NYS Music 20​13

Author: Upstate Metal

  • Papa Roach will be performing at Rock on the Range

    Papa Roach med res press shot Oct 2012_LROriginating from Vacaville, California, amazing rock band Papa Roach, who we all have grown to love over the many years has returned to the main stage at Rock on the Range for the fourth time since their last performance in 2010.

    The band first started in early 1993 with high school friends, Jacoby Shaddix (vocals), Dave Buckner (ex-drummer), Will James (ex-bassist), Tobin Esperance (current bassist) and Jerry Horton (guitar) meeting each other over the years and created something incredible. They chose the name Papa Roach from Shaddix’s step-grandfather, Howard William Roatch, whose nickname was Papa Roach.

    Papa Roach released their debut and self-produced record, Old Friends from Young Years, in February 1997. In 1999, the band signed with DreamWorks Records and in 2000, released their debut major-label triple-platinum record, Infest, with the hit single, “Last Resort”. In 2003, the band released their third gold album, Lovehatetragedy, with the first single being, “She Loves Me Not”. Though it did not sell as well as the first record, it was marked as a change in their music style, from nu-metal to rock. By 2005, the band released their fourth platinum record, Getting Away With Murder, with the two leading singles, “Getting Away With Murder” and “Scars”.

    2006 and 2007 were changing years for Papa Roach, as Shaddix lost his great-grandfather who committed suicide after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The band gave their respect to him with their fifth album, The Paramour Sessions, as well as while playing live performances of one of their songs, “Roses On My Grave.” On April 25, 2007, it was announced that Dave Buckner was leaving the band due to personal issues. He was replaced with Papa Roach’s current drummer, Tony Palermo. In 2009, the band announced their sixth record, Metamorphosis, with the leading singles, “Hollywood Whore”, “I Almost Told You That I Love You”, and “Lifeline”. In 2010, the band switched record companies to Eleven Seven Music and released their seventh record that same year, Time For Annihilation, with the leading single, “Kick in the Teeth”. Their recent record, The Connection, was released on October 2, 2012, with the hit single, “Where Did the Angels Go?”

    Papa Roach has toured with Nickelback, Motley Crue, Halestorm, and many more. Last summer, they were part of the Uproar Festival and shared the stage with Shinedown, Godsmack, In This Moment, and Adelitas Way.

    This is one of the highly anticipated performances at Rock on the Range and one that will have the crowd buzzing with excitement.

  • Halestorm taking the stage at Rock on the Range

    halestorm

    Hailing from Red Lion, Pennsylvania, Grammy winning band Halestorm is always ready to hit the stage with their mind-blowing performance, giving all of their 110%. Started by the Hale siblings, Lzzy (vocals/guitar) and Arejay (drums/vocals) have been actively writing since then, taking music lessons at a very early age. In their teens, they released their first EP, Don’t Mess With the Time Man in 1999. Current members, Joe Hottinger (guitar) and Josh Smith (bass), joined the band between 2003-2004.

    halestorm2

    By 2005, the band signed with Atlantic Records and released their first official live EP, One and Done, featuring an early live version of their hit single, “It’s Not You”. April 28, 2009, the band released their self-titled debut record, the leading single, “I Get Off” and the second single being “It’s Not You”, which was released as a single in November 2009. “Familiar Taste of Poison” and “Love/Hate Heartbreak” were 2010’s singles, both accompanied by music videos. Halestorm released an EP, ReAnimate, featuring covers of “Out Ta Get Me”, “Bad Romance”, and “Slave to the Grind”.

    By January 2012, Halestorm released their second EP, Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde, supporting the release of their second record, The Strange Case Of…, which was released on April 10, 2012. Because of their single, “Love Bites (So Do I)”, Halestorm became the first female fronted band to top the active rock charts. In 2013, the band won their first Grammy in the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Category for their single “Love Bites (So Do I)”.

    halestorm1Halestorm has been known to tour with bands such as Shinedown, Papa Roach, Chevelle, Trapt, and Three Days. In the summer of 2012, they were part of the Carnival of Madness Tour, co-headlined by Chevelle and Evanescence. Lzzy’s powerful pipes can be heard in songs such as Shinedown’s “Breaking Inside”, and their unreleased version of “Shed Some Light”, Adrenaline Mob’s cover of “Come Undone”, and recently, a duet with David Draiman, “Close My Eyes Forever.”

