Concert Reviews
ASHES OF LEVIATHAN TOUR:PITTSBURGH SHOW REVIEW
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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Concert Reviews
BRISTOW VIRGINIA TOOK A TRIP ON THE WILD SIDE… SHOUTED AT THE DEVIL. AND ENJOYED THE GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS.

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.
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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

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.
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Concert Reviews
THE EX-FACES ROCKED THE REVERB STAGE

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.
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