the closer, Doom Over Dead Men. It's just got that great, mid-tempo melodic death metal beat that just makes for great headbanging.
In between sets, I hooked up with Nick (aka Nick_To_The_Face) and it was awesome that he made it! Lemme know if you can make it to BTBAM
The second set started off great. People went absolute nuts for Twilight Of The Thunder God and so many people were singing along that Johan didn't even sing the chorus. Live For The Kill got a great reaction, Asator was great to hear too. I dug the medley, although I wish they would've made Death In Fire its own song. The only song of the night I didn't like too much was Thousand Years Of Oppression. It was cool near the end, but that song made me feel the fatigue. Encore was just great, and we had a great sing-a-long to Pursuit Of Vikings. It's been a while since Amon Amarth had been in Lawrence, but the sold out crowd at the Granada will hopefully bring them back time and time again.
Oh, and we also sang Happy Birthday to their bassist, Ted.
Amon Amarth: 9/10
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Kansas City Mayhem Off-Date #2
Mayhem Fest may not be in Kansas City, but some of the bands will be on off-dates! Here's the second one:
In Flames
Trivium
Kingdom of Sorrow
Straight Line Stitch
They'll be at the VooDoo Lounge inside Harrah's Casino (this venue is 21+) in Kansas City on August 8th.
In Flames
Trivium
Kingdom of Sorrow
Straight Line Stitch
They'll be at the VooDoo Lounge inside Harrah's Casino (this venue is 21+) in Kansas City on August 8th.
Kansas City Mayhem Off-Date #1
The Mayhem Festival isn't coming to Kansas City again this year, but we're getting another round of off-dates!
#1 is:
Unearth
Suicide Silence
All Shall Perish
Red Fang
At the Granada in Lawrence on July 18th.
#1 is:
Unearth
Suicide Silence
All Shall Perish
Red Fang
At the Granada in Lawrence on July 18th.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Thrash All Summer Long!
You've got DRI, Nocturnal, Witchaven, Holy Grail all in May. Want to continue the thrash into the summer? YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED:
June 27th...
Kansas City...
The Beaumont Club...
Thrash metal legends...
FORBIDDEN
will make their mark to be felt by the midwest for years to come!
Support comes from Revocation, White Wizzard, and Havok!
This will easily be one of the best shows ever to grace our city in quite some time. BE THERE!
June 27th...
Kansas City...
The Beaumont Club...
Thrash metal legends...
FORBIDDEN
will make their mark to be felt by the midwest for years to come!
Support comes from Revocation, White Wizzard, and Havok!
This will easily be one of the best shows ever to grace our city in quite some time. BE THERE!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Saint Vitus -- Merriam, KS -- March 28th, 2011
Whelp. Now that the show is over, I can confidently say that last night was the greatest night of my life and that life is not worth living now because I'll never relive last night ever again.
Although Helmet wasn't headlining this stop on the Metalliance tour, local band Apehanger opened the show to make everything even. They're pretty much one of the few local bands that I would classify as "doom" that are any good. In fact, they were pretty damn awesome. They at times reminded me of a Khanate-like sound, but much much much (much) faster. Good stuff.
The first of the touring bands was The Atlas Moth. I'd never heard them prior to this show, but they surprised me at how good they were. They definitely had a more psychadelic sound and a more black metal (at least in the vocals) sound. It was awesome! Only complaint I had was that I seriously doubt they need three guitarists, two would make the sound a lot clearer.
After them was Howl. It was my third time seeing the band, but the first with a new guitarist. The lead guitarist/vocalist was great, and this time was by far the best time I've seen them. Their new guitarist was awesome at soloing and even had to switch guitars halfway through the set! Lots of headbanging for them.
The thing about Red Fang was that I really dug their more groovy songs, but when they went over to the more sludgey type of metal, it wasn't as good. Still fun, though! Also incredibly loud. Too loud, actually. Couldn't hear the vocals for most of the songs. They ended their set with Prehistoric Dog and that was great. I really hope they slay everyone on Mayhem Fest!