    Halestorm will be making their mark at Rock on the Range this year for the fourth time. This is a definite must-see performance.

  • Interview: Brian “Head” Welch & JR Bareis of LOVE AND DEATH

    The lights dim down at the Upstate Concert Hall, only things really lit are the banners that represent the upcoming band.

    Three band members step onto the stage; a young man with long blonde hair and his eyes were decorated with zig-zag eyeliner, held a guitar, indicating his role in the band. The bassist wore whiteout contact lenses and a long sleeved striped shirt. The drummer, sat behind his kit in dark clothing, hair in front of his face, a bit difficult to see. Finally, the man we all knew from the band we all love, made his presence known when he stepped onto the stage with his arms crossed in front of him. Suddenly, a different kind of metal started to play from the speakers. Throughout the speedy setlist with the cover of Korn‘s “Blind”, a sea of bobbing bodies took over the venue mixed with head banging and fist pumping. The music was incredible and fresh, but the big question was: who is this band? Ladies and Gents, introducing the band combined with Korn and Pantera (“Korntera“, if you will), Love and Death, featuring Brian “Head” Welch from Korn as their lead singer.

    Upstate Metal’s Kate Drexel had the incredible opportunity to interview Brian and the band’s lead guitarist, JR Bareis, in one of the cozy backstage rooms with black leather couches. Among the many topics, the history behind Brian’s nickname came to light. “I was named it when I was a kid, my head grew before my body hit puberty and so they made fun of me.”

    After sharing a few laughs, the topic changed to Love and Death and how Brian recruited the members through YouTube auditions. “To save time, ’cause I didn’t want to fly people out because everybody lived in different states, so I was like, ‘I’m not gonna fly no one out, I don’t got that cash nowadays’ and I can tell if they’re a good fit, like just listening to them and watching them play and just feeling their vibe.” However, JR felt very differently about the auditions, having to do it locked up in his room and rock out like he was on the stage “It’s awkward…it’s weird and I didn’t move around as much when I first joined but after playing a lot…I went from playing worship music to like this band so it was a big change.”

    When asked about his biggest influences, Head gave off quite the list from AC/DC to Pantera. JR told Head that he was his biggest influence in both a joking yet serious manner, changing the subject to the release of the first Korn record in 1994, JR not born yet whilst Drexel was two years of age at the time, and mentioned that he was in college. After sharing a few more laughs, the influences topic returned, Head spoke of another big influence, Rage Against the Machine. “We took that passion and took it to a more darker, trippier place, but they are a huge influence. I’m surprised more people didn’t connect that… we all love that type of music and we did it right with his album, so we’re happy.” Head revealed that all of their songs come from JR (who he referred to as Gary) to which he responded that it comes to him randomly and all of the songs written were used on the album. “I think, back in Korn and stuff, I think God inspires all gifts for all different kinds and I think they all, like in Korn in back in the day, like corn came from Him, they got cloudy from all the drugs and stuff, and the drinking so we couldn’t write good stuff, anymore, like towards the last couple of years that I was there, so now I just believe that it all comes back from God, too because He’s the giver of all gifts,” explained Head. Drexel then told Welch that she currently attends a Catholic college where they have a bit of a conversation of the school’s environment.

    When asked about how the band became part of the In This Moment tour, Welch mentioned that it had something to do with the band’s management and was unsure on how they got to be part of this incredible opportunity. As for their downtime, “Sleep….I don’t have a lot of downtime lately, which is pretty cool because I’ve had a lot of downtime before but it just seems like…but I like to read and just get filled up spiritually in my catholic school…I read a lot of catholic books, that’s my high.”

    Love and Death is scheduled to play at this year’s Rock on the Range. Be sure to catch them on tour and check out their record, Between Here and Lost, because this is one you will not want to miss out on.

