#Sevendust Live Review

[happymetalgirl]

Who did it better? (#1)

In the interest of livening up this blog and shaking up the homogeneously review-oriented content, I’m kicking off a casual little series that I thought of a while ago that I think can spark some interesting comparisons. A lot of song titles are shared by multiple artists, especially one-word titles. As is pretty self-explanatory by the title of this series, I’m simply comparing several pairs of songs from different artists that share a title, and decide who did it better, starting with a face-off between old-school and new-school death metal through two titans of the genres:

Sepultura vs. Behemoth: “Amen”

Both these songs come from acclaimed, fan-favorite albums from the heights of both bands’ careers. And while both tracks are solid features of their respective albums, I think the sheer energy and grandiosity that the Behemoth track has edges it out on top over the more standard old-school death metal Sepultura track for me. A more iconic cut from Chaos A.D. might have won Sepultura the prize, but this matchup kind of just presents, through a couple of random samples, the progression and improvement of the genre. The first win goes to Behemoth, on to the next match-up.

Dream Theater vs. Five Finger Death Punch:  “Never Enough”

Both of these bands have their share of detractors, Five Finger Death Punch obviously with the heftier bunch, myself included in that group, and both songs fittingly deal with the unbreakable dissatisfaction of other people. But “Never Enough” lands on opposite ends of the bands’ respective catalogs; for FFDP, it’s one of the of the bonus tracks that caught on from the 2008 re-issue of their 2007 debut album before they became the unbearable pandering act they are today, while for DT, it’s eight albums in on the front-to-back prog metal success, Octavarium. The Dream Theater song finds the band dipping its toes into the electronic alternative rock of Muse with surprising comfort, and even though it’s eclipsed by most of the album it’s on, it still outdoes the passable, but formulaic FFDP bonus cut.

Sevendust vs. Periphery:  “Alpha”

If you exclude the “Juggernaut” portion of the Periphery album, both of these are title tracks, Sevendust’s closing their sixth album. This one, far and away, belongs to Periphery, Juggernaut: Alpha capturing the band at their most meticulous, passionate, and unabashed, and the bold move of the title track’s poppy, yet emotive melody paid off in spades. Sevendust’s alternative metal version of “Alpha”, unfortunately ends the album they titled after it on a drab, formulaic note that pales in comparison to the bombastic Periphery song.

Swans vs. Metallica: “Better Than You”

Alright, now we’re including a band not really considered to be in the metal sphere, Swans, up against one of the greatest of the greats. And while Swans haven’t ever released anything that’s been classified as metal, their contribution to the 80’s “no wave” movement through their incredibly noisy and abrasive early output, particularly their debut album, Filth, and especially by the day’s standards, has had its influence on the metal world. Around the same time, Metallica were making their massive, legendary contributions to heavy metal’s movement away from glam toward the enthralling ferocity of thrash. But neither of these songs come from the bands’ most aggressive eras, but rather their departures from their earlier sounds during the 90’s. The Swans song opens up Michael Gira and company’s full transition into cerebral post-punk on 1991’s White Light from the Mouth of Infinity, and Metallica’s is one of the more upbeat numbers from their 1997 head-scratcher, Reload. Ultimately, the Metallica song serves as a refresher of just how energetic and not-that-bad Metallica was during their more rockin’ moments on Load and Reload, while the Swans track serves as a reminder and representation of how awkward Swans’ transition into their second phase of their career was. While some of their fans swear by it, I’ll take the more abrasive stuff before it or the more sprawling post-rock experimentation that it grew into any day. While it’s definitely not their best song either, I’d rather listen to Metallica’s “Better Than You” 9 times out of 10.

Breaking Benjamin vs.Three Days Grace:  “Home”

As common as one-word titles are, I feel like these bands are still probably just two of many in the alt-metal world to make songs titled “Home”. The concept of home is just so ripe with potential for angst-y situational reflection or broader societal reflection, impossible for alternative metal bands to avoid. But I went with these two artists because I feel like they are some of the more prominent in the genre, and both songs are under-the-radar debut-album hits among fans. The Wizard of Oz-themed Breaking Benjamin track captures the band at their most creatively creepy and heavy, while the juicily angst-y Three Days Grace track rages at the fractures of a distressed relationship between cohabitants. While the Three Days Grace “Home”, I think, does outshine the album’s other (ironically)-iconic single “I Hate Everything About You” and while Breaking Benjamin’s version doesn’t really eclipse the fan-favorite banger, “Polyamorous”, I still prefer the Breaking Benjamin track for its creativity and emotional dynamic.

Ghost vs. clipping.:  “Body and Blood”

While I am certainly more of a Ghost fan than a clipping. fan, “Body and Blood” pits clipping. at some of their best against Ghost on their sophomore slump. “Body and Blood” is one of the more naturally fun catchy songs on the largely overthought Infestissumam, but the punchy industrial energy of the clipping. dance number is just too much to override. It’s like clipping. putting up their star player against one of Ghost’s reserves, so not much of a surprise with the lopsided contest there.

Avenged Sevenfold vs. Mutoid Man: “Afterlife”

I definitely enjoy both of these artists’ songs, and the albums they appeared on. The more recent Mutoid Man song is the shorter of the two, and unfortunately one of the more hum-drum thrashy stoner metal tracks on the otherwise excellent War Moans, whereas Avenged Sevenfold’s track is a live staple that served as the driving lead single to their polarizingly mainstreamed, but retrospectively heralded self-titled 2007 album ten years before Mutoid Man’s version of the song came out. And as much as its formulaic verses and choruses gave fuel to all the band’s detractors, the single is a fine example of infectious 2000′s alternative metal with lots of extra classic heavy metal melodicism. So I’m going with A7X on this one.

Gojira vs. Red:  “Death of Me”

Two sophomore-album bangers square off over the “Death of Me” title, one of my favorite artists whose unique approach to progressive death metal has earned them the deserved attention they enjoy now versus one of the most underrated bands of 2000′s alternative metal whose version of the song highlights their aptitude with symphonic elements in comparison with their contemporaries as a lead single off their sophomore effort. And this one is tough, because I also find Gojira’s The Link to be an underrated part of their catalog, chocked full of unusual but tasty rhythm that rivals even Meshuggah, and “Death of Me” is one of several highlights from that record. With its energetic string melody and climactic build-up bridge to an emotive vocal melody, I think the Red track takes the cake by just a hair, but both tracks showcase well their respective artists’ quality.

Soulfly vs. Meshuggah:  “Bleed”

I had to end with this one; my bias definitely leaks through on this match-up, but it’s undeniable how iconic and influential Meshuggah’s “Bleed” has been since its release, undoubtedly Meshuggah’s most iconic song whose triplet drumming has been ripped off by an entire genre. For Soulfly, “Bleed” kicked off a new era and commitment to nu metal for Max Cavalera in fiery fashion, and it’s one of Fred Durst’s more tolerable moments, but compared to how much of a movement Meshuggah’s spawned and how instantly recognizable, impressive, and groovy the Meshuggah song is, it’s no contest.

[themusicenthusiast]

Sunday, September 23rd, 2018 – Sevendust Prevails Despite a Dim Situation, Exhilarating their Dallas Fan Base

Photos by Jordan Buford Photography One doesn’t typically think of Sevendust as being a support band. They’re certainly more than capable of it, but over the past couple of decades (and then some), the relentless touring that the group that originated from Atlanta has done has earned them a spot at the forefront of the metal/hard rock realm. Their fan base is rabid, easily one of the most dedicated legions of supporters of any band out there, with more converts continuously added to it, constantly allowing Sevendust to rock more spacious venues than before. Because of that, that’s why it was a bit interesting to see Sevendust joining Clutch on the Book of Bad Decisions Tour, not as a co-headline run – as it easily could have been – but as the main support act. At the same time, it made sense. Both bands are as loud and intense as they come (and apparently, the members of Clutch happened upon Sevendust when both bands where still in the early days of their respective careers, making this a reunion of sorts), making for a topnotch, quality pairing. Also, given how supportive fans of both acts are, it seemed mutually beneficial to team up, allowing Sevendust a chance to win over some Clutch fans that might not be too familiar with their music and vice versa. That said, Gas Monkey Live was packed to the gills, fans of both acts from Dallas and elsewhere in North Texas turning out in full force to catch the spectacular show that was sure to unfold; and 7D’s supporters were ready for a taste of new music from the recently released All I See is War (out via Rise Records) along with whatever else was planned. The fanfare was deafening as Morgan Rose stepped out into view, the drummer taking his spot with his other band mates not far behind.