Kylesa was great, although pissed off because they had lost a piece of their vocal equipment. It just made them play with that much more furious anger. They even used a theramin (!!!) and the dual drums came off awesome yet again. Running Red was amazing and the opener of Hollow Severer was heavy as hell, but my favorite will always be Scapegoat. Love it to death. Kylesa is awesome!
I had literally heard not one note of Crowbar until I saw them last night, but they might be the most surprisingly good band to me so far this year! I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of sludge metal, but Crowbar are the godfather's of the genre and are everything right with that type of music! Some of their songs had a fast punky beat to them too. Kirk was great and interacted with the crowd a lot, and the crowd went nuts. Such an awesome surprise!
And then came Saint Vitus. I can't even begin to articulate how amazing their performance was. Definitely in my top 5 performances ever. Probably the best performance I've ever seen. Wino is a legend. There's no other word to describe him. He was so into the performance. He would get right into the crowd and sing, give us all crazy eyes, stuff like that. He dove off the stage and crowd surfed during White Stallions and drank from a bottle of Jack on stage which he then let the crowd take swigs from. But for every unforgettable moment Wino gave to us as a vocalist, Dave Chandler gave to us an unforgettable moment as a guitarist. The solo's he played were all one of a kind and he looked like an absolute madman. During Mystic Lady, he looked like he was about to have a seizure from going so crazy on his guitar. He ran out in the crowd and kept rubbing the frets on people's heads during Born Too Late and even plucked at the strings with his teeth. The best guitarist performance I've ever seen, hands-down.
I know I'll never see Saint Vitus again like I did last night, and that really makes me upset. Damn.
Saint Vitus
Living Backwards
I Bleed Black
Clear Windowpane
Blessed Night (new)
White Stallions
Mystic Lady
Dying Inside
Born Too Late
Crowbar
Conquering
Lasting Dose
All I Had
New Dawn
Sever
Liquid Sky
I Have Failed
High Rate
Cemetery Angels
Kylesa
Hollow Severer
Unknown Awareness
Running Red
Scapegoat
Tired Climb
Distance Closing In
Don't Look Back
Said & Done
Red Fang
Reverse Thunder
Sharks
Wires (new)
Painted Parade (new)
Suicide (Dust cover)
Prehistoric Dog
Howl
Heavenless
Horns of Steel
...And The Gnawing
Ashereh / Jezebel
The Atlas Moth
Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence
(New Song)
...Leads to a Lifetime on Mercury
Saint Vitus: 11/10
Crowbar: 9/10
Kylesa: 8.5/10
Red Fang: 8/10
Howl: 8.5/10
The Atlas Moth: 8/10
Apehanger: 7.5/10
Although Helmet wasn't headlining this stop on the Metalliance tour, local band Apehanger opened the show to make everything even. They're pretty much one of the few local bands that I would classify as "doom" that are any good. In fact, they were pretty damn awesome. They at times reminded me of a Khanate-like sound, but much much much (much) faster. Good stuff.
The first of the touring bands was The Atlas Moth. I'd never heard them prior to this show, but they surprised me at how good they were. They definitely had a more psychadelic sound and a more black metal (at least in the vocals) sound. It was awesome! Only complaint I had was that I seriously doubt they need three guitarists, two would make the sound a lot clearer.
After them was Howl. It was my third time seeing the band, but the first with a new guitarist. The lead guitarist/vocalist was great, and this time was by far the best time I've seen them. Their new guitarist was awesome at soloing and even had to switch guitars halfway through the set! Lots of headbanging for them.
The thing about Red Fang was that I really dug their more groovy songs, but when they went over to the more sludgey type of metal, it wasn't as good. Still fun, though! Also incredibly loud. Too loud, actually. Couldn't hear the vocals for most of the songs. They ended their set with Prehistoric Dog and that was great. I really hope they slay everyone on Mayhem Fest!
