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2023 Sabertooth Part 2
Sabertooth Portland 2023 – Part 2 (of 3)
Part 1 can be found here.
Back to the Crystal Ballroom stage for Rhododendron—a band I hadn’t heard of. My first thought was, “Why are these three kids playing on the big stage with proper lighting, ventilation, etc. when I just had to see Cloak on the tiny, hot stage in the dark and packed Lola’s Room?”
After listening a bit, I softened my disdain. They were good and have a very promising future. But still, shouldn’t Cloak and Rhododendron have been switched?
I headed down the stairs for Year of the Cobra, a band I could swear I’ve seen before, but I can’t remember where or when. I thought I had at least 10 minutes to spare, but they had already begun playing. From this point on, I think every band started before the advertised start times. Did they get changed and the website wasn’t updated? I don’t know.
Year of the Cobra is a wonderful two-piece band. Their set was intense, beautiful, and Amy’s shout out to the metal women in the audience (including Grayceon’s Jackie Perez Gratz) was the first time that the higher female percentage of this festival (that I mentioned in Part 1) hit me.
Portland funeral doom band Will was up next. Funeral doom can be enjoyable live with the proper intoxicants, but it can also bore me—especially when not in a live setting. The second half of a couple of Will’s songs were quite good—when the pace picked up and/or soloing occurred.
Will has been doing their thing, mostly opening for touring bands in Portland, for a while now, but I don’t think they have any albums. Again, I’m still asking the question why Cloak and Ghost Bath weren’t swapped on the bill with Rhododendron and Will?
Speaking of Ghost Bath, they were the final act in Lola’s Room. The place was packed and hotter than ever by this point in the evening. Ghost Bath only got through a couple of songs before the power went off. Rather than endure the heat and masses in the hopes that power to the instruments be restored, I retreated to the much cooler Crystal Ballroom for a rest and wait for the final three artists—UADA, Ludicra, and YOB.
2023 Sabertooth PDX
Sabertooth Portland 2023 – Part 1 (of 3)
I had heard of Sabertooth Fest before, but 2023 was my first experience. In prior years, I always had something else planned or couldn’t make the 5-hour drive. The festival has been going since 2015—when it was a three-day festival (all in Portland) and headlined by Sleep. Dubbed a psychedelic music festival—the emphasis was much more on doom and stoner metal this year.
This year’s Sabertooth took place over two days—the first in Tacoma with a much smaller lineup. This was the first time Sabertooth has happened in several years. The festival usually took place in February when it was active between 2015 and May of 2019. Prior acts included Built to Spill, Japanese Breakfast, Parquet Courts, Super Furry Animals, etc. so this year’s Sabertooth definitely moved in a heavier direction.
10 bands were on the Portland bill, with the first band not beginning until 4:20. Yob wrapped things up before 11:30. How do 10 bands play in just seven hours? Two stages, with some overlapping, and fairly-short sets is how.
I arrived at about 4:20 and wandered into Lola’s Room, for the first time, shortly thereafter. Lividus was probably into their second or third song. I wasn’t familiar with them, but they sounded good. The room was hot, and the lighting was minimal and unchanging. Not good, as things were only going to get hotter and more crowded as the evening progressed.
Lola’s Room (just under the Crystal Ballroom—which was good for not having to go far between bands) is designed for a small, sit down audience on a cold winter night. Portland may have hit 90 degrees on this day, but Lola’s Room felt hotter than that. A stand-up crowd meant few could see well as the stage was only about a foot off the ground. The silver linings to the space were the seating on one side and the ample water stations in the back.
Heading upstairs to the Crystal Ballroom was a breath of fresh air—literally. Not crowded and at least 15 degrees cooler, I was excited to see a band that had been in my music rotation for the last few months—Hoaxed.
Hoaxed was excellent live, and I began to notice an unadvertised theme of the festival—women in metal! When’s the last time you went to a metal festival in which 40% of the bands had at least one female on stage and more than 20% of the musicians performing were women? (If the UADA/Ghost Bath/Cloak tour wasn’t on the Sabertooth bill the numbers would have been closer to 60% and 35%!)