  • Review: TRAPT, 3 PILL MORNING, and ACIDIC

    Monday night, Acidic,3 Pill Morning and Trapt rocked the small local venue of Brighton Music Hall, where Kate Drexel was able to catch the show and do interviews with 3 Pill Morning’s lead vocalist, Jeff Stebbins, and Trapt’s Chris Taylor Brown.

    The mixed chatter that bounced off the brick walls of Brighton Music Hall died down as soon as the lights dimmed. The show was about to begin with Hollywood’s favorite small band, Acidic, opening with one of the tracks from their recent record, “Drive Thru”. The crowd began to warm up to this entrancing, incredible sound and vibe the band gave off. Before the second song, “The Brave”, Mike Gossard (vocals) dedicated it to the people of Boston for their strength, referring to the recent marathon bombing. Through the speedy setlist, Mike introduced the next song, a cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together” and invited Trapt’s drummer, Dylan Howard, to do guest drumming along with their drummer, Matt Whitaker. Gossard ran through the crowd while singing soulfully and jumped onto the bar, taking everyone by surprise. He made his way back to the stage to continue the setlist with the performance of “Satellite”, “Copper Man” and “Strata Red”.

    After Acidic’s killer performance, it was 3 Pill Morning’s turn to blow everyone out of the ballpark. The chatter once turned into cheers once the lights dimmed and their ears were filled with a song with electronic beats. The band members came on stage one by one dressed very formally to the theme of their latest record, Black Tie Love Affair. They began with “Revolution” and once the song ended, the electronic beat was back. Before their second song, “Nothings Real”, Stebbins introduced the band to the audience then proceeded to perform. “I Want That For You” had the whole crowd jumping, a sea of bobbing bodies. In the middle of the set, Stebbins toasted to Boston. The speedy setlist ended with their well-known single, “Loser” and “Skin.” This was one very explosive, energetic band that connected with their fans. “We’re just turning that live show into something that’s special instead of sitting at home, not doing anything or listening to the CD on Spotify. We want people to come out and have that experience with us,” said Stebbins after the show, when asked to describe their live performances. Next to hit the stage, the main event, Trapt.

    The anticipation grew immensely as the crew set up the stage for Trapt. Finally, the cue that it was time for them to make their presence known. The audience cheered drunkenly and wildly as the whole band stepped upon the stage. The lights shown upon Chris Taylor Brown’s face as he asked the crowd the question that was the title to the first song, “Who’s Going Home With You Tonight?” By the end of that song, Brown dedicated their second song, “Waiting”, to the strength of Boston causing the crowd to cheer very loudly. He gave a very powerful, spin-chilling speech before the performance of their third song, “End of My Rope”. “Bring It” had the concertgoers bouncing to the rhythm of the song. Occasionally, Brown brought out his guitar to a few of the songs. The way the lights hit the stage while Trapt was playing gave off a very intimate feel, and a sense of connection with the fans was very evident. Before each song, Brown gave incredible explanations behind those songs and performed them with great energy. The setlist ended with their latest single, “Love Hate Relationship”, “Still Frame” which had the audience jumping yet again, “Stand Up” and of course, their very famous single, “Headstrong” to which the audience sang along and bounced to. “It’s just one of those songs that’s kind of like the attitude of what we’re about, that’s not being trapped and not feeling the way we did and freeing ourselves from the confines of everything that you are automatically thrown into and it’s that attitude that we’re not gonna conform into anybody’s will and we’re always going to be headstrong,” explained Chris, when asked about the story behind the song.

    All in all, incredible, energetic vibes and just the kind of show Boston needed after what they went through. This was the night that the headstrong band met the headstrong city.

  • DOOMSDAY DEVICE, Raw Local Hardcore Act with Promise

    dd

    A fairly young hardcore act, Doomsday Device are some fresh new faces bringing their own style to the local hardcore scene. Based in true, heavy, hardcore roots, this band is not afraid to get as absolutely heavy as possible.

    These guys bring “getting low” to a whole new level, honing a brutal, down-tempo sound consisting of chugging guitars, deep screams, and powerful rhythm. Their Facebook Band Profile only has two rough demos of songs up to get the idea of how these guys sound. Now, when I say “rough demos”, I mean really rough. There’s no professionalism or gloss to it, and is often off-time and somewhat hard to distinguish instrumental tracks.

