Category: Metal/Hard Rock/Punk

Ghost Wraps Up Popestar Tour

Last weekend, Swedish rockers, Ghost, ended yet another tour in North America, this time around, Ghost was on the road behind their Popestar EP release. The tour kicked off in September at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY, where NYS Music was on site getting a taste of the band’s new show. After traveling throughout North America, the band made their way back to the Northeast to wrap up their tour in Montreal and Brooklyn.

Friday’s November 11th show in Montreal, was an example of how much a band can improve over time. Compared to the first show of the tour, the band was like a well-oiled machine. After a lineup change and getting used to the differences, Papa (lead singer) and the Nameless Ghouls (bandmates) seemed much more comfortable together on stage. Compared to night one of the tour, the bass tone was much heavier and more prominent. Even though the band sounded great on stage, there’s still a big piece missing from Omega being gone. For fans who didn’t know, the original rhythm guitarist Omega had left the band before the tour and the Nameless Ghoul, Water, took over his position. With a vacant bassist slot, Ghost recruited a new Nameless Ghoul. One of the biggest highlights of the show each night, was watching guitarists Alpha and Omega trade off guitar leads and rhythms. These two Ghouls are extremely talented and are a pleasure to watch on stage.

Ghost brought most of its production that they had in Rochester, on night one of the tour. The restrictions for Ghost’s show varied from venue to venue depending on what was allowed. For instance, some of the smaller venues on tour like in Montreal, did not allow the band to fully utilize their production. On the other hand, at the King’s Theater in Brooklyn, where the tour wrapped up, Ghost was able to use everything they had with them.

The setlist was kept the same both nights, mirroring the tour opener in Rochester. Ghost started the night off with the Popestar single “Square Hammer.” Each show was pretty identical when it came to theatrics from the Ghouls and Papa. If one word had to be used to describe Ghost, it would be theatrical. When people go see the band, it’s like going to see a performance instead of a regular “concert.”

At the show on Saturday the 12th in Brooklyn, NY at the King’s Theater, Ghost was able to use their full production, which featured blasts of pyro from behind the stage. It was awesome being able to see Ghost end the tour in full force back in New York. For a band that was playing small clubs just a few years ago, Ghost is now selling out large theaters with ease and even adding second shows in some cities such as Toronto. It’s safe to say that Ghost is only going to continue to gain popularity with their next full release.

Before the band played “Mummy Dust,” Papa Emeritus III went into a discussion aimed toward President Elect, Donald Trump. With all of the drama surrounding the election, going to a show was supposed to be a way to escape everything for the time being. But unfortunately, Papa decided to bring up politics and got the crowd going. Surprisingly the crowd in Montreal supported Papa’s views much more than Brooklyn did. Montreal really seemed to dislike Donald Trump and Brooklyn kept fairly quiet. But, once the band actually started playing “Mummy Dust,” all of that quickly faded away. The confetti cannons blew off, which also contained the popular “Mummy Dust Money,” which are fake bills with Papa’s face and 666 as the value. These bills are sought after by many fans and get shared in many fan groups online for people who couldn’t get any at the shows.

As always, Ghost closed both shows with “Monstrance Clock.” The song is a great way to end the show, but there’s almost too much time taken before hand to introduce the song. The show is a “performance,” but realistically, if the conversation got cut down a bit, the band could play two or three more songs. At the end of the Brooklyn show, the final show of the tour, Papa thanked everyone and had the opening band come out on stage as well.

Saturday’s farewell in Brooklyn marked the last time fans in the Untied States will see Ghost for quite some time. The Popestar Tour is over and it’s time for the band to work on their new album. There aren’t many details for the next album out yet, but it’s already been started and should be out by the end of 2017. Ghost has posted a teaser video already on their Facebook mentioning that Papa Emeritus IV is coming. With a new Papa Emeritus, it’s safe to assume that the Nameless Ghouls will also get a new look as well.

It’s going to be a long wait for fans here considering they’ve essentially been spoiled with how often Ghost has come around. In the past year and a half, Ghost has hit many cities on the Black To The Future Tour, which lasted 2 legs, the Popestar Tour and other festival appearances such as Carolina Rebellion, Rock on the Range, Welcome to Rockville, and Rock N’ Derby.

Be sure to keep a lookout on NYSMusic for Ghost news and the announcement for Papa Emeritus IV and the new album.

November 21, 2016
Asking Alexandria has Clifton Park stand up and scream

Old school fans of Asking Alexandria cannot miss the 10 Years in the Black Tour. On November 15, Asking Alexandria alongside Born of Osiris, I See Stars, After The Burial, Upon A Burning Body and Bad Omens, brought the tour to Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park to showcase not only the best of the Sumerian Records, but the best of each band as well.