Speaking of Cloak, they were one of the main reasons I decided to drive five hours (each way) to attend. As far as I know, this was as close as they’ve ever been to me, and I’ve been a big fan of their music since I first heard their debut album in 2017. Their style hits my sweet spot. If you are not familiar, I suppose you could say that if Satyricon, Slayer, and Tribulation had a baby… If you are already acquainted (and are looking for somewhat similar bands), then I suggest you check out Denmark’s Slægt.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed their set. My two complaints are that they were in Lola’s Room instead of the Crystal Ballroom, and they weren’t given enough time. Personally, I would have switched Will and Cloak. Local band Will (who don’t even have an album out yet) may have more friends in Portland, but the fact that Cloak came so far and has a much greater following overall (not to mention three excellent albums) should have bumped them up on the bill IMO.
Part 2 can be found here.
Eyehategod Teams With Church Of Misery In London
When it comes to tours, everyone loves a good pairing. It's always a treat to see one of your favourite bands, but if they come to town with another awesome group, then it makes the tour even more appealing. This is the case when it comes to the current European tour headlined by Eyehategod, New Orleans' answer to the question, "What if Black Sabbath and Discharge were locked in a room together?", who are currently stomping across the continent with Japanese serial killer historians Church Of Misery. Add returning English band Hang The Bastard to the mix and the show at the Dome in Tufnell Park, North London was irresistible, as evidenced by the fact that the show sold out.
Opening the show was recently reactivated London outfit Hang The Bastard. It's been nine years since their last album, "Sex In The Seventh Circle" but their fan base are as thrilled to see them as ever. Mixing doom and sludge metal with hardcore aggression, Hang The Bastard immediately grabbed everyone's attention with their combination of riffs and breakdowns. It was a little hard for the more metal orientated fans to fully enjoy themselves, thanks to the tank on two legs swirling around the floor performing the most rhythmless spin kicks you've ever seen, creating a significant gap which the crowd were reluctant to fill, but nevertheless, it's fair to say that no one in attendance was disappointed by the music itself. The band has tremendous energy and this comeback will no doubt win over plenty of fans. More...
Frozen Soul Delivers A Short But Sharp London Set
If a UK tour is happening, it's all but guaranteed that it's coming to London. The British capital city has a reputation for being difficult when it comes to audiences, since so many bands come through, but the truth is that London audiences can go as hard as anyone else, it just takes something special. This was exactly what was on offer in Tufnell Park as one of death metal's fastest rising bands, Frozen Soul, made their way back to the smoke.
Kicking off the night with little time wasted was Wallowing, a band from Brighton who are incredibly hard to define. Clad in what could only be described as black beekeeper outfits with Iron Man's arc reactor attached to their clothes, Wallowing took no prisoners with their blend of noise, doom and industrial. Undoubtedly one of the more unique bands to take to a London stage this year (which is saying something,) for a newcomer they are so out there that the viewer will spend as much time wondering what it is they're seeing as they will being won over by the music they're hearing. The music itself is, as implied, very interesting and after a while, quite infectious. It's hard to say much more, but Wallowing a band which must be seen and heard and emit an atmosphere which will draw the attendee back for more. More...
Dark Angel Has Finally Arrived In Athens
Before I even arrived at Gagarin 205, the Athens, Greece venue that would host both Xentrix and Dark Angel tonight, I was feeling anxious about how the turnout was going to be. Does Greece still remember this remember this fringe Big Four band from the late 80’s/early 90’s???
In my opinion, Dark Angel has never received the respect they deserved. Was it because they were based in Los Angeles and not the Bay Area? Was it because they were labeled a Slayer knock-off? Or was it because of their label not pushing them as hard as their peers? Whatever the answer was, it really doesn’t matter anymore. Almost 40 years after the release of “We Have Arrived,” they were playing in Athens, Greece for the very first time tonight.
Xentrix was already playing when I nudged my way through the entrance. The crowd was already awake and thrashing and the beer lines were long. I’m not sure how many metalheads Gagarin 205 can hold, but already the only area you could move around without bumping shoulders was near the entrance. Dark Angel wouldn’t even hit the stage for another hour! After a tight and energetic set by Xentrix, it was time to heal those broken hearts caused by Dark Angel by never playing in Greece until now. After a few moments into their intro music, “The Atomic Clock,” Gene Hoglan, took to his throne and the already sweat drenched Athenian crowd went full Spartan.
