Concert Reviews

Bloodywood: Concert Review Pittsburgh, PA

Published

3 years ago

June 1, 2023

In a realm of modern music overflowing with musical genres, there are few bands that possess a unique sonic force that defies categorization while leaving listeners spellbound and yearning for more. One such band is Bloodywood. They are a musical force that blends cultural heritage with a relentless fusion of metal, hip-hop, and traditional Indian rhythms.

As a band, they are carving a distinctive path and leaving an indelible mark on the modern musical landscape. Their raw energy, cultural fusion, and a fearless spirit of rebellion is a testament to the transformative power of music, transcending boundaries and uniting people from all corners of the globe. With their infectious energy and thought-provoking lyrics, the band has built an ardent following, igniting a revolution that stretches far beyond the realm of music or the shores of any country.

Born in the vibrant streets of New Delhi, India, in 2016, Bloodywood showcases their unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries, both musically and socially, as they fearlessly tackle pressing issues and ignite conversations.

The sonic odyssey of Bloodywood graced the stage of the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, which is nestled in the shadow of Pittsburgh only a short distance down the Ohio River from the infamous Steel City.

The show opened with a blast of energy from the British duo WARGASM, whose stage presence was undeniable. Sam Matlock, Milkie Way, and company tore through an unadulterated set of nu-metal tracks tinged with punk and electronica that included “Super Fiend”, “D.R.I.L.D.O”, and “Rage All Over”. They followed up with the video sensation “Fukstar” and wound down the set with some crowd surfing and a cover of N*E*R*D’s “Lapdance” and closed out the set with the track “Spit”.

After a brief break in the mayhem, Vended made the stage rumble to life. Their agro-metal induced a great deal of similarity to early Slipknot, and that is not surprising given that frontman Griffen Taylor is the son of Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Simon Crahan is the son of percussionist Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan. The band sounded tight and featured competent song composition; however, the vocalist needed to learn how to work the stage. It was as if his shoes were nailed to the floor at center stage.

As stage lighting flickered to life, the crowd prepared to be immersed in a symphony of cultural fusion, electrifying riffs, and unapologetic lyrics. We all knew that we were about to experience something quite special. As the sonic saga began, drummer Vishesh Singh sat behind his kit, awash in blue and purple lights, as the anticipation grew more intense. The intro track for “Gaddaar” echoed throughout the theater before the bombastic bass, gnarly guitar riffs, and the thump of the drums shook the walls as the entire band burst onto the stage to metaphorically say, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an electrifying evening filled with raw energy enshrined in a mesmerizing tapestry of sound that defies conventions.”

The crowd began losing themselves in the pounding intensity, their bodies moving in sync with each thunderous beat as Sarthak Pahwa wailed away on his dhol. The band seamlessly migrates from the thunderous “”Gaddaar” to “BSDK.exe” from their most recent release Rakshak that couples a more hip-hop vibe on the verses with a crushing guitar rhythm from Karan Katiyar throughout the rest of the track.

Adorned in their fusion of metal attire and traditional Indian clothing, twin vocalists Jayant Bhadula (vocals and growls) and Raoul Kerr (rap vocals) commanded a powerful presence as they ran through “Aaj” with its hypnotic flute licks and downright brutal lead vocals. The five minute long song pushed the audience into heightened frenzy before slapping them across the chin with “Dana Dan”. Which had Raoul Kerr rapping/screaming “I put a fist through the face of a rapist and yeah, I taped this. For the viewing pleasure of the nameless faces he disgraces.”

Up next was the more mellow and chill track “Jee Veerey” that featured more of Karan Katiyar’s enigmatic flute playing along with a more melodic yet still intense vocal delivery from Jayant Bhadula as he sang in his native tongue.

The track “Zanjeero Se” was followed by “Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot)” which truly showcased the rhythmic prowess of drummer Vishesh Singh and dhol master Sarthak Pahwa. It was so enthralling to watch Sarthak perform on such a simplistic instrument and to make it so vibrant and energetic. His playing transports Bloodywood’s music to a completely different level.

As the set reached its crescendo, it was obvious that the sweat-drenched band had poured their hearts and souls into every note. Wrapping up their set was the sing-along inducing “Ari Ari” that left the crowd breathless and drenched in the passion that radiated from the stage.

