Tag: Life Of Agony

Best of NYS Music 2015: Staff Picks for Out-of-State Festivals

While most might dream of tropical getaways when it comes to vacation time, music fans accrue their days to travel across the country—or world—for weekends jam-packed with live performances, indulgent food and experimental fun. From the east to the west coasts to the Midwest, NYSMusic staffers traveled near and far throughout the year to see their favorite groups in action. Here we give you our top picks for out-of-state festivals of 2015.

Best Small Festival: Arise Music Festival, East Coast Tsunami Festival, Grand Point North Festival and The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival

With the growing number of small-scale festivals that seem to pop up each year, it’s no wonder that our team could not pick just one or two as their favorite—so we decided to include the ones we felt deserved an honorable mention. First up is Arise Music Festival, an event in Loveland, CO, that according to Andrew Wyatt “offers a spicy jambalaya of multi-cultural live music, electronic performances, art presentations, along with numerous workshops centered around eco-activism, social justice, and spirituality practice.” With nearly 100 musical acts, the three-day festival now in its third year featured the likes of the Polish Ambassador, Rising Appalachia, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Lukas Nelson, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Trevor Hall, Emancipator Ensemble, Ozomatli and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, among others.

Headlined by Wu-Tang Clan and Life Of Agony, the East Coast Tsunami Festival held in Reading, PA, treated hip hop, hardcore and metal fans to two full days of shows, including favorited groups Body Count, Mobb Deep, Murphy’s Law, Madball and more. And despite sound issues during day one, Jay Saint G. still dubbed the festival as “a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience.”

Up next is the Grand Point North Festival held in Burlington’s Waterfront Park with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Headlined by Vermont’s sweetheart Grace Potter, the fifth annual installment boasted two nights of music featuring Phish’s Mike Gordon, the Flaming Lips, Shakey Graves, Greensky Bluegrass, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers, among others, and special guests like Kenny Chesney who joined Potter to perform their single, “Wild Child.” Alexandra Provost and Laura Carbone noted that “as Potter walked onto the stage, her skin glistening from raindrops, the audience went wild” and that she “put on an astounding performance, showing off her piano, guitar and bluesy vocal skills.”

And finally the Werk Out Music and Arts Festival at Legend Valley, a venue favorited by the Grateful Dead in the ’80s. With a stacked lineup featuring the Werks, Papadosio, Dopapod, Lettuce, Umphrey’s McGee, the Floozies, Consider The Source, Break Science and Tauk, the sixth year for the Thornville, OH, festival “was as always a ridiculously good time for all who made the journey,” according to Ben Landsman. With three stages, a silent disco and one fan wedding,Landsman noted that “between the beauty of Legend Valley, the bright spirit of the fans, the innovative music, this festival is one of the treasures of the Midwest.”

Best Midsize Festival: Green River Festival
Honorable Mention: Aura Music and Arts Festival, Boston Calling, Camp Bisco, DelFest, McDowell Mountain Music Festival

Held at Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, the sold-out 29th annual Green River Festival was “fresh, exciting and invigorating,” according to Eli Stein. Featuring four hot air balloon launches, the family-friendly July event pulled out all the stops with a craft tent, Frisbee dog show, acrobats, karate demonstrations, swimming, a Mardi Gras-style parade and exotic local fare like elk, boar and venison burgers, a Korean food truck and kabob vendors. Throughout the three-day weekend, more than 40 performers ranging from Americana to dance, blues and jam graced the event’s three stages nestled in the foothills of the Berkshires, including Eilen Jewell, the Wood Brothers, Rubblebucket, Marco Benevento, MAKU Sound System, Langhorne Slim and the Law, the Punch Brothers and tUnE-yArDs, which Stein noted was the perfect mixture:

Musically, the festival served up a heaping slab of New England comfort food. The rest aforementioned activity, as they say, was just the gravy. Not only were the band selections great, they were clearly hand-picked and not just pulled off the nearest passing festival train. The music flowed wonderfully from set to set, and built to a nice peak at the perfect times. There was an evenness to the passion and approach of the musicians that made for a smooth transition no matter where you went.”

