Concert Reviews
GWAR’S “Black Death Rager World Tour”
BRINGING HEAVY METAL AND INTERGALACTIC DOMINATION TO THE BURGH’
GWAR WITH CROBOT AND NEKROGOBLIKON
@MR. SMALLS – PITTSBURGH, PA -SEPTEMBER 16th, 2022
Photos and Review by Jason Sealand
How does one prepare themselves for an Intergalactic Invasion of apocalyptic proportions that spews bodily fluids and killer heavy metal riffs? That was the question of the night as I walked around the crowd at Mr. Smalls. Fans of new and old, piled in while giving up their best GWAR stories of shows from the past. Some HAB’S were more prepared than others. I myself have been to a few heavy metal invasions from our intergalactic overlords… I first jumped in the pit around 1997 at The Agora Ballroom in Cleveland. Halloween show if my memory serves correct. It’s been a while though and I wanted to see what the new album, The New Dark Ages was about and the line up of bands had me stoked as well. Let’s just say this assignment did not disappoint!
The night started for me as Crobot took the stage and laid out some uncompromising riff laden high energy rock and roll. The crowd seemed pleased, and I can attest, this is a band you do not want to miss live. Their newest album FEEL THIS released in June is some of their best offerings yet.
After a quick set change, I got the feeling that the next band Nekrogoblikon had landed and brought some fans in tow for support of their latest album, The Fundamental Slimes and Humours, released April 22’. The stage was surrounded, and the buzz was heavy. When the first chords were struck and John Goblikon hit the stage and laid out his best Jesus Christ pose adorned in his Sunday’s best white dress shirt and chinos, the crowd went insane. My second time catching this melodic death metal 6 piece. Yes, 6 guys on the stage at the same time at Mr. Smalls. It is indeed possible and Nekrogoblikon pulled it off and took it to the next level. Some highlights from their set were “Bones” and “The Magic Spider”. It’s been a few months since my ears have been so joyfully pummeled into submission and I feared that GWAR had nowhere to go after this set. But Nekrogoblikon did what they came to do, and the night was not over yet…
The crowd without a doubt needed a break after this set and as soon as it did you could feel the anticipation build for what was to come. I mean, it’s one thing to hear GWAR’s music on a record. It’s another thing entirely to see them live and experience the guts, blood, gore, and good times that is had. I myself wasn’t sure on how they would start out. The venue was covered in black plastic and fans adorned in white t-shirts and goggles. I was just hoping they would give me and my camera a break and give me the first song to get some shots in before I fell victim to the slaughter.
This was not the case, as a GWAR “fan” that came on stage spewing his hatred for the new version of the band saying they aren’t as good as they used to be. The lead singer, Blöthar the Berserker, faced the “fan” with a giant sword in hand. With one foul swoop, the annoying character was beheaded, and fake blood gushed all over the front row including myself. The band fired up the sonic wave of destruction and laid into their first song of the night, titled “The Cutter” off their new album The New Dark Ages.
I retreated and escaped most of the blood bath and tried to regroup and find a better perch to shoot the band from. I just didn’t know a few minutes later I would be on the side stage almost at arms distance from one of the greatest metal bands in existence.
This 17-song set was most impressive and had a good mix of new and old. The Intergalactic Overloads of Gwar landed in the Burgh’ and slayed most righteously as they enslaved the lot of us with their heavy metal riffage and gore. I’m blown away by how they circled back the ships and landed with such a great album. Check it out here: The New Dark Ages and companion graphic novel “GWAR In The Duoverse of Absurdity”, in which the band are sucked off into an alternate universe to do battle with their evil twins and the specter of rogue technology. while you’re at it check out their documentary This is GWAR .
Signing out from GWAR’s “Black Death Rager World Tour” in the Burgh. Until next time keep it Heavy and stay Metal! \m/
GWAR SETLIST:
THE CUTTER 22′
THE ISSUE OF TISSUE (SPACECAKE) 94′
BRING BACK THE BOMB 04′
NEW DARK AGE 22′
MOTHER FUCKING LIAR 22′
RISE AGAIN 22′
BORED TO DEATH 22′
SADDAM A GO GO 94′
RATCATCHER 22′
WOMB WITH A VIEW 04′
BLACK AND HUGE 88′
VENOM OF THE PLATYPUS 22′
BERSERKER MODE 22′
U AINT SHIT 88′
NONE BUT THE BRAVE 95′
SICK OF YOU 90′
FUCK THIS PLACE 17′
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Electric Callboy came into the Maryland/DC area at the MGM Harbor and brought fans of all ages—from old to young—along for the ride. They were joined on this tour by Scene Queen and Polaris.
Scene Queen delivered a seriously fun set. She’s fully embraced what she’s coined as “bimbocore,” and I absolutely love it—and so do the fans. The crowd was already moshing and crowd surfing early on, and they kept that energy going all night long.
Polaris, from Australia, brought the metal. This was my first time seeing them, and they absolutely brought the kind of raw energy that drove the crowd wild. They played a killer set and are definitely a band to keep your eyes on.
Electric Callboy was the headliner, and they brought the rabid fans with them. Lots of people were dressed up in signature Callboy attire, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen so many young kids in a metal show crowd. Between all the costume changes, confetti, and streamers, Callboy delivered a killer set. They always put on a hell of a show—and always leave me questioning Germany: why haven’t you chosen them as your Eurovision entry?
