On December 15, 2019, Children of Bodom played their final show in the Helsinki Ice Hall. A fitting venue for the Finnish band who had been plying their trade of Melodic Death Metal with a distinct influence of Classic Hard Rock for over twenty years.
Mayhem have one of extreme metal’s most *ahem* colorful histories. With that notoriety along with their groundbreaking and phenomenal album, De Myseriis Dom Sathanas, Mayhem has always been the black metal band to check out when you first discover the genre.
Following on from the acoustic Live in Leeds show and 2020’s Galactic Quarantine performances, the third of Devin Townsend‘s Devolution series, Devolution #3 – Empath Live In America (InsideOut Music) was recorded on the Canadian’s ill-fated tour of the US which had to be cut short due to the Covid pandemic.
It seems live albums are making a comeback. A slew of metal bands are releasing live albums in the coming months, perhaps in response to the ever-rising price of concerts these days. Add Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats to the list of live albums dropping this summer, though their release takes you back in time. Continue reading
It is now coming up to three years since the tragic passing of Power Trip frontman, Riley Gale. A true performer and metal legend from the beginning of the musical career till the end. Acting as both a testament and memory capsule to Gale’s memory and legacy comes a live album from the band’s vault from 2018, deep into the band touring the seminal Nightmare Logic.
This weekend saw fans of Industrial music flocking to a pair of shows in Texas. A three-band bill consisting of Unitcode:Machine, The Hunger, and headliner Stabbing Westward promised an evening not soon forgotten. Friday night was in San Antonio at Paper Tiger and Saturday was the Scout Bar in Houston. Both are one thousand plus capacity (at least according to fire code) and feature powerful sound systems that render earplugs inadequate. Tying all everything together is the fact that lead singer for Stabbing Westward, Christopher Hall, has been working with the other two bands on their music and even producing the latest albums from both of them. The setlists and performances stayed the same at both locations and were well worth seeing twice.
Clutch have announced a new series of live show recordings, titled PA Tapes – a decade on from boldly declaring, “If you’re gonna do it, do it live on stage, or don’t do it at all’ in their acclaimed single “Earth Rocker.” The series comprises four meticulously mixed and mastered live shows from around the world and launches today with the band’s show on August 23rd, 2022 at Vega in Copenhagen. Renowned for their captivating live performances, the four handpicked shows reflect some of the best live atmosphere, giving fans globally a chance to experience the energy and excitement of a Clutch concert from the comfort of their own homes, whenever they like. Legendary for changing the setlist every night, with each band member taking turns in the hot seat, Copenhagen’s songs were selected by groove guru Jean-Paul Gaster. The setlist spans the band’s career, including tracks from their widely praised, most recent album Sunrise On Slaughter Beach.
Portugal’s finest mercurial sons Moonspell‘s knack for reinvention while still holding true to their core elements is scarcely paralleled in all of dark music; a master class in constant growth. They have always deserved to be considered one of the most important world metal bands. “Metal” however is also too limiting a boundary for them, even though it is in the blood which beats through their lycanthropic hearts.
Last year, UK metalcore masters Architects showed a new side of their souls with their ninth album For Those That Wish To Exist (Epitaph Records). Now with their performance at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, each song shines in its full potential for a historic mark in the band’s career.
It’s been thirty years since Symbol of Salvation (Metal Blade Records) first landed on record shelves around the world and to celebrate, LA metallers Armored Saint present Symbol of Salvation Live (Metal Blade), a show recorded at New York’s Gramercy Theatre in 2018 where the 1991 classic was played in its entirety to an overjoyed and packed house.