Asking Alexandria, headliners for Sumerian Records’ 10 year anniversary tour, have a surprise waiting for fans coming out this month. For any new fans of Asking Alexandria who expected to see songs from their latest release, The Black, performed on this year’s tour, you are surely mistaken.

Bad Omens opened the show with clean, intense, harsh vocals by vocalist Nicholas Ryan. They were the best way to start the night, especially impressive being the drumming by drummer Nick Folio. Their set allowed for the crowd surfers to come out early, and were just what the audience needed before watching Upon A Burning Body.

Texas natives, Upon A Burning Body, woke up the crowd to the fullest during, “Texas Blood Money.” A fan favorite by Upon A Burning Body, this was the first song of the night that really got everyone in the venue up and moving. At the end of the song, a couple in the crowd starting ballroom dancing to the Mexican interlude that followed the song.

Encouraging the crowd to be active, frontman Danny Leal invited fans to come up to him and give him a high five. “Don’t be afraid, every single one of you get the f-ck over here,” said frontman Leal.

Although this show was not a sell out and not everyone had arrived at the venue yet, during Upon A Burning Body’s set, there was a reminder of what a concert should really be like. A smaller number of fans were all working to get everyone off of their feet that wanted to crowd surf, and making sure they would get safely to the front of the venue.

Following Upon A Burning Body were metal group After The Burial. The excitement from Upon A Burning Body carried over into After The Burial’s set, with frontman Anthony Notarmaso encouraging shaking people around in the audience.

“If you came here with a friend start shaking this mother f-cker side to side. I promise if you do it, they will smile,” said Notarmaso before performing, “Collapse.”

Before performing their last song, the crowd was so upset about their set being over, fans started yelling profanities from the crowd towards the stage encouraging them to stay longer.

I See Stars, who released a their new album, Treehouse, over the summer, has gone from playing The Vans Warped Tour to being a part of this ten year celebration with Sumerian Records.

With their unique style of blending electronic and metal together, I See Stars were one of the most entertaining and energetic performances from the tour. Frontman Devin Oliver left no area of the venue untouched, whether by jumping on top of stereos to reach out to fans, or going up against the audience themselves.

“I want you to sing louder, I want you to jump higher,” said Oliver.

Although performing a majority of their set to promote Treehouse, there are some fans who were hoping for earlier I See Stars songs to appear on the setlist, like their 2012 song featuring Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria, “Endless Sky.”

All of the energy given off from Oliver was given back to him by the reactions from fans during their entire set.

Heavy metal quintet, Born Of Osiris, were the heaviest band on the tour, and fans knew it immediately. Although it can seem odd going from the upbeat style of I See Stars to the heavy style of Born Of Osiris, the shift was not as strange as fans may think.

Playing songs like, “Follow The Signs,” were exactly what they crowd needed to be ready for headliners Asking Alexandria.

Despite being named the, 10 Years in the Black Tour, fans of Asking Alexandria may find themselves pleasantly surprised about the content played by Asking Alexandria. This tour not only surprises original fans with old content, but they actually go through their evolution as a band.

Asking Alexandria, who reunited with original vocalist Worsnop and parted ways with vocalist Denis Stoff soon before the tour began, gave, according to Worsnop, “a whopping five days before the tour started,” to prepare for the tour.

With a lack of preparation and the confusion from fans, Asking Alexandria are using the 10 Years in the Black Tour to perform the stages of Asking Alexandria, starting with performing from Reckless & Relentless, followed by From Death To Destiny, and ending with songs from Stand Up and Scream.

According to Worsnop, bringing himself back into the mix makes the band feel they are back to how they were, “When it was five guys in a beat up RV in a Walmart parking lot in New Jersey.”

The chemistry between every member of the band surpasses any expectation. Despite being, in general, well-rounded musicians, the energy and connection between the members of Asking Alexandria is enjoyable for everyone to watch.

Every member of the band, whether it’s guitarist Ben Bruce, or guitarist Cameron Liddell, make sure to get up on speakers and get as close to fans as possible.

Worsnop, who has had vocal issues in the past, surprised the audience with the way his live performance has improved. His vocals, especially on songs like, “The Final Episode,” and “A Single Moment of Sincerity,” sound remarkably like the original recordings from 2009.

As well as going through the evolution of Asking Alexandria, the band also paused between songs to share stories and give background on some of the songs and the albums themselves.

“I’m not addicted to drugs anymore, that’s cool,” said Worsnop to introduce the middle of the show where they started performing songs off of From Death To Destiny.