The shadows concealed them, the booming voice of Lajon Witherspoon seeming to come out of nowhere as the frontman suddenly asked, “Do you know who are?!” He repeated it a couple more times, pumping up the audience. “Dirty” kicked it all off, the lead cut from the months old record perfectly representing everything that Sevendust is. A behemoth of a track, it was utterly commanding and demanded everyone listen. The seismic track was even a fan favorite, quite a few patrons singing along with the refrain, “…I know it's hard for you to believe I'm gonna die whole…”. The quintet had a mere 41-minutes to work with, which, albeit short, was at least conducive of the most high-energy set that they could muster as they opted for as many hits as possible so that their supporters would feel appeased. “Denial” was one such offering, Clint Lowery and Vince Hornsby, the lead guitarist and bassist, respectively, doing everything they could to further energize everyone. Lowery especially was frequently seen mouthing along to the words, almost encouraging the audience members to shout along with them, gesturing with his hands as if to signal they wanted more from them; and he even throw out a decent number of picks as well.

They absolutely threw down on that one, an overwhelming intensity radiating from the stage, hitting their stride as they prepared to further up the expectations. It was almost as if they wanted to squeeze all the energy associated with their headline performances into this shorter set, and thus far they were well on track to accomplish that. The musicians didn’t have much time to build a rapport with the spectators through dialogue, though Witherspoon did get a chance to speak once that song was finished. He somewhat reflected on their lengthy career, estimating that they had been on thousands of “decks” in their time, though gracing this particular one was a first for them. He thanked Gas Monkey Live for having them there, even recalling some other spots they had played on previous trips to Dallas before asking everyone if they wanted to hear something new. The audience was game. “Unforgiven” was the only other number they worked in from All I See is War, but what a choice. It just reaffirmed that the five of them are master craftsmen when it comes to writing pulse-pounding, anthemic songs. As intense as it was, the rhythm section easily taking charge, it was still infectious, demanding the listener just give themselves over to the music. To be blunt, they killed it, that number capturing everything that Sevendust is about, just loud and heavy metal/alt-rock that was perfect to bang your head along to.

“Can you feel the energy right now?!” Witherspoon questioned afterwards before practically demanding to see everyone’s hands, even those way in the back. They were only halfway in and they were epitomizing what a support band is supposed to be by pumping everyone up and working them into a frenzied state. Shortly after they ventured back to some of their earliest albums, pulling out several staples that longtime fans have come to expect. Despite the limitations imposed on them by the clock they still managed to squeeze in most of the major highlights alongside the obligatory new material; “Bitch” being primed as a sing along, and at the behest of the frontman plenty of people aided Sevendust by chiming in. Preceding their closing number was a chanting of the band’s name, steadily growing stronger as more joined in. It was an overwhelming display of adoration, a respect relatively few bands are ever afforded and just spoke to what high regard most of those in attendance hold Sevendust. Their fans are a breed all their own and that is meant in the best possible way. Hell, most music fans could stand to take some pointers from how they do it.

“Thank You” acted as their parting number, the song being open to interpretation to an extent and live it plays out like a gracious compliment to their supporters as much as anything. Arguably their most polished song of the night – boasting a more prominent hard rock style with only a slight metal edge – there’s still some grit to it and it packed a punch. Seeming like a slightly odd choice at first, “Thank You” has since more than earned its spot as the show closer, even allowing for some optimism as they left everyone hungry for more. Even by Sevendust’s standards the performance aspect of this show was topnotch, Hornsby, Connolly, Lowery, Rose and Witherspoon packing in all of the vigor of a headline gig and then some into those 41-minutes. However, the show did falter in an area that was out of their control: the lighting department. If you’ve seen Sevendust even just once before than you know they have a fondness for darker lighting. That may be somewhat of a cliché when it comes to metal and hard rock bands, but that’s instrumental in the way that these guys present themselves and it works incredibly well. It’s moody and enigmatic, pairing well with the music; and while I’ve seen them a few times in the past, I’ve never been given reason to say this before, however, the lighting was downright terrible this night.

It wasn’t just used minimally or sparingly, but rather almost nonexistent. For much of their time on stage patrons were left wondering what they were watching, having to strain in order to see the soft outlines of the figures moving around on stage. Rare flashes would illuminate the musicians, though those were fleeting and offered momentary glimpses at best. I overheard plenty of people complaining about it afterwards. That included some spectators who were new to Sevendust and essentially wrote them off because of that. That was disheartening to hear because they are a superb live band that is armed with a barrage of dynamic songs that are capable of resonating with the listener, but some of those people sounded adamant that their minds had been made up, shutting the door on the possibility of ever giving Sevendust another shot. As I said, I don’t hold that against the band, but it did drastically affect the show overall, even avid fans being left making casual remarks like, “I wish I could have seen what they were doing. They did sound great, though.” And they did. The sound was outstanding, and even if you could seldom see it you could feel their might. The way the five of them handle and finesse an audience is a spectacle, the energy and aggression they put into their performance being palpable. It was sure was this night, even if other factors were working against it. For those who did see Sevendust this night and came out feeling indifferent at best, I encourage you to give them another chance, be it the next time they come to town or even by listening to some of their records. This Gas Monkey Live gig wasn’t a fair representation of what they’re capable of, these road warriors having been molded into one of the greatest live bands out there. Their tour continues for a while longer, and rest assured more dates will be coming as 2019 approaches. A full list of their touring schedule can be found HERE; and check out their records on iTUNES or GOOGLE PLAY. Set List: 1) “Dirty” 2) “Face to Face” 3) “Denial” 4) “Unforgiven” 5) “Waffle” 6) “Too Close to Hate” 7) “Bitch” 8) “Thank You”

[jdrespling]

Sevendust: Animosity Tour Baltimore show review

Sevendust: Animosity Tour Baltimore show review

Sevendust is on the 2nd leg of touring the 21st anniversary of “Animosity” bringing with them on this leg: DeepFall,Plush and All good Things. When Sevendust comes into Baltimore you know it’s gonna be packed and it’s going to get rowdy.  DeepFall opened up, this band hails from GrandRapids Michigan. My first time seeing them live and they had a good sound to them, the singer has a great voice…

[ghostcultmagazine]