We got to hear songs like “Hypa Hypa,” “We Got the Moves,” “Pump It,” “Hurrikan,” and many more. They also had an intimate moment during the set, right in the middle of the crowd, with a piano—performing acoustic versions of “Fuckboi” and a cover of “Everytime We Touch.”
The entire show was amazing—such a fun and wildly entertaining spectacle. I can’t wait to see them again.
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Infected Rain is now on tour with Stitched Up Heart and Blackwater Drowning and made a stop at Zen West with local kick ass band Anoxia.
The night crackled with electric energy and thrummed with unforgettable music. I loved that every band on the lineup featured powerful female vocalists—each with her own distinct style and stage presence, yet all of them fierce, commanding, and absolutely a force to be reckoned with.
It was an absolute thrill to see Lena and Infected Rain again. I love how they continue to evolve as a band and as a core of incredible artists every time I catch them live. I’ve been a fan for many years, and I always relish watching them perform—especially the way Lena connects with the crowd and her fans, which goes far beyond what most musicians ever offer. I would love to see them chosen as Moldova’s Eurovision entry, because we desperately need more rock and metal represented on that stage.
If this tour is rolling into your city, do yourself a favor and go check it out. It’s a phenomenal live show—the bands don’t just kick ass on stage, but they also happen to be some of the nicest, coolest people you’ll ever meet. You will not be disappointed. Plus, they’ve got some seriously killer merch that you absolutely need to snag while you’re there.
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Resistor at Preserving Underground: Knuckle-Dragging, Wika-Wika Fury
New Kensington, PA – By the time Resistor took the stage at Preserving Underground on April 30th, the room had already been baptized. Inferious had spent their opening slot proving why they belong on this tour and Monochromatic Black followed suit. The crowd: sweaty, tired, and grinning stood shoulder to shoulder in the basement of a converted church, ready for the Long Island quintet to deliver the main course. They did not disappoint!
The “Knuckle Dragging Wika Wika Core” Arrives
For the uninitiated, a quick vocabulary lesson is needed. Resistor doesn’t just play heavy music; they’ve patented their own subgenre. They call it “knuckle dragging wika wika core”. The “knuckle dragging” part is the downtuned, beatdown-ready hardcore riffage that makes you want to punch a hole in the nearest wall. The “wika wika” is the turntable wizardry of Anthony Arce, a Manhattan-based DJ whose scratches and samples add an extra layer of chaotic texture to the band’s already ferocious sound.
And on this night, in the intimate confines of Preserving Underground, that sound hit like a freight train with no brakes. The band made up of Anthony Grambo on vocals, Anthony Conti on guitar, Ian Schneider on bass, Peter Smith on drums, and Arce on turntables launched into their set with the kind of immediate aggression that separates headliners from openers. Resistor brought a sharp, more hardcore-infused edge. The bass drum kicks vibrated your sternum. The turntable scratches cut through the mix like a knife. And Grambo? Clad in Selena t-shirt didn’t just sing into the mic, he seemed to be wrestling it for control.
A Set Built for 2026
The band had good reason to be confident. Just over a month before, Resistor released their debut full-length album, BITE THIS!. Produced by Randy LeBoeuf (Kublai Khan TX, The Acacia Strain), the 30-minute, 10-track assault has been described as “an aggressive trip with a hardcore ethos” that blends nu-metal’s cocky swagger with 21st-century heaviness.
Setlist highlights came fast and furious. Opening with “BORN 2 BREAK,” the band immediately established the night’s tone: pummeling, unapologetic, and laced with just enough turntable chaos to keep things unpredictable. “L33CH” followed, with Arce’s scratches adding an almost industrial layer of noise to the already dense wall of guitar. By the time they hit “DEAD SOUL” a track the band has called “the perfect entry point” to the album the pit had fully reignited.
The Secret Weapon: Anthony Arce
What sets Resistor apart from every other heavy band on this tour is the turntable. In 2026, seeing a DJ on stage at a hardcore show feels almost nostalgic. A throwback to the nu-metal heyday of the late ’90s and early 2000s. But Resistor doesn’t use the turntable as a gimmick. Arce’s contributions are woven directly into the fabric of their sound, from the extra chaos on “PETTY FUCK” to the almost Deftones-esque atmosphere of “FROZEN AT 29”.
Live, those moments hit even harder. During “LOVE SONG (BULLSH!T),” Arce dropped into a scratch solo of sorts, that had the crowd throwing horns and nodding in appreciation. It was a small moment, but it underscored something essential about Resistor: they’re not just heavy for the sake of being heavy. They’re heavy with purpose, texture, and a genuine understanding of how different elements can collide to create something new.
Closing Strong
By the time they reached the set’s final tracks “XXXL” and “FEEL LIKE SHIT” the room was a mess of flying bodies, raised voices, and genuine appreciation. The band didn’t overstay their welcome. They played, they destroyed, and they stepped back, leaving the crowd to catch their breath before Filth’s headlining set.
Verdict
Resistor proved exactly why they were chosen for this 10th-anniversary tour. With a new album that’s been called “nothing short of an aggressive trip” and a live show that delivers every ounce of that aggression, they’ve positioned themselves as one of the most interesting heavy bands coming out of the New York scene. The “knuckle dragging wika wika core” label might sound like a joke, but the music is anything but.
Catch them on the remaining dates of the Back To Tha Gutta tour if you can. Just bring earplugs. And maybe a change of shirt.
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