But… There is more. As an encore, the band jumps back in to the opening track “Gaddaar” thus cranking up the mosh-pit’s intensity to eleven, causing every person down front to expel every ounce of remaining energy from their bodies.

It was incredibly refreshing to see a band that, in some magical way is able to unite people regardless of age, background, or nationality. To see people connected by their love of the music and a band. The shared experience created an atmosphere of camaraderie and acceptance, where strangers become friends, and barriers dissolve in the face of the music.

Unfortunately, this was the last stop on Bloodywood’s North American tour, save some festival dates. Hopefully, they will be returning to the states soon. If you have the opportunity to see them live, do not sleep on it. I promise you will not be disappointed.

In the meantime you can get more info at: www.bloodywood.net/

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

Wednesday 13 invades Harrisburg bringing in the spooky season and lots of fun.

Published

5 days ago

October 22, 2026

Ron

Wed13 is on tour now with Above Snakes and they bring the Halloween spirit and a good time.

This was my first time getting to see Above Snakes and they put on a good show, they get the crowd pumped and ready for the show and adding a lil cover mix of popular 90s songs deff got the crowd even more into it. The lead singer kinda reminds me a lil of Edsel from Dope but with a little bit of his own personal flavor. The band deff has a great sound and got the crowd pumped up.

Wednesday 13 brought the spooky stage set with him with pumpkins and all kinds of spooky stuff. I love when it’s a headliner show cause you know you’re gonna get much more than an opening short set. I love that they played “Ghost of Vincent Price” right into “Something wicked, this way comes”.

We also got to hear the classics and some murderdolls songs as well. Wednesday brought back the backwards mask of himself and the headless version of him, and he threw out candy this time from a bucket not from the nether regions.

It was great to see the full band, and hanging out with my good buddy Ashes and his new stage grill he wearing. Such a great show as always and a great time getting to see Wednesday 13 play but see him during the spooky season just makes it better.

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

LIVE AND LEWD TOUR: BALTIMORE

Published

1 week ago

October 19, 2026

Ron

NATHAN JAMES AND GENITORTURERS CAME INTO BALTIMORE BRINGING SOME METAL, SOME MOSHING AND SOME SEXY PEOPLE.

Before Nathan James hit the stage, Empire Extreme got to sit down and talk to him about the tour, music, career changes and movies. Check it out below.

This was my first time seeing Nathan James live and I was excited to check out his style of nu nu metal. His energy and stage presence is amazing and he just commands the stage and gets the fans super hype. Though his music is very agro aggressive at times, Nathan himself is a very soft spoken and just an all around nice guy. I love that during his rendition of Pure Imagination he had an all female mosh pit. It was great to see him interact with his fans as well. Such an awesome show.

Of course when it comes to Genitorturers you’re gonna get some skin and sin. Which is what we all want. Gen looked and sounded amazing and the set was a good blend of classics with a few new ones added in. This is a tour you don’t wanna miss, when it comes to your city go and check it out.

About Author

Ron

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Concert Reviews

Revocation Brings “20 Years of Torment” to Preserving Underground

Published

3 weeks ago

October 6, 2026

J. Scott Holland

A Twenty-Year Assault in the Basement

There’s something almost cruel about scheduling a show this heavy on a Sunday night. But when Boston’s Revocation rolled into New Kensington for their “20 Years of Torment” tour, the Preserving Underground faithful didn’t seem to care about Monday morning. They came to worship at the altar of technical death metal, and the four-band bill delivered a sermon in pure brutality.

Preserving Underground is a record shop and venue housed in a former church which has become a vital hub for Pittsburgh’s heavy music scene. With its intimate main stage, a record store on the first floor, and the basement venue there’s an undeniable charm in seeing a band as technically demanding as Revocation in a room this size. The lack of distance between band and crowd makes the musicianship hit differently. You’re not watching from the nosebleeds; you’re standing close enough to see every fretboard contortion, every stick hit, every bead of sweat.

Weeping: A Suffocating Start
New Jersey’s Weeping opened the night with a set that lived up to their name, suffocatingly heavy sludge and death-doom that felt like standing in a tar pit. The band’s crushing tempos and sudden bursts of chaotic blast beats set the tone for what was to come: no filler, no crowd-pleasing banter, just pure sonic weight. For a band tasked with warming up a room on a Sunday, they did the opposite. They made it feel like the walls were closing in.