Kylesa was great, although pissed off because they had lost a piece of their vocal equipment. It just made them play with that much more furious anger. They even used a theramin (!!!) and the dual drums came off awesome yet again. Running Red was amazing and the opener of Hollow Severer was heavy as hell, but my favorite will always be Scapegoat. Love it to death. Kylesa is awesome!
I had literally heard not one note of Crowbar until I saw them last night, but they might be the most surprisingly good band to me so far this year! I will be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of sludge metal, but Crowbar are the godfather's of the genre and are everything right with that type of music! Some of their songs had a fast punky beat to them too. Kirk was great and interacted with the crowd a lot, and the crowd went nuts. Such an awesome surprise!
And then came Saint Vitus. I can't even begin to articulate how amazing their performance was. Definitely in my top 5 performances ever. Probably the best performance I've ever seen. Wino is a legend. There's no other word to describe him. He was so into the performance. He would get right into the crowd and sing, give us all crazy eyes, stuff like that. He dove off the stage and crowd surfed during White Stallions and drank from a bottle of Jack on stage which he then let the crowd take swigs from. But for every unforgettable moment Wino gave to us as a vocalist, Dave Chandler gave to us an unforgettable moment as a guitarist. The solo's he played were all one of a kind and he looked like an absolute madman. During Mystic Lady, he looked like he was about to have a seizure from going so crazy on his guitar. He ran out in the crowd and kept rubbing the frets on people's heads during Born Too Late and even plucked at the strings with his teeth. The best guitarist performance I've ever seen, hands-down.
I know I'll never see Saint Vitus again like I did last night, and that really makes me upset. Damn.
Saint Vitus
Living Backwards
I Bleed Black
Clear Windowpane
Blessed Night (new)
White Stallions
Mystic Lady
Dying Inside
Born Too Late
Crowbar
Conquering
Lasting Dose
All I Had
New Dawn
Sever
Liquid Sky
I Have Failed
High Rate
Cemetery Angels
Kylesa
Hollow Severer
Unknown Awareness
Running Red
Scapegoat
Tired Climb
Distance Closing In
Don't Look Back
Said & Done
Red Fang
Reverse Thunder
Sharks
Wires (new)
Painted Parade (new)
Suicide (Dust cover)
Prehistoric Dog
Howl
Heavenless
Horns of Steel
...And The Gnawing
Ashereh / Jezebel
The Atlas Moth
Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence
(New Song)
...Leads to a Lifetime on Mercury
Saint Vitus: 11/10
Crowbar: 9/10
Kylesa: 8.5/10
Red Fang: 8/10
Howl: 8.5/10
The Atlas Moth: 8/10
Apehanger: 7.5/10
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Get ready to stagedive straight into 1985!
One of the most legendary crossover thrash bands of all time, D.R.I. will be hitting the Oz Cafe in Wichita on May 23rd! THRAAAAASH!
Anatomy Is Destiny...In Kansas!
Gore metal titans EXHUMED will be bringing their amazing brand of Carcass-inspired death metal to the Aftershock in Merriam, KS on July 21st! Opening the show is everyone's favorites CEPHALIC CARNAGE, MACABRE, and WITHERED!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Time Machine: To The 1980's!
Two current bands who do a good job of emulating the best of 80's metal are stopping by the Riot Room! California's Holy Grail and Canada's Cauldron will be bringing back the glory days to Kansas City on May 9th!
Thrasho De Mayo!
At the Czar Bar on May 20th will be a celebration of thrash!
Nocturnal (from Germany)
Witchaven
It doesn't get that much better for underground thrash!
Nocturnal (from Germany)
Witchaven
It doesn't get that much better for underground thrash!
Coming Up: Scion Lab shows!
There's a couple of pretty good shows coming to the Scion Lab behind Crossroads KC/Grinder's in Kansas City!
First up:
Scale The Summit
Periphery
Fair To Midland
On March 22nd
Secondly:
Black Breath
On April 7th
Should both be awesome shows!
