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Screaming Angels, The Othermen ,The Delta Bombers , The Brains January 21st at The Knitting Factory . The Delta Bombers and the Brains January 22nd Roxy and Dukes Roadhouse

So this review is a little different. I saw the Brains and the Delta Bombers both Saturday and Sunday nights but the Screaming Angels and the Othermen just the first night at the Knitting Factory since they didn’t play in Jersey. I was surprised how different the shoes were from night to night. The bands were really on point putting on some really great performances. A really great weekend I won’t soon forget. Openers the Screaming Angels reminded me a little bit of early B52’s a band I was never really fond of but by the time I heard them Love Shack was all over MTV and irritating the hell out of me. I like this band better as they are not really commercial in the same way and they have a country and rockabilly tinge that the B52’s don’t. I was impressed and kind of pissed I missed 5/10 minutes of their set. The Othermen had a bit of a surf rock sound and a sort of new wave look. They had a ton of energy onstage and were really fun watch. The first two bands were definitely entertaining and I missed seeing them the second night in new Jersey. I’d heard a little bit of the Delta Bombers before going to see them and let me tell you live is where they shine the most. The first night in Brooklyn was mind blowing. They played with so much heart and staggering tenacity making the songs really pop in a way that is unmatched in the studio. They were feeding off the energy of the crowd at some point singer Chris Moinichen threw himself on his back and continued playing. I find it hard to label them as they have elements of psychobilly but to me are much more of a blues band. They were definitely the band of the night that night. The second night was still solid but subdued compared to the show in Brooklyn. The Brains’ performance was consistant from night to night they were on fire sat night at in Brooklyn in front of a full house but were equally undeterred by the near empty venue Sunday night. If anything they seemed looser the second night. I discovered them late last year and have been obsessed with their music ever since. They did not play Wolfman , Breaks , or Need You Now but they did play Out in the Dark and my new favorite The Witch off the latest album. Their bass player is an incredibly fast player. I’m a big fan of the rockabilly/psychobilly slap style of playing so it was a real treat to see someone so proficient at his instrument. Although his playing stands out to me the whole band gels really well. The songs are played faster live and slightly less varried but it works. T some point Rene’s guitar died onstage and he had to borrow one from the Delta Bombers. They played a couple of more songs then called it a night. A great set of performances despite technical difficulties leading to a shortened Brains set Sunday night. Two incredibly fun nights of great live music.

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Revocation , Coagula, Luminous Vault at Saint Vitus bar. 1/29/16

Tonight Revocation is playing at Saint Vitus bar which means tonight they take all of my money. I'm a bit of a merch whore(der?) so much to my delight a score not one but two great tour shirts from Revocation. Not only does a night at a smaller venue like Saint Vitus provide an evening of killer bands to check out typically you can get as close as you want. The bands typically cut right through the floor right to the stage and set up right in front of you. There are no pretentious intros or curtains. The bands basically go onstage kick ass and leave. Often times they stay around to watch the other bands and of you're so inclined to say what's up they'll typically be cool. I thought tonight would be a typical night with two openers similar in sound and style to the headliner you've come to see. This was not so tonight with the two opening bands drastically differing in style from the main act and each other. They usually book bands within the same sug-genre especially when booking metal shows because of all of the elitism that exists within the various scenes. I've noticed far less of this lately with the exception of typical scapegoats such as Black Veil Brides who everyone hates except their fans. Openers Luminous Vault kind of sounded like the experimental drone metal Sunn O))) laced with some of the avant guard spacey moments of black metal veterans Inquisition. They were composed solely of a guitarist vocalist and a bass player. They didn't have a drummer and we're incredibly loud. I don't know what sub-genre you would use to classify them ,seeing as something like shoegazing kind of sounds like black metal to me but I thought they were interesting and a great choice to start the evening off. I'm glad I didn't miss their set. Coagula had a heavy stoner vibe and we're also incredibly loud. They were kind of like a stoned version of Hell Awaits era Slayer with flourishes of classic metal. Obituary comes to mind also when trying to describe what it is they sound like. Not so much vocally but more so in that groovy death sound Obituary is known for. Another unexpected surprise. I do really like when you see a show where each band is distinctive. A pleasant surprise this evening for sure Although not as loud as the 2 first bands Revocation's engineer did a good job with the mix. Being that the first two bands used feedback and at times just holding notes for heaviness and atmosphere that would not have worked for Revocation. Razor sharp precision with very little to no feedback in the mix is what's needed here. Stop on a dime time signatures, lots of changes and really very little to no space in their songs. At times they remind me of Black Dalia Murder but their sound tends to be more varied. I would say progressive kimd of like Death. There are moments that remind the listener of Al Dimeola era Return to Forever. Speed and accuracy is the name of the game most of the time though. They are incredibly tight and entertaining not in the sense of stage antics but rather in the headbanging worthiness of their songs. Singer and guitar virtuoso Dave Davidson's in between songs introduction is pretty cut and dry but the dedication of Exaltation to the Trump administration was well timed and a nice touch. I don't know if the live setting adds anything to the music that you don't get from listening but it's well executed nonetheless. Plenty of these technical bands can pull off incredible things in the studio only to not be able to reproduce the same quality live but not these guys. If they do it on the album you can best believe they'll execute it flawlessly live based on the performance I saw. Like I said their music isn't necessarily enhanced by the live setting but maybe it doesn't need to be. I seriously doubt anyone in the band made any mistakes that night and if they did I didn't notice them. They played the aforementioned Exaltation as well as Crumbling Imperium and the stellar Arbiters of the Apocalypse but left me high and dry on their cover of Altar of Sacrifice.. A minor gripe for an otherwise fulfilling evening.

