Concert Reviews

Anthrax 40th Anniversary Tour Review

Published

4 years ago

August 26, 2022

Josh Drespling

Pittsburgh PA – Stage AE August 22, 2022

Kinetic energy grew as the crowd of approximately 2000 metal thrashing maniacs crammed in Stage AE on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The anticipation snapped when the house lights went down and a pre-recorded video of rock and metal legends was projected onto a giant white scrim that covered the entire front of the stage. There were clips of Kerry King (Slayer), Roberto Trujillo (Metallica) Henry Rollins (Rollins Band, Black Flag), Philip Anselmo (Pantera, Down, Superjoint Ritual), Slash, Mark Osegueda (Death Angel) Gene Simmons (Kiss), Cory Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour), Chuck D (Public Enemy, Prophets of Rage), Dave Mustain (Megadeth) , Brann Dailor (Mastodon) along with comedian Brian Posehn and actors Norman Reedus and Keanu Reeves to name a few. Each artist had a brief clip about how amazing and influential Anthrax has been in their 40 years of existence.

As the video faded bright spotlights from behind the band projected silhouettes of vocalist Joe Belladonna, bassist Frank Bello and rhythm guitarist Scot Ian’s onto the white scrim while Scott repeatedly strummed the thunderous opening cords of “Among the Living” from the album of the same name. As the curtain fell reveling the band and their stage set, the band tore through the track with ease exemplifying why they are at the forefront in the genre.

With out missing a beat Anthrax jumped in to another seminal and genre defining tracks; “Caught in a Mosh” causing the circle pit that had began during the first song to expand and grow a bit more intense. The set continued with a pair of old school thrash metal classics with “Madhouse” from the band’s 1985 release Spreading the Disease and “Metal Thrashing Mad” from 1984’s Fist Full of Metal.

Keeping the energy high and the pit moving the band slammed right into “Keep it in the Family” and the 1990’s MTV hit “Antisocial”, followed by the Judge Dredd comic inspired song “I Am the Law”.

Later in the set the band played the only John Bush era song “Only”, which despite its difference in style fit nicely in the mix. Next the venue latterly shook with the deafening rumble of the bass line for “Got the Time” from bassist Frank Bello.

As veterans of the stage the band knew the crowd needed a breather. The band cleared the stage and guitarist Scott Ian stepped up to the mic with a lone spot light shining on him from above. He thanked the fans supporting them over the decades and that they were her to get away from the “poli-tricks” and to listen to some “METAL!” He also relayed a story about how when they were on their very first tour that they stopped in Pittsburgh. Apparently they had been on the road for a few weeks and Frank (Bello) had not called his mom in several days. In this era before cell phones that she was so work that she had not heard for her “baby boy” that she drove all the way from New Jersey to Pittsburgh to make sure he was OK.

With that they broke into the hyper rhythm of the rap-metal hit “Bring the Noise”. Thought they only played the one verse with Scott rapping and the chorus/hook then slide into “Indians”, once again returning to their classic album “Among the Living [1987]. This song pulled everything together, highlighting Joey’s signature vocals, the dual guitar crunch and rhythmic power of the band. Scott mid-song scream of “WAR DANCE” served to whip the natives into a frenzy.

As the song “Indians” wound down the deep pounding of the rhythmic drums began to overpower all the other instruments. Gradually drummer Charlie Benante began morphing his rhythm into another song. Soon it became apparent that he was playing the intro to Pantera’s “Domination”. Quickly the rest of the band joined in giving the crowd a sneak peak at what they can expect from the Pantera reunion tour that will feature Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante sitting in for the lat Vinnie Paul. Over all it was a great show, by a band who shows no signs of letting up in the near future. They were tight, never missed a beat and Joey’s vocals seem to get better with age. The 40^th Anniversary tour continues through the end of August with Hatebreed and Black Label Society.

About Author

Josh Drespling

Josh is the Publisher and creator of Empire Extreme and it’s sister publication Kingdom Extreme Magazine. He is an accomplished writer, photographer and graphic designer. He is always conjuring up new ideas and has a amazing passion for the music industry and all the things that surround it.

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Concert Reviews

DARK WINTER TOUR:BALTIMORE SHOW REVIEW

Published

1 month ago

January 26, 2026

Ron

LORD OF THE LOST AND WEDNESDAY 13 CAME INTO BALTIMORE MARYLAND OR AS LORD OF THE LOST SINGER CHRIS HARMS CALLED IT BALTIMOST..

WEDNESDAY 13 opened and had a killer set. It’s tough when you have such a great spanning career to choose which songs to play, but Wednesday nailed it. From new to old, the band played a ton of great songs and got the crowd hyped and ready for a night of kick-ass music. When between band breaks,outside, I was outside and a guy who has never seen Wednesday 13 before was like “I’ve never seen an opening band, with so much energy and having the crowd pumped up like that before”. We got to see Wednesday throw out some plastic spiders from a Halloween pail,say… and this time his umbrella didn’t break when he performed “I Love to Say..Fuck”.