Not surprisingly, the first song of Dark Angel’s set was “We Have Arrived.” After playing a handful of songs from “Time Does Not Heal” and “Leave Scars,” it was time for what we’ve been waiting on for decades. Tonight, was to be a special setlist in tribute to the late founding member, Jim Durkin. They were going to play their sophomore effort, the thrash metal classic that has been mentioned in numerous top ten thrash metal albums of all time lists, “Darkness Descends” in full.
Mystic Festival 2023 - Day Three
The final day of any music festival is a bittersweet one. Just when you start finding your spots and getting into a routine, poof, it’s over. The first band I marked for Mystic’s final day was Djevel, a Norwegian black metal band that’s been around since 2009. It’s very rare that I’ll write something negative about any band, especially their live shows, but I must be honest about Djevel…they are not a good live band. They’re sloppy and they don’t move around much during their shows. I saw them at Inferno Festival in 2018 and I thought they were awkward and boring live to play such a prestigious festival. It’s 5 years later and I thought the same thing again.
Djevel
The next band/musician I saw was Lili Refrain from Rome, Italy. This was one of the artists I picked out to watch only if I could make it work within the scheduling. She was sound checking when I arrived at the Sabbath Stage. There was a table full of guitar effect pedals in front of her along with a floor tom and a guitar set up to her right. A short time later, she adorned the stage with her unique style and opened her set with “Travellers.” It was super impressive to watch her replicate the exact sound from the recorded version of the song. I wish I had more time to watch her whole set, hopefully she’ll be touring soon.
Lili Refrain
One of the bands that Mystic featured during this year’s edition was Voivod. The festival even pressed a limited number of 7” records with a never recorded single entitled “Chaotic Harmony, Mystic Festival Anthem.” They made 3 different colored vinyl versions of it that were limited to 999 copies in total. In addition, they dedicated the art gallery basement space to display the famed and storied artwork of Voivod’s famed drummer and artist, Michael "Away" Langevin. The prints displayed encompassed every era of Voivod’s existence. It was a touching and heartfelt tribute to such an influential band that has “Rrröööaaarrr”ed over 4 decades.
Voivod - Michael "Away" Langevin
When Voivod took to the Shrine Stage, the venue was completely full. The chants for Voivod were probably heard across the Baltic Sea, they were so loud. They kicked their set off with “Killing Technology.” Maybe it was a little bit of a political statement regarding the war happening next door? Only they know. Voivod wasn’t the first band in the past couple of years to make such a statement at Poland’s Mystic Festival. Snake and company played material from nine albums, there aren’t many bands from their era that can do the same anymore. I noticed everyone in the band smiling throughout their set which means they still love their day job and each other. That can’t be said about many bands that have even been around longer than Voivod.
Voivod - Denis "Snake" Bélanger
After the passing of their founding guitarist, Jim Durkin, everyone wondered if Dark Angel would continue with their tour and festival dates they committed to before his passing. Dark Angel has always persevered throughout their existence so it was really no surprise they were going to fulfill those commitments because that’s what Jim Durkin would have wanted.
Dark Angel - Ron Rinehart/Eric Meyer More...
Mystic Festival 2023 - Day Two
I penciled in a ton of bands for the 2nd full day of Mystic Festival 2023. There were 8 in total but the question was, could I manage to pull it off along with bouncing back and forth between the photo pits? Something that I forgot to mention in my previous report was that the merch prices were higher this year than last. This isn’t a ding on the festival itself, but just the way it is nowadays. There were several bands this year that didn’t bring merchandise at all. Bands are coming to the consensus that it’s not worth passing the merch cuts that are paid to the festivals, onto the fans. Most of the T-shirts cost anywhere from $25 to $30 after you made the conversion from the Polish Zloty to U.S. dollars this year. This was up at least $5 from last year’s average shirt price.
Dismember Fans!
The first band of the day for me was Sweden’s death metal legends, Dismember. I’ve always liked Dismember better than Entombed, so the fact that they are an active band again is incredulous and much needed in the copy/paste death metal omniverse today. The front row was already raging by the time I made it to the photo pit. They started their set with “Overide Of The Overture” and never looked back. Their chainsaw death metal formula has never changed over the past 30 years and this is why their fans are so loyal. Matti Kärki’s smile is a pretty good indication that they aren’t going into hibernation again anytime soon.