Check out our weekly news show! We cover the major stories of the week in heavy music, rock and metal news, and what the most important bands are doing in streaming, new albums released, and a look at our mailbag: what music we are listening to, books we are reading, and more! Written, co-produced, and hosted by our Chief Editor Keefy: (https://ift.tt/2LlAx1W). Video, edited and co-produced by Omar Cordy of OJC Photography (https://www.instagram.com/ojcpics​​). Theme song by Salted Wounds (https://www.instagram.com/saltedwoundsnyc​). Music by Fahad Syed (https://www.instagram.com/fahanzi​​). Sign up for our FREE webinar series, teaching bands about social media https://ift.tt/3qHyRlP #musicnews #rocknews #metalnews #newmusicfriday The 13-Day Social Media challenge for bands, Gizmachi, Above Snakes, Liquid Death Mountain Spring Water, Top Livestreams for May 2021, Gojira "Fortitude" review, Hardcore Show with no social distancing, Madball, Bloodclot, Wisdom In Chains, System of a Down, Serj Tankian, Download Festival 2022 adds 70 bands, Darkthrone new album soon, Ill Nino tour dates, Roadie Relief, Sevendust tour dates with Austin Meade and Kirra, LA Guns live album, Sarah Jezebel Deva, Town Between Two Worlds, Corey Taylor, Lars Ulrich, Metallica vs. Napster, Tetrarch new album, Exodus new album postponed, Iron Maiden, Paul DiAnno, Blaze Bayley, Derek Riggs, Heavy Metal Hall of Fame, Chuck Billy, Rumble film, Go Ahead and Die, Kurt Cobain, NFT, Spiritbox, Red Fang, Floor Jansen of Nightwish, Axs TV Long Live The 90s, Disturbed comic books, Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes ft Joe from Idles newbsong, Nefariant new EP and Video, Begat the Nephilhem van fire gofundme, Solstafir Icelandic Grammy award, Willow goes punk with Travis Barker, GWAR, RIP Oderous Urungus, Deftones, Slay At Home Fest, and Machine Head's "The Blackening" picture disc vinyl.  0:00​ Intro 0:25 CYMI - Features This week 1:26 The News Rundown 13:04 I Shit You Not! 13:31 Who Rules At Streaming 14:25 New Music Friday 18:12 Mailbag 18:31 Outro Buy the gear we use! Sony A7 III - https://amzn.to/38DZ7Y5​ Canon 80D - https://amzn.to/38CgSXX​ Desview Mavo-P5 Camera Field Monitor- https://amzn.to/2OlokzN​ Flexispot Height Adjustable Desk Standing Desk Sit Stand Up Desk with Memory Controller Home Office 48 x 30 Inches - https://amzn.to/3eAByDf​ Kondor Blue Mini Quick Release Plate for Camera Tripod/Gimbal/Video Monitor/Magic Arm Flash Bracket/Stabilizer - https://amzn.to/2Q0C4QS​ Newmowa Dual USB Charger for Canon batteries - https://amzn.to/3eHD2Mh​ Gearlux XLR Microphone Cable Male to Female 25 Ft Fully Balanced Premium Mic Cable - 3 Pack - https://amzn.to/3tnhBUR​ ProMaster Reflect Disc 5 in 1+ 41'' Studio and Outdoor Reflector - https://amzn.to/3qNCZRc​ Mcoplus Mco-X1EM Metal Hand Grip Bracket Plate as GPX1EM Replacement for A9 A7III A7RIII A7RII A7SII A7II A99IIA - https://amzn.to/2OU3irz​ Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD for Sony Mirrorless Full Frame/APS-C E Mount - https://amzn.to/3vn0xjp​ Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di VC G2 for Canon EF DSLR - https://amzn.to/3lfusFE​ Sigma MC-11 Mount Converter Lens Adapter (Sigma EF-Mount Lenses to Sony E Cameras) with Altura Photo Essential Accessory Bundle - https://amzn.to/2NexyNu​ Manfrotto Befree Travel, Light Weight, Fluid Drag System Professional Video Tripod, Black (MVKBFRL-LIVEUS) - https://amzn.to/3le5syw​ YONGNUO YN600L Pro LED Video Light/LED Studio Light with 5600K Color Temperature and Adjustable Brightness - https://amzn.to/38Bi0uT​ YONGNUO YN300 Air LED Camera Video Light with Adjustable Color Temperature 3200K-5600K for Canon Nikon Pentax Olympus Samsung - https://amzn.to/3qKik0o​ Kamerar Dfuse Collapsible Softbox - https://amzn.to/3tniP2p​ Aputure Amaran MC RGBWW Mini On Camera Video Light,3200K-6500K,CRI/TLCI 96+,HSI Mode,Support Magnetic Attraction and App with USB-C PD and Wireless Charging - https://amzn.to/3lcaI5R​ Deity V-Mic D3 Super-Cardioid Directional Shotgun Microphone with Rycote Shockmount and PERGEAR Cloth - https://amzn.to/3qJOvx7​ NanLite PavoTube II 6C 10" 6W RGBWW LED Tube with Internal Battery - http://bit.ly/NanLitePavoTubeII​ Sound Devices MixPre-3M for Musicians - 2018 Model - https://amzn.to/3vnI3iD​ Sound Devices MX-LMount Battery Sled for MixPre-3 - https://amzn.to/3vozRPe​ Lexar Dual Slot USB 3.0 Reader Professional - https://amzn.to/3vkQGdW​ Get Ghost Cult’s Entire Kit: https://kit.co/OJCPICS National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. 1-800-273-8255 https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/​​ Help arrest the police that killed #BreonnaTaylor​​ #sayhername​​ https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co​​ https://bailproject.org/​​ https://ift.tt/2dSw99G https://ift.tt/3fgcLVC by Ghost Cult Magazine

[rockrevoltmagazine]

LIVE REVIEW: Sevendust and Tremonti

2019 is off to a great start with an absolute killer tour package featuring Sevendust and Tremonti.  Mid-way through the tour they would find themselves at the 2600 capacity Boston House of Blues, adjacent to the legendary Fenway Park, home to the World Series Champions Boston Red Sox.  This is one of the better theater sized venues with plenty of room to breathe and not a bad seat in the place.  With a strong rock line-up, I highly recommend taking in a show here.

After three warm-up bands Tremonti would hit the stage.  Touring in support of their fourth studio album A Dying Machine, lead guitarist and vocalist Mark Tremonti, guitarist Eric Friedman, bassist Tanner Keagan and drummer Ryan Bennett (filling in for Garrett Whitlock who is sitting out the tour for undisclosed reasons) would once again deliver a kick ass hard rock performance. 

For those expecting to hear something like Tremonti’s other bands, Alter Bridge or the long hibernating Creed, think again.  Tremonti is all about metal and the influences of bands like Metallica and Slayer that Mark grew up idolizing.  With songs like “Cauterize,” ” Another Heart,” ” A Dying Machine” and show closer “Wish You Well” it won’t take long for the listener to pick up on this.  Tremonti is a true metal band and the live show is an extension of that.  The packed crowd at the House of Blues would get their faces smashed in with the short but powerful nine song setlist.  Great way to whip the Bostonians into a frenzy just before headliners Sevendust would close out the show.

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The quintet would come out with one of their monster hits “Black” off of the 1997 debut album.  With all original members intact, Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), John Connolly (rhythm guitar), Morgan Rose (drums), Vince Hornsby (bass) and Clint Lowery (lead guitar) would provide the Boston crowd with a 14-song setlist balancing cuts from their 12 studio album repertoire including their latest release All I See Is War.  The energy Lajon and Company bring to the stage is second to none and well worth the price of admission.  For fans of metal this is a dream team combination.  I highly recommend catching this tour if it’s passing through your area or look out for Sevendust and Tremonti individually as they continue their tracks through 2019.  And be sure to pick up a copy of Sevendust’s latest All I See Is War and Tremonti’s A Dying Machine.  Support metal!

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Connect with Tremonti(click icons):

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LIVE REVIEW: Sevendust and Tremonti was originally published on RockRevolt Mag

[ignitemusicmag]

Sevendust NYE 2016

A lot of people were wanting to put 2016 behind and ring in New Year .What better way to ring in the New Year then with a BANG at the House of Blues on the grounds of Disney World Orlando with- if not the best live band you can go see- one of the best.. Sevendust !!  … and may ears were ringing this night, as Sevendust came to show they are the best live show in the business !

The Sevendust NYE show that was put on by WJRR 101.1 out of Orlando -through in a few other heavye hitters with special guest  Red Sun Rising and Soulswitch– The table was set up to be an epic show of hard hitting music from start to finish, and that is just what happened.

Soulswitch took to the stage first to heat up the packed house and never looked back. They word the crowd into a frenzy from the first not to the last, with hair and guitar picks flyin’ like you have never seen before. Soulswitch is one of these up an coming bands to keep an eye out for, they pound it hard and often and never look back, Shredding through song after song that get the heads banging on stage and circle pits that grow in size every minute.

Red Sun Rising is making a name for themselves to be a band you can not miss, and they showed that this night on New Years Eve 2016. The brought the energy like now other, hitting the tune we all know so well now like “Amnesia” and the hit some ” Emotionless ” got the crowd screaming. These guys are swinging for the fences in 2017 and there is nothing that is going to stop them from hitting it out of the park !!