    However, this doesn’t detract from the sound they are going for. These raw recordings contain all the power and brutality they are trying to convey, and at this stage in their band’s existence, that’s fine. They are able to demonstrate some sizable talent among all the members of the band, and the rawness of the recordings demonstrates a certain carefree attitude that allows you to enjoy the music the way they must: purely and honestly. These guys are not afraid of showing flaws, they embrace it.

    As good as a professional record sounds, they seem to respect the human element of recording music just as much, and this attitude deserves respect. I’d say that they have some growing to do both as musicians and as a band on the whole, but they show promise to do so. Their demo songs “Curse of the Walkers” and “The Turning Point” dabble in vocal effects, acoustic guitar, sound effects, and other creative “spices”. This shows that as heavy as they’re trying to be, they also welcome different ideas and are willing to experiment.

    However, one thing is certain: no matter where they decide to go from here, Doomsday Device are going to improve and broaden their musical horizons, and will always keep things as heavy as you can imagine.

    You can check out Doomsday Device here and give them a “like”:

    https://www.facebook.com/DD315

  • Maria Brink Comes Home: In This Moment at Upstate Concert Hall

    The crew at Upstate Concert Hall began to set up the stage for Maria Brink and the chatter amongst the crowd blended together. Some excited squeals and cheers emerged from their mouths as the crew placed two stands with stacked skulls, which were then moved to a box positioned in the center of the stage. Two more stands were positioned on opposite ends of the stage. A wool carpet was put on top of the box and two old-fashioned twin metal headboards that had sheer shredded pale pink fabric draped over them, on each side of the box.

    maria brinkTwo fans placed on either side, next came banners reading IN THIS MOMENT with an image of a hand holding an apple, dripping blood that represented the theme of their new record, Blood. The crew team then placed two white shiny mannequins with red markings, one on each side. Finally, a white sculpture with melted faces and swords sticking out was arranged in front of the box; a piece of a catacomb wall, if you will. Smoke glided elegantly across the stage…overall, a very eerie setting that raised a question that everyone was thinking: What do they have in store for us?

    maria brinkFinally, the lights dimmed and a familiar drumbeat filled the ears of fellow concertgoers, Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, that quickly faded into mixed creepy whispers, belonging to “It is Written”, off of Blood. The whispers ended and the song changed to the very first track from the record, “Rise With Me”, cuing Albany’s angel of metal, Maria Brink, to make herself known. She stepped upon the stage wearing a white hooded cloak that covered her one-piece latex outfit with nude stocks and two white straps wrapped around her knees. She made her way to the stage, the fans blowing up her long blonde wavy hair, the blue hue revealed her dark, smeared eye-shadow. Through her mic headset, she sang the lyrics to “Rise With Me”, and with that, the rest of the band members emerged through the thick mist. The song then changed to their current single, “Adrenalize”, the fast paced drumbeat energized. Maria gripped the skull stands as she whipped her hair wildly to the rhythm of the song and danced provocatively.

    After performing “Blazin’,” Maria Brink went to the back of the stage to change her outfit (a button down oxford shirt, a very short plaid skirt, and a cone hat that had the word: WHORE written in red) for their second next song, “Whore.” With her moves, she made metal seem very sexy. The next outfit was her white latex one-piece; this time she had two flowy white sheets attached to her arm. Maria encouraged her ever-adoring fans to put their lighters up and to “burn” her, hinting the next song to play was “Burn”. Her powerful scream in the chorus of that song certainly gave the crowds the chills, especially the way the fan was hitting her “wings” and the smoke outlined the sheets…such an eerie scene. The setlist then relaxed into a slower song, “Into the Light”, when the setting changed a bit.