First up:
Scale The Summit
Periphery
Fair To Midland
On March 22nd
Secondly:
Black Breath
On April 7th
Should both be awesome shows!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Weedeater -- Lawrence, KS -- March 3rd, 2011
As if there was any nagging doubt in the subconscious areas of my mind, Weedeater has brutally stomped my mind (and definitely my ears) with their utterly heaviest brand of metal in the world. It took place at the Jackpot saloon, a small bar with a modest stage and only room for (at extreme most) a few hundred people. The way the crowd was going throughout the entire show, you could have mistaken it for Wacken Open Air. Multiple stage divers and crowd surfers and violent headbanging made for an awesome time. Weedeater played some off their upcoming album "Jason...The Dragon" including the title track and the absolute crushing show-opener "Hammerhandle." If their last album enticed you, their newest will probably be your favorite album of the year. They also revisited all their other albums, including "Weedmonkey Junction" from their first album, "Buzz" from Sixteen Tons (aptly named album), and several off "God Luck And Good Speed," including the title track, "Wizard Fight," and an absolutely stellar and mind-blowing rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Gimme Back My Bullets." It was truly a performance to remember and the ringing of my ears will remind me of it for some time to come. The rest of the concerts I see this year will have some stiff competition.
Opening for Weedeater was Zoroaster, one of the loudest bands I've ever seen live. It actually started to work against them as their set went on, but their absolutely fantastic drummer made the band an absolute joy. Some songs were (a lot!) better than others and had a fantastic groove to them. They were a lot better than what I expected them to be.
The first band of the night was local band Masses who were apparently playing their first show since August of last year because their singer had a baby. I wouldn't necessarily say their brand of music was way out of place at this show, but it was certainly different. It was, however, refreshing to hear wonderful clean vocals go along with pop/post-rock/noise rock/whatever you want to call it. I'm looking forward to them again!
Weedeater (partial/out of order)
Calico
$20 Peanut
The Great Unfurling
Hammerhandle
Turkey Warlock
Jason...The Dragon
Monkey Junction
Potbelly (?)
God Luck And Good Speed
Wizard Fight
Gimme Back My Bullets (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
Weed Monkey
Zoroaster set:
White Dwarf
Ancient Ones
D.N.R.
Bullwhip
Old World
Odyssey
Black Hole
Spirit Molecule
Weedeater: 10/10
Zoroaster: 8/10
Masses: 7.5/10
Opening for Weedeater was Zoroaster, one of the loudest bands I've ever seen live. It actually started to work against them as their set went on, but their absolutely fantastic drummer made the band an absolute joy. Some songs were (a lot!) better than others and had a fantastic groove to them. They were a lot better than what I expected them to be.
The first band of the night was local band Masses who were apparently playing their first show since August of last year because their singer had a baby. I wouldn't necessarily say their brand of music was way out of place at this show, but it was certainly different. It was, however, refreshing to hear wonderful clean vocals go along with pop/post-rock/noise rock/whatever you want to call it. I'm looking forward to them again!
Weedeater (partial/out of order)
Calico
$20 Peanut
The Great Unfurling
Hammerhandle
Turkey Warlock
Jason...The Dragon
Monkey Junction
Potbelly (?)
God Luck And Good Speed
Wizard Fight
Gimme Back My Bullets (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
Weed Monkey
Zoroaster set:
White Dwarf
Ancient Ones
D.N.R.
Bullwhip
Old World
Odyssey
Black Hole
Spirit Molecule
Weedeater: 10/10
Zoroaster: 8/10
Masses: 7.5/10
Friday, February 25, 2011
The man himself returns
After a pretty amazing show on the Blackest Of The Black tour on Halloween a few years ago, Danzig will be returning to Kansas City. He'll be at the VooDoo Lounge inside of Harrah's Casino in Kansas City on May 4th. Opening the show will be DevilDriver and 2Cents.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Lightning Swords Of Death!
US black metal beasts LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH will be returning to Kansas City just around the corner on March 1st at the Czar Bar. Awesome local bands Stonehaven and Meatshank will be opening!
Kansas Gets Prog
Between The Buried and Me just announced they've signed to Metal Blade Records and announced a tour which is coming to the Granada in Lawrence!