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Khemmis, Crypt Sermon , Sanhedrin at Saint Vitus Bar

After trying to get tickets to this sold out show at Saint Vitus Bar and getting nowhere by Sat I had all but given up hope. Hours before the show I got a response to my message on the event page and secured 2 tickets. Beyond stoked I picked up my date and off to Brooklyn we go. Making it there just before opener local band Sanhedrin took the stage. A female fronted power trio in the NWOBHM style their set was heavy and groove laden taking me back to bands like Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road - which I discovered way after their late 70's early 80's heyday.. The singer's voice was great. Their feel was loose and organic heavy on the groove. Some of the faster parts draw obvious comparisons to High on Fire and Motorhead.. All of this is right up my alley. This band was the surprise of the evening.. I rarely will want the first band to keep playing beyond their set time but I was genuinely bummed out when they were done. Next up were Crypt Sermon. I'd never heard this band before and didn't go online to listen to their stuff beforehand s o I didn't know what was coming. The singer and bass player took the stage shirtless wearing only their battle vests emblazoned with Saxon and Deep Purple patches amongst others. This plus the guitarist's Mercyful Fate shirt told me their set would not be filled with Dream Theateresque flash noodling but old school heavy NWOBHM galloping and pentatonic soloing. While they did have a bit of that influence they sounded much closer to the doom of Candlemass with a bit of Witchfinder General thrown in for good measure. I spoke to their singer briefly at their merchandise stand after their show. He was super cool and laid back which makes the overall experience of the show all the more enjoyable. Khemmis take the stage with the slow and trudging Candlelight. Its powered by a memorable riff that serves as an underlying theme , a searing solo at the end and a good mix of clean vocals and growls throughout the song.. Three Gates alternates a mid tempo gallop with a doomy bridge leading up to a chorus that alternates grunts from the second guitarist to the clean vocals of the main vocalist. Some good back and forth there. My favorite track on that album though is Above the Water with its powerful " I won't die, this isn't my time, here is a part of me" in the chorus. Less pained than Trouble's Wagner but nonetheless equally effective if not more venerable.. His vocals being one of my favorite elements to their music. I believe they played Above the Water but I don't remember. Enchanted by their set it was all a flash after that until Bereaved with its monstrous riff reminiscent to Down's Bury Me In Smoke closes out the evening. What an evening it was. Can't wait to catch these guys again.