    White LED lights wrapped around the headboards, Maria sat in a chair that had a tube of LED lights wrapped around the legs and seat with a sheer cloth over it. Then Maria stood up and walked over to drummer Tom Hane’s perch and introduced him to the crowd as she went to the back to change her outfit for the next song. Hane proceeded with his killer drum solo; it was very fast paced, and it was clearly evident that he was really getting into it, as he whipped his long hair in a circular motion. Chris Howorth (guitar), Randy Weitzel (guitar), and Travis Johnson (bass) joined in during the solo, letting their crazy riffs rip through the venue.

    maria brinkOnce the solo ended, Maria came back on stage wearing her white Oxford shirt, the latex one-piece and a white navy hat with the smoke gun. She then screamed out the band’s well-known single, “The Gun Show”. Her piercing scream rang the fellow music lovers’ ears and bounced off the Upstate Concert Hall’s walls. The smoke shot from the gun whenever she screamed “WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW”. Fans mouthed along to the words, fists pumped the air, and some moshed to the song. Eventually the mood changed from sexy heavy metal to just plain sexy as crewmembers held up a white sheet and Maria wore shredded white wings on her arms. There was a white backlight that revealed her silhouette, as she waved her arms and danced to the rhythm of the drums. After the performance of “Aries”, a man wearing a bunny-mask and a tuxedo stepped up onto Maria’s box, and stood behind her as the band began to perform the second to last song, “Beast Within”.

    Throughout the song, she encouraged the fans to wave their arms in the air as well as danced with the Bunny-Man sexually. At the end of the song, Maria and the band left the crowd chanting, “More! More! More!” while some chanted, “Blood! Blood! Blood!” From behind the stage, Maria asked the crowd through the speakers if they wanted more, in response the crowd cheered wildly. She came back out with the band in a sparkly dress with shredded sleeves that dripped from her arms, with a hat that is quite difficult to describe. She then began to perform the epic finale, “Blood”, the band’s leading single off their latest record. Towards the end of the song, Maria encouraged the fans to sing the chorus with her and she brought her young niece up to the stage as well as introduced her family, who were off to the side. The song ended in a spine-chilling manner, leaving the fans in such a crazed buzz.

    maria brinkAll in all, the setlist was amazing, the set itself was very creepy and probably will continue to haunt the fellow concertgoers’ dreams, and Maria Brink with her beautifully bone-chilling scream will ring in their minds, as they remember the night In This Moment rocked the Upstate Concert Hall.

  • Review: EXODUS, Armor Column and more at UCH 4/22

    On Monday, April 22nd, Upstate Concert Hall welcomed a piece of thrash-metal history to the Capital District when Exodus and Armor Column took the stage. Supported by five, count ’em, five local acts, Exodus showed everyone in attendance why they are held in such high regard and continue to leave a wake of euphoric devastation where ever they play, even three decades after their formation.

    Anchored by guitarists Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt, along with drummer Tom Hunting, (each of whom have been, for the most part, playing under the Exodus flag since the early ’80s), singer Rob Dukes prowled the stage like a prize fighter daring someone to enter the ring, HIS ring. Bassist Jack Gibson, earning the misleading honor of being the most subdued band member, provided a firm, gut-bruising foundation, and together, Exodus whipped the faithful crowd into a maelstrom of pumping fists, spasmodic thrashing, and a sea of heavy-metal-devil-horns.

    While the relentless double-bass assault from Hunting’s kit and the infallible bassline from Gibson couldn’t be ignored, and were crucial to laying the groundwork, the main feature was the trio of Holt, Hunolt, and Dukes. With Duke’s menacing vocals and glowering stares into the entranced crowd, he worked like a sorcerer, controlling the masses. Every time he pointed to the crowd, as if on cue, they either broke into a frenzied mosh, screamed his words back to him, or simply flashed their horns. In spilt beer, sweat, and occasional droplets of blood, they shared a communion of sorts with Dukes.

    Whereas Dukes led the crowd in a way a paranoid person might categorize as brainwashing, Holt and Hunolt captivated the audience by obliterating those brains with blistering solos and blitzkrieg metal riffs. Their double-axed offensive was as tireless as it was astounding. The speed and precision of their runs in solo was impressive enough, but when done in tandem, it resulted in a room full of wordless, appreciative screams and bellows from the testosterone charged throngs. Well before the first break in the music, Exodus left no doubt that no matter the miles and years they’ve accumulated, they are still a mighty force to be reckoned with.

