Concert Reviews

Corrosion Of Conformity – Live Life Loud Tour Review

Published

3 years ago

December 3, 2022

Pittsburgh, PA – By Jason Sealand

Corrosion of Conformity brought their Live Life Loud Tour to Pittsburgh with supporting acts The Native Howl and Spirit Adrift. The Pittsburgh show is their second to last stop of the tour as they finish up in Grand Rapids tomorrow.

Native Howl had the honors of opening up the show and they instantly injected an energy into the room as they totally knocked the audience off guard with a blistering set no one saw coming. The Native Howl play fast and tight as they infuse American roots bluegrass into thrash metal. Something they like to call “Thrashgrass”. They opened with the song “Harvester of Constant Sorrow” a 2019 single. Check it out here: The Native Howl – Harvester of Constant Sorrow Official Video. Below is one of my favorite shots of the night I got of Alex Holycross.

Next up was Sprit Adrift, which is a 2015 solo project start up of of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Nate Garrett, who is also from Tempe Arizona based Gatecreeper. Spirit is melodic, riff-forward doom metal which kind of reminds me of a Dio inspired Black Sabbath with some Maiden mixed in. They seem to have dumped everything that is good metal into their bags from metal legends of past and shook it up to deliver something new yet familiar to the ear. The crowd was headbanging for most of the set and the band set the stage for what was to come. Spirit Adrift is playing 3 more dates as a headliner and finishing up in Little Rock Arkansas at the White Water Tavern. A shot of Nate Garrett below:

When Corrosion of Conformity took the stage at Mr. Smalls Theatre this Saturday it was immediately clear that the audience was filled with metal heads looking for that COC fix, blend of punk and metal that the band is famous for. I got a peek of the setlist and was instantly stoked for what I was about to see. I knew it was going to be an incredibly loud and heavy setlist and I was not disappointed.

The band came out washed in the shadows with a cutting light of red hues as bassist Mike Dean opened the show with a deep yet rumbling chug of a doom bassline with a bit of audio feedback as the band took the stage before tearing into the opening song, “Bottom Feeder” Whereas headbanging was the preferred audience show of appreciation for the opening bands, an instant circle pit opened up. Anywhere you looked people were smiling and having the time of their lives. Corrosion of Conformity fans knew all of the words and they screamed them as loud as they could. COC fed off of this crowd energy and gave all of it back and more.

The setlist contained material from the band’s back catalog of albums and included the slow groove of “13 Angels” from Americas Volume Dealer along with “Who’s Got The Fire”. Before closing out the night with an encore containing “Albatross” and “Clean My Wounds” from 1994’s album Deliverance. The setlist flowed incredibly well with no drop in energy nor time to rest. Guitarist and lead vocalist Pepper Keenan, were joined by bassist Mike Dean, lead guitarist Woody Weatherman, and drummer Jason Patterson of Cry of Love who is currently sitting in. The band played tight and were totally in control and clearly loving the energy in the room, Corrosion of Conformity looked as if they were having as much fun as the audience. As a fan I cannot wait to see them again and I am keeping my ears to the ground hoping for any news as far as new material coming out.

I have included their setlist below.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY SETLIST:

1. Bottom Feeder (Wiseblood ’96)
2. Paranoid Opioid (In The Arms Of God ’05)
3. Shake Like You (Deliverance ’94)
4. Seven Days (Deliverance ’94)
5. Diablo Blvd. (Americas Volume Dealer ’00)
6. Senor Limpio (Deliverance ’94)
7. Wiseblood (Wiseblood ’96)
8. Who’s Got The Fire (Americas Volume Dealer ’00)
9. Stonebreaker (IN The Arms Of God ’05)
10. 13 Angels (Americas Volume Dealer ’00)
11. Vote With A Bullet (Blind ’91)
12. Born Again For The Last Time (Wiseblood ’96)
13. Albatross (Deliverance ’94)
14. Clean My Wounds (Deliverance ’94)

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY

SPIRIT ADRIFT

NATIVE HOWL

About Author

Jason Sealand

Jason is one of the newest talents that has joined forces with Empire Extreme. Not only is he a skillful photographer and journalist, he is owner and founder of Mad Viking Beard and Mustache Company and Brewtality Coffee Co. www.madvikingbeard.com

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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.