Reviews

Trivium: Pittsburgh Show review

Published

11 months ago

May 29, 2023

It’s May, and for any music lover, that is a sight for sore eyes. That means we have officially entered the season for all the best concerts. For me, kicking off my concert season with a Trivium and Beartooth co-headlining tour last week was certainly a treat. A night of energy, amazing stage performance, and an audience that could bring the entirety of Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, crashing to the ground. It certainly was an amazing way to start the season on a high note.

Kicking off the show, you had Archetypes Collide, a metalcore band from Gilbert, Arizona. The band is slowly making a name for themselves in the metal music world, first being featured on Sirius FM’s Octane Test Drive with their track “Your Misery” and now with their latest self-titled album release and rising chart song “Parasite”. While keeping the crowd already at a high energy level, they also included a tribute to one of the greats, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, by performing a cover of “One Step Closer”. This band is certainly going places, and one day I hope to hear their name as the headliner.

Moving on to the next band, you normally have to cross the pond to hear Malevolence, a heavy metal band from South Yorkshire. This band formed in 2010, and since then has released three studio albums and have managed to develop their own independent record label, MLVLTD Music. They were most definitely a fun mix-up for this awesome lineup and a great lead-in to our first half of the co-headliner duo, Beartooth.

I haven’t seen such a high-energy performance for a decent amount of time, and that was until Beartooth took the stage at AE. Opening up their set with “Devastation”, the band came in swinging after an anticipation lead-up of Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” , and the energy never stopped. Playing popular songs like “Disease”, “Riptide”, “In Between”, and their latest release, “Sunshine!”. Along with so many more, the band kept the crowd going from start to finish. To close out their set, the band played “The Last Riff” in which the band’s frontman, Caleb Shomo, parted the crowd like the Red Sea and walked to the back of the house to play from the soundboard. It certainly was a really cool exit and an excellent lead-up to our final band of the evening, Trivium.

Being around since 2003, Trivium certainly has a wide discography to choose from when creating a show-worthy setlist. With the release of their latest album in 2021, In the Court of the Dragon, the band must’ve definitely played off of that title with the set-up of their stage presence, with a Tibetan temple vibe. They had dragon statues on either side of the stage and a big built-up level for drummer Alex Bent. They also made sure to perform several songs from their more popular 2005 album, Ascendancy, including their closer, “Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr”. Which certainly sent the audience out on a high note after a great evening.

About Author

Shelby Tyce

See author's posts

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.

See author's posts

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

See author's posts

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.