Sevendust is  bands you just have to see live to really see just how freaking good they really are. I mean these guys dont hold anything back..the emotions were flying and the energy was insane. Lajon and the boys were on fire !!, They brought in the new year in style with the nearly sold out show at the House Of Blues. They kicked off the show with “Pieces”to the delight of many fans, and it all went crazy from there, with ripping out hit after hits like” Face to Face” that put the crowd into a frenzy with the hard hitting bass and drums that just make to want to mash, and they ended the show with “Thank You” off the Kill The Flaw album. The place was rocking and rolling up to the new years count down with the band the lucky VIPs that cheered a toast with the band on stage, and im sure that is going to be one memory the band and the fans with never forget.

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It was one for the record book to bring in 2017 with Sevendust !…As well as Red Sun Rising and Soulswitch.!!

Photo and review by Bryan Joe Corder

  Sevendust brings in 2017 with a bang !! A lot of people were wanting to put 2016 behind and ring in New Year .What better way to ring in the New Year then with a BANG at the…

[capitalchaostelevision]

GRAMMY® Award-nominated and platinum Sevendust co-founder, vocalist, and guitarist Clint Lowery released his solo debut, God Bless The Renegades, through Rise Records on January 31, 2020. Lowery recorded the album with producer and co-writer Michael “Elvis” Baskette [Slash, Alter Bridge] at Studio Barbarosa in Florida. Lowery recently hit the road alongside Alter Bridge. On their San Francisco, California stop at Regency Ballroom, Alex Macias was on hand to capture the intensity of live Clint Lowery.

  Concert Photo Review: CLINT LOWERY @ Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, California GRAMMY® Award-nominated and platinum Sevendust co-founder, vocalist, and guitarist Clint Lowery released his solo debut, God Bless The Renegades, through Rise Records on January 31, 2020.

[stencilmag]

Issue 49 of Stencil Mag is now LIVE and you can check it out (for FREE!) by just clicking on the image provided! You can expect to see interviews from the following: Bullet For My Valentine, Black Stone Cherry Shinedown, Parkway Drive, Goo Goo Dolls, Nothing More, Sevendust, Dragonforce, Mayday Parade, State Champs, Blessthefall, Hawthorne Heights, Heart of A Coward, TesseracT, This Wild Life, Dream State, Templeton Pek, Grayscale, Ben Marwood, Altered Sky, Eva Plays Dead, Chad L. Coleman, Akemi Dawn Bowman, Liam Mulvey!

Reviews: Thirty Seconds To Mars, A Perfect Circle, Frank Turner, The Wonder Years, Ash, Palm Reader, The Weekend Classic, Aspen Way, Vitruvia, Penny Was Right, Dusk of Delusion, Open Arms, They Were Giants and MANY more! Download Festival preview: Guns N Roses, Avenged Sevenfold, Miss May I, The Maine, The Hives, Tigress, Rolo Tomassi, Marmozets and MORE!

[salistenandreview]

Welcome to Rockville, Day 2 review

On Day 2, which was a Saturday, I arrived an hour early, thinking the lines to get in would be insane like they were the day before. I was wrong on this one.

Turns out, most people who attended Rockville this year were super hyped up for the bands playing on Day 1, and I was an oddball that Day 2 had all the bands I most wanted to see.

Anyway, I got to be one of the first people through the gate on Day 2. And yet, I feel like somehow I got much less of the overall experience on Day 2. I was already kind of bummed that the schedule had Asking Alexandria and Palaye Royale playing at the SAME TIME, and then BVB right AFTER that. Back when I had bought the tickets in November the schedule hadn’t been set up yet, but I saw my 3 favorite bands were all playing on that day and I NEEDED to go to this event. I had resigned myself to having to miss Asking Alexandria, and consoled myself with knowing that I had seen them back in February and would be seeing them the next week again in Richmond, where I live. I had to pick Palaye Royale because as far as I know, that’s the only time this year I’ll be able to see Palaye Royale perform.

However, after getting there I noticed a change in the schedule: Asking Alexandria’s time was switched to slightly later in the day because Killswitch Engage had had to drop out, due to the singer having some health issues that caused them to cancel several dates in their tour. OK, that meant being bummed that yet AGAIN I’d miss Killswitch Engage, but at least I COULD see Asking Alexandria, and maybe, just maybe get to see all 3 of my favorite bands of that day after all.

Day 2 was a day of fighting through a lot of crowds, trying not to get sick in all the heat, and in general just trying to actually catch some of the bands I loved. But Day 2 ended up feeling like something of a disappointment because of these factors becoming exhausting.

Here are all the bands I missed on Day 2:

From the River Stage

Andrew W.K. (sorry dude, I really wanted to be there for the party, but I was freaking exhausted by this time, and they really should have put you on the bigger stages! it’s bullshit you were put on this stage!) Butcher Babies Stick to Your Guns He Is Legend The Wild! Yashira

From the Metropolitan Stage:

Stone Sour Stone Temple Pilots Pop Evil

From the Monster Stage:

Sevendust and Breaking Benjamin

I don’t remember much of the earlier part of the day. Mostly I was so excited about finally seeing Palaye Royale that before that the day is a little bit of a blur. Also I had some gifts for them that I was desperately hoping I could at least hand off to one of the guys, but that was not to happen. In the Palaye Royale fandom it’s pretty well known that they tend to go out of their way to meet with all the fans who want to meet them, give hugs, take pictures, accept gifts, etc. So all I can say is it must have been some regulation of the festival that made it so the only time you could meet anyone in a band was either with an all access pass or to stand in line during a signing, which often had some obscure rules with how you could get in line in the first place. Plus it was actually DIFFICULT to find out where the signings would be, what times, and what you had to do just to get in the line. So if any event planner of Rockville is happening to read this FIX THIS. First off, fix the schedule so that fans of bands that overlap so heavily in a fandom aren’t forced to choose between favorite bands, and secondly, make the signings easier to figure out how to get into.

Anyway, the earliest bands playing in the day were Joyous Wolf, Red Sun Rising, Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown, and Avatar. I think of these 4 the one whose set I heard the most was Joyous Wolf. I want to hear these guys again. But I’d like to hear all these guys again to give them an actual fair shot and a real listen.

So I’ll just move on to my BIG 3 of the day. The biggest reason I came to Rockville in the first place. The biggest letdown because my expectations were higher than the festival could provide.

Palaye Royale. I love these boys. I want to adopt them as my little brothers. Or be some older woman that dates one of them (it’s complicated, but like many of their fans will say, they give me all the feels so much.) Just to make sure I didn’t miss anything, I headed to the River Stage nearly an hour before their set. I was hoping somehow this might help me get to say something to one of them and pass on the gifts I brought, but that didn’t happen. What I did get to do was watch Sebastian, Emerson, and the one they call “Gorgeous Dan” all warm up and do sound check before the set. Remington was nowhere to be seen at this time. They were all immersed in making sure they were set up properly, and not even paying attention to the people watching them do this. And strangely, the barrier for the River Stage was set up further away than the one for the two bigger stages, and it seemed for Palaye Royale in particular they had more security. I laughed to myself over this thinking they somehow thought maybe the teenage fangirls would all rush the stage and do something crazy. I had a front row view when they finally did play. It was during the HOTTEST part of the day and the sun was blazing right into the stage area. In SPITE of this, Palaye Royale did wonderfully. Remington on stage is a sight to behold. Even melting in the hot humid Florida sun during the most intense part of the day, he’s still like a little squirrel monkey. I’m still sad I had put away my phone and didn’t catch the part where he climbed up on the scaffolding. But he never stops moving. It makes it hard to take pictures of him. So I learned quickly the best thing to do is just hold your camera in burst mode and hope for the best. Sebastian never moved out of his area at the side of the stage (opposite the side I was on). My guess is he was melting even more than Remington in his suit, and the area he picked to stay in gave him at least a little shade.  Palaye Royale played a short set, I think it was only about 4-5 songs. But the only thing I could think during this time was “Oh my god, they are REAL, and I’m here and I’m actually seeing this as I’ve seen it happen in so many fan posted youtube videos.” I just hope someday they tour through my area and I can get a VIP pass and actually tell them this story, and finally give them the presents I still have for them.