Best Large Festival: Gathering of the Vibes and Summer Camp
Honorable Mention: Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Hangout Music Fest, Lockn’ Music Festival, Peach Festival, Rock Allegiance, Rock On the Range

Celebrating its 20th year, Gathering of the Vibes offered up an impressive lineup with headliners Wilco, Weezer, Tedeschi/Trucks Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Ben Harper, Greg Allman and the String Cheese Incident. The late summer festival returned to Seaside Park in Bridgeport, CT, and treated fans to a super jam called Vibes 20th Anniversary Spectacular featuring Gov’t Mule guitarist Warren Haynes, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Meters founding bassist George Porter Jr., Marco Benevento on keys and Joe Russo behind the drum kit, plus Jackie Greene on guitar. Although the four-day festival will take a break in 2016, VibeTribers Julia Wolfe and Steve Olker recounted the last day of the 2015 event and dubbed this run as one that would set the pace going forward:

As the sun set over Vibes for the last time, [Ben] Harper closed out with his song “Better Way,” and it was finally time to head home. Seeing so many bands perform was both enticing and overwhelming at the same time, making leaving Vibes even more bittersweet. The range of genre, popularity, age and background is what makes Gathering of the Vibes separate from other festivals. After 20 years, Gathering of the Vibes has remained one of Connecticut’s most well-known festivals, and it’s attention to bringing about change while discovering your own inner peace is what will bring success for future gatherings to come. Until next time, thank you vibes for a real good time.”

With more than 100 bands over four days on seven stages, this year’s installment of Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL, saw a stacked lineup of bands like moe., Umphrey’s McGee, Steve Miller Band, Widespread Panic, STS9, Big Gigantic, John Butler Trio, Krewella, Trampled by Turtles, Keller Williams and Grateful Grass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Violent Femmes and many, many more. Festivalgoers also had access to on-site camping, the infamous late night Red Barn Shows, musician workshops, a nonprofit village, arts and crafts and unique food vendors, plus some impressive improvements. In Pete Mason’s review of the festival’s final day, he detailed what made the perfect ending to the much celebrated event:

The final set of the night to check out was North American Scum, an LCD Soundsystem cover band who might be the best band to close out Summer Camp. Members of the group are formerly of This Must be the Band, a Talking Heads band from Chicago, who have traditionally played one of the final sets at Summer Camp. This incredible two hour set featured the entire Sound of Silver album and, because everyone else was playing Grateful Dead songs, a spirited version of “Scarlet Begonias” to cap the night.”

Read more from Summer Camp Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4.

December 28, 2015
Birthday Bash at Starland Ballroom was a hit with Life Of Agony and Walls Of JerichoWalls Of JerichoBirthday Bash at Starland Ballroom was a hit with Life Of Agony and Walls Of Jericho

On Sunday December 6, Life Of Agony frontwoman Mina Caputo celebrated her birthday playing their last US show of 2015 and boy did they make it memorable. The show was held at Sayreville, New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom, and this was my first visit to the venue. Let me start off by saying how awesome that venue is. The stage is big, can be seen from just about anywhere, with a nice open floor with bars in every corner of the building. Great sound, great service and I would go back in a heartbeat.

Detroit hardcore outfit Walls Of Jericho opened the show with a small but stellar set. Like the headliners, this band has not been touring a whole lot and have been playing select shows so it was a real treat to have been able to see them. “Fuck The American Dream” was definitely the highlight of their set.

I was very giddy to be seeing Life Of Agony again. I was fortunate enough to have seen them a few months back at the East Coast Tsunami Fest, so I already had a grasp on what to expect. But this time through, there was more to celebrate and even better, Life Of Agony played a longer set. The band played just about everything off their trademark debut album River Runs Red and select songs off the rest of their catalog.

They kicked off their set with “Bad Seed” and right into “River Runs Red” and the crowd erupted. One thing that makes this band so special is the way they utilize and share the stage with one another. Guitarist Joey Z. and Bassist Alan Robert were constantly moving, with singer Mina anchoring the stage and using her golden vocals behind the mic. Its fascinating watching Mina on stage because of someone who is so physically small have the lung power to belt those songs out the way they’re meant to be heard out is really a sight to behold. And of course Sal Abruscato is a stud behind the drum kit. Everything sounded loud, clean and crystal clear. No feedback. Nothing overpowering.

Other highlights of the set included “Other Side Of The River” and “Respect” to me was the most fun to hear live, but later the band took a moment to help a fan have his moment. Just after performing “Lost At 22,” this fan was invited on stage to propose to his girlfriend (which takes LOTS of guts). Another special moment was Joey Z got the crowd to sing happy birthday to Mina which was lots of fun. But the most special moment of the night, Mina and Joey Z performed a very heartfelt tribute to Scott Weiland by performing an acoustic cover of Stone Temple Pilots “Plush.” Anyone familiar with that version of that song will tell you that they did that song JUSTICE.

The rest of the band came out and finished with a few more songs off River Runs Red and closed with “Underground” to put a stamp on what was the most memorable concert experience I have had the pleasure of covering in quite some time.