The performance by every member of Asking Alexandria is not only incredibly impressive, but you get a sense that these five guys who started the band together, missed their time performing together. Any fan of Asking Alexandria looking to see old school Asking Alexandria songs performed, cannot miss out on the 10 Years in the Black Tour.

November 19, 2016
The Pretty Reckless Sells Out the House of Blues Cleveland

Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, hosted The Pretty Reckless who performed for a sold out crowd at the legendary downtown Cleveland House of Blues on Saturday, November 12.

The popular rock band The Pretty Reckless, led by the gritty, soulful and mysterious female singer, Taylor Momsen is currently on their fall 2016 headlining tour in support of their latest album, Who You Selling For, just released less than a month ago on October 21. Supporting The Pretty Reckless on this tour are the bands, “Them Evils,” a three piece in your face straight up rock and roll band from Huntington Beach, California and “The Holy White Hounds”, another kick ass rock band hailing from Des Moines, Iowa.

The Pretty Reckless proves rock is definitely alive and kicking with this, their 3rd studio release following their stunning success of their 2014 album Going to Hell. With her signature raspy, gritty yet soulful vocals, Momsen throws a different smoky-sultry twist on this new album with enchanting and mesmerizing vocals. Although evolving and experimenting on this new album, the bands growth is apparent through their eclectic songwriting, 70’s riffs and signature hooks. The band, formed in 2009 with Momsen on vocals, Ben Phillips on guitar, Mark Damon on bass and Jamie Perkins behind the kit, still put on a kick ass and entertaining rock show. Their sound remains reminiscent of 1970’s rock with a flair of Zep thrown in along with early Heart and maybe a Stones influence. However on Who You Selling For the band is breaking out to define their own unique sound. Their stage show was not at all flashy or showy, with only mood lighting for most of their 60 minute set. The band however is not about theatrics or wild stage shows, they are first and foremost, all about their music.

Opening the night was the band Them Evils from Huntington Beach, California. This band was a very unexpected surprise. They played a 30 minute blistering set from 7:45 to 8:15 and could have played longer as the set seemed to fly by with mega energy and killer rock tones. Lead singer and guitarist Jordan Griffin sported a black Gibson Explorer played through a vintage Orange amp and his guitar tone alone set the mood back to a vintage gritty 1970’s rock and roll vibe. His vocals were nothing short of, well, killer. Jordan has amazing stage energy and presence, as does the rest of the band including bassist Jake Massanari and drummer David Delaney. I heard classic Sabbath tones along with a mix of Led Zeppelin, Motorhead and AC/DC. Massanari and Delaney owned the bottom end rhythm section with a thumping, yet groovy beat and drive. Them Evils are definitely a rising band to be reckoned with with their blend of modern and classic rock. Included in their short but solid set were originals “Untold” and “Have One on Me” as well as an amazing cover of AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (if you wanna rock n roll)” and Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” to close the set. Keep an eye and both ears on Them Evils as the are making big waves in the modern rock in roll world despite having one foot in the 1970’s still in terms of their sound. Check out their website.

Up next was the four piece rock band, The Holy White Hounds from Des Moines, Iowa. This band, in keeping with the feel and sound of the night, were again, not overly flashy or flamboyant on stage, but put on a kick ass energized show with a ballsy, gritty sound with some killer effects by simply using vintage effects pedals. The band has been climbing steadily since 2005 working their way up the ladder paying all the dues and sweating it out night after night showcasing their unique rock sound with influences of Nirvana, The Pixies, and Queens of the Stone Age all while defining their own sound with infectious hooks and riffs. The Holy White Hounds merge a blend of classic rock, grunge and punk for a totally unique sound. Touring in support of their current album Sparkle Sparkle, the Hounds consists of members Brenton Dean on lead vocals and guitar, Ambrose Lupercal on bass, Seth Luloff on drums, and James Manson on guitar. Their set included original songs “Switchblade,” “Blind,” and “Oh Mama.” Again, despite having been around for over a decade, this is another great rock band on the rise to keep an eye out for. Check out their website for more info.

Assuming most of the hundreds of fans that started lining up outside the House of Blues on a chilly Saturday night in Cleveland had never heard of the two opening bands, If they chose to enter the club when doors opened at 7 p.m. they definitely got a taste of good old straight up with a gritty kick ass rock and roll welcome.

