Reviews
M3 2021 Festival Review
Photos: Shane Gardner aka Rock N Roll Socialite
M3 The worlds most bad ass festival for all things 80s rock and roll. This year M3 celebrated with the nation on the nations birthday the Fourth of July weekend. You know there’s gonna be killer tunes and lots of hair when you come to Maryland for M3.
Friday started off with The Iron Maiden’s kicking off the festival. If you haven’t seen The Iron Maiden’s you’re missing out, it’s the best of both worlds, kick ass Iron Maiden songs with kick ass females rocking out the tunes. This was an amazing way to start off the weekend.
Next up was Tokyo Motor Fist which has Ted Poley of Danger Danger and Steve Brown of Trixter. Mixing up the setlist with original songs and a few of the songs from each band like “Bang Bang” from Danger Danger and “Give it to me good” from Trixter.
Slaughter was next on the stage, I’ve heard some say that they felt that Marks voice was off that night but I felt that he sounded great. I think the sound guy had some of the vocals way to loud the first night. Slaughter killed it on stage with songs like “Mad about you” and of course “Up all night”.
Since this was the first night of M3, you know that it has to end with Kix, but before Kix hit the stage since it was the Fourth of July we had to have some fireworks. Then Steve Whiteman and the guys from Kix ended the night like they always do with bad ass tunes that make not only you dance but get Steve moving and a Groovin on stage. Kix pulled out some deep cuts this time along with the songs like have been a stable for Kix.
Also on Friday I got to help my boys in The Metal Summit, talk to Hurricane a little that day, Hurricane would be playing the next day. But all in all Fridays M3 was great, I think people were excited about having live music back and being able to hang out and see old and new friends.
Saturday started early in the afternoon. With our boy Chip and Enuff Z’Nuff opening up the day. Hurricane who we interviewed the day before were playing today as well. The Original BulletBoys killed it not only onstage but also in the interview that I helped with The Metal Summit guys. It was great to see the band back together and they sounded amazing and really truly felt the friendship and togetherness backstage with them as well. Another highlight of the day was Steven Adler and his band. Singer Ari Kamin is such an amazing frontman and the band that’s in front of Steven is amazing. Accept and Queensryche killed it and stole the night away. I only got to hear about 2-3 songs of Accept before going to the double tree hotel to help Metal Summit interview Scott Griffin from Riley’s LA Guns. Accept from what I hear destroyed the stage, The little bit that I heard sounded bad ass. Unfortunately the clouds opened up and it staring to rain during Queensryche which made lots of fans leave early to get out of the downpour.
Sunday at M3 I feel was the best day of the festival, the lineup was stacked and good old friends and new friends were aligned. Little Caesar opened up the day with their style of gritty/dirty rock and roll. Little Caesar was one of 4 interviews that myself and the Metal Summit would be doing this day. Now in my opinion the best band was Pretty Boy Floyd. I might be a little bias because behind the man Steve Summers his band was backed up with my friends. Eric Griffin (murderdolls) Ashes(DevilDriver) and Nick Mason (Living Dead Drummer). Again myself and the Metal Summit interviewed Ashes and found out that they only had 3 days to practice with this lineup, but it was super tight and like I said was my favorite set of the whole festival. Pretty Boy Floyd played “Leather Boys with Electric Toys” album in entirety. This day had so many killer sets from Faster Pussycat, to Lita Ford who still sounds and looks amazing. Lita got me happy because I got to hear “Cherry Bomb” and “Close My Eyes Forever. To Great White, Warrant, which they did a tribute to the late Tawny Kitaen and Night Ranger ending off the amazing festival. We ended up hanging with Ari who came out to sing the National Anthem for the 4th. Myself and Metal Summit sat down with him and talked a little. M3 was also blessed to have Mark “Weissguy” Weiss who’s hands down one of the best rock photographers ever, working with anyone and everyone from the 80s.
Overall the festival was bad ass and rocked so much. It’s what everyone needed from dealing with 2020. The sun was out and the heat was coming from both on stage and from the sky. It was great seeing old friends and meeting new ones. The fans were happy and exited, the staff were happy and friendly. It was a great experience and can’t wait for next year’s M3 to come back and be even more bad ass. Eddie Trunk was a blast as always to see and hear from this time bringing both Jim and Don with him from That Metal Show.
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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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Review by Josh Drespling
This album is fresh and filthy. A heaping serving of nasty bass, thunderous guitar, and intense angry vocal mix with DJ scratching and slammin’ grooves that congeal to form a monstrous cyclops. The monster that is Resistor not only pays homage to the musical past, but they also forcefully migrate the genre with what they have christened “knuckle-dragging wika wika core.”
