Reviews

Overkill/Prong Show review

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2022

On Saturday March 5th I was fortunate enough to catch the mighty thrash legends, Overkill come through on tour with Prong and their own brand of thrash & groove metal. Early in the first tour since the pandemic, the crowd had a heightened sense of excitement it seemed. Jergels, just outside of Pittsburgh, PA was packed wall to wall.

Opening the night was Cultus Black. With a blend of death and nu metal that harkens back to the early days of Slipknot. They took the stage wearing masks and face/body paint that seemed to represent aspects of their namesake. High energy, heavy riffs which gave way to surprising melodies interplayed with harsh screams and vocals. They played a tight set doing their best to warm the crowd up.

After which New York Citys Prong took the stage. With their unique blend of thrash, groove and industrial metal front man and guitarist Tommy Victor steamrolled through their set which consisted of sporadic songs from their 12 album career. Groove based riffs and thrashy drums drums kept the crowd singing along with old favorites like “Beg to Differ” and “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck” along with a personal favorite of mine. This was my first time catching them, and I definitely plan on catching them again soon. A solid set from a band with an obvious sense of experience.

Closing out the night was our headliners, The mighty Overkill from Old Bridge Township, New Jersey. Overkills prowess as a live band is something few can match. Vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, and bassist D.D. Verni have spent the better part of 42 years honing their craft. Taking their “Wrecking Crew” and working it into a well oiled machine. Rounding out their lineup is Derek Tailer on rhythm guitar, Jason Bittner formerly of Shadows Fall on drums, and Phil Demmel formerly of Machine Head on lead guitar.

Opening things up with what many consider to be their theme song, “Wrecking Crew” from their 1987 album Taking Over, they set the pace with an incredibly high level of energy. A pace that they kept up through the entirety of their set. As they made their way through classics like “Hello from the Gutter”, “Rotten to the Core”, “Horrorscope”, “Elimination” and “Necroshine” alongside newer songs like “Electric Rattlesnake”, “The Armorist” and “Ironbound”. They managed to keep up a level of energy that bands half their age couldnt hope to match. Fun interplay with the crowd kept things fun in between songs, Blitz seems to have a knack for crowd work that seems like he could be everyones friend. After a short break they came back for a punk themed encore. Punk classics like their own “Old School” and a medley of their cover of the Subhumans “Fuck You” and a cover of Motorheads “Overkill” rounded out the evening. I do believe most of us left that night with our necks totally “wrecked”!

Keep any eye out for either band to hit a town near you, they are currently on the back end of the current tour which wraps up in Stroudsburg, PA on March 19th. They are not a band known for sitting still long, I wouldnt be surprised to see more dates announced sooner rather than later.

About Author

JJ Ulizio

JJ has been a contributing writer and huge asset to Empire and Empire Extreme since the very begining. He is always digging for new bands and has a true heart and desire to see the bands grow and succeed.

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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.