Dismember
Next up was Planet of Zeus, Greece’s own version of the band Clutch. This was my first time seeing them and I loved the energy they put out. They were playing with so much vigor, you could have sworn they were on one of the larger stages. The smallish, outdoor Desert Stage area was full of onlookers, so I assume that they have a decent following in Poland. I’m hoping to catch a full set from them sometime on their home turf in Greece.
Planet of Zeus
I made my way to the larger indoor venue for the festival, the Shrine Stage. Even though this venue is about double the size of the Sabbath Stage, it was still cramped and steamy during Grave’s brutal set. Grave’s non-wavering formula of meat grinding stripped down death metal still appeals to today’s death metal crowd. Bassist Tobias Cristiansson didn’t need much effort to fire up the crowd during their set, but his spiked gauntlets and towering frame were sufficient fuel to keep the Grave death metal inferno going throughout their set.
Grave More...
Mystic Festival 2023 - Day One
The first full day of Mystic Festival was in full swing when I arrived today. I had some free time before my coverage started so I took advantage of it and explored the inside food court area. There were plenty of food and drink options at Mystic again this year. There are different pizzas, burgers, vegetarian/vegan options and even tacos to choose from. Whatever your dietary needs or drink preferences are, you are covered at this festival. There are also several food trucks and beer trailers located near the Park and Main stages so you don’t have to walk very far when your cravings start.
Did I mention that there is also a ton of open seating everywhere if you need to take a break? There are hammocks, beach loungers and picnic benches outside next to the food court area. Inside some of the venues there are even couches! Both of the large stage areas have picnic benches nearby as well. And, if you splurged on VIP tickets, you have pretty much luxury seating available in select areas.
Inside Food Court Seating Area
The only hiccup during the entire time of the festival occurred today. Due to safety concerns, the Park Stage was not available yet. There were some changes made to the running orders, but there were no band cancellations to my knowledge. One of the benefits of this last-minute change was that Testament was moved over to the Main Stage and they took full advantage of it.
Testament
Like seasoned veterans of the summer metal festival circuit, Testament took to the stage sporting their Ray Bans and ripped right into “Rise Up,” which the crowd did so immediately after the “Testament! Testament!” chants ceased. To my delight, and I’m sure for many in the crowd, they played many of their classic thrashers from their early catalog. The end of their set went from “Over The Wall” to “Into The Pit” as a closer. What a start to the day!
Next up was the hometown favorites of the festival, Behemoth. Nergal never could have imagined when the band first formed that he would eventually play a show at the shipyard where he grew up. The other peculiar thing was today’s date. Today in Poland, the country was celebrating “Corpus Christi”, the Solemn Holiday of the Body and Blood of Christ. How convenient that would be the day Behemoth played.
Behemoth
Behemoth’s set was full of fire, costume changes and Nergal’s witty banter. I would find out later that there were religious protestors outside of the festival grounds before their set. Guess who was there to film them and share it via his socials…you guessed it, Nergal himself! There are several videos online of him pestering the protestors at Behemoth shows, I really think he enjoys it more than being on stage at times. More...
Mystic Festival 2023 - Warmup Day
I have to say, I had been looking forward to returning to this festival since I walked out of the entrance gates on the final day of the 2022 edition. The wait was only a year, but now, it seems like it was just yesterday. In fact, entering the festival, the look and layout remained pretty much the same other than a few nominal things.
The festival grounds layout stayed relatively the same. The most noticeable difference was that this year instead of a giant arm flashing the horns that looked like were made of possessed tree branches greeting you near the festival entrance, there was a giant, gray/green Cthulhu skull instead. It looked truly menacing during the day, but at night…it was lit up in red and green lighting and provided festival goers that perfect backdrop for selfies and social media profile photos.
Melvins Make Mayhem At The Electric Ballroom
With Desertfest not long finished and Download right around the corner, rock and metal fans across the United Kingdom were buzzing with the amount of live music they could experience. One needn't go to a festival to see live music though, as on the 6th of June, a band with one of the biggest cult followings for forty years were preparing to rock north London. In other words... the Melvins were back in town.