Between The Buried And Me
Job For A Cowboy
The Ocean
Cephalic Carnage
April 26th
Granada
Lawrence, KS
Too bad JFAC is randomly thrown in there, another proggy-type band would've been great. But BTBAM puts on a great show!
Between The Buried And Me
Job For A Cowboy
The Ocean
Cephalic Carnage
April 26th
Granada
Lawrence, KS
Too bad JFAC is randomly thrown in there, another proggy-type band would've been great. But BTBAM puts on a great show!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Motorhead -- Kansas City, MO -- February 17th, 2011
Great show from all the bands, but WOW what a performance by Clutch. BUT FIRST:
I got to the venue right at eight o'clock, but the line was still stretched around the block. I hear Valient Thorr playing while I waited to get in and missed about half their set. Their sound mix wasn't all that great, but the band was as great as ever. Kansas City is their second home, so I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of them very soon.
I finally did it! I lost my Clutch show virginity! And what a show it was! Neil was moving all around and the music sounded great. Lots of great grooves; it's impossible not to move around to the beat at a Clutch performance! Big News I was really good, but my favorite song they did was Immortal. That song sounds great live! Might be the best opening set I've ever seen. Big thanks to Brad and Jeff for helping me figure out their set!
Motorhead was Motorhead. Nothing more, nothing less. I will say I enjoyed them a bit more than the last time I saw them. Also wasn't as loud as I remember. Still awesome. Songs like "Rock Out" and "I Got Mine" were great, but my personal favorite was "Going to Brazil." It's just too much fun. The guitar solo was kind of lame, but the drum solo was great. Always fun to see this legendary band, so hopefully they'll be around a while longer!
Motorhead:
We Are Motörhead
Stay Clean
Get Back In Line
Metropolis
Over the Top
One Night Stand
Rock Out
Guitar Solo
The Thousand Names of God
I Got Mine
I Know How To Die
The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
In the Name of Tragedy
Drum Solo
Just 'Cos You Got the Power
Going to Brazil
Killed by Death
Ace of Spades
---------
Overkill
Clutch (thanks Brad and Jeff!)
50,000 Unstoppable Watts
The Mob Goes Wild
Freakonomics
Pure Rock Fury
Big News I > jam > Big News II
The Incomparable Mr. Flannery
Child of the City
Immortal
Let a Poor Man Be
Motorhead - 8/10
Clutch - 9/10
Valient Thor - 8/10
I got to the venue right at eight o'clock, but the line was still stretched around the block. I hear Valient Thorr playing while I waited to get in and missed about half their set. Their sound mix wasn't all that great, but the band was as great as ever. Kansas City is their second home, so I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of them very soon.
I finally did it! I lost my Clutch show virginity! And what a show it was! Neil was moving all around and the music sounded great. Lots of great grooves; it's impossible not to move around to the beat at a Clutch performance! Big News I was really good, but my favorite song they did was Immortal. That song sounds great live! Might be the best opening set I've ever seen. Big thanks to Brad and Jeff for helping me figure out their set!
Motorhead was Motorhead. Nothing more, nothing less. I will say I enjoyed them a bit more than the last time I saw them. Also wasn't as loud as I remember. Still awesome. Songs like "Rock Out" and "I Got Mine" were great, but my personal favorite was "Going to Brazil." It's just too much fun. The guitar solo was kind of lame, but the drum solo was great. Always fun to see this legendary band, so hopefully they'll be around a while longer!
Motorhead:
We Are Motörhead
Stay Clean
Get Back In Line
Metropolis
Over the Top
One Night Stand
Rock Out
Guitar Solo
The Thousand Names of God
I Got Mine
I Know How To Die
The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
In the Name of Tragedy
Drum Solo
Just 'Cos You Got the Power
Going to Brazil
Killed by Death
Ace of Spades
---------
Overkill
Clutch (thanks Brad and Jeff!)
