Reviews

BABYKLOK TOUR:UPMC Review

Published

8 months ago

September 11, 2023

UPMC Events Center on the Robert Morris University campus was host to the Babyklok Tour 2023 featuring Dethklok, Baby Metal, and Jason Richardson on September 8^th. A strange mix for a show, but oddly, it works. Pairing the guitar virtuoso stylings of Jason Richardson with the metal pop mix of Baby Metal and the cartoon chaos of Dethklok, this audience was in for a broad spectrum of what is metal for the night. This vast appreciation of metal could be seen in the crowd tonight, as there was a mass diversification of merchandise and costumes worn by the crowd, from anime to death metal band shirts and everything in between. It seemed like a lot of the elements of these genres were represented tonight.

Jason Richardson warmed the crowd up this evening, and with some backlights, a front platform at his disposal, and a guitar in hand, this crowd was in for something special. Richardson is a very accomplished and well esteemed guitarist in the scene, having worked with All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, Chelsea Grin, All That Remains, and many other projects. I think a showcase of the performance was seeing the different variations of Jason’s signature Ernie Ball guitar as he would change guitars between songs. Some of the standouts were “Retrograde”, which had a backing track of Periphery’s Spencer Sotelo singing on the track, and also “Upside Down” which was co-written with the band Polyphia, before wrapping things up with “Ho’s Down”, a genre-blending amalgamation combining metal, jazz, and bluegrass.

Baby Metal took the stage next, engaging the crowd right off the bat with chants of B. A. B. Y. Metal! The front women of this band came out with high energy; from crowd work to choreographed dance moves, these women continued to smile ear to ear throughout the performance. Each song performance had vivid backdrops and lots of flashing lights to pair with the performance. There were times when there was so much going on that I didn’t know what to focus on first. The band was very tight and shined during their solo sections, holding down the rhythm for the night. Some of the standout performances were “Distortion,” featuring Alissa White Gluz of Arch Enemy and “Metali” which features Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine.

As the last band was getting set up, on the backdrop was a QR code for the latest Dethklok album, Dethalbum IV, so that attendees could listen to the album before the band would take the stage, something I have not seen before from a band. Closing the night out under the veil of darkness, Brendon Small and company took the stage to bring to life the audio stylings of “Nathan Explosion”, “Skwisgaar Skwigelf”, “Pickles”, “Toki Wartooth”, and “William Murderface to Life”. The crowd cheered as the Cartoon Network show was cast on the back screen and the band started off with the “Deththeme”. Dethklok played through several fan favorites, including “Murmaider” the “Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle”, and “Thunderhorse”, before closing out with “Bloodlines” and “Go Into the Water”.

If you are looking for a fun metal show to take in for the evening, make sure to check out the Babyklok tour 2023, which goes through October. This tour covers a wide array of metal and its subgenres, so there is a little something for everyone here.

About Author

George Archibald

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Collective Soul “7EVEN YEAR ITCH” Greatest Hits 1994-2001 Vinyl

Published

4 months ago

January 4, 2024

Ron

I’ve always been a big fan of Collective Soul and have been lucky to have seen them a few times. This band has always been in my music mixes since the 1990s.

The vinyl release is exactly what you would want for a greatest-hits album. All the best songs that collective soul had from 1994–2001 If you were a teenager or an adult in the 90s, you can’t tell me that you didn’t jam out to songs like “Shine,” “Gel,” and “December.”

With other great songs like “Heavy,” “Run,” “The World I Know,” and “Forgiveness,” This greatest hit album sounds amazing on vinyl as well. Craft Recordings has done a really great job of keeping the magic and sound of these amazing songs.

The sleeve cover has some cool photos of the band throughout the years. This vinyl just came out in Collective Soul fashion in December, and is ready to be part of your vinyl collection, and just brings you back to a great time in life.

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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Reviews

Otep – Hydra 10th Anniversary Vinyl

Published

5 months ago

December 15, 2023

Ron

I received a copy of the album, and when I first opened it, the artwork struck me first. Otep has always been a great visual artist, with her amazing drawings and characters. I even have one of them tattooed on myself. When you see the artwork on this vinyl release, you will really be drawn in and appreciate the artistry.

The sound of this vinyl is amazing. It’s been years since I’ve listened to anything on vinyl and forgot how much I loved the sound of the medium compared to CDs and digital releases. I love the songs on this album because, as with all Otep albums, it has such raw power and emotions, mixed with the anger and beauty of Otep’s poetry. Otep is one of the greats.

The album starts off with the track “Rising,” and this initial song sets the tone for what you’re about to hear from the balance of the album. The standout tracks on this album have to be “Necromantic,” “Apex Predator,” “Voyeur,” and “Feral Game.” Over all, the album as a complete piece of art is amazing. I would encourage you, if you’re a fan of Otep or a collector of vinyl, to add this vinyl to your collection.

About Author

Ron

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WEDNESDAY 13: Performs Muderdolls Lititz PA Show Review

Published

5 months ago

November 24, 2023

Ron

Wednesday 13 came into Lititz, PA, on November 18th, bringing the music, or The MurderDolls, with him. Continuing the legacy of Joey Jordison and Ben Graves.

Wednesday 13 is on a tour now; that’s all MurderDolls. 21 years have passed since Beyond the Valley of the MurderDolls came out, and 13 years have passed since Women and Children Last was released. Wednesday and his bandmates are sharing the stage with Infected Rain and Gemini Syndrome on this tour.

The show was amazing; this was our first time covering a show at Mickey’s Black Box. The venue, the staff, and our media contact were so hospitable. The venue was amazing, with a cool balcony on the second floor to watch the show as well.

We got to hear a full set of 20 MurderDolls songs, which was pretty much every song on both albums. There were some songs I haven’t gotten to hear in a long time, like “Grave Robbing USA”, “Drug Me To Hell”, and “Summertime Suicide”. Of course, it wouldn’t be a MurderDolls show if they didn’t play “I Love to Say Fuck” and finish the night with “Dead in Hollywood.”

It’s always a blast to see Wednesday 13 in concert, and I was so excited for the band that a lot of these shows were sold out. It was also a special night because it was my GF’s “50th” birthday and my buddy’s GF’s birthday the next day. We got the MC of the show, Don Jamieson, to give them a little birthday shout-out.

Although it’s sad that Joey and Ben are no longer with us, I’m sure Joey is loving that Murderdolls is still kicking ass after all those years, and I know that Wednesday 13 is so appreciative of what MurderDolls has done for his career.