Fuming Mouth: Buzzsaw Death Metal
Massachusetts’ Fuming Mouth followed with an entirely different kind of assault. Their HM-2 fueled nasty, grinding, buzzsaw guitar tone is the kind of thing that makes the hairs on your arm stand up, and live, those riffs hit like a freight train. The band’s blend of death metal and metallic hardcore brought the energy, but the band’s frontman was all punk attitude. The pit was off and running (or two-stepping), from the first song and frontman Mark Whelan, threatened the crowd to keep it up all set. Fuming Mouth is one of those bands that sounds massive on record but somehow even bigger live. A testament to the sheer force of their delivery.

Defeated Sanity: Technical Devastation
Germany’s Defeated Sanity were the night’s wild card for anyone unfamiliar with their catalog, but by the end of their set, it was clear why they were on this bill. Technical brutal death metal is a niche within a niche, and Defeated Sanity occupies a space in that niche all their own. Mind-bending time signatures? Yes. Slam riffs that land with the impact of a demolition ball? Absolutely. The band’s precision was staggering—the kind of performance that makes you wonder how four humans can lock into patterns this complex without derailing entirely. For fans of extreme technicality, this was a masterclass.

Revocation: Twenty Years of Torment, Zero Signs of Fatigue
And then came the main event.

Revocation has been at this for two decades now. Empire of the Obscene dropped in 2008, and since then, Dave Davidson and company have released seven more albums of increasingly intricate, aggressive, and gloriously heavy music . The “20 Years of Torment” tour is a celebration of that legacy, and the band treated the Preserving crowd to a set that spanned their entire discography.

From the moment the band took the stage, the energy in the room was relentless. Davidson’s guitar work remains a thing of wonder. The way he shifts between technical precision, thrash riffing, death metal groove, and wild, almost jazzy solos without ever losing the thread is why he’s one of the most respected guitarists in modern extreme metal . His signature red guitar, with matching Nikes cut through the mix with razor clarity.

But if there’s one member of Revocation who deserves more recognition coming out of this show, it’s Ash Pearson. The drummer is criminally underrated. Watching him live makes it obvious how much he contributes to the band’s sound. His speed and precision are impressive, sure, but it’s the control and feel that stand out even with a photographer hassling him at the kit (not me)… He can unleash absolute hell when the song demands it, yet everything stays locked in and musical. The double-kick work was ridiculous. The transitions were razor sharp. Pearson has been behind the kit for years, and he deserves to be mentioned alongside the more celebrated drummers in modern extreme metal.

The newer additions to the lineup: rhythm guitarist Harry Lannon and bassist Alex Weber have clearly gelled with Davidson and Pearson. Lannon’s rhythm work provides a rock-solid foundation that allows Davidson to soar, while Weber’s bass lines were thick and propulsive throughout the set. The current iteration of Revocation is firing on all cylinders.

The set-list drew from across the band’s catalog, with a healthy dose of material from the new album, New Gods, New Masters. That record that was released in 2025 and finds the band exploring themes of AI and its detrimental effect on us, along with the technological dystopia, and the human tendency to worship new gods of our own creation. This came with the exception of bassist Alex Weber’s use of it. Which got called out on stage by singer Dave Davidson. Songs like “Confines of Infinity” and “Dystopian Vermin” translated live with crushing intensity, their lyrical paranoia matched by the music’s unrelenting aggression.

Revocation’s music is extreme for extreme times, as Davidson has said. Tonight, in a converted church basement in New Kensington, that mission statement felt more relevant than ever.

The Verdict
Four bands. Four distinct approaches to heaviness. One unforgettable Sunday night.

Revocation’s “20 Years of Torment” tour is a victory lap for a band that has spent two decades refining their craft without ever compromising their intensity. If you have the chance to catch this tour, don’t hesitate. And if you haven’t been to Preserving Underground yet, you’re missing out on one of the most vital venues Pittsburgh has to offer.

SETLIST
– Nihilistic Violence
– Scorched Earth Policy
– Fracked
– Confines of Infinity
– The All Seeing
– Data Corpse
– Of Unworldly Origin
– Dismantle the Dictator
– Chaos of Forms
– Summon the Spawn
– Only the Spineless Survive
– Bound by Desire

About Author

J. Scott Holland

Scott is one of the newest additions to the Empire Extreme team of misfits. He is a printer by trade, who moves to the beat of his very own drum. He is also an avid cyclist and seeker of new music and bands,

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