Reviews

Opeth/Mastodon Pittsburgh Show Review

Published

2 years ago

April 27, 2022

It was a warm beautiful day for a concert on April 24^th, Stage Ae was host to Mastodon, Opeth and Khemmis. The crowd came out in masses for this event to hear their favorite bands. Mastodon and Opeth have been figureheads for many years in the progressive metal circuit. Both bands have vast catalogues of albums to attribute to their tenures as bands. Khemmis the show opener fit perfectly on the bill with the two seasoned veterans to round out the bill.

Khemmis took the stage first, hailing from Denver the band has a traditional heavy metal feel which blends in elements of black, death and stoner metal. The bands heavy tone rang out and bombarded the crowd with twin guitar solos, and dual vocals from guitarists. The vocals would range from clean to semi distorted while the music was full and would hit you like a wave. To hear more of the band, pick up their latest release Deceiver which came out on Nuclear Blast in 2021.

Opeth took the stage next. Over the years Opeth’s stage production has grown, tonight the band had LED screens across the front of the drum and organ riser. These screens along with the elaborate light show, and the band’s music really have enhanced the experience of watching Opeth live. Talking about the music set for the night the band played hits from several of their last releases. Fan Favorites The Ghost of Perdition and The Drapery Falls got the crowd really moving while The Devil’s Orchard brought a more psychedelic feel to the show which complimented Mastodon’s own stage show.

Mastodon live up to being true metal show man, the band was very energetic on stage; guitarists Bill Kelliher and Brent Hinds would often go front side of stage and stand on monitors raising their guitars to the crowd throughout the night while bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders would flail his bass around onstage while belting out songs. The bands own stage production was very comparable to Opeth’s, having light settings of Blues and Purples to going off the path with brightly multicolored backdrops encompassing all the colors. The band played a heavy list of songs from Hushed and Grim while peppering the crowd with familiar singles like Teardrinker, and Mother Puncher before bringing the show to a close with the classic Blood and Thunder.

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George Archibald

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Related Topics:Empire Extreme featured Mastodon Opeth

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Reviews

Collective Soul “7EVEN YEAR ITCH” Greatest Hits 1994-2001 Vinyl

Published

4 months ago

January 4, 2024

Ron

I’ve always been a big fan of Collective Soul and have been lucky to have seen them a few times. This band has always been in my music mixes since the 1990s.

The vinyl release is exactly what you would want for a greatest-hits album. All the best songs that collective soul had from 1994–2001 If you were a teenager or an adult in the 90s, you can’t tell me that you didn’t jam out to songs like “Shine,” “Gel,” and “December.”

With other great songs like “Heavy,” “Run,” “The World I Know,” and “Forgiveness,” This greatest hit album sounds amazing on vinyl as well. Craft Recordings has done a really great job of keeping the magic and sound of these amazing songs.

The sleeve cover has some cool photos of the band throughout the years. This vinyl just came out in Collective Soul fashion in December, and is ready to be part of your vinyl collection, and just brings you back to a great time in life.

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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Reviews

Otep – Hydra 10th Anniversary Vinyl

Published

5 months ago

December 15, 2023

Ron

I received a copy of the album, and when I first opened it, the artwork struck me first. Otep has always been a great visual artist, with her amazing drawings and characters. I even have one of them tattooed on myself. When you see the artwork on this vinyl release, you will really be drawn in and appreciate the artistry.

The sound of this vinyl is amazing. It’s been years since I’ve listened to anything on vinyl and forgot how much I loved the sound of the medium compared to CDs and digital releases. I love the songs on this album because, as with all Otep albums, it has such raw power and emotions, mixed with the anger and beauty of Otep’s poetry. Otep is one of the greats.

The album starts off with the track “Rising,” and this initial song sets the tone for what you’re about to hear from the balance of the album. The standout tracks on this album have to be “Necromantic,” “Apex Predator,” “Voyeur,” and “Feral Game.” Over all, the album as a complete piece of art is amazing. I would encourage you, if you’re a fan of Otep or a collector of vinyl, to add this vinyl to your collection.

About Author

Ron

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Reviews

WEDNESDAY 13: Performs Muderdolls Lititz PA Show Review

Published

5 months ago

November 24, 2023

Ron

Wednesday 13 came into Lititz, PA, on November 18th, bringing the music, or The MurderDolls, with him. Continuing the legacy of Joey Jordison and Ben Graves.

Wednesday 13 is on a tour now; that’s all MurderDolls. 21 years have passed since Beyond the Valley of the MurderDolls came out, and 13 years have passed since Women and Children Last was released. Wednesday and his bandmates are sharing the stage with Infected Rain and Gemini Syndrome on this tour.

The show was amazing; this was our first time covering a show at Mickey’s Black Box. The venue, the staff, and our media contact were so hospitable. The venue was amazing, with a cool balcony on the second floor to watch the show as well.

We got to hear a full set of 20 MurderDolls songs, which was pretty much every song on both albums. There were some songs I haven’t gotten to hear in a long time, like “Grave Robbing USA”, “Drug Me To Hell”, and “Summertime Suicide”. Of course, it wouldn’t be a MurderDolls show if they didn’t play “I Love to Say Fuck” and finish the night with “Dead in Hollywood.”

It’s always a blast to see Wednesday 13 in concert, and I was so excited for the band that a lot of these shows were sold out. It was also a special night because it was my GF’s “50th” birthday and my buddy’s GF’s birthday the next day. We got the MC of the show, Don Jamieson, to give them a little birthday shout-out.

Although it’s sad that Joey and Ben are no longer with us, I’m sure Joey is loving that Murderdolls is still kicking ass after all those years, and I know that Wednesday 13 is so appreciative of what MurderDolls has done for his career.