50,000 Unstoppable Watts
The Mob Goes Wild
Freakonomics
Pure Rock Fury
Big News I > jam > Big News II
The Incomparable Mr. Flannery
Child of the City
Immortal
Let a Poor Man Be
Motorhead - 8/10
Clutch - 9/10
Valient Thor - 8/10
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
War Is Our Destiny
I'm still in shock that a concert this good will be here.
March 28th at the Aftershock Bar and Grille in Merriam, KS.
Saint Vitus
Crowbar
Kylesa
Red Fang
Howl
The Atlas Moth
This is legendary.
March 28th at the Aftershock Bar and Grille in Merriam, KS.
Saint Vitus
Crowbar
Kylesa
Red Fang
Howl
The Atlas Moth
This is legendary.
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
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Eluveitie -- Lawrence, KS -- February 10th, 2011
That's it. It's decided: Folk metal concerts are the most fun concerts in the entire world. I've never seen a more energetic crowd throughout such a long set dancing, moshing, singing, chanting, etc. than I have for a Lawrence, KS crowd on a freezing Thursday night. It was, to say the least, epic.
But it definitely didn't start out epic.
System Divide was definitely the odd man out on this tour. If they didn't have the female vocals, I'd completely write them off as a Whitechapel-worship band, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Lots of breakdowns and the guitars just sounded like a wall of noise at times. They had a lot of energy, though. Not my favorite openers, but they woke the crowd up.
After them was Holy Grail. I expected them to sound a lot like a younger and more aggressive Iron Maiden. I wasn't completely off the mark, but they were still fun. They had some amazing twin guitar solos and the vocalist could really hit those high notes. Some songs seemed to drag on way too long, though. I'd love to see their counter-band White Wizzard and compare the two!
The first band I came for was 3 Inches Of Blood. They have a history of cancelling shows on Lawrence (I was at one that they eventually canceled) but they definitely made up for it. I was down in the pit for most of them and they sounded great, but the closer I got to the stage, the less I could hear Cam. Other than that, they were definitely on their game. "Goatrider's Horde" and "Deadly Sinners" sounded great as always, but their new one, "Lords Of Change" sounded GREAT. I think it might win back the fans they lost from their latest album. Would've loved Wykydtron, but 3IOB was fantastic all around.
Although the sound was spotty early on, it was quickly fixed and Eluveitie worked the crowd into a frenzy. Just the combination of their woodwind instruments, violin, hurdy-gurdy and the typical metal sound is just amazing in a live setting. The crowd clapped along, the pit was very active the entire set, and the hurdy-gurdy player even successfully got an audience in a Kansas college town to sing the lyrics to an ancient Celtic song. That's impressive! I will say the sound suffered just a bit because the members switched up instruments a lot, but overall it was managed very well. The vocalist was great with interacting with the crowd. Singing along with "Inis Mona" was really, really fun. Highlights were Tegernakô , Your Gaulish War, and Thousandfold. One of the all-around best performances I've ever seen! It was their first time in Kansas, but I really hope they'll be back soon!
Sets were the same all around:
System Divide
Purity in Imperfection
Repent/Forget
An Intoxicating Affair
Echoes
The Apex Doctrine
Vagaries of Perception
Holy Grail
Immortal Man
Call of Valhalla
Crisis in Utopia
Hollow Ground
My Last Attack
Fight to Kill
3 Inches of Blood
The Goatrider's Horde
Destroy the Orcs
Lords of Change (new song)
Trial of Champions
Premonition of Pain
Night Marauders
Deadly Sinners
Battles and Brotherhood
Eluveitie
Otherworld (intro)
Nil
Bloodstained Ground
Grey Sublime Archon
Your Gaulish War
Thousandfold
Inis Mona
Slanias Song
Brictom
Omnos
Quoth the Raven
The Song of Life
Kingdom Come Undone
(Do)minion
AnDro
--------------------------------
Primordial Breath
Uis Elveti
Tegernakô
System Divide - 5/10
Holy Grail - 7.5/10
3 Inches Of Blood - 8.5/10
Eluveitie - 9.5/10
But it definitely didn't start out epic.