When asked about the album, the Long Island, NY, quintet’s bassist, Ian Schneider, said, “I want everybody who listens to it to have a stank face for as close to 29 minutes as possible.” And the ten-track album delivers grooves that hit with enough tectonic force to do just that.
The follow-up to the band’s 2023 EP So It Begins and their 2025 EP HEADCASE opens with the track “Born 2 Break.” The first sound is the crackle and feedback of a loose 1/4-inch guitar cord being plugged in, followed by four strums of a dissident yet thin guitar sound. This is quickly obliterated by a pummeling disturbance that could easily make the head of an uninitiated listener explode from pure brute force. Pick drags, guttural screams, and a bombastic rhythm destroy your speakers within the first fifteen seconds of the album. Led by a nasty bass riff bathed in a tone that had to have taken months or even years to dial in. The earth-shattering bass coupled with coarse vocals is ripped to shreds by the DJ’s scratching, followed by an earthquake-inducing rhythm. This opening track, which after a brief two minutes and forty-seven seconds leaves you needing to gasp for air.
L33CH
“L33CH” is the second track, and it follows suit and feels like a continuation of the previous song, “Born 2 Break.” Clocking in at just two and a half minutes, this bombastic ditty will make your ears bleed. Full of guitar noise similar to an early Slipknot, cymbal crashes ring out in the quiet spots. This is the first track where you can hear the multiple vocal styles from the band. I’m not sure if it’s just the single lead vocalist, Anthony Grambo, performing all the vocal parts or if another member is pulling double duty. As there are low guttural screams, high-pitched shrieks, and rapped parts all bathed in aggression, angst, and thunder.
Dead Soul
“Dead Soul” is next and has been released as the lead single on this notably short album. It is what the band calls “the perfect introduction to this record.” It features a hip-hop bounce that tempers the brutality while proclaiming the band’s “Fuck you” mantra. With lyrics like “Always running your mouth. I’m casting you out. We built this shit that you know nothing about.” You know that Resistor is not here to play games. This one starts with some frantic scratching and brutal screams by Grambo, kicked off by a “Sit the fuck down” bellow. This, coupled with the samples and/or guitar ambience, makes this song another track that could have been stripped off a Slipknot album. The track pummels you for over three and a half minutes but seems to fly by in a matter of seconds.
The band has described “Dead Soul” as “what to expect from the next nine songs.” In terms of the meaning, it’s a big ‘Fuck you,’ which tends to be our motto and a central theme.”
BITE THIS!
This title track explodes from the speakers like an atomic juggernaut. The understated guitar riff is dirty and disgustingly aggressive in its simplicity. Then there is a “bass break” that will make your windows rattle with sonic pleasure. And the samples just make it go even harder.
PETTY FUCK
A frenetic beat and a jagged, down-tuned chug fuel the sonic bloodletting of “PETTY FUCK.” True to its title, “Petty Fuck” channels frustration and defiance into an unapologetic expression of resentment. Bassist Ian Schneider noted the song’s message is “loud and clear,” adding that while there aren’t a ton of expletives, “there are enough.” Built on thick, punchy riffs and a rhythmic bounce that locks into a head-nodding groove while maintaining aggressive momentum, a signature element that sets Resistor apart from their contemporaries.
LOVE SONG (BULLSH!T)
This is anything but a love song. Maybe somebody needs to reach out to these guys and offer up a heartfelt hug. In all seriousness, this song slams as hard as the previous five songs on this release. There are some interesting samples/DJ/production work going on in this song. It makes for a headbanging, fist-pumping song full of hate and venom.
LEARNING TOOLS
Oh my, the chug at about the 2:15 mark is going to make you drive 100 miles per hour, followed by a decadent guitar decay that leads perfectly into the next track, “Frozen at 29.”
FROZEN AT 29
Noisy, sludgy, down-stroke guitar blasts you face-first into this track whether you like it or not. Distant screams echo through the track, exuding despair and regret. Haunting keyboard draws you in as the agony of Grambo’s vocals echoes in the distant background, giving a bit of a Deftones feel. The track ends with some futuristic computer noises that clean your audio palette in preparation for “XXL.”
XXXL
Turntables snake around the guitars, practically choking out feedback, and Grambo delivers his anthemic state of the union, “This is big boy revolution!” And is that somebody imitating the Fat Boys following the extended vocal growl towards the end of the track, or maybe a sample? Inquiring minds want to know.
FEEL LIKE SHIT
The finale “FEEL LIKE A SHIT” is caustic and cathartic. Slamming you in the face with distortion that will rattle your teeth. Against this backdrop, Grambo bellows, “It only gets worse.” Leaving you wanting more as the album winds down and the final cymbal crash rings out.
