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

BRISTOW VIRGINIA TOOK A TRIP ON THE WILD SIDE… SHOUTED AT THE DEVIL. AND ENJOYED THE GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 7, 2026

Ron

MOTLEY CRUE CAME BACK INTO TOWN BRINGING WITH THEM TESLA AND EXTREME FOR THE RETURN OF CARNIVAL SINS TOUR.

Extreme opened up, and not only did they kick ass, but they also took some names, too. Gary sounded amazing on vocals, and of course, Nuno not only rocked the guitar; he gave all the ladies out there heart problems. We got to hear “More Than Words,” “Get the Funk Out,” and “Hole Hearted”.

Tesla was next, and the band always puts on an amazing show. It’s just a good ole rock and roll fun time. We got to hear “Modern Day Cowboy,” “Mama’s Fool,” and “Little Suzi.”

Motley Crue put up the circus tent, and fans were ready for the big top to drop. I was excited because this was the first time getting to see Crue with John 5 on guitar. The stage looked crazy and had things you could look at everywhere, from girls to cages and beyond. Nikki and Tommy looked amazing, and Neil looked healthier than in the past years; he sounded great, and you could see that he was having fun.

I have seen Motley Crue a few times now, but this time I was so close to the stage it was insane. Doing this press gig does come with some perks, and we get to see great bands and get tickets, but this was next level with how close to the stage my tickets were. It gave me such a great experience, not only just being that close and jamming out to songs that I grew up to, but also being with all the Crue fans and just seeing everyone getting excited and rocking out. They were all there for a good time and some kick-ass rock n’ roll.

Motley played a fantastic set too, with some bangers and killer songs from albums up to Generation Swine. Songs like “Wild Side,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Looks that Kill,” “Home Sweet Home,” “Smoking in the Boys’ Room,” “Live Wire,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and, of course “Dr. Feelgood” and “Kickstart My Heart.” The show was amazing, and the place was packed and having a great time. This is only the first leg of the tour, so if they come your way, go and see this tour and let yourself go and enjoy live music and rock ‘n’ roll.

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

THIS IS WHERE IT FALLS APART… STABBING WESTWARD CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF WITHER, BLISTER, BURN AND PEEL IN BALTIMORE

Published

1 month ago

July 25, 2026

Ron

It has been nine years since Stabbing Westward played in Baltimore, and I was thrilled to see them return to perform my favorite album. They brought along Acumen Nation and Priest as supporting acts. Both Acumen Nation and Priest put on an incredible show, and I loved how they energized the crowd. It’s fantastic to have a band like Acumen Nation, which has been around since 1988, alongside Priest, a newer band, and the fans truly enjoyed both sets.

Stabbing Westward is one of those bands that really resonated with me at a pivotal time in my life. This album was released during my junior year and fit my experiences perfectly. It’s one of those albums I would listen to from start to finish, and then I would just start it over again. I’m excited that the band is releasing a new version of this album, reflecting how they would have approached it if they had the freedom to mix it and create without outside interference.

What we got to hear was amazing. I loved the fresh sound to it but still keeping the core of what that album meant to them and to the fans. Coming out on stage with my 3 favorite songs on the album, “I Don’t Believe,” “What Do I Have To Do,” and “Falls Apart.” But hearing some of the other tracks on that album brought back so many memories of the past, like “Shame,” “So Wrong,” and even hearing the cure cover “Burn” and “Dawn” from the Escape From LA Soundtrack.

The concert was amazing. We were supposed to have an interview with Chris, but because of the Canadian fires, he was saving his voice for the show and meet ‘n greets, but we will have that interview soon for you.

About Author

Ron

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Concert Reviews

THE EX-FACES ROCKED THE REVERB STAGE

Published

1 month ago

July 22, 2026

Ron

I’ve been incredibly excited about the Ex-Faces show since it was first announced. I’m a huge Mushroomhead fan and love that the members of this group have come together to enjoy the music.

It was incredible to see J-Man, Waylon, Stitch, and Lil Dan together again. Adding Gravy and Mr. Murdernickel to the mix—especially since I never got to see him play live despite being a Mushroomhead fan near Cleveland since ’96—made it even better. I love that the guys genuinely looked like they were enjoying being on stage together, celebrating their time in this band and their experiences with Mushroomhead.

Hearing classic songs like “Bwomp,” “These Filthy Hands,” and “Sun Doesn’t Rise” was fantastic, but getting to experience deep cuts like “Eternal,” “1200,” and even the cover of “Crazy” was incredible. The Ex-Faces played 16 songs and could have kept going; the crowd definitely wouldn’t have minded.

I know this band and project are more than likely temporary, but I’m fully down for a few more tours and maybe even some more ex-members joining the trek. Even though I was sad that our stop didn’t have Pig Benis, I was super stoked that we had his OG brother Murdernickel. Go out and see this tour while you can, and let’s all get a little crazy and never let it go.