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Reverend Horton Heat, Nashville Pussy, Lucky Tub at Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY

Opener Lucky Tubb and the Troubadours were most notable for having no drums and an incredible upright bass player. I'd never heard them before and while I wasn't blown away by anything other than their bass player I did enjoy their set. I'm interested in hearing some of their albums and definitely would check them out again if they came back on a good bill. Next up were Nashville Pussy. I was excited to see them a second time but I had actually forgotten how good they are live. Their albums pale in comparison to their live show so if they come to your town I highly recommend seeing them. Their experience, stage swagger , feel, and cohesion as a live unit just cannot be replicated in the studio. They've had various line-up changes in the rhythm section over the years and I would probably say this is the best I've heard. Their cover of Marshall Tucker Band's Can't You See surpasses it's predecessor with a faster groovier arrangement. I loved every minute of their set. I am hoping they come back to New York in the not so distant future. I had seen Reverend Horton Heat open for Motorhead in 2009 along with Nashville Pussy. At that point I was really only familiar with Psychobilly Freakout by the Rev from the Guitar Hero game.. I thought the song was cool but hadn't thought much about it beyond that. I thought they had great energy after seeing their show. I liked their songs even though laughably I was mildly offended by the song Death Metal Guys. Fast forward to 2016. Though visibly looking quite older and starting off a little slow they put on an incredible show. I lean more towards the faster material like Baddest of the Bad, Big Red Rocket of Love, 400 Bucks, Bales of Cocaine, Big Sky as well as some of their instrumental songs which tend to be fast as well. Crowd favorite In My Wildest Dreams had a lot of the ladies swooning. The new material is among my favorite in their entire catalog which I've been listening to extensively since that night. My favorites are the fast and furious Smell of Gasoline, the catchy stop and go foot stomper Let Me Teach You How to Eat, and Zombie Dumb which is reminiscent of surf rock ala Dick Dale and the Surfaris (particularly Wipeout). Comedic country singer the Unknown Hinson joined them for some renditions of a few of his songs. Dressed as what looked like a pallbearer, his pale imposing figure is as noteable as his material. His songs standout as much for their off kilter lyrics as for the songs themselves. You'll be tapping your foot as you're chuckling to the aptly titled songs Your Man Is Gay, Put Out or Get Out , and I Ain't Afraid of Your Husband. The subject matter juxtaposed by the soft croon of what might otherwise be heartfelt tender ballads. Although I suppose it's meant to be a bit of joke I find his songs to be more entertaining than the genre he's parodying itself. The show was in Brooklyn so it turned out to be quite a long show. They might have played for about an hour and a half which I was all too happy about. For the encore Horton Heat brought out members of Nashville Pussy and Lucky Tubb. They played covers of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash , and Motorhead. A great local guitarist who's name escapes me joined them onstage at this point also making the evening all the more special. According to the guy at the merch stand this was the best night of the tour. I tend to believe him.

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It’s going to be quite the jam in heaven #ripprince #milesdavis #jazz #pop #rock #legends

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There are a handful of albums that for me define the pinnacle of playing , musicianship , immediacy , passion , and drive. These are the albums that got me through high school, get me up in the morning , get me through my workouts and essentially life. Painkiller, Cowboys From Hell , Vulgar Display of Power , Reign in Blood , Arise , ..And Justice for All, and of course Rust in Peace. How anyone could go back and listen to the crap on the radio after hearing Holy Wars is beyond me. Nick Menza, Marty Friedman , Dave Mustaine , and Junior. RIP Nick #megadeth #metal #nickmenza #ripnickmenza

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Pallbearer , Graves at Sea , Order of the Owl , Forn April 17th, 2016 Saint Vitus Bar

My first time at Saint Vitus bar and I must say I was thoroughly impressed. The sound is incredibly loud , the acoustics are great and everything is black from the walls to the toilet seats to the nondescript entryway which my friend and I walked past the first time. There is a black altar with upside down crucifixes (all black of course) and also one for Christians with a pew one can kneel or sit on if one so desires.. I saw no one doing either. The bar is separate from the stage which is all the way in the back. If not crowded one gets a side view of the stage while sitting at the bar. 
 We caught a glimpse of openers Forn who were pretty tight. Throaty vocals , doomy riffs , with some melodic passages similar to Pallbearer . I wasn’t fully immersed in their set as I was really there to see Pallbearer but I thought they were good. Particularly the vocals.
 Next up were Order of the Owl. They were great. The front man/bass player Brent Anderson was the antithesis of Lemmy. Instead of a highly placed microphone which forces him to look above the crowd his was set up really low making him seem like a dwarf spewing bile from the deepest reaches of hell. A thick wall of guitar from Casey Yarbrough and a bass that punched you in the chest every time punctuated their sound. Drummer Dwayne Jones kept a simple heavy approach.. Not a lot of crazy fills but a super-tight ride heavy type of playing. His playing was for me at least was the highlight of their set. 
 Crowd favorite Graves at Sea got a great response. The vocals reminded me of Dagon from Inquisition. Not as spacy per se but they definitely had an echoey quality to them. Their arrangements went on a little longer than I would have liked but I may have been in the minority here as the audience was really into them.
 Pallbearer opened with one of my favorite songs from them , World’s Apart. Heavy as hell and jammy also. They played a couple of new songs without lyrics. I would like to hear the vocals mixed a little louder but there was not a dull moment in their set. The Ghost I Used to Be, Devoid of Redemption, and closer Foreigner all stood out for me. A great night of music all around…