From what I gather, Life Of Agony is gearing up to a brief European tour in January, and no other shows have been announced as of yet. Obviously if we hear about it, NYS Music will let fans know, but the point is, this show was special moment, so if we are lucky enough to get more shows from Life Of Agony here on the east coast, you need to go see them.

December 14, 2015
East Coast Tsunami Made a Loud Splash In Reading

When you take some of the best hardcore, metal, and hip hop and throw them into Reading, PA over a course of two days? You get The East Coast Tsunami Festival. It was beautiful and chaotic that packs a punch to the mouth and ears that gets stuck in your system for days. That occurred to me when Wu-Tang Clan headlined the Santander Arena on Friday, September 25 and Life Of Agony finished everything off the next night over at The Reverb.

Let me take an opportunity to get the negative out of the way first. And it occurred on day one: sound issues. Never in all my years of attending concerts did I see so many sound issues that kept recurring for EVERY act that played on stage. People paid good, hard earned money to see their idols perform, and for the sound staff over at the Santander Arena should be ashamed of themselves. Countless times, microphones were either turned off or not working, ruining every performance. I give props to all the performers that just continued and not let it get to them. When Body Count was on stage, frontman Ice T was not having it and had to start one of their songs over. It was just obnoxious.

Day 1:

The main headliners were Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, and Body Count. The beautiful thing about day one was the variety of fans of every ethnicity, age, and culture gathered for the same purpose. There was mainly hip hop acts, but there was a few hardcore bands and of course Body Count is a mixture of both. Overall a brilliant bill for that night and the floor / pit area was packed.

Early in the night….the two bands whom I never seen who really stood out to me was Strength For A Reason, because they had the most sound issues than any other band but they handled themselves so well and Wisdom In Chains really made the crowd go bananas. Never seen a band have so much fun on stage yet they kept the atmosphere so brutal. They definitely made a fan out of me that night.I was also really impressed with Gillie The Kid. It was hip hop in it’s finest form. He really knew how to connect with the people on the floor during his performance and his hooks, freestyle, and rhymes were just a blast to behold.

I was absolute ecstatic to finally see Body Count, I felt awful that I missed them during their run last year at Mayhem Festival, so to me, they were the main attraction. I was also fortunate enough to meet lead guitarist Ernie C before the show, who was such a nice person and a pleasure to meet. The thing that’s so fascinating about Body Count is the chemistry and timing they share on stage, now I was not old enough or lucky enough to have seen the original lineup over twenty years ago, but the current lineup of Body Count still give the old songs justice. They kept their setlist faithful by opening with “Necessary Evil” and “Bowels Of The Devil.” Ice T, who isn’t afraid to speak his mind or show his sense of humor really ripped into masculinity and society before going into “Manslaughter.” But the song that stood out the most was the classic and iconic “There Goes The Neighborhood.” Drummer Ill Will was just insane behind the kit. The spirit of Beat Master V lives on through Ill Will because his timing and speed was just off the chain and that song really showcased that. And what better way to end their ten song set with the controversial anthem “Cop Killer.” If Ice T can manage to find more time for Body Count, a headlining tour must happen.

Mobb Deep took the stage after Body Count and delivered a knockout punch to the crowd. Now I am not familiar with Mobb Deep’s catalogue, so I can’t honestly tell you much about their setlist, but I can tell you that it was a stellar performance, and even though it was already past midnight, the crowd was at their peak and Mobb Deep owned the crowd.

Wu-Tang Clan closed out the night and it was one of their better performances that I have seen with them. Each member got their moment on stage, they played a massive set that included not only from the early Wu Tang catalogue like “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Bring The Ruckus” but even some solo material such as Raekwon’s “Criminology”, Ghostface Killah’s “Black Jesus”, and GZA’s “Liquid Swords.” And of course there was plenty of Ol’ Dirty Bastard tributes and highlights during their set. But hands down, the member that stood out the most was Method Man. Meth is clearly a born performer, entertainer, and is one hell of a lyricist. And the crowd was also treated to some freestyles from Masta Killa and GZA. Another big highlight was the group even had a showcase from DJ Mathematics who went bezerk on the turn tables and really wowed the crowd. In conclusion, Wu-Tang clearly is still bringing their A-game and showing no signs of aging. I would expect great things in the near future from the Wu.

Day 2:

The Reverb did an excellent job hosting day two of East Coast Tsunami. It was a really long day and all the bands were clutch, but there was one band that dared to be different. Murphy’s Law totally changed the entire atmosphere of the night. They were bold enough to use humor, go into the crowd, share a few drinks and just be goofy. It was totally refreshing, because all day it was all hardcore bands. Serious hardcore. And as soon as Murphy’s Law hit the stage everything changed. It was also cool to see a saxophonist in a hardcore band. That’s not something you see everyday. Later into the night Doyle hit the stage bringing his spookfest into the club. Also…seeing Doyle made me want to hit the gym. That man is in ridiculous good shape for a man his age. And it was also amusing to see him blowing bubbles from his chewing gum as he is playing his guitar.