    A quick roundup of the supporting bands:

    Protocol 7 served as a worthy opener, setting the stage with their fast and furious style, complete with gas masks. Only a broken E string on their bass guitar made an early end to their caustic set.
    https://www.facebook.com/protocol.seven.7?fref=ts

    Hollow is Thy Name kept the testosterone pumping, delivering an unflinching set that was short on chit chat, big on cajones. It was like a Clark Kent-to-Bizarro transformation when A.J. Justiniano took off his glasses.
    https://www.facebook.com/HollowIsThyHeartMusic?fref=ts

    Dolabra took the stage next and showed off their seasoned chops, with solid contributions from every member. While the front of the stage was nowhere near empty prior to their set, empty space was hard to come by without a fight once they launched into their opener.
    https://www.facebook.com/Dolabra?fref=ts

    Armor Column flew their flag onstage next, led by amazing Rob Halford-esque vocals. But they are no knock-off act, as top-to-bottom, they did their thing and owned the stage during their short time on it.
    https://www.facebook.com/ArmorColumn?fref=ts

  • Preview: SHINEDOWN, BUSH and AIRBOURNE

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    Shinedown hits the stage at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA with Bush and Airbourne, May 1st. This will be the second time Shinedown is in the Massachusetts since their co-headline tour with Three Days Grace in February.  This will be the band’s first time touring with Bush and Airbourne.

    Shinedown:

    Originating from Jacksonville, Florida and Memphis, Tennessee, Shinedown has been through the beautiful and ugly things in life, always coming up with incredible songs, ones that will haunt their fans for a long time. This four-pieced band consists of Brent Smith (vocals), Zach Myers (guitar), Eric Bass (bass/piano), and Barry Kerch (drums). The band has released four albums in the last ten years, successfully selling 6 million of them worldwide with a total of 16 singles. Their latest record, Amaryllis, was released March 23rd with leading single “Bully.” Shinedown has managed to put on incredible shows in the past; no doubt they will do an amazing job with this upcoming event.

    Bush:

    Named after Shepherd’s Bush in London, England, where the band originated, Bush is considered one of the most successful rock bands of the 90s, selling over 10 million records globally. Band members consist of Gavin Rossdale (vocals/guitar), Chris Traynor (guitar), Corey Britz (bass) and Robin Goodridge (drums). Bush has released five records over the last 11 years, with a total of 17 singles. Their latest album, The Sea of Memories, was released September 13th, 2011, the leading single “The Afterlife.” With their performance, there is a strong feeling that Bush will bring back the 90s.

    Airbourne:

    Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Airbourne’s hard rock music has been commonly compared to classic rock band, AC/DC. Members are the O’Keeffe brothers, Joel (vocals) and Ryan (drums), David Roads (guitar), and Justin Street (bass). In the past ten years, two records have been announced with a new one in the works, pending to be released May 21st of this year, with a total of six singles. Be prepared to be blown away by the band that could be the next AC/DC.

    Overall, a night filled with excitement and a kick-ass line up of three powerful pipes is waiting May 1st. Be sure to catch the show! It will be an unforgettable night.

  • EVERYONE DIES IN UTAH Kill the Lost Horizon on April 6th with Local Support

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    Last Saturday, April 6th, Everyone Dies In Utah came to the Lost Horizon in Syracuse on their Dark Hearts & Open Eyes tour with The Overseer and Bleach Blonde. To support them were some of the finest upstate metal acts: Redfield, Meira, and Turn the Tide. This show was exactly what it promised to be; a showcase for up-and-coming talent in the various forms of underground music. While the bands all did very well and had good energy, the crowd seemed less enthusiastic. I’m not sure why this is the case, but by the end of the night, EDIU most certainly made the crowd come alive.

    Local metalcore sextet Turn the Tide opened the show and did what they always do; they “kept it metal”. Their high-energy stage presence and tight stage-move choreography kept things interesting, on top of talented musicianship and vocals. Not even drummer Mike Hopper’s overhead microphone falling on top of his drum set could stop the flow of their musical onslaught. However, being the first band has some serious drawbacks, and the crowd didn’t really give these guys as much energy as they deserved.