My next bit of agony was in knowing Black Veil Brides, my favorite band in the whole entire festival, were going to be on the Monster Stage next. But what I found out just before Palaye Royale’s set was that they were going to have a signing near the River Stage about 20 mins after their set ended.. Standing in that line would mean missing my favorite band. I actually tried to opt for standing in that line, comforted by knowing I had a VIP pass to MEET and take a pic with BVB AGAIN in Richmond the week after this festival. But what happened was an event employee asked me who I was standing in line for, and when I told her she said “oh do you have an armband or a ticket for that”? And confused, I asked her how to get one. Apparently you couldn’t get just into a line to get something like a signed poster by the band. Nope, you had to go next door into the tent and buy either a CD or a vinyl for them to sign. OK...well I was willing to do that because I’d love to get a signed copy of Boom Boom Room, side A. But then I saw the line that it would take just to purchase an item, and i realized if I stood in that line just to stand in another line, NOT ONLY would I miss Black Veil Brides, but I’d probably not even make it in time to stand in the line to meet Palaye Royale, and I might even miss Asking Alexandria too. So I’m sorry Palaye Royale, I tried my best to somehow meet you, hug you, tell you what you mean to me that day, and even give you some presents I had. But it just wasn’t to be.

So I ran to catch the end of Black Veil Brides set. I say ran but the place was so crowded there was very little running that I could actually do.

I made it in time to hear the last 3 and a half songs of Black Veil Brides. I don’t remember if I was just sweating or actually crying, but I do remember my face was wet from all the effort it took just to make that part. Also, as they weren’t actual headliners they were not given the time to do more than a short set. So even at 3.5 songs I probably still caught most of what they played. Obviously it’s late enough in the day now that any performance on the Monster Stage has a HUGE crowd, so even in the VIP viewing area it’s hard to get a good view. I did what I could to use my camera phone to zoom in and get some videos of the guys performing, but the real help to actually SEE them were the big screens on the side of the stage with the live camera feeds going. I do remember crying during “Fallen Angels” and “In The End”. It was a relief that I made it in time just to hear them close out their set. In spite of there being a large crowd seeing them perform, I don’t really remember how all those people were reacting to seeing BVB play, the world had narrowed down to just me and them for this set. More than any other band, this is the one I’d want to see and have an actual backstage view while they perform. As I made abundantly clear by my review of Vale when it came out earlier this year, this is the band that has me, heart and soul. My review of them for the next week, when I saw them again in Richmond, will further detail this.

Exhausted, and feeling a little defeated, I tried to get over to see Asking Alexandria. I say “tried” because, even though I managed to hear the songs they played in their set, I could not get through the crowd to get anywhere near a place where I could actually get a view of them. To go from the Monster Stage to the Metropolitan stage, there’s a big overpass that you have to walk under. The day was so hot and sweltering, a lot of people took shade under this overpass. It took a LOT to navigate around that because there was no room to walk with people just SITTING there. Once getting through THAT (and this is when Asking Alexandria is already well into their second song) the crowd from the stage all the way back to the overpass was insane. I wasn’t even able to get through THAT to go to the VIP viewing area at the side. So as I was trying to navigate this giant mob of people to see the last of my top 3 bands play, also trying ot listen to the music as they were playing, sometime around the 4th song I just gave up. I stood in an area where there were loads of people, but nowhere to move. I was unable to see the stage, I was barely able to see the big screens on the side of the stage showing the live camera feeds, and i was only able to hear them play. But they played beautifully.

At this point, Day 2 just felt like a huge defeat for me. The bands I loved played and played well, but the whole festival experience in trying to really get to see them play was so hard to accomplish that it soured that day for me. Again I implore anyone who does the Rockville event planning to FIX THIS. If people are actually paying that much extra money as a VIP then there really needs to be something more to that than just “a little extra shaded areas to go to”. There needs to be something like “front of the line access” if you’re trying to get something signed, or an actual better viewing area so you can REALLY see the bands, or some fast pass walking areas  so you can get by the general crowd. Just something, ANYTHING to make it easier to navigate around and actually see the bands play that you pay so much damn money to go see.

After all this running around in the hottest part of the day, I would have been ok with just leaving for the day at that time. My friends were excited about seeing Avenged Sevenfold that night, so I stuck around with them. We stayed in the VIP tent at the Monster Stage area while Hollywood Undead played, so I saw some of that, but truthfully I was just wiped out and not paying attention. I don’t even know how I missed Breaking Benjamin, or maybe I was actually there and just truly don’t remember. I think I mentally just shut down a bit and we were just resting more for the rest of the day until getting ready to see Avenged Sevenfold. So Breaking Benjamin is a band I’ll just have to actually go see with intention at some point.

Roughly an hour before A7X’s set, we went to the VIP viewing area, and it was already filling up. But there were a lot of people trying to push to the front and being obnoxious and rude. I finally had enough of people being drunk and rude and just feeling pushed a lot by people trying to maneuver through the crowd that I opted to leave the area and just go sit under the VIP tent through A7X’s set.

So, I couldn’t really see anything other than what was on the big screens during A7X, but I was enjoying listening to the music, and the extremely large crowd seemed to be as well. The one thing I remember more than anything else though at this time, was seeing Ben Bruce of Asking Alexandria slip out from the All-Access area and cut through the crowd to go over where the camera scaffolding was. He was about 10 ft in front of me and just walked by, unnoticed by all the people watching A7X. I wish I had called out to him but it all happened so fast.

Right around the midway point of the set, my friends decided they were exhausted and wanted to leave before the crowd did. So we left before seeing all of A7X. But we could hear them as we were walking out to the parking areas. Around this time as well, someone was crowd surfing and broke their neck, so the show had to be stopped and an ambulance brought in to deal with that. I do know they resumed the rest of the show after that.

So, Day 2 was a rough one. The heat got to everyone, tempers flared up, accidents happened, all the bands tried their best but the day just wasn’t really properly mapped out. Would I do this day over again? Sure but I think knowing what I know now I’d have made some big changes.

[devils-gatemedia]

Live Review: Seether - ABC, Glasgow

Live Review: Seether – ABC, Glasgow

As the clean up operation began in the aftermath of Hurricane Ophelia, Seether blew into town and kicked up a storm of their own. Too cheesy? Sorry about that, couldn’t be helped, weather clichés must be inserted into a review, thems the rules. The trio, along with touring lead guitarist Clint Lowery (that’s Clint Lowery as in Sevendust’s Clint Lowery), were winding down their month-long ‘Poison…

[thephotopitmagazine]

On November 9, 2014 before I started photographing and reviewing concerts, I attended a show at House of Blues Orlando I would never forget. One of my favorite bands, Sevendust, was performing an acoustic show of their music. Getting to hear songs I love in a stripped-down format was incredible. And seeing them in this very intimate format was something I would never forget. Skip ahead to Winter 2019 where I remember commenting on a post on the Sevendust Facebook page that I wished they’d do another acoustic show. Literally days after that, the band announced their Acoustic Xmas shows with three dates with one of them being at House of Blues Orlando, a place the band considers a second home for performances. There was no way I was going to miss this show and was blessed to be able to cover it for The Photo Pit. It was a show I will truly never forget.

The entire show was acoustic from all the bands starting off with Stitched Up Heart. Formed in 2010 the rock band based out of Los Angeles, CA had a number of lineup changes during their first few years. They released 3 EPs before finally settling in on their lineup and sound they wanted to present. In 2015 the band was signed to Another Century record label and released their single “Finally Free” which hit the Top 20 on the Active Rock Radio Charts. Two more singles “Monster” and “Event Horizon” were released before the release of their debut album Never Alone in 2016. The band will be releasing their second album Darkness on March 13, 2020. Stitched Up Heart is Alecia “Mixi” Demner (vocals), James Decker (drums), Merritt Goodwin (guitar), and Randy Mathias (bass).