#pallbearer #metal #musicreviews #stvitusbar #orderoftheowl #forn #gravesatsea #livemusicnyc #metalblog #musicblog

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Rebelmatic Sunday ,April 22 nd , 2016 Arlene’s Grocery

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After catching the end of the Band Droids set we waited for Rebelmatic to come on. Their singer reminded me of Re-Run only with dreadlocks and a punk attitude. With the look and conviction of HR from Bad Brains and a delivery reminiscent of Ice-T the gregarious frontman does a great job of getting the crowd involved. He had them willingly chanting soul on cue during the chorus of one of the songs while also encouraging them to dance and “sweat” going so far as moshing in the pit while he was singing towards the end of their set. Their spirit and energy was infectious and kept you engaged like you knew all of the songs even if you didn’t. The guitar playing - particularly the solos were reminiscent of Slip It In era Black Flag while the bassist who reminded me of Dumb Donald from the Fat Albert Gang did a great job complimenting the frontman’s energy. He acted as the singer’s Flavor Flav while still managing to run around the stage like a mad man. Their songs are heavy on the groove and while far from virtuosos the vigor and enthusiasm poured into every song more than make up for it. With a sound that hints at Hillel Slovak era Chili Peppers, Balck Flag, Fear, Living Colour’s heavier moments, and the aforementioned Bad Brains lets hope they continue to fight like braves and never dream of Californication. #rebelmatic #nycshows #arlenesgrocery #punkrock #rock #nycunderground

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Janes Addiction July 15th, Ford Amphitheater , Brooklyn, NY

A mild breeze provided a respite to a hot and humid Friday evening. This was my third time seeing Jane’s Addiction. I soon found out that general admission does not necessarily mean you can go where you want rather you can sit in an alotted area on a first come first serve basis. Kind of like going to the movies only with annoying security that takes it’s job a little too seriously. It is a terrible system and the powers that be at the Ford Amphitheater should reconsider their layout. It was the 25 the Anniversary of Ritual de lo Habitual and although that album has some great material I feel their best is still Nothing’s Shocking. Nonetheless funky fast paced opener Stop kicks off the evening the right way. The blistering guitar work from Dave Navarro sounds tight and fresh. You can hear the Hendrix influence in his sound but his style and tone are all his own. A rockstar that not only looks and plays the part but has the chops to back it up as well. That is probably my favorite song off that album. Perry Farrell looking a bit like a glammed out Frank Sinatra is an entertaining frontman who told stories between songs like your favorite uncle around the holidays. His voice has held up well over the years and the overall sound of the band is cohesive. A long intro into Been Caught Stealing outlines another highlight from the Ritual material. I wasn’t a huge fan of the song back in the day as MTV ran it into the ground but hearing it live this time made it seem fresh again. They do a competent if slightly uninspired version of the David Bowie classic Rebel Rebel dedicating it to Joe Perry who passed out while performing with the Hollywood Vampires the week before. An S&M inspried Ted Just Admit It , and my personal favorite Mountain Song followed. They finished their set with crowd favorite Jane Says. Now off to the rollercoasters..

#janesaddiction #fordamphitheater #ritualdelohabitual25thanniversary #alternativerock #musicreview

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Amon Amarth ,Entombed A.D. , Exmortus at The PlayStation Theater