System Divide was definitely the odd man out on this tour. If they didn't have the female vocals, I'd completely write them off as a Whitechapel-worship band, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. Lots of breakdowns and the guitars just sounded like a wall of noise at times. They had a lot of energy, though. Not my favorite openers, but they woke the crowd up.
After them was Holy Grail. I expected them to sound a lot like a younger and more aggressive Iron Maiden. I wasn't completely off the mark, but they were still fun. They had some amazing twin guitar solos and the vocalist could really hit those high notes. Some songs seemed to drag on way too long, though. I'd love to see their counter-band White Wizzard and compare the two!
The first band I came for was 3 Inches Of Blood. They have a history of cancelling shows on Lawrence (I was at one that they eventually canceled) but they definitely made up for it. I was down in the pit for most of them and they sounded great, but the closer I got to the stage, the less I could hear Cam. Other than that, they were definitely on their game. "Goatrider's Horde" and "Deadly Sinners" sounded great as always, but their new one, "Lords Of Change" sounded GREAT. I think it might win back the fans they lost from their latest album. Would've loved Wykydtron, but 3IOB was fantastic all around.
Although the sound was spotty early on, it was quickly fixed and Eluveitie worked the crowd into a frenzy. Just the combination of their woodwind instruments, violin, hurdy-gurdy and the typical metal sound is just amazing in a live setting. The crowd clapped along, the pit was very active the entire set, and the hurdy-gurdy player even successfully got an audience in a Kansas college town to sing the lyrics to an ancient Celtic song. That's impressive! I will say the sound suffered just a bit because the members switched up instruments a lot, but overall it was managed very well. The vocalist was great with interacting with the crowd. Singing along with "Inis Mona" was really, really fun. Highlights were Tegernakô , Your Gaulish War, and Thousandfold. One of the all-around best performances I've ever seen! It was their first time in Kansas, but I really hope they'll be back soon!
Sets were the same all around:
System Divide
Purity in Imperfection
Repent/Forget
An Intoxicating Affair
Echoes
The Apex Doctrine
Vagaries of Perception
Holy Grail
Immortal Man
Call of Valhalla
Crisis in Utopia
Hollow Ground
My Last Attack
Fight to Kill
3 Inches of Blood
The Goatrider's Horde
Destroy the Orcs
Lords of Change (new song)
Trial of Champions
Premonition of Pain
Night Marauders
Deadly Sinners
Battles and Brotherhood
Eluveitie
Otherworld (intro)
Nil
Bloodstained Ground
Grey Sublime Archon
Your Gaulish War
Thousandfold
Inis Mona
Slanias Song
Brictom
Omnos
Quoth the Raven
The Song of Life
Kingdom Come Undone
(Do)minion
AnDro
--------------------------------
Primordial Breath
Uis Elveti
Tegernakô
System Divide - 5/10
Holy Grail - 7.5/10
3 Inches Of Blood - 8.5/10
Eluveitie - 9.5/10
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Norma Jean is coming. Haters to the left.
I love Norma Jean's first album. They have several albums after that varying in quality, but the first will always be near perfect. They'll be at the Bottleneck on March 12th with a line-up that's equally as varying in quality. Stick To Your Guns, Impending Doom and Of Legends open.
Contender for heaviest show of the year: WEEDEATER
After a brilliant show last year, Weedeater will be returning to the area at the Jackpot on March 3rd. Zoroaster is opening. DON'T MISS THIS!
Live video for added effect:
Live video for added effect:
On The Way: Genitorturers
One of the longest-running and highly respected industrial rock bands is coming through KC. The GENITORTURERS! They'll be at the Beaumont Club on March 5th. Hanzel Und Gretyl and Angelspit are support, and KC locals Troglodyte and Serated open!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Kansas City Is The Road Crew!
After playing one of the loudest shows ever at the venue, legendary band MOTORHEAD will be returning to the Midland on February 17th. Opening will be awesome rockers CLUTCH and spacemen and KC favorite VALIENT THORR.
Rest of January: Ozzy or Sick Of It All?