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The crowd cheered as the band took the stage. Alecia is no stranger to Orlando as she was born and raised here before moving out to Los Angeles. She explained they were excited to have this opportunity to strip down their songs and perform them acoustically for the crowd. James also explained he was performing on keyboards as his drumset was lost. They opened with “This Skin” and “Warrior” from their upcoming album Darkness. This was definitely a unique experience for fans of the band, instead of hearing hard rocking tunes to discover a chilling and amazing performance acoustically. Alecia pointed out her father was in the crowd that night and suggested to fans to buy him a drink. Alecia‘s vocal performance during the show was unreal. She has a strong voice with a beautiful falsetto. James did a great job replacing his drums for a keyboard during this set (that he said he learned in under a week!). Merritt and Randy did awesome giving these hard rock songs the acoustic vibe, playing them beautifully. The cool surprise of the evening was hearing them perform the cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”. After seeing this unique performance, I absolutely need to see them rocking out in their full setup. Stitched Up Heart I’m sure will be on the road again soon and if they come near you, don’t miss them! You can find their music and merch at their website HERE.

Deepfall was next to the stage. I recognized the band’s name from a press release for Alter Bridge that Deepfall would be joining them on the second leg of the U.S. Walk The Sky tour. And fans will be in for a great time with this band. Hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, Deepfall is hard rock, in your face, music. The band formed in 2015 and all the members have bonded together through their music community and now within Deepfall. They currently have one CD Broken released and I sense we’ll see more from them soon. Deepfall is Rich Hopkins (vocals), Anthony Battista (guitar), Max Carrillo (guitar), Nick Gray (drums), Taylor Brandt (bass), and Tim King (keyboards/management).

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The crowd cheered for them when they hit the stage, but I could sense Deepfall was the unknown factor of this show. That didn’t last long when they started with a song titled “I’m Sick”. Even though this was acoustic, the song absolutely kicked ass with the hard-hitting drums from Nick and ripping guitar riffs from Anthony and Max. The crowd immediately recognized this band’s talent and was rocking along with the band. I actually loved how this song changes pace mid-way through the song showing some excellent song and music writing. They followed that with “Monster” that started headbanging bass riffs from Taylor. And what an amazing rock song it was. I was truly impressed with what I was hearing. For an acoustic show, instead of slowing it down, the band put the pedal down and rocked out hard. Deepfall also decided to pull out their own cover performance of one of the most well-known Journey songs in “Separate Ways”. Tim‘s keyboards finally got to shine during this song, though he seemed content being out of the spotlight. Rich‘s vocals need to be discussed. I could tell he wanted to hold back because this was an acoustic show. But, he let his instinct take over and went full out belting lyrics, pulling them back when necessary, and then letting loose again. This man’s vocals for rock are perfect. With a frontman that has killer pipes and a musical accouterment of talented players, Deepfall is a band that will elevate in the rock scene. The fans absolutely loved them and I look forward to seeing them come back to Orlando. You can find their music and merch HERE. Their setlist from that evening was:

I’m Sick

Monster

Ghost

Separate Ways

Cancer

Wasted

M.F.K.S. (Voice of the Broken)

Before they came to the stage, WJRR‘s Supa Dave came up to announce the band as they were playing under the banner of the Blizzard of Rock. Soon enough the chants of “Sevendust! Sevendust! Sevendust!” started up to urge the band to come to the stage. Sevendust the metal band from Atlanta, GA formed back in 1994 under a few different names before this one. In 1997 the band releases their self-titled album and it immediately took flight. With singles like “Black” and “Bitch” there was no doubt Sevendust was running headlong for success. The album stayed on the Billboard 200 for 16 weeks and was certified as Gold. Their next album Home released in 1999 had “Denial” as the lead single and the album peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200. Over the next 22 years the band released a total of 12 studio albums, with the last one All I See Is War released in 2018, and 1 live album, and millions of fans who love and support them. Sevendust is Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Clint Lowery (lead guitar), John Connolly (rhythm guitar), Vince Hornsby (bass), and Morgan Rose (drums).

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When they finally hit the stage, the crowd went wild and the band appeared truly humbled by all the love. Much like Deepfall‘s performance, Sevendust wasn’t holding back and went full speed opening up with “Trust”. I remembered back in 2014 how much I loved that first acoustic show and to be at this show was definitely a dream come true. Sevendust was rocking House of Blues Orlando and the crowd was rocking back with them word for word. They followed up with “Denial” and before moving on Lajon stopped to tell a story to the crowd. It’s well known that Morgan Rose was recently hospitalized and had a surgery that questioned whether they would even perform the acoustic shows. Lajon explained how he received a group text that Morgan was in the hospital and the band needed to make a decision as to whether or not they go on tour with their brothers in Alter Bridge to the UK. He explained how the only thing he was thinking of was his brother in music was in the hospital and only Morgan‘s returned to health mattered. They decided they would not leave any Sevendust member behind and canceled the UK tour. And how pleased they were that Morgan was able to return to the stage with them and the crowd’s outpouring of love and adoration for him was unreal. Morgan looked truly overwhelmed with the response. Lajon also pointed out his brothers in Alter Bridge Mark Tremonti and Scott Phillips were in the balcony area with their families watching the show.

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Sevendust went on to do some truly great songs that evening including “Xmas Day”, which I feel was built for acoustic, “Rumble Fish”, “Crucified”, and “Prayer”. In between one fan yelled out for them to play “Face to Face” to which they did an impromptu partial version, which actually was pretty damn good! Once again, this was a very intimate evening of Sevendust songs that were played with vigor, passion, and pure love of performing for the fans. I’ve listened to these songs over those past 22 years and each time I hear them live they sound better and better. There was lots of storytelling involved including how Lajon ran into his trailer to save his clothes and other things at Earthday Birthday 24 when another trailer caught fire. Clint took over lead vocals for their cover of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails that Johnny Cash recovered, which was spectacular as usual. Lajon reminded the fans that Clint has his own solo album God Bless The Regenades that will release on January 31, 2020. They, of course, played the other song built for acoustic performances, “Angel’s Son”. Lajon told the story of Sevendust being asked to write a song for a dedication album to James Lynn Strait the lead singer of Snot who died in a car accident in 1998. John wrote the music and Lajon only had one lyric written down for the song. He was a nervous wreck walking into the studio with nothing down, but somehow words just poured out the moment the music started and the song was born. And it was a beautiful performance to close out their set. They came out to encore “Black” the song that started it all for the band. Lajon told the fans they were taking a few months off after the acoustic shows but when they come back there will be a new Sevendust album coming. You can find their music and merchandise HERE. Their setlist that night was:

Trust

Denial

Gone

Xmas Day

Skeleton Song

Rumble Fish

Crucified

Disgrace

Prayer

Hurt (Nine Inch Nails cover)

Got a Feeling

Angel’s Son

Gone (encore)

Overall, I couldn’t have wished for a better show from all three bands. Acoustic performances by Sevendust are just spectacular and Deepfall and Stitched Up Heart did a great job as well. I’m looking forward to see all three bands again, but in particular ready to hear some new Sevendust in 2020!

From The Pit To The Crowd: Sevendust with Deepfall and Stitched Up Heart – House of Blues Orlando – Lake Buena Vista FL – December 29, 2019 On November 9, 2014 before I started photographing and reviewing concerts, I attended a show at 

[earpeeler]

The Sideshow Podcast – Episode 299: Iced Earth, Unleash the Archers 2017 Album Reviews, Sunburst 2016 Album Review, The Erkonauts Preview & Sevendust, He Is Legend, and more Live Review

The Sideshow Podcast – Episode 299: Iced Earth, Unleash the Archers 2017 Album Reviews, Sunburst 2016 Album Review, The Erkonauts Preview & Sevendust, He Is Legend, and more Live Review

Feel the Power When something is described as “Extreme Metal”, you probably think of grinding, brutal, violent Metal.  If that is one extreme, though, that means there is another.  That other is likely some form of Power Metal – epic, symphonic, and fantasy-driven. We don’t quite go to the far end of this extreme, but we wander down that path to bring you this week’s album reviews. https://thesid…

[jdrespling]

Sevendust Blood&Stone Album/Livestream Review

Sevendust just released their 13th album on October 23rd. The album Blood & Stone is a essential Sevendust album. The band hasn’t lost a touch after 13 albums. Sevendust one of the few bands to still have the original lineup, keeps going on with killer songs after songs. 