At 9:45 p.m. by the stage left clock, The Pretty Reckless took the stage and the sold out crowd went wild with a deafening roar as Momsen casually walked out on stage along with her band mates with her trademark wavy, dirty-blonde hair and a slightly different rock star look than the her norm, wearing black skinny pants, long black boots and a long black leather coat over a dark shirt. The dark tone and look set the mood for their set. Illuminated by only a few dim spots and blue back lighting, the tone was dark but the sound was huge. The Pretty Reckless, touring in support of their most recent studio album Who You Selling For, opened with “Follow Me Down,” their 3rd consecutive number one hit from the 2014 album Going To Hell. Next was an older classic, “Since You’re Gone” from their 2010 album Light Me Up. The band may have wanted the fans to focus solely on the music as their stage presence was ominous and dark with some vintage looking and only necessary mood lighting with the music speaking volumes about how this band has evolved. Momsen knew how to work the crowd in an intimately powerful and commanding fashion as they continued through their set with “Oh My God” and “Hangman” next. Philips was brilliant on guitar as he played his crafted riffs and longer solos from the new material on his beautiful Gibson ES-335. Damon and Perkins were equally as impressive, although again, not flashy, on bass and drums providing a solid, gut felt low and and driving back beat as they plowed through the set effortlessly with a gritty heavy under-toned rock and roll and hypnotic groove at times and a driving all out rock beat at others. The Pretty Reckless continued through their hour set playing other hits including “Prisoner” from Who You Selling For, “Sweet Things,” and “Heaven Knows” from Going to Hell which had the sold out crowd about blowing the roof off the place with their singing along. The Pretty Reckless closed the night with “Fucked up World” also from Going to Hell.

The Pretty Reckless continue their 2016 headlining tour along with Them Evils and The Holy White Hounds as they are proving to be one of the best female fronted bands going as they are taking no prisoners, kicking ass and taking names wherever they go, just leaving a fun and dirty kick ass rock and roll sensation wherever they travel. They continue their U.S. tour into December before heading across the pond to take Europe by storm in January 2017. It is going to be an excellent new year for the Pretty Reckless and their world-wide fans!

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November 15, 2016
Highly Suspect Hit Big With First Headlining Show At Upstate Concert Hall

On Saturday, November 12, Highly Suspect, one of hard rocks bands that are fast on the rise, made their first appearance at Upstate Concert Hall in over three years, but this time, they headlined, and have all this momentum with a studio album, (with another on the way this week) a Grammy nomination, and few songs on active radio. So did the band live up to the hype?

The night started with indie trio Slothrust, who received a warm reception from the packed crowd. Now I am not familiar with any of their material, but musically they were very clutch, and that “I don’t give a shit” attitude gives them a unique appeal. It will be interesting to see what the future holds from this band. My only minor criticism would be that there’s a minor lack of chemistry on stage between the three of them.

Things got very loud when Highly Suspect took the stage. There was plenty of build up before they got on. They started their set with “Bath Salts” easily one of the best songs off their debut album Mister Asylum. This band shares a unique chemistry between twin brothers Rich and Ryan Meyer and guitarist/vocalist Johnny Stevens. They’re heavy enough for the metal heads, they’re hip enough for the hipsters, mainstream enough for the casual rock listener, and have enough sex appeal for the ladies. You could take anyone with you to see this band and you’re guaranteed a kick ass time.

The band also did a wonderful job showing off their versatility between each member. Ryan Meyer had a couple of sick drum solos, and there were a couple songs where Rich Meyer took over lead vocals. Rich has more of a softer voice than Johnny Stevens, whom I think, has the most emotion behind his voice since Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. Highly Suspect also debut a few songs off their upcoming album The Boy Who Died Wolf such as “My Name Is Human” and “Serotonia.” But the main highlight was the song that everyone wanted to hear “Lydia.” They even teased the crowd a little bit during the song to add a nice element to it that would make this song extra special live.

After finishing their initial set, they came out with a three song encore and closed with the dirty tune “Fuck Me Up” that got the crowd pumped one last time. All I can say is that this band has a very bright future ahead of them and will be playing much bigger venues in the next couple years. Everyone needs to catch this band now while they’re playing the smaller venues. They’re a young, talented, power trio that will make bigger splashes in the music world and is giving rock and roll the much needed facelift that it needs, so that rock as we now know it, doesn’t fade to obscurity.

November 15, 2016
Highly Suspect to Play First Upstate Concert Hall Show Saturday

Grammy nominated Cape Cod rockers Highly Suspect are set to play a show at Upstate Concert Hall this Saturday, November 12 for the first time. Doors are open at 7:00 p.m with show at 8:00 p.m. Slothrust is slated to open the show.

Along with the upcoming show, Highly Suspect is releasing their sophomore effort The Boy Who Died Wolf on November 18 via 300 Entertainment. The band will undoubtedly play a few songs from that album.

This is a band on the rise so it would be best to purchase tickets for this show sooner rather than later.