This album is a giant step forward for the band. It has a nu-metal feel, bathed in hardcore, married with a DJ’s sensibility. The exclusively live instrument feel makes the anguish, fear, and worry come screaming through the speakers with genuine emotion, catchiness, and above all, heaviness. There is what seems to be genuine chemistry between the five distinct musical identities of the members. The turntables add texture that feels essential, while the bass tone and riffs can knock you on your ass. The album balances brutality with head-nodding grooves, and considering it clocks in at just 29 minutes, it doesn’t overplay their hand.
With production being handled by Randy LeBoeuf (Acacia Stain, Misery Signals, Counterparts, Thy Art is Murder, Every Time I Die, Unity TX, Kublai Khan TX), it is clear that this is just the entry point for Resistors’ journey in the musical world. The album will be released on March 27, 2026, on all the platforms and can be ordered on WeAreResistor.com.
Also check out the Empire Extreme interview with Resistor’s drummer Pete Smith here.
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Hollywood, CA (August 20, 2024) — It is 2024, and W.A.S.P. is celebrating 1984! 40 years ago, the landmark debut album from W.A.S.P. was released on August 17, 1984, and the metal world was knocked on their ass!
The W.A.S.P. “Album ONE Alive” Tour celebrates the debut album by playing the album in its entirety, from start to finish.
To give the fans something every week to celebrate W.A.S.P. is giving away…
• 10 pairs of tickets a week for the length of the US tour.
• Silver Award – Blackie is also giving away each week of the tour two personal meet and greets in his dressing room. In HIS dressing room!
• Gold Award – One lucky fan will win Blackie’s personal certified RIAA award for the debut album.
• Platinum Award – And the Grand Prize, one fan and a guest will be provided airfare and a luxury Hollywood hotel to the final show in Los Angeles, meet the band and stay for the after show, end of tour party.
W.A.S.P. can only celebrate 1984 once and they want to do it big!
To enter all you have to do is visit and enter your email address:
https://forms.gle/WU5wE3K4BbmaBSQv9
It was recently announced that Armored Saint will be replacing Death Angel on the tour. W.A.S.P. issued the following statement: “W.A.S.P. is pleased to announce that Armored Saint will now be joining the “Album One Alive” Fall 2024 U.S. Tour. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Death Angel will no longer be able to be a part of this tour. We all wish them the best going forward.”
Tickets and VIP packages available at WASPnation.com/tour
THE ALBUM ONE ALIVE WORLD TOUR 2024 DATES:
10/26/24 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater*
10/28/24 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/29/24 Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
10/30/24 Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
11/01/24 Calgary, AB The Palace Theatre
11/02/24 Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
11/03/24 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
11/04/24 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
11/05/24 Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
11/07/24 Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore
11/08/24 St Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theatre
11/09/24 St Charles, IL @ The Arcada Theatre
11/10/24 Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
11/11/24 Toronto, ON @ History
11/13/24 Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
11/14/24 Quebec City, QC @ Theatre Capitole
11/15/24 Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
11/16/24 New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom At Manhattan Center
11/17/24 Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
11/19/24 Cleveland, OH @ The Agora Theater
11/20/24 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
11/21/24 Stroudsburg, PA @ The Sherman Theater
11/22/24 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
11/23/24 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
11/24/24 Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live
11/26/24 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
11/27/24 Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
11/29/24 Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
11/30/24 San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre
12/01/24 Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
12/03/24 Little Rock, AR @ The Hall
12/04/24 Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
12/06/24 Albuquerque, NM @ REVEL
12/07/24 Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee Theatre
12/09/24 Tucson, AZ @ The Rialto Theatre
12/10/24 San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues
12/11/24 Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
12/12/24 Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
12/13/24 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
12/14/24 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
* No support acts.
About W.A.S.P.
Few bands in the history of rock n roll have ever incited the love, the hate, and the raw emotional effect this band has had on the world. From the very beginning, in the small venues of Los Angeles, California, and later to the numerous countries worldwide that banned these Winged Assassins from performing live, the band’s unique style of shock and rock caused religious organizations, local city councils, parliaments, and the Washington D.C. Senate to hold hearings in an effort to bar this group from selling records and trashing stages everywhere they played.
The band’s founding member, frontman Blackie Lawless, has led the group as its lead vocalist and primary songwriter since its beginning. His unique brand of visual, social, and political comment took the group to worldwide heights and sold millions of records alongside a legacy of sold-out shows across the globe for 4 decades.
https://www.facebook.com/W.A.S.P.Nation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/waspnationofficialgroup/
https://twitter.com/waspofficial
https://instagram.com/waspnationofficial
https://youtube.com/@WASPNationOfficial
https://www.threads.net/@waspnationofficial
https://www.bandsintown.com/a/7553
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