On Blood&Stone a few of my favorite tracks are “Dying to Live”, “What You’ve become” and the cover of Soundgarden’s “ The…

[vinylbay777]

Ten Live Shows Happening in the New York / New Jersey Area this Weekend (June 23-June 25, 2017)

The first official weekend of summer is almost upon us. Whether you’re looking to lie around in the sun or stay indoors, you are going to want to hear some great music at some point over the course of the weekend. Why not indulge that yen by taking in a live show?

Like always, there is a lot of great music happening in the New York / New Jersey area this weekend. From country to alternative and hard rock to cover bands, there’s something out there for everyone.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, loves live music. That is why we have gathered ten of the hottest shows happening this weekend. If you’re still trying to determine you weekend plans, consider checking out one of these shows.

1.       Hunter Hayes: One of the hottest young country artists on the scene today, Hayes’ crossover hits can make any young girl swoon. The singer is currently working on his fourth studio album, the follow-up to 2015’s ‘The 21 Project,’ releasing three singles from the album late last year.  This show is being sponsored by My Country 96.1 and will feature Jillian Steele as support. (Friday, The Paramount Huntington)

2.       Third Eye Blind / Silversun Pickups: Third Eye Blind is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album this year. In celebration, the band kicked off their Summer Gods Tour earlier this month with support from Silversun Pickups. The tour reaches New York and New Jersey this weekend with shows at the PNC Bank Arts Center and the Jones Beach Theater this Friday and Saturday, respectively. Both bands released new albums in 2015. (Friday, PNC Bank Arts Center; Saturday, Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater)

3.       Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit: Isbell and his band released their third album, ‘The Nashville Sound,’ earlier this month to rave reviews. Now, the band is touring behind the album, bringing their alt-country sound to the Beacon Theatre on Friday and Saturday, sponsored by WFUV. (Friday & Saturday, Beacon Theatre)

4.       LCD Soundsystem: LCD Soundsystem has made their triumphant return to the music scene this year, announcing the upcoming release of their fourth studio album, ‘American Dream,’ and playing a slew of sold-out shows to open Brooklyn Steel in April. The band has since announced more Brooklyn Steel dates; a June residency that ends this weekend and a 10-show run in mid-December. (Friday & Saturday, Brooklyn Steel)

5.       Sevendust: It has been 20 years since Sevendust released their debut self-titled album. The band has been celebrating the occasion on the road, playing the album in its entirety on a string of US tour dates. The tour hits Long Island on Saturday with support from The Hard Way.  (Saturday, The Space @ Westbury)

6.       Dead & Company: John Mayer is once again teaming up with members of The Grateful Dead, performing some of the iconic band’s most beloved songs. The band is currently on a US summer tour. They hit the stage in New York this weekend, playing Citi Field on Saturday. (Saturday, Citi Field)

7.       O El Amor: If you love hearing cover songs while simultaneously watching a band of guys wearing masks, then you’ll enjoy O El Amor. The Long Island band mixes shtick with straight up covers of 80s and 90s songs. According to the band’s Facebook page, their show this Saturday at The Paramount will be their final one with bass player Bongo El Mongo. Support comes from fellow cover band, Dude Ranch & the Girl at the Rock Show, playing all your favorite Blink-182 songs. (Saturday, The Paramount Huntington)

8.       Rammstein: Rammstein do not play the United States very often. That’s why this Sunday’s show at Jones Beach is so special; it’s their only show on the east coast this year. The show is sold out, so it might be hard to find last-minute tickets, but if you do snag some, it should be well worth it. (Sunday, Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater)

9.       Reel Big Fish: Reel Big Fish are doing something a little different with their current Beer Run tour. At certain stops, the band will be holding mini beer festivals, where concert-goers can sample suds from local breweries and participate in festivities like lectures and drinking games. This Sunday’s show at The Stone Pony will not be one of these, but if you can’t make it out to New Jersey this weekend or want local beer as part of your ticket, Tuesday’s show at The Paramount will be. (Sunday, The Stone Pony)

10.   Parkway Drive: Australian Metalcore band Parkway Drive is a band on the rise. Their latest album, ‘Ire,’ released in 2015, gave them their first number one in their native country. They are currently wrapping up a short string of North American tour dates, which include a stop at The Paramount on Sunday with The Word Alive and Wage War. These are the band’s only North American dates for this year, so you should definitely get out and see them. (Sunday, The Paramount Huntington)

These are some of the top shows happening in the New York / New Jersey area this weekend. Check these or any of the other amazing artists playing in the area and make sure to fill your first official weekend of summer with music.

                                                            ---

Live music and records go hand in hand. That’s why you should check out Vinyl Bay 777 and vinylbay777.com before the show to pick up music from many of these artists and more. Long Island’s top new independent record shop has thousands of titles in stock ranging in genre from country, rock, pop and metal to dance, R&B, rap and even classical. Browse a wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store and online. With more items being added to our selection all the time, it pays to stop by and see what’s new at Vinyl Bay 777.

[rustynr]

Seether returned to Idaho last week as part of its Poison the Parish Tour. The band kicked off the month of June with a rousing sold out event at The Knitting Factory, that also featured Omaha’s Through Fire, and Detroit’s Kaleido.

Kaleido dropped its stunning debut album Experience last month, and the band’s live set quickly proved they are no studio creation. In fact, Kaleido delivered the surprise set of the night, packed with songs that ranged from straight up rockers like “Die Tryin’” and “Unbreakable” to reggae infused pop such as, “Trouble in Paradise,” to raucous groovers like “No More Little Miss Nice Bitch.” Vocalist Christina Chriss owned the stage with her fearless presence and play-for-keeps attitude. The band even tossed in a cover of “My Michelle” from Chriss’ favorite band, Guns ‘N’ Roses. Drummer Joey Fava delivered a bit of a solo mid-set, and charismatic bassist Cody Morales added a sense of playfulness with his performance. Guitarists Zach Bolling and Ronnie Rosolino handled the shift from edgy riffing to melodic nuance, effortlessly. If you weren’t at the show, you owe it to yourself to check out Kaleido.

Through Fire, who just graced Boise a couple of months ago, slipped in for a date between tours with All That Remains and Otherwise. The band, driven by former Emphatic songwriter and guitarist Justin McCain, are currently enjoying the #1 active song in the country with their hit, “Breathe,” which was one of the many songs from their debut album of the same name, performed Thursday night. They opened it up with “Breakout” and “Where You Lie”, and closed the set with their first single “Stronger.” Blended in between were covers of Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts” and Ellie Goulding’s “Lights.” “Blood on My Hands” and “Damaged” rounded out the set. Through Fire, which also features vocalist Grant Kendrick, guitarist Jesse Saint, and bassist Patrick Mussack, is already building a strong following in Boise. This show only fanned the flames.

Seether always likes to deliver a moody set, and as usual they used very little stage lighting, performing mostly in shadows. This was the one consistent gripe of most fans I spoke with, who otherwise hailed the performance as stellar. However, the soft lighting added ambiance to the set as they crashed through a set packed with hits such as “Fine Again,” “Broken,” and “Rise Above This.” They opened the set with “Gasoline” from their debut album, Disclaimer. Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery shared the stage with the band as guest lead guitarist for the tour, and his dynamic performance added depth to tracks like “Country,” “Fake It,” “No Jesus Christ” and “Nobody Praying for Me.” Frontman Shaun Morgan made his way into the crowd at one point during the set to the delight of the fans. Drummer John Murphy and bassist Dale Stewart remained a steady anchor all night as the group tuned up “Let You Down,” the lone song performed from the band’s new album Poison the Parish, as well as classics like, “Words as Weapons,” “Truth, “Remedy,” and a cover of Thrice’s “Black Honey.”

It was an enthusiastic and exciting show all the way around, but for me, Kaleido was the scene stealer. Seether graciously hung around for an after party with fans hosted by 100.3 Xrocks upstairs at 9th St. Parallel. As one fan put it; “All and all the night was close to perfect.”

Huge thanks as always to Gary, Treva, Justin, Gina, and the entire Knitting Factory staff.

Click on any photo to view as a slideshow.