Hey! There's only a few more shows in January that you need to worry about, but they both fall on the same day!
In this corner:
Ozzy Osbourne w/ Slash at the Sprint Center
In the other corner:
Sick Of It All w/ Mother of Mercy, Alpha & Omega, Iron Guts Kelly at the Bottleneck
Both shows are on January 22nd! Choose wisely!
In this corner:
Ozzy Osbourne w/ Slash at the Sprint Center
In the other corner:
Sick Of It All w/ Mother of Mercy, Alpha & Omega, Iron Guts Kelly at the Bottleneck
Both shows are on January 22nd! Choose wisely!
Gaza -- Lawrence, KS -- January 8th, 2011
So my first concert of 2011 may not have been all around as fantastic as 2010's (Nile w/ Immolation, Krisiun) but Gaza was fantastic all the same. And if I can't see Immortal in the middle of a snowstorm, Gaza will do just fine as a replacement.
Gaza is not your average grind band. They have grind, crust, hardcore, sludge, and punk influences in their music, but it all came through wonderfully in one of the loudest performances I've seen at the Jackpot. In between songs, the vocalist would talk to the crowd without the mic, so it gave a really at-home, down-to-earth vibe to the show. The band was all over the place and interacting with the crowd on songs like "He Is Never Coming Back" which the crowd sang most of. During the last song, the vocalist moshed with the crowd and for the final explosion of sound, the guitarist and the bassist joined. It was epic, in the small venue type of way. Great stuff, Gaza has the potential to be a legendary live band.
Opening the show was KC's Walking Oceans, an instrumental post-rock band. The good thing about them was that although they were instrumental, the music was great. They definitely put the "rock" in post-rock and the basslines were groovy as hell. Infectious. I hope they open more shows.
Before Gaza was Mansions. Mostly instrumental post-metal/sludge. It didn't really click with me last time, and this time was only a little better. It just seemed like they played the same song over and over again. Not terrible, but not too great either.
Gaza set included:
He Is Never Coming Back
Cristle
Cult
Windowless Mansion
Canine Disposal Unit
They were really good. I'll do a full review tomorrow. Pretty nice start to 2011 concerts.
Gaza: 9/10
MANSIONS: 5/10
Walking Oceans: 8/10
Gaza is not your average grind band. They have grind, crust, hardcore, sludge, and punk influences in their music, but it all came through wonderfully in one of the loudest performances I've seen at the Jackpot. In between songs, the vocalist would talk to the crowd without the mic, so it gave a really at-home, down-to-earth vibe to the show. The band was all over the place and interacting with the crowd on songs like "He Is Never Coming Back" which the crowd sang most of. During the last song, the vocalist moshed with the crowd and for the final explosion of sound, the guitarist and the bassist joined. It was epic, in the small venue type of way. Great stuff, Gaza has the potential to be a legendary live band.
Opening the show was KC's Walking Oceans, an instrumental post-rock band. The good thing about them was that although they were instrumental, the music was great. They definitely put the "rock" in post-rock and the basslines were groovy as hell. Infectious. I hope they open more shows.
Before Gaza was Mansions. Mostly instrumental post-metal/sludge. It didn't really click with me last time, and this time was only a little better. It just seemed like they played the same song over and over again. Not terrible, but not too great either.
Gaza set included:
He Is Never Coming Back
Cristle
Cult
Windowless Mansion
Canine Disposal Unit
They were really good. I'll do a full review tomorrow. Pretty nice start to 2011 concerts.
Gaza: 9/10
MANSIONS: 5/10
Walking Oceans: 8/10
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Happy New Year!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. Have a bunch of shows coming up, so get ready for some awesome shows in 2011!
The first is awesome metalcore band GAZA who will be at the Jackpot on January 8th. With them will be Convert, Mansion, and Walking Oceans. It's an early show at 7 PM, so come rock out early!
The first is awesome metalcore band GAZA who will be at the Jackpot on January 8th. With them will be Convert, Mansion, and Walking Oceans. It's an early show at 7 PM, so come rock out early!
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