After standing on an endless line and being treated like inmates getting ready to get on a bus to Ryker’s Island we were finally led into the PlayStation Theater through the side entrance. A neon decor accentuated with playable Street Fighter and Ratchet and Clank games as well as game commercials mixed in with the usual adds for upcoming shows display shameless marketing at it’s finest. There are several bars in the venues which the patrons are all too happy about. Two men dressed as Vikings were taking photographs with eager concert goers leading up to the start of tonight’s event. We would later find out that they too are part of the show. Exmortus proceeded the festivities this evening with a set that was a mix of tight thrash , classic metal , and death metal vocals. Singer Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez’s ability to sing and rip leads brings to mind Death’s Chuck Shuldiner . Unlike Death’s intricate arrangements and more varied approach their’s was closer to a death metal version of Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. They even tackle a neo-classical metal version of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata entitled Moonlight before closing the set with Metal is King. A solid opener with a bright future. I’ll be expecting to hear a lot from them in the future. Contrary to openers Exmortus, Entombed A.D. ’s set was loose and heavy on the groove. They had a great sound and looked like they were having a ton of fun up there. Clad in a Bathory t-shirt and a heavily patched leather vest LG Petrov reminds me of that favorite drunk uncle that loves to tell inappropriate stories at family gatherings. There was a good mix of newer songs and classics from the Entombed days. Wolverine Blues, Left Hand Path , and Revel in the Flesh which was dedicated to the guys from Behemoth stood out as their set’s finest moments. A great band that I would definitely see again. The curtain draws as they launch into Pursuit of Vikings a mid tempo anthem in which Johan Hegg gets the crowd singing the chorus for him. His brutal vocal delivery thinly veils what an affable front man he truly is. He has the crowd in the palm of his hand the whole night. I had no idea what the next song was called at first but I knew it well. As Loke Falls from Deciever of the Gods. The crowd , which for the most part was tame during the first song awakens at the fall of the beast. Pushing , shoving, moshing , and head-banging ensues. I was whipped in the face several times by the hair of a proud Mexican young man. I know this because he was carrying on about Mexico a few minutes before Amon Amarth went on. There were times in the evening where you felt like you were at a soccer match. Anthemic choruses as well as crowd chanting led again by Hegg - this band’s Bruce Dickinson , was the order of the night. They can very well be poised to be the Iron Maiden of death metal. Compared to the last time I saw them at Irving Plaza this was a much larger scale show. A riser in the form of a Viking skull was center stage housing new drummer Jocke Wallgren high above the crowd. There were stairs on either side of it allowing Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Ted Lundstrom , as well as bassist Johan Soderberg to scale them. This allowed them to switch positions individually playing to more of the crowd. Viking battles were acted out onstage by the actors we saw earlier in the night. Hegg also dons a Loke mask at one point during the set. The changing backdrops from various album covers and additional artwork is also a nice touch as well. They play a handful of songs from the latest album Jomsviking. First Kill , the first single from said album goes over well with the crowd. They have been progressively getting more melodic with each release since Once Sent from the Golden Hall adding harmonies and solos as well as those big choruses I talked about earlier. Their set leaned more towards newer material even having Entombed AD frontman LG Petrov return for Guardians of Asgard. Victorious March , Death in Fire, and Thousand Years of Oppression made up the only material that predates With Oden on Our Side. When lightning strikes and Hegg swings Thor’s mighty hammer you know it’s time for Twilight of the Thunder God. The solo in the middle of the song originally played by Roope Latvala from Children of Bodom fame wasn’t quite as impressive as his but that is a minor flaw in an otherwise crushing set. The vikings take Manhattan.

#amonamarth #exmortus #entombedad #metal

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Bad Religion , Against Me at the Starland Ballroom

Openers Against Me were thoroughly enjoyable. They sounded like the Foo Fighters mixed with a bit of classic Green Day and a little bit of a Celtic edge. Singer Thomas Gabel now transitioning to Laura Wayne Grace made the news recently for transitioning from a man to a woman. I say good for her but that had no impact on my opinion of the band. A great opener but now it was time for the band most of us came to see. This was my first time seeing seminal Los Angeles punk band Bad Religion. They opened their set with We Are the Government. I have to say they came out a little stiff for the first couple of songs. I wished they saved this for the end of the set instead of using it as the opener. By the time they warm up though you’d be hard pressed to believe these guys are a 30 year plus band. They had all the fire and gusto of a band just hitting their peak but with the all of the calm and confidence of a veteran band. The songs actually sounded better than their recorded versions. Their set really kicked up a notch about half way in when they tore into Fuck You - a song off the new album. I felt their best material- including that song followed. 21 st Century Digital Boy , Modern Man , Conquer the World , 1000 More Fools , American Jesus were just a few of them . After a short break they came back for the encore closing out with Fuck Armageddon.. This is Hell.. This was truly one of the best shows I’ve seen in the nearly 30 years of going to concerts. #badreligion #punkrockshows #lapunk #starlandballroom