Many fans and journalists alike like getting to a show early and checking out the support act, even if we know nothing about them. You never know when you'll see future stars or your new favourite band, but going in blind can also have the reverse effect. Supporting the Melvins tonight before heading to Download a few days later was Taipei Houston, two brothers from San Francisco, California. They clearly have a good knowledge of their instruments and seem like nice enough guys, but honestly, the music itself was extraordinarily bland with some truly obnoxious vocals. The duo offered nothing exciting and would fit in more alongside the likes of The Pigeon Detectives or The Ordinary Boys than they would at any show even remotely heavy. I honestly don't like giving negative reports, because I know how much time can go into song writing and how daunting it can be to go on stage, but I honestly can't remember the last time I actively disliked what I was watching on stage so much. More...
Nervosa's New Lineup Makes Their British Debut
It was just over a year ago when I last saw Nervosa, during their co-headlining tour with Burning Witches. Thirteen months later and a lot has changed. Nervosa's founding guitarist Prika Amaral has now taken over the vocalist spot from Diva Satanica, while Michaela Naydenova now sits behind the drum kit, where Eleni Nota sat last time the band performed in the Underworld. Nota's departure didn't remove the Greek flavour though as Helena Kotina and Hel Pyre have now joined the ranks as lead guitarist and bassist respectively. So with all this having taken place, fans were eager to find out how this new lineup sounded.
Opening the show were two local bands, the first being Die Ego. The London trio released their latest EP, "74 Days Staring At The Void" a little under two months ago and the material sounds very strong live. The group has a very strong stage presence and comes across well, exceeding the expectations of those in attendance who admitted before the show that their studio recordings weren't to their liking. Obviously the material isn't familiar enough to me to know the setlist, though I do remember one of the songs they performed was "Consumed By Mediocrity," which was enjoyable. All in all, a promising young band with a good repertoire. More...
Desertfest London 2023: Day 3
The most bittersweet thing in music is the last day of a festival. After two days of awesome music, you know that the time is nearly over, yet there's still one more chance to witness more bands, hear more tunes and bang your head. The first two days of Desertfest had showcased some real legends, as well as promising up and comers and cult favourites. Sunday would once again offer all three, with the added bonus of The Roundhouse coming into the picture.
Whereas last year, I spent the entire Sunday in the Roundhouse, partly due to it being out of the way of the other venues and also because it had an incredible lineup, this time I made a point of swinging by the Underworld first. The reason was simple; Greek metal bands always deliver. Today saw the venue opened by Athens doom outfit Acid Mammoth, making their Desertfest London debut (they had previously performed at Desertfest Antwerp,) and the Hellenic quartet proved to be absolutely phenomenal, delivering world class doom metal from start to finish.
The band opened their set with a new song, which from my upside down view of the setlist appeared to be named "Fuzz Orgasm," before performing material from all three of their albums, including "Jack The Riffer," "Tree Of Woe" and "Them!" from the "Under Acid Hoof Record." There was even room for some audience participation as a crowd member imitated the evil laughter from the "Berserker" intro, leading the band to use him to get the song going, before ending the set with "They Live" from their eponymous debut. This was a brilliant way to kick things off and Acid Mammoth may even have been the band of the day. Superb. More...
Desertfest London 2023: Day 2
Saturday the 6th of May was an important day for Britain, being the day that the country crowned a new monarch for the first time since 1952 and the country's police cracking down on anyone who vocally opposed the antiquated idea of an unelected figurehead. In the north of the capital, away from these shenanigans, Camden town wasn't just welcoming the usual market visitors, but the returning fans of doom, stoner and desert rock for the second day of DesertFest 2023.
Appropriately, the day started with some real desert rock royalty, as genre pioneers Fatso Jetson got things going in the Electric Ballroom. For those unfamiliar with the group, they're a real family affair, with three members being related and a legacy which spans three decades, welcoming a whole new generation of fans throughout their existence. Like some of the other bands on the bill, Fatso Jetson's strength lies within their music rather than their stage act and they have a really strong vibe about them, which permeates the room. The show became more intriguing when they were joined by former Throw Rag frontman and "desert legend" Sean Wheeler, who exudes charisma, like a hybrid of Nick Cave and Chris Isaak. He stayed with the band for the rest of the set, which was a delight for all fans in attendance and curious onlookers. More...
