CONCERT REVIEW: The 69 Eyes – Wednesday 13- Sumo Cyco – Suicide Puppets: Live at Reverb


The anticipation of the crowd was building for the show to begin. This was the moment they had patiently waited for. The final show of the run for The 69 Eyes, Wednesday 13, Sumo Cyco, and special guests the Suicide Puppets would happen here at the Reverb in Reading, PA.Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Poppy – VOWWS: Live At Brooklyn Steel


While sugary-sweet pop vocals coupled with head-crushing heavy metal doesn’t seem like a recipe for success, Poppy has been changing the game. We were there when she took the stage at Brooklyn Steel last month and saw firsthand what everyone has been buzzing about.Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Immortal Bird – Glorious Depravity – Concussion: Live at Union Pool


12/11/19, Union Pool, Brooklyn NY

Union Pool is a short train ride from my spot in Brooklyn, but admittedly I don’t get there often. I am not super cool and Ghost Cult is not “hipster important” enough in the Brooklyn music scene to have any kind of clout to get us invited to stuff there. Still, when a band as important as Immortal Bird comes through town, I get my ass to the place on time. Not only that the band is touring behind their amazing recent album Thrive On Neglect, out now on one of the premier labels in 2019, 20 Buck Spin. Coupled with the strong openers Glorious Depravity and Concussion, it meant it was going to be a sick time in an intimate venue.Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Tool – Killing Joke: Live at The Barclays Center


The massive Tool tour tolled into the New York City area in mid-November, and there were telltale signs this was not your typical happening. Sure, Tool is an “event” live and there really is no other show like it on earth. That is not an exaggeration. Take the best arena Rock or Metal show you’ve ever seen and ratchet it up to eleven! That is what we are talking about here. In addition to the power of the record-breaking release of Fear Inoculum (Tool Disectional, Volcano, RCA) we were going to get to hear new songs live, some for the first time ever. All the stress Tool fans felt about the wait for the album and how would it be received have all melted away. Time for this very big deal of a show. Continue reading


REVIEW: Rivers of Nihil – Black Crown Initiate, MØL, Orbit Culture Live at Mama Roux’s


With a lengthy and excitable queue having already formed well before the 7 pm opening time, you can already tell heading to Birmingham on a typically drizzly September evening is going to be well worth the effort. After disappearing for a few words with Rivers of Nihil drummer Jared Klein, I arrive back into the previously empty venue to find it heaving with activity. The bar area is already packed, beer flows freely and merchandise is being handed over at an impressive rate.Continue reading


Demons and Wizards – Islington Assembly Hall, London


It’s been twenty-one years since John Schaffer of Iced Earth and Hansi Kursch from Blind Guardian joined forces to create Demons and Wizards. It’s been nineteen long years since they released their self-titled debut album, and it’s been fourteen years since its successor, Touched By The Crimson King (Steamhammer), but after one of the longest prick-teases in metal, the Iced Guardian supergroup has finally arrived to play their first ever show in the UK. Continue reading


Gojira – Rolo Tomassi: Live at Birmingham 02 Academy, 29th June


It’s the hottest day of the year. Stepping outside feels like walking into a furnace, and the pollen count is so high that even the bees are saying “yeah, that’s enough, thanks”. All because apparently, the sun has arbitrarily decided that in the space of twelve hours, everyone in the UK has to die by melting.Continue reading