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Opeth at Radio City Music Hall Oct 1st,2016

So I missed most of the Sword’s set. I had seen them twice before and both of those times they kicked much ass. This time - at least from what I saw from the very end of the set they seemed a little more like a spaced out Kings of Leon. Again this was just the very end of the set so it’s not fair of me to give them a proper critique. Most of the time I hate to hear the frontman talk between songs but Michael Akerfeldt’ s dry sardonic sense of humor is right up my alley. At different points of the set he went on to make fun of the band Europe (who happened to be from the same town in Sweden as them). He also suggested we all just stop the show and all head over to watch Twisted Sister. Maybe you had to be there but I found his banter thoroughly amusing. Their musicianship as always was flawless. Despite the normally airy sound at Radio City which is horrible for rock shows it worked fine for Opeth’s multilayered approach. Although they omitted some of my favorite songs that evening - namely Burden, Porcelain Heart and Harvest there was plenty to enjoy in their place. New song Will O the Wisp is somewhat reminiscent of early Jethro Tull only with better vocals. The sheer range in Akerfeldt’s singing is astounding. From the powerful black metal growls of Demon of the Fall and Deliverance to the melodisicm of said Will O the Wisp and Windowpane I would say there are very few singers with that kind of range. Another highlight was Fredrick Akesson’s big guitar solo. His playing is on par with I would say Guthrie Govan’s playing in Steven Wilson’s band. The lighting and staging made the evening feel as if father Akerfeldt was giving this evening’s service in an old Gothic church. It was a full set leaning heavily on the new material as well as Deliverance and Damnation. It was truly unique from the other times I had seen them. Maybe it was their excitement of touring the new materiel or the strength of the material itself but it was a special night indeed.

#opeth #radiocitymusichall #metal #progressivemetal #progressiverock #concertreviews

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Pennywise, Unwritten Law , and the Runaway Kids at Irving Plaza

Irving Plaza is one of my favorite places to catch live music in NYC. The sound is great, the layout is great and there are even arch ways near where the merchandise with good sight lines to the stage if you don’t want to be on the floor. I hadn’t shown up early for a show in a while but I didn’t want to miss opener Runaway Kids as I had really dug their music when I checked them out earlier. Their singer reminds me of a less emo Geoff Rickly from the band Thursday. Not a bad song in the set their lyrics are personal and introspective. I found their songs to be cathartic for me with the live performance matching the intensity and passion shown on their ep Better Days. A band to watch out for. Unwritten Law was the surprise of the evening. Though I liked The Runaway Kids a lot they had won me over with their music before I saw them whereas Unwritten Law hadn’t. I thought there was a huge jump from their lps to their live performance. Maybe it was something in the tame production but their music really comes to life onstage. If you are a fan of the band and have never seen them live I would strongly encourage you to. Strung Out provided a solid set interspersing their songs with a few covers. They added a chorus of Pantera’s Walk to In Harms Way, Dancing with Myself to Solitare , and a full out cover of No Use for a Name’s Soulmate. Frontman Jason Cruz has a great presence onstage and the band’s sound is faithfully reproduced from album to live performance. I had never heard them until earlier that day so I was not so familiar with them but I liked their energy and enjoyed their music. After nearly fainting in the middle of Strung Out’s set I was beyond pumped to see one of my longtime favorite punk bands Pennywise. They were to play their third album About Time in its entirety. It opens with Peaceful Day a great opener in it’s own right. You can definitely hear similarities to Bad Religion but their songs are faster , more direct and tenacious in their message. Where Bad Religion is a little tounge and cheeck in their delivery at points, Pennywise are straight to your face in the hardcore tradition. Other standouts from that album were Every Single Day, Perfect People ( about all the phonies and their plastic surgeries out in LA) , Try, and closer Killing Time. To be honest there is not a bad tune on that album. They chose a Bad Religion cover after asking the crowd basically who they wanted to hear. I was pulling for a Misfits cover but they did a killer version of Do What You Want instead. They followed with a rendition of Fight for Your Right to Party later adding a cover of Ben E King’s Stand By Me. They closed the evening with my three favorites Pennywise songs : Fuck Authority, Society , and Bro Hymn. Kudos to the fan diving from the balcony during Bro Hymn. A great night all around. Hardcore lives! #pennywise #20thanniversayabouttimetour #punk #punkrock #unwrittenlaw #runawaykids #liveshows #punkshows