Desertfest London 2023: Day 1
In 2022, London hosted Desertfest for the first time in three years, as it made its triumphant return following the COVID pandemic. It was an incredible event with some of the best names in doom, stoner and desert rock and metal laying waste to Camden. Naturally then, coming back was high on the list of priorities and with another stellar lineup, Desertfest was ready to blow fans away. Attendees can get their wristbands outside the Black Heart, where a number of stalls are set up selling merchandise, beer and even tattoos, all catered by a very friendly team who help to make this multi venue festival as special as it is.
Opening the festivities in the Black Heart this year was Margarita Witch Cult, the Birmingham trio who only the week before, released their eponymous debut album. Expecting a bit of fun to get things going, the band far exceeded expectations, delivering a white hot set which instantly turned the venue into a sweat box. Songs like "Annihilation" and the awesome "Death Lurks At Every Turn" went down a treat with the audience who undoubtedly left as fans of the Midlands newcomers, while a surprising but well crafted take on Billy Idol's "White Wedding" was also well received, not to mention the Sabbath jam at the end of the set. Margarita Witch Cult may be new to the majority of listeners, but in a few years they'll be as much of a staple as Nebula, Earthless or Bongzilla. Fantastic! More...
Concert Report: Black Anvil, Insomnium, Enslaved
After a night of Gojira and Mastodon, I found myself in Berkeley the following night for another tripleheader.
First up was Black Anvil, the only band I hadn’t seen multiple times before.
Black Anvil’s 2022 release, Regenesis, made my list of best albums of the year.
Their quick set did not disappoint.
Insomnium, like Gojira the night before, is a band that I’ve always liked, but they’ve never quite crossed the rubicon into a band I would purposely play or follow with great interest.
The first time I saw them live, they were missing some key members—including Niilo Sevanen. That venue was miserable as well, so that evening didn’t leave a great impression on my mind.
The second time was at a festival, and I think their time slot overlapped with another band I wanted to see. Many other bands were more on my radar that day (Opeth, Bloodbath, Dark Funeral, etc.) so once again, not a huge impression from the partial set I witnessed on that 2017 day in Sweden.
This Berkeley show, though, was a whole different story. I thoroughly enjoyed their set from the outset until completion.
Insomnium has earned a place in my permanent music rotation.
The setlist was heavy on their new album, Anno 1696. The album is great, but it only came out a few weeks ago so I wasn’t super familiar with all of the tracks.
Enslaved is one of my favorite bands and have been for more than 15 years. I’ve seen them many times and in several different countries. Between Insomnium and Enslaved, Blue Oyster Cult's "Secret Treaties" was played in its entirety over the PA. That's one of my Top 10 albums of all time so it put me in an even better mood. I didn't notice the rest of the audience appreciating it quite as much as I did.
I was very disappointed when Enslaved announced at the beginning of the tour that Ivar wasn’t going to be joining them due to a family emergency. I thought the sound would be way off without him—especially since they weren’t temporarily replacing him. Rather, they were going to go with just one guitarist, Ice Dale.
Ice Dale is a great guitarist, but when you listen to Enslave you can easily hear two different guitars frequently doing very different things. How was this going to sound good without Ivar?
The band members came out one at a time. Ice Dale went to the side of the stage without a microphone which was very odd given that two were on the front of the stage. My puzzlement was quickly solved when Ivar walked out last. Happiness filled me as I verbally welcomed him back. Grutle did the same, into the microphone for the entire audience to hear, a moment later.
This was my favorite Enslaved performance to date, eclipsing the time I saw them at the 2011 Getaway Rock Festival in Sweden.
Like Insomnium, Enslaved spent a large portion of their set on their new album, Heimdal. I suppose my only complaint is that they didn’t play for a longer period of time. I would have also loved to have heard tunes off of Ruun, Vertebrae, Aximoa Ethica Odini, and RIITIIR.
Another stellar evening! I drove the six hours home the next day with a smile across my face.
