Concert Reviews

ASHES OF LEVIATHAN TOUR:PITTSBURGH SHOW REVIEW

Published

2 years ago

August 3, 2024

Pittsburgh’s Stage AE was host to the Ashes of Leviathan tour with Lamb of God and Mastodon, with both bands playing pivotal albums, Ashes of the Wake and Leviathan, for their sets. Pittsburgh is a favorite spot for Lamb of God, having played the city more times during their history than any other city in the world, as proclaimed by vocalist Randy Blythe. Also appearing this night is the hardcore thrash metal act Malevolence, and Kerry King, the guitarist from Slayer’s own solo act. As the crowd lined the street in front of the venue, a light drizzle would come to a stop as the doors opened. People filled the outside arena, hoping the weather would hold off as they were about to begin their metal-filled evenings.

Malevolence was up first; the band plays a mix of hardcore and metal with bits of southern metal and thrash thrown in. The band’s high energy helped to hype the nearly sold-out crowd, even at the beginning of a rainstorm. Vocalist Alex Taylor had a very demanding presence on stage, calling out to the crowd through his set and getting a massive response from the headbangers. The band played through several songs from the Malicious Intent album for their set.

Kerry King took the stage next with a who’s who of metal, from Phil Demmel, formally of Machine Head, to Paul Bostaph of Slayer, Kyle Sanders of Hell Yeah, and vocalist Mark Osegueda of Death Angel onstage. These guys came to throw down, playing thrash metal from beginning to end. The band’s fast metal riffs were paired with the members using all of the stage; even the vocalist would lift his mic stand into the air and carry it with him like many of the rockers from that 80s era of metal. The band played through several songs off the From Hell I Rise album and finished off with Reigning Blood and Black Magic, Slayer covers.

Mastodon came out to kaleidoscope of colors and images on stage, as they kicked off with Blood and Thunder. The high energy set got the crowd kicking and cheering along as they played through their 2004 masterpiece Leviathan. Crowd surfers were coming over the gate as the band played, I am Ahab, and didn’t stop for the rest of the set. From fog to fire, to lasers and giant monsters roaming on stage paired with their iconic songs, Mastodon had something for everyone to tantalize the senses.

Lamb of God came out to the crowd, chanting their name. Always known for putting on a high-energy show, vocalist Randy Blythe kicked off with Laid to Rest. This adrenaline rollercoaster just left the station as the band ripped through their iconic Ashes of the Wake album. As the heavens opened and began to drench the crowd, Lamb of God were playing in front of flames shooting up from behind the drum riser. On “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For,” the big ending breakdown, the crowd got to witness what has become a live staple for the band. Vocalist Randy Blythe does a well-timed jump with the pyro, as I can only call him the Lamb of God Jumpman. The band ripped through the rest of their timeless album before calling it a night.

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George Archibald

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Related Topics:Empire Extreme featured Kerry King LAMB OF GOD malevolence Mastodon Pittsburgh

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.