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All photos © 2017 Katarzyna Cepek Photography

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Concert Review: SEETHER, THROUGH FIRE, KALEIDO serve up Sold Out performance Seether returned to Idaho last week as part of its Poison the Parish Tour. The band kicked off the month of June with a rousing sold out event at…

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If anyone asked me to name bands that people must-see live, Nonpoint will always be on that list. I’ve seen them so many times over their career and always enjoy every single performance. The last time I saw Nonpoint was on August 24, 2018, when they were touring off their latest album X. You can read that review HERE. It was a show I would never forget. When I heard they were returning to the House of Blues Orlando on September 27th, I knew I had to be there. It was a solid crowd that night with the Nonpoint fans and members of Orlando’s rock station 101.1 WJRR ready for a night of rock and metal for The Red Tape Tour.

Los Angeles Zero Theorem opened the show that night. The band describes themselves via their Facebook page as “hard rock and metal with a dark science fiction aesthetic”. In 2018 they released their EP Ataraxis and are currently working on a two-part installment titled The Killing. The band consists of Caesar (vocals), Jake Hayden (drums), Eloy Palacios (bass), and Roy Lev-Ari (guitar). This was my first time getting to hear the band live and they left a good impression on me. I found their music to be more hard rock, but when they dropped the heavy sounds, it thundered in the House of Blues. Caesar’s vocals were powerful, Eloy’s and Roy’s playing was stellar, and Jake was one of the calmest drummers I’ve seen for someone who rocked the set. The band was energetic on stage and had the crowd cheering them on till the end of their set. You can find their merch and music at https://zerotheoremband.com and see a full gallery of pics of their performance HERE.

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Their setlist from that night was:

The Killing

Low

Area

Becoming

Rorschach

Cannonball

You

Threads

Next to the stage was Madame Mayhem. Natalie Ann Cohen (better known as Madame Mayhem) is a New York City born singer and songwriter whose fashion and music scream rock. Though she’s a classically trained vocalist, pianist, and guitarist, the power of rock was stronger and fans are grateful for it. Madame Mayhem has shared the stage with bands such as Sevendust, Memphis May Fire, Fozzy, Doro, and now that evening Nonpoint. She has released three albums with her most recent Ready For Me in 2017. Though I had heard of Madame Mayhem before, I had not the opportunity to see her perform live. Madame Mayhem hits the stage with the presence of Amy Lee and Lzzy Hale and the vocals to match. She and her band are energetic on stage, constantly moving, and doing it with style and pizazz. The music is heart-pounding rock with blissful vocals that will jaw drop you. Needless to say, I was beyond impressed with Madame Mayhem and look forward to seeing them come through Orlando again. You can find their merch and music at http://www.madamemayhem.com/ and see a full gallery of pics of their performance HERE.

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Their setlist from that night was:

War You Started

Breaking Down

Broken

Monster

I Am More

Cruel Heart

Something Better (Now You Know)

Then the Orlando crowd was in for a real treat to have one of our own bands, Devils Envy, grace the stage. First formed in 2016 the band went through a number of challenges and lineup changes. Determined to not give up on music, the band continued forward and solidified their lineup. They performed their first show together at The Haven in Winter Park at the annual Halloween Havoc. The band re-released their EP Dead Inside and have released additional singles while working on material for their debut album. Devils Envy is Angel Graves (vocals), Sean St. John (drums), Austin Diaz (guitar), Brian Kizer (guitar), and Paul Ziccardi (bass). From the opening note, you could tell we were in for something special. The music ripped through the crowd hard and heavy and they went insane for hometown band. Angel’s vocals were very impressive being able to go through various notes with ease and power. Austin’s intense guitar playing truly caught my attention as he made his way across the stage. Angel urged the crowd to jump and move and the crowd was happy to do so. I truly loved at the end of the show, Angel brought his son out on stage to celebrate with him. It was a truly touching moment. Devils Envy gave notice with their performance that we are going to see bigger things coming from them soon and I’m looking forward to seeing it. You can find their music at https://devilsenvymusic.com and see a full gallery of pics of their performance HERE.

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Finally, the crowd was ready for the headliners Nonpoint. The metal band from Ft. Lauderdale, FL started off back in early 1997 before self-releasing their first album ‘Separate Yourself’ later that year. And it was only the start of a successful career. They signed a record deal with MCA and released ‘Statement’ in 2000. Their fourth studio album ‘To The Pain’ would release one of their most recognizable songs “Bullet With a Name”. Each of Nonpoint’s album made it into the Billboard Top 200 with their highest ranking album came with ‘The Return’ in 2014 peaking at #39. And this evening the band released their 10th album ‘X’. Nonpoint is Elias Soriano (vocals), Robb Rivera (drums), Rasheed Thomas (rhythm guitar), Adam Woloszyn (bass), and this time touring musician Ahrue Luster (lead guitar) who played with both Ill Nino and Machine Head.

101.1 WJRR’s Supa Dave came out to announce the band, as he does every time Nonpoint plays in Orlando. The rock station has always been so supportive of Nonpoint throughout their career. He got the crowd started with the way they always come out, with a very soft chant of “Nonpoint, Nonpoint, Nonpoint” and then let the crowd take it over getting louder and louder until they came onto the stage. The crowd went insane and Elias was all smiles looking over the crowd. The band started off with “Miracle” the title track from their sixth album and followed with “Endure” from Statement. Nonpoint as always was on a roll getting the crowd hyped up. Elias vocals are always solid, Rasheed is a maniac whipping his hair around and playing fast, Adam was headbanging away, Robb was smashing the drums as he does so well, and even Ahrue was grooving along with the music. The band was having fun and the crowd was enjoying it.

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Nonpoint was having fun with the fans during the show. Elias and Robb once again played “Who Can Make Their Side Cheer Louder”. Elias had his side going strong. Robb took over slightly. Elias had control of his side going from high to low to high again. Robb looked at Elias in disgust, pulled down his shorts, and threw his hands in the air, which made all the crowd cheer and Elias and the rest of the band started laughing. And yes, he was wearing underwear. It was an unexpected moment and hilarious. Elias reminded the moshers to pick people up if they got knocked over as he saw some people go down on the mosh pit. And overall you could just see they were having a great time on stage.

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

The setlist was different than the last show bringing back some songs they haven’t played in a while. Notably missing was their cover of “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins and “Generation Idiot”. I did love them bringing back “Lights, Camera, Action” and “I Said It”. Elias ripped through the lyrics on both of those so easily even though they are both heavy on lyrics. Nonpoint kept one of my personal favorites “What a Day” and of course “El Diablo”, a huge fan favorite song. The band played from X “Dodge Your Destiny”, “Chaos and Earthquakes” (another personal favorite), and their most recent single “Fix This”. I’m not sure what it is about that song but “Fix This” absolutely grabs me to play it on repeat over an over. The band, of course, wrapped up with “Bullet With A Name” to a massive ovation when they finished.

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

Photo by Talon Kane Photography

You can find Nonpoint music and merch at their website http://nonpoint.com/ and see a full gallery of pics of their performance HERE.

Their setlist for that night:

Miracle

Endure

Breaking Skin

That Day

Dodge Your Destiny

Your Signs

The Truth

Lights, Camera, Action

I Said It

El Diablo

What a Day

Rabia

Orgullo

Chaos and Earthquakes

Fix This

Alive and Kicking

Bullet with a Name

There was no encore performance that night but they took a photo of them with the crowd which they were going to sell at the merch booth upstairs. he merch line was huge of people waiting to get their chance to buy merch, get a selfie with them, and even just to say hello. And what I’ve always loved about Nonpoint is that they take time to spend with their fans who support them. After all these years playing shows and 10 albums they haven’t forgotten the fans. Before the show started, I was walking to the House of Blues to pick up my pass and ticket and saw outside the venue Elias and Rasheed just chit-chatting with two fans. I took a moment to wait until they were done and they both happily took the time to chat. It’s the little things like this that fans remember and make them such a huge supporters of Nonpoint.

So when the opportunity for you arises to see Nonpoint, go. Honestly, I can’t wait until they come back again.

From The Pit To The Crowd: Nonpoint with Devils Envy, Madame Mayhem, and Zero Theorem Review – House of Blues Orlando – Lake Buena Vista FL – September 27, 2019 If anyone asked me to name bands that people must-see live, Nonpoint will always be on that list.