MURDER TO THE LEFT…MURDER TO THE RIGHT. HORRAY FOR WEDNESDAY 13, STITCHED UP HEART AND DEAD RABBITS

The Dead Rabbits opened up and started the show off with great music, awesome rabbit masks, and “Escape The Fate” singer Craig Mabbit’s birthday. This was my first time being able to see the band live, and they put on a great show. With songs like “Dead by Daylight,” “Dead Again,” and “Deer in the Headlights,” Dead Rabbits got the crowd pumped for a good time.

Stitched Up Heart was up next, and it had been a while since they played in Maryland. The band has always put on a hell of a show, and singer Mixi always brings such energy and fun to the shows as well. She’s always talking to fans and being genuinely an amazing person. When she’s on the stage, you can tell she’s in her element. The crowd was really getting into them, and the band even got to have a little mosh pit. With songs like “To the Wolves,” “Catch Me When I Fall,” and “Sick Sick Sick,” Stitched Up Heart always puts on a hell of a show and gets the crowd pumped.

The Duke of Spook. MR. MOTHERFUCKING13. WEDNESDAY 13 was up next, and the crowd was ready to be shocked and rocked. Playing a good mix of Muderdolls In the Valley of the MurderDolls and Wednesday 13’s first “solo” album, Transylvania 90210. You know when you go to a Wednesday 13 show you’re gonna hear some fun songs, you’re gonna hear some great songs, and you’re just gonna have fun. I was excited to hear a few songs that I haven’t gotten to hear in a while, like “Ghost of Vincent Price,” “Rambo,” and “God is a Lie.” We also got to hear a few songs off the new album that comes out on April 25th called “Mid Death Crisis,” songs like “When the Devil Commands,” “In Misery,” and “No Apologies.

With the new album coming out Wednesday, Wednesday 13 has a new addition to the band: guitarist Ashes (DevilDriver, Static X) has joined the WED13 camp. Which is awesome because not only is he a good friend, he’s a kick-ass guitarist and just an all-around badass and great guy. Wednesday and the band came out for an encore and gave us a few more songs to bang our heads to, like “Slit My Wrist” and “Love at First Fright,” and ended the night with “I Love to Say Fuck,” in which, during the end of the song, Wednesday broke his umbrella, looked at just the handle, laughed, and used it like he was leading an orchestra.

It was a great night of music and hanging out with great friends. We got to celebrate the lives of MurderDolls Joey Jordison and Ben Graves. And the show just happened to be on Paul Gray’s (Slipknot) birthday.

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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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A packed crowd gathered outside the Roxian Theater in Pittsburgh tonight for The Cursed Tour featuring Paleface Swiss, Stick to Your Guns, and Nasty. The crowd was lined up across the front of the venue and several blocks down the street, with all types ready to get out their weekly frustrations this Friday eve. Hardcore, deathcore, and beatdown will be the soundtrack to usher in the weekend for all in attendance tonight.

Nasty would kick off things; this band comes from Belgium and has a metalcore/beatdown sound to them. Nasty also released their latest EP on March 14th, called Black My Heart, which features a single with tourmates Paleface Swiss entitled ‘Talk.’ From the first note, Nasty cranked the energy to 11, heavy riffs and fast, heavy vocals coming right down the barrel. The pit was going hard and fast with bodies careening into each other for the whole set. The band was just as energetic, pacing the stage while performing and running across the stage; vocalist Mathias even jumped down into the crowd for a part of the set.

With the crowd now primed and firing, Stick to Your Guns took the stage next. This Californian hardcore outfit dropped an album in early 2025 entitled Keep Planting Flowers. Their high-energy set had this Pittsburgh crowd bouncing to every song. The pit kept turning as crowd surfers were starting to come over the barricade now. The band played through many of their hits, “Invisible Rain”, “Keep Planting Flowers”, and “Spineless”, before wrapping up.

Paleface Swiss took the stage in a fury of angst. As soon as the lights rose after Un Pobre Nino Murio finished, the venue was in chaos. Vocalist Marc Zelli Zellweger ripped right into “Hatred”, pacing the stage as the crowd whipped into a frenzy. The music was fast and heavy as security had their hands full with moshers, crowd surfers, and occasional injuries along the way. The band played through “Nail to the Tooth”, “The Gallow”, and “Rivers of Sorrow” before throwing the crowd into another gear with “Please End Me”. The pace was unrelenting as the band came back out for an encore, closing out with the single Love Burns.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, heavy show, mark off the calendar to see The Cursed Tour. These bands came to play their asses off, and you won’t be able to stand still the whole show.

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George Archibald

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Terrifying North America Tour featuring Aborted, Ingested, Peeling Flesh, and Extermination Dismemberment at Preserving in New Kensington, PA, 3-2-2025

It was a bitterly cold Sunday, a biting cold as death metal fans lined the sidewalk in front of the old church, which is Preserving Records in New Kensington, Pa. Tonight the Terrifying North America Tour brings death metal veterans Aborted back to the Burgh. Aborted have frequented the Pittsburgh area over the last few years, having played the Roxian and building a solid fan base within the city. Along with Aborted is English death metal act Ingested. Also a season veteran in the genre, Ingested returns to the states with new vocalist Josh Davies and new guitarist Andrew Virrueta. Also opening up the tour is Extermination Dismemberment and Peeling Flesh, two bands making their rise in the scene.

Extermination Dismemberment kicked off the show. This band didn’t waste any time, grinding and slamming out of the gate; the pit was churning immediately. The band welcomed everyone for coming and made everyone aware they came from Belarus to kick their asses. The songs were filled with double bass, snare blasts, and fast-paced grinds; enough to make any hardcore enthusiast’s ears perk. When the band kicked into “Corpsepit”, the crowd was jumping up and down in unison before breaking out into chaos. The band closed out their set with “Omnivore”.

Peeling Flesh was up next; this band has been gaining quite a bit of attention in the scene lately. Having appeared on the Garza Podcast and hitting the road hard has helped in growing their following. Another slam from the start and count the bodies later band, Peeling Flesh came out in a fury. Pit churning, limbs flying, as straight out the game the band was bringing heat. “Mr. Nasty Time”, “12 Gauge Autopsy”, and “Bodega Bloodbath” really got the crowd moving. The band will throw samples and hip-hop beats in at times, then, like whiplash, head into another slamming breakdown. With snare bombs going off and bodies careening, it is like watching a car crash unfold.

UK death metal veterans Ingested took to the stage, opening things up with “Titanomachy”. New vocalist Josh Davies is full of energy and fits well into the shoes of former vocalist Jason Evans. The band sounded mean; slams and fast-paced breaks kept the crowd on its toes. These veterans know how to work a crowd, as surfers were now making their way onto the stage. Newest single “Alter of Flesh” really got the bodies moving; the band kept up the energy ripping through “Invidious” and “Cremated Existence” before closing with a wall of death on “Skinned and Fucked”.

Closing out the night was Aborted. The crowd was all fired up and had eagerly been awaiting these masters of macabre to take the stage. Vocalist Sven De Caluwe paced the stage like a madman. Known for his high-energy live shows, this crowd wouldn’t get a rest during the set. The band’s setlist was filled with heavy hitters; “Retrogore”, “Dreadbringer”, and “Death Cult” made the pit sway and churn. The band continued the mayhem, playing through “The Shape of Hate” before ending with “Hecatomb”.

Pittsburgh was such a gracious host for the Terrifying North America Tour. The crowd was enthusiastic, and the energy never dropped. If you are looking for a heavy death metal show to get the blood moving, this is the tour for you. 

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George Archibald

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