    Following them was Meira, a metalcore quartet that sounds like there are way more people than that. Playing songs from last year’s debut EP, Closure, plus a new song, these guys brought their dark, brutal sound to the stage with full force. The crowd started to pick up a bit as they went on, and some dedicated fans revealed themselves and sang along with them. They showed a lot of promise and cohesiveness with just the four of them, and proved that they are not messing around.

    Redfield, a local fan favorite, was the last local band to play. This metalcore act has gone through some lineup changes to date, and I think some of it showed. The vocals and rhythm section were spot-on, and brought the familiar partying energy we’ve all come to know and love, but it seemed as though at least one of the guitarists were new to the band and still needed to learn parts of some songs. However, vocalist Travis Bartlett carried the energy they are known for and engaged the crowd well, and induced some singing along of their newest songs.

    Pop-punk band Bleach Blonde were next, and they created some mixed feelings. They have a light, fun sound, and the music itself was performed excellently. Their drummer truly stood out with his skill and fills, but the whole band kept it together very well. That is, except for the singer. I don’t know if he couldn’t hear himself or what, but I don’t think he sang one note on key the entire show. That wouldn’t be too big of a problem if he wasn’t also boring on stage. This may sound harsh, but I think this band would have a much more promising future with a different singer.

    The Overseer, the last supporting act, took the stage by storm and brought some life back to the crowd after the previous band had finished. With their engaging stage presence, musical skill, and varying effects, these guys most certainly made a good impression on the crowd. They proved to be nice guys too, hanging with the other bands and talking to the audience about Syracuse University in the Final Four between songs. This band is definitely one to watch, because as good as they already are, it can only go up from here.

    When Everyone Dies In Utah took the stage, it was like a tidal wave. Strobe lights, keyboard effects, and brutal postcore music seemed to completely revive the crowd. It seemed many of the people in the crowd came to support the local bands, which is good, but the ones that stuck around to see EDIU were most certainly impressed. Somehow, they are able to combine brutally heavy verses and breakdowns, super catchy choruses and riffs, and electronica all into one distinct sound. They also proved to be nice guys, taking the time to talk to me for an interview after taking down the massive amount of equipment they had.

    Here’s my interview with Everyone Dies In Utah:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogBYZeFC330

    My interview with Meira:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSKIMvHpQvs

    My second interview with Turn the Tide:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0NRs6AyRvA

    (Here’s my first interview with TTT, just so you’re all caught up and learn everyone’s names…):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTaX0cJz_N0

    www.facebook.com/315MusicReviews

  • MushroomHead Comes to The Lost Horizion April 23rd!

    Cleveland bred group MushroomHead will be taking the stage April 23rd at the Lost Horizon. Forming back in ’93, they began as a side project of various other local musicians.

    Their over the top stage performance and wild, mind-tripping sound and masks they wear caught on so they decided to take it up another level by making it an official band. Throughout the years they’ve gone through line-up changes and have a solid group now, and even downsized a bit; I bet it’s easier on the roadies! 13 years in the underground, 6 amazing studio albums, how can you not want to witness these guys live? Local bands such as Elephant Mountain, Meira, Wagner 3000, and Dear Mr. Dead are playing in support.  Show some local support and get ahold of the bands for some pre-sales priced at $15. Show starts at 6pm and doors open at 7pm be there!

    Elephant Mountain:

    A stoner-rock Syracuse native band, Elephant Mountain formed back in ’09 in a practice space with the birth of two songs that night. They’ll be returning to the stage on this night to support MushroomHead and to showcase a new drummer. There also maybe a surprise in-store so let’s see what the night may bring.

    Meria:

    This Syracuse based metal-core band released an ep back in in September titled “Closure”. You can find a digital copy in their BandCamp for free but if your feeling not so cheap in these tough times throw ’em a dollar! They’re also competing to be on the Warped Tour in Buffalo, Ny. If you want to cast a vote go to this link and show some more love:

    http://www.battleofthebands.com/u/meiraofficial

    Wagner 3000:

    One man’s sick music dream on an acid trip is all I can say about these guys.

    Dear Mr. Dead:

    A 5 piece band hailing from the ‘cuse area also not classifying themselves as anything but rock ‘n’ roll! But if you wanted to place a title on them you could go with Godsmack meets Disturbed.