After an amazing set from Walls Of Jericho, Madball put on the performance of a lifetime by wiping the floor with everyone. The pits were fierce and the bodies were continuously flying off the stage and into the crowd. Opening with “Demonstrating My Style” they played all the songs you would expect such as “Set It Off” and “Black And Blue.” Freddy Cricien is one hell of a frontman…I honestly don’t know where he gets the energy to perform at such a high level throughout the whole set. As for the band, you can tell they were having fun with each other and with the crowd as well. Madball is living proof that hardcore still lives.

The night closed with a special performance with Life Of Agony, who was the ultimate cherry on the brutal sundae that was East Coast Tsunami Fest. Not disappointing what so ever, most of their set consisted of River Runs Red. Opening with the title track off that album, along with “This Time”, and the always catchy “Method Of Groove.” Mina Caputo proves she’s the ultimate frontwoman for the band, and still sings the songs the way they were meant to be heard. Joey Z was an absolute fiend on the guitar and where ever he and the band went, the crowd responded. This was such a treat to behold to see all four original members tearing it up. It would be crime of the century if don’t play more shows around the east coast. The highlight of the show would have to be “Bad Seed.” Never have I seen so much stage diving going on during a show. I was almost worried for the bands safety, but clearly they loved it. Appropriately, they ended the night with ”Underground.” There is nowhere to go but up for this band. This is why they closed the entire two day festival, Life Of Agony is in a class of their own right now.

To sum this all up, East Coast Tsunami was a wave of brutality that every music lover should experience. What could make it better? Perhaps, a three day festival in the future? Only time will tell.

October 5, 2015
Hearing Aide: Misery Kills ‘My Ugly Insides’

Misery Kills (formally called Misery) is a metal band from the Long Island/New York City area that I never heard of until a couple of weeks ago when I caught a few metal shows down there while visiting family. Bassist Joe LoCasto, who plays in Misery Kills, also plays in a band with Joey Z of Life Of Agony called Zire’s War. After having the pleasure of witnessing Zire’s War, Joe LoCasto told me to check out Misery Kills, so after receiving their album My Ugly Insides, I had high expectations for this album, after listening to this album, I was not disappointed.

The album starts of with an instrumental intro entitled “Eight FortySix Thirty” then blazes into a devastating track called “Eyes Wide Open.” And when you hear the evil screeching roars of vocalist John LoCasto combined with dual guitars of Corey Schaefer and Duane Conlon, you know that this band means business. To top it off the bone crushing tracks from drummer Scott Borrero aided with underlying bass of Joe LoCasto gives this band a unique chemistry. The best way to describe the sound of this band…remember the circle charts from elementary school? Picture three interlocking circles representing three bands: Lamb Of God, Coal Chamber, and Agnostic Front. The gray area that the three bands I just mentioned share is what Misery Kills and this album reminds me of.

Now back to the album. The track that I fell in love with is “Poltroon.” That song makes me want to stomp someone the hell out, a great feel good aggressive song. Every track is solid, thrashy, and to the point. The quality and mixing of this album sounds retro, which I believe that producer Joey Z (Life Of Agony, Zire’s War) was going for when he was putting the finishing touches on this album.

The next track that gets me going has to be “Kills My Day,” it’s the fastest and most vulgar track on the album, it’s very blue-collar with no-nonsense. Right after that, the guitar work on the following two tracks “Sick Around You” and “White Trash” is absolutely top-notch. This band grabs you by the collar and makes you listen…and trust me, you will be hooked.
Towards the end of the album, you are graced with the track “Give Em Hell” which is a foot stomping anthem with catchy hooks and nasty breakdowns , then My Ugly Insides ends with the title track which is the cherry on the bloody sundae that this band serves. It’s a very appropriate and dark song to cap off to what is in my opinion, a very solid metal album from a very hard-working band. I was happy this band reached out to me, so do your ears, mind, body, and soul a favor and pick up this album.

You can purchase My Ugly Insides here. Check out the track “13 Miles” below.