Live Concert Report: Mega-Monsters
When I first saw the poster for this tour, I was amazed. Upon closer review, I noticed that the 4/20 show was within a day’s driving distance, and the Concord Pavilion is less than five miles from a Gojira-loving good friend’s home. How could I resist?
I live between Portland and Concord. With a day off after their 4/18 gig, I actually saw every member of Mastodon and some members of Gojira and their crews roaming the streets of my little town on 4/19. Had I not been making the long drive to see them all perform the following night, I would have felt sick to be missing this. Instead, I knew that the following day would be an epic adventure. Let’s skip some of the adventures and get straight to the show.
Lorna Shore was the opener, but, as I’ve noted elsewhere, I have yet to appreciate bands that are described as “deathcore” or “metalcore”. I have eventually become a fan of some metal subgenres that I didn't initially like, but that hasn't happened yet with anything core. I tried; I really did. I had Lorna Shore in constant rotation the past few months, but they still don’t work for me. Some of the solos are fantastic, but the rest just doesn’t compute in my brain.
Gojira and Mastodon are co-headlining this tour, and I think Gojira finished the night off in Portland. So on this 420, Gojira went first, which made sense given that Mastodon is one of the biggest stoner metal bands on the planet.
I have always liked Gojira, but they never climbed into the “love” category. Nor have they ever remained in my permanent music rotation. I saw them seven years ago in Denmark, and, while a good show, that performance didn’t change their status much in my book.
On this night in Concord, however, I fell in love. Gojira has now earned a spot in my permanent music rotation, and I hope this wasn’t the last time I see them live.
I photographed two different setlists on the stage, and they were slightly different from each other. (How confusing for the band members?!?) This one may have Amazonia and The Chant in reverse order from what actually transpired. I don’t remember.
Mastodon’s setlist was:
The Wolf Is Loose
Crystal Skull
Megalodon
Divinations
Andromeda
Sultan's Curse
Fallen Torches
Pushing the Tides
More Than I Could Chew
Aqua Dementia
Steambreather
Iron Tusk
March of the Fire Ants
Mother Puncher
Circle of Cysquatch
Blood and Thunder
In other words, more focus on earlier material than recent tours. Seven songs off of Leviathan and Blood Mountain—when is the last tour that happened? Only two songs off of their most recent release, Hushed and Grim, and nothing from The Hunter or Once More ‘Round the Sun. I always want to hear more from Crack the Skye, but Divinations was the lone track from my favorite Mastodon album.
I wonder if the setlist selection has something to do with who they are touring with? Go heavier with Gojira but not so much when touring with Opeth, Ghost, etc.? I don’t know—just wondering what the selection process is like.
I've been to hundreds of concerts in the Bay Area over the past 40+ years. Somehow, this was my first visit to the Concord Pavilion. Great experience for the most part but one complaint--the merch situation. There were only two places to buy merch, in a venue that holds over 12,000 people, and the lines went on forever and didn't move quickly. I walked by each of the lines, at various times in the evening, at least two or three times and the situation was always the same. You either had to miss an hour of the show or forgo purchasing anything. I chose the latter. The bands could have hawked a lot more of their wares had this situation been improved.
The evening was a trip, in many ways.
Napalm Death Campaigns In Bristol
When it comes to Napalm Death, they really are a band that needs no introduction. Pioneers, perhaps even inventors depending on who you ask, of grindcore, bringing together metal heads and punks for well over thirty years and always remaining true to their principles, Napalm Death are truly deserving of the often overused tag, "legends." One of the reasons that they've remained so popular is their live shows, in which they easily connect with the crowd and perform with such energy that they still inspire young fans to get on stage themselves. A Napalm Death show always feels like an event too, as often they put together an amazing package of bands that fit well together but still display a good variety, such is the case on their current "Campaign For Musical Destruction" tour, which on Tuesday the 7th of March, made it's first British stop in Bristol.