Lord of the Lost came to Baltimore last year and was super amazing and such a great show that I was excited to see them again. They did have a member of the band missing; their bassist was taking time away from the band to focus on his own mental health, which I applaud because in a world of music and entertainment we lose too many people who are afraid or ashamed to work on their mental health. This was the first day of the tour, and not knowing what song was gonna be played was kinda thrilling, but I knew that at one point that Wednesday 13 would come back on stage and play “I Hate People” which is the latest single from Lord of the Lost. The band sounded amazing, and I loved their cover of “She’s Got the Look.”

Overall this was a great day for music and such a great show. Go out and check it when they come to your city and just enjoy seeing live music.

About Author

Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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Concert Reviews

Let’s go back to 2000’s Ozzfest with Darkest Hour, Bleeding Through and God Forbid.

Published

3 months ago

December 19, 2025

Ron

DC’s Hometown Hero’s Darkest Hour came to the Filmore in silver spring Maryland to celebrate 30 years and not only did they kick some ass the made us go back in time to a killer lineup of bands.

God Forbid celebrating the anniversary of “Constitution of Treason” opened up the show and got the crowd rowdy. It’s been years since I’ve seen God Forbid but I remember all those tours and ozzfests when they played and always kicked so much ass. The band still sounds great and singer Byron Davis still looks and sounds amazing. We got to hear songs like “The End of the world” “The lonely dead” and “under this flag”.

Bleeding Through was next up and they were celebrating the anniversary of “The Truth” and throwing a few extra songs from previous albums and new material. Brandan still puts on a hell of a show and always finds a way to hurt himself at shows I’ve seen him perform. In Pittsburgh years ago he stepped on a water bottle and fucked up his ankle and 2 seconds into this show he almost fell straight off the stage. But that didn’t stop him from getting off the stage jumping in the crowd and killing such a great set. Then you add bad ass keyboardist Marta to the mix and this is why I’ve always loved this band. We got to hear songs like “Love in slow motion” , “Line in the sand” and “Love lost in a hail of gunfire “ the crowd went crazy.

It’s been years since I’ve seen Darkest Hour too, I always remember those tours and seeing them with so many kick ass bands, it’s crazy to think they they have been together for 30 years and still bring it to the stage. I loved the energy and fun the band has on stage, loved the intro from a guy in a tux and also loved that the fans were engaged the whole set. I got to hear some great tunes like “The Sadist Nation”, “ Sound the surrender” and “Knife in a safe room”.

This small 3 date tour was great and put me back into the days when I was younger and listened to some great metal.

About Author

Ron

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Concert Reviews

All Time Low: EVERYBODYS TALKING TOUR

Published

3 months ago

November 30, 2025

Kylie Thomas

The appropriately named “Everybody’s Talking” tour from All Time Low featuring Mayday Parade, Four Year Strong, and The Paradox was one of true pop-punk nostalgia. The stop over at UPMC Events Center on November 19 was a must for any fan of the year 2005. Being able to see some of the top names in this genre all with a room full of old-school emo kids is a blessing on its own.

Opening the show first was newer band The Paradox, a mix of core pop-punk anger and modern hip hop nuances. Think heavy riffs over more melodic vocals that float over top.

Four Year Strong, a band more on the hardcore side, follows this up with a pit for the ages. It’s a time for moshing to begin as the members take the audience through years of heavy breakdowns. These guys are a throwback for the ones who always went to Warped Tour.

The third opener, Mayday Parade has the power to pull together an entire crowd just by playing their hits “Jersey” and “Jamie All Over.” This band has been around the scene for a long time and there’s no doubt you’ve heard a song or two of theirs on the radio. Their energy is infectious from singer Derek Sanders to guitarist Brooks Betts and all the rest, too.

At the end of the day though, it’s obvious this crowd is here to see all eras of All Time Low come to life. After 22 years together, there are many layers to this band but their set manages to hit on them all. Whether you’re there for the songs from the beginning years like “Time-Bomb” or brand new ones like “SUCKERPUNCH,” you’re bound to hear something you like. One of the best parts of an All Time Low concert though is the party vibe. Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Zack Merrick, and Rian Dawson all carry an energy that’s similar to walking down Fremont Street in Vegas. It’s all flashy lights, big personalities, and good times. But, don’t be led astray, there are tender moments as well. It all creates a story of love and heartbreak alongside the highs and lows of life.

The “Everybody’s Talking” tour from All Time Low is one that chronicles their history. It’s a show that reminds audiences of their place in pop-punk and a chance for these audience to disappear back to high school again when all that mattered was eyeliner, CDs, and hair dye.