Key Tracks: Poltroon, Kills My Day, Give Em Hell

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OdE60fKpWs&w=420&h=315]

April 16, 2015
Biohazard, Sworn Enemy, Zire’s War Rock Revolution Music Hall In Long Island

To what was close to a homecoming show, hardcore veterans Biohazard and Sworn Enemy headlined a jam packed and spectacular night at Revolution Music Hall in Amityville, NY on March 27 to kickoff a brief US east coast run. There was also a special guest that played exclusively that night; Zire’s War, a new band lead by Life Of Agony guitarist Joey Zampella, who handles vocals and guitars. The night opened with sets from Diesel and Oath.

This was my first time at Revolution Music Hall. Make no mistake, this is a kick ass venue. It’s a pub with a small stage, a capacity of around 500, and a lot of cool monuments and posters to look at. The place has great sound, killer environment, and the best part, drinks and food are served during shows. And cleverly, they have curtains going around the front of the stage to keep closed between sets, which is not common at other similar sized venues around New York State.

The night started off with small set from Diesel, a local hardcore band from the area, who set the tone appropriately with six songs. Lots of energy, and very fitting to open for the headliners. Then the crowd was graced with a set from Oath, a metal band out of Hartford, CT. To be fair, as talented and entertaining this band was, they were out of place, however, the crowd was good to them.

Zire’s War was definitely a real treat to behold. If my research is accurate, this was the band’s second show ever, with their first being played back in October. They have no music released, just demos, but you can check out one of their songs here. I do believe this band will be big. It’s a lot different from Life Of Agony, certainly heavier than their later years. I don’t really know what to compare them to, I highly recommend to give them a listen and go see them when they announce more shows. Joey Zampella is a brutal vocalist and anchors a really talented band around him. They are clearly ready for more shows to play. The band started off with low tempo (but heavy) songs but finished with heavy, thrashier songs. The crowd absolutely loved them as did I. So be sure to follow this band close as 2015 rolls on.

After Zire’s War, Sworn Enemy ignited the crowd into a bloody knuckle fiasco. The floor erupted with dozens upon dozens of men slam dancing the fuck out of the venue. It did feel like a short setlist from Sworn Enemy, but there were some great fire starter songs in their set such as “We Hate,” “As Real As It Gets,” and their anthem “Sworn Enemy.” This band never disappoints.

Finally, Biohazard finished the night with a powerful set, playing songs from their first three (and best) albums. Kicking things off with “Shades Of Grey” and “What Makes Us Tick” they never fail to bring such a charismatic and energetic performance. I held the hope inside they would unleash new music, but obviously it wasn’t time yet. The big highlights of the set would definitely have to be “Urban Discipline,” “Love Denied,” and “Five Blocks To The Subway.” Even with some of the technical difficulties and other minor sound problems, they never let that get in the way of putting on a damn awesome show. They finished their set with their blockbuster anthem “Punishment” and their creed motto “Hold My Own.” Vocalist/guitarist Billy Graziadei thanked the crowd and said Biohazard will be back next year.

Overall a fantastic show for anyone looking to kick start their adrenaline or to get their hardcore jollies out of their system. My only complaint, it seemed like an awful long time to set up between bands, especially since every band minus Biohazard only played six to eight songs. But Revolution Music Hall is definitely a fitting venue for metal and hardcore shows. And now we eagerly await the next Biohazard and Sworn Enemy US tour, and the future of Zire’s War.

April 1, 2015
Biohazard, Sworn Enemy Announce Tour

Brooklyn, NY hardcore metallers Biohazard announced a brief east coast tour for the upcoming spring, with Queens, NY hardcore outfit Sworn Enemy joining them once again. The tour kicks off in Amityville, NY at Revolution Music Hall on March 27, and ends in Jacksonville, FL at the Southeast Beast Fest. The tour also includes a stop at Bogies in Albany.

Making a special guest appearance, the show in Amityville includes a set from Zire’s War, a new band featuring Joey Zampella from Life Of Agony, who made their debut last October.

In other news, Biohazard has been hard at work on their tenth studio album tentatively due this year to be release via Nuclear Blast America. This album would mark the first time with the lineup of Billy Graziadei, Bobby Hambel, Danny Schuler, and Scott Roberts.

Tickets for the Revolution Music Hall show can be purchased here.

Tickets for the Bogies show can be purchased here.

Biohazard, Sworn Enemy Tour Dates

March 27, 2015          Amityville, NY         Revolution Music Hall

March 28, 2015         Albany, NY               Bogies

March 29, 2015         Cambridge, MA       The Middle East

March 31, 2015         Philadelphia, PA      Voltage Lounge

April 1, 2015              Asbury Park, NJ      Asbury Lanes

April 2, 2015             Springfield, VA        Empire

April 4, 2015             Atlanta, GA                The Masquerade

April 5, 2015             Jacksonville, FL       Southeast Beast Fest

January 19, 2015