[musicmavin-blog]

Children of Bodom, Abbath , Exmortus, Oni Dec 18th Irving Plaza

Back at Irving Plaza. I love this place. A well run venue that treats it’s customers with respect unlike the pretentious Best Buy Theater or Radio City Music Hall in midtown. The old framed Fillmore East posters add a sense of history and respect for the legends of yesteryear. Obviously a place that has an appreciation for music and respects it’s fans which pack the venue on a regular basis. I had never heard opener Oni before. Although I didn’t find them terribly original at first their technical abilities as players hits you right away. They sound like a mix of Periphery and a sort of deathcore sound the vocals at times even reminded me of Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe. Theclean to growl vocal style is nothing new but it is done well. They are competent unit that does present some interesting ideas upon closer listening. The keyboard player who was playing with mallets compliments the Asian influence of the artwork displayed in their backdrop and some of their merchandise. A relatively new band so let’s see where they go from here. The fan response was solid as the place was packed for their set. Already amassing a fervent following the next band Exmortus impressed the hell out of me after seeing them just a few months prior. All of that potential and enthusiasm I saw just a few short months ago has transcended into a ferociously tight and powerful unit. The tightness, added level of confidence, and maturation in their stage presence is evident in their performance. This was the moment I had been waiting for. This evening’s king of the merch hands down goes to Abbath. There was everything from bobbleheads, snowglobes, ski masks, Knit sweaters, shirts , pins , patches, to leggings (meggings?) replete with a battle ax on one leg and the band’s logo on the other. I was sorry to miss Abbath with High on Fire a while back so I was pumped up to finally get to see them At the Heart of Winter, Tyrants, Warriors were all stand out’s as were One by One , Sons of Northern Darkness and new tracks Count of the Dead and To War.. Sons of Northern Darkness was by far Immortal’s peak. I was happy to hear a couple of songs from that album. I loved that album so much that I never gave the follow-up All Shall Fall a fair chance despite hearing good things. The one glaring omission was the absence of At the Heart of Winter’s Solarfall by far one of Immortal’s most beloved and in my opinion their absolute best song. The mix didn’t do the material justice in my opinion. It wasn’t bad it just lacked a little bit of the punch of the studio material. Sometimes it’s hit and miss with black metal but it can be done. When I saw Behemoth at this same venue a couple of years ago both 1349 - which were not the headliner and Behemoth sounded flawless. 1349 actually sounded better than their albums. What Abbath lacked in their mix they more than made up with it in their stage presence and showmanship. Aside from the obvious comparisons to Gene’s Simmons (particularly the Demon character he created) Abbath’s posing, flexing, and gesturing recalled 1980’s era Hulk Hogan. I will say that although Simmons was first Abbath’s dark fantasy lyrics and themes are more in line with what you would expect from a character called the Demon than Kiss’ goofy sex obsessed subject matter. By the time Children of Bodom went on I was running out of steam. They opened with Needled 24/7 which is one of my favorites leading into Follow the Reaper, Living Dead Beat, and autobiographical Trashed, Lost , and Strung Out. Their playing was flawless and although not as big a jump from the last time as was seen with Exmortus , this time was definitely the best they’d sounded - to my ears anyway. Their new album is their best since Blooddrunk possibly surpassing it and comprable to their best material from Follow the Reaper and Hate Crew Deathroll . Around the time they played new track Morrigan I found myself meandering around the back near the bar for a while. I caught a second wind around the time I heard the errie spoken word and haunting keyboards lead into Angels Don’t Kill. I trudged back near the front and found a great spot for that , Lake Bodom, the eponymous I Worship Chaos from the previously mentioned latest album, and Children of Decedence which rounded out the proper set. The encore charade that’s been happening since the beginning of time comences. After some ego boosting from a thirsty audience they returned to the stage and performed my absolute favorite song of theirs Hate Me. It took ever fiber of whatever cool I have to stop from screaming like a pre-pubecent teenage girl at a Beatles concert in 1965. They closed another epic evening with crowd favorite Downfall. I can tell how much I enjoy a show by the amount of times I play their music in the weeks that follow it. I have a feeling there is a lot COB I’m my future…

#childrenofbodom #exmortus #metal #metalshows #concertreviews #oni #abbath