The best way to open an event is with with a bang and if ever there was a band that brings the boom, it's Escuela Grind. For some reason, the band seems to attract controversy regarding their genre and image but, for lack of a better phrase, I don't understand why. From the first note, the quartet are a blast (I promise that's the last of the explosions synonyms,) and they're so much fun. Vocalist Katerina Economou is a force of nature, leading the charge as the band treated those who arrived early to their mix of hardcore, grindcore, death metal and powerviolence. I'm still a relative newcomer to the band so I can't list every song they played, but "Cliffhanger" was a definite highlight. Escuela Grind crafted an instant connection with the crowd, joking with them, receiving positive responses to their short statements regarding social issues (a subject we'll be revisiting later in this review) and just generally being great to be around. They're not just impressive live, they're quite frankly amazing. I can't wait to see them again. This was their first show in Britain and they're more than welcome to come back any time. More...
70000 Tons Of Metal 2023: Day Four
They say all good things must come to an end and so it was that the final day of this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, the first for three years, had a slight air of sadness about it. But metal fans aren't the type to go out with a whimper and thus our fourth day at sea is traditionally the time to go all out with costumes and to lose a few inhibitions.
A bright and early start seemed to be on most sailor's agenda, as everyone wanted to make the most of this last day floating through the Caribbean, and there was certainly no better wake up call than Nightmare. The French power metal squadron have been going for some time now but this was the first chance many fans and onlookers had to hear new vocalist Barbara Mogore, who is 100% natural in her new job, giving the impression that she's always been leading the line. Perhaps as was to be expected, the band gave a good deal of attention to their latest album, "Aeternam," performing the title track as well as the songs, "Crystal Lake," "Divine Nemesis" and "Downfall Of A Tyrant." "Dead Sun" was also represented with four songs, including the title track which opened the set and "Starry Skies Gone Black" which closed it. Fans don't need to worry about the future of Nightmare with a new vocalist, as they're clearly in very capable hands. More...
Steel Panther Went On The Prowl In Tempe, Arizona
We now live in a world where the littlest things seem to offend someone somewhere on a daily basis. You may love, hate, or love to hate Steel Panther, but you know what, they’ve just released their sixth studio album, “On The Prowl.” Judging by the size and enthusiasm from the crowd on their recent tour stop in Tempe, Arizona, there’s no need to ever return to their day jobs anytime soon.
We don’t celebrate Mardi Gras in Arizona, but there were enough costumes and rocker wigs at the Marquee Theater that could have filled any Spirit Halloween pop-up store. Kicking their set off with a familiar favorite, “Eyes of a Panther,” the crowd got their first live glimpse of the new permanent bassist, Spyder. It had to be an arduous task replacing the very much beloved, Lexxi Foxx, but from what I witnessed, he's fitting in just fine.
After a couple of songs in into their set, I had figured out what Spyder’s shtick is, he’s the “new guy in the band.” It was the expected and correct characterization for him and he executed it to a T. It was most evident when they played, “Ain’t Dead Yet,” off of the new album. It’s an acoustic ditty where Michael Starr plays an acoustic guitar and sings, Satchel rocks his six-string, Stix plays the keys and Spyder…well, a set of windchimes.
70000 Tons Of Metal 2023: Day Three
This year, thousands of metal fans boarded the Independence Of The Seas to enjoy the eleventh round of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, which departed from Miami on January 30th and made its way to Bimini, Bahamas. On the third day, as is custom, the ship landed at its destination and the Caribbean warmly greeted headbangers from all over the world. This sun kissed part of the world is absolutely stunning, a treat for lovers of warm weather and beautiful scenery, though be prepared to spend should you find yourself heading to the district, as several beaches require a $20 entry fee. Even the free beach is limited, with visitors required to buy a wrist band to go further, should they so wish. After an hour or so of soaking up the rays and enjoying a drink on a sun lounger by the sea, it was back on board to have the customary nap before the musical shenanigans we'd all come for began.
Having overslept a little, it was a race to the Star Lounge for the first time this voyage to see Texan progressive/Gothic metal outfits Oceans Of Slumber. Having seen the band without any knowledge of their background five years ago in London (and being blown away,) there was no way I was missing out on seeing them again. The intimate setting only enhanced their soulful melodies and bittersweet heaviness and those who crammed into the lounge were treated to one of the more emotionally charged sets of the festival. Singer Cammie Gilbert's voice is as powerful as ever and clearly impressed newcomers and fans alike, as her performance was the talk of many visitors throughout the rest of the night. Oceans Of Slumber has come a long way in five years and in the next five, they'll become one of American metal's most popular names and sooner rather than later no doubt. More...
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