November 11, 2016
Another Spectacular lespectacle @ The Paper Box

On Saturday night at The Paper Box in Brooklyn, lespecial held their annual mini-festival to the delight of hundreds of lucky fans in attendance. After meeting dozens of friendly freaks in the crowd, I regretfully realized that I was one of the rare guests taking part in my first lespectacle. While I was unable to locate a coat check in the eerily, yet vibrantly decorated venue, it was clear from the very beginning that I would need to check my concept of reality at the door.

Starting around 9pm, Connecticut based producer, Tsimba was spinning his intricate form of otherworldly music to a prematurely spun-out crowd. During this opening act, it was clear that the energy of the room was already sky high and not coming down anytime soon. Tsimba’s bio describes his music as “sounds that could manifest anywhere in the universe” and while no one on the floor appeared to be a qualified astronaut, the dance moves suggested some spacey exploration.

After the short and sweet DJ set, Gene Shinozaki of The Beatbox House popped out of the crowd to show off his amazing talent. I have heard many variations of beatboxing in my life ranging from legends like Doug E. Fresh and Biz Markie to my drunk white friend at a frat party in college, but Shinozaki introduced me to sounds that I did not know were possible to create with one human mouth. His ability to tackle genres like dubstep while looping underground hip-hop beats was fantastic.

Other members of The Beatbox House joined Shinozaki along while the oddly-dressed crowd of music lovers circled around them. Light on the treble, the group segued into their abbreviated version of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass” before dropping into something that sounded like Plinko chips on The Price Is Right. The House’s first performance of the night came to an end, but they were set to appear several more times before the end of the event.

lespecial bassist, Luke Bemand, filled in as the MC of the night and introduced the next group, Ross Jenssen, as one of his favorite bands in the world. The “Ross” part of the Connecticut trios name is Brian Ross on bass. The “Jenssen” half is Jules Jenssen on drums and the “just right” third bear in between the two of them is Sam McGarrity on guitar. Their mostly instrumental set had the occasional spoken word sample thrown in for good measure, but the crowd will be talking about this performance until next year’s lespectacle. Ross Jenssen opened up with the introduction to “Perspiration” off their debut album, Phrases.

Interstellar travel seemed to be the theme of the night as the first few songs reminded me of a spaceship about to blast off into outer space. Songs like “Curmudgeon” and “Hell or High Water” begin with a haunting yet tranquil groove before launching into heavy, raw and unfiltered rock and roll. It is a sonic wonder how the same band weaves an original like “Illumination” into a set filled with head banging madness as this tune may be appropriate for deep meditation at a yoga studio.

Ross Jenssen’s chameleon-like ability to adapt to different genres makes them a hard act to compare or even describe for that matter, which is why they had the crowd in the palm of their hands all night. “Rabble Rouser” creates an electronic sludge that leads to a danceable darkness toward the middle of the jam, yet prior to entering this disco-dungeon, the trio covered “Ten Tonne Skeleton” by Royal Blood to the delight of a music-loving room. After closing with the topically appropriate “Afraid of Americans,” I searched the room for the insane guitar-shredding McGarrity to learn more about the mad scientist’s lab where he got his hands installed.

An incredibly humble musician in a world full of Trumps, I found Sam backstage crushing a slice of pizza before taking five minutes to speak with me. He gives all the credit to founding members Ross and Jenssen for allowing him to jam with them back in 2013 and then join them on their album “Phrases.” After he became “somewhat of a permanent member” he describes his musical influences and the strong connection that members of lespecial and Ross Jenssen have shared since playing together and going to shows in high school. I mentioned how some of their sound reminded me of a darker version of a prog-rock jamband and one example that came to mind was Umphrey’s Mcgee. Much like Jake Cinninger of the Chicago-based jam monster, Sam explained how from an early age he “loved to shred.” “I’m gonna do that, that sounds cool, I want to do that,” he wildly proclaimed before mentioning how much stronger of a player he has become since joining Ross Jenssen and practicing daily.

After the The Beatbox House finished improvising with “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd, it was finally time for the main event, lespecial. Guitarist Jonathan Grusauskas held down a powerful solo during one of the band’s most popular songs “Fruit Dance Wolf.” I would have felt completely satisfied with their set had they just played that song, but there was still two full and fiery sets to go when they brought out their first guest, Jesse Stocker on flute for “Skull Kid.”

The appropriate set placement of this tune worked well with the central decor of the night as skulls, antlers, and post-Halloween props were set up throughout the stage and venue by designer The Reliquarium. Speaking of antlers, “Third Antler> 4th Antler Improv” found their way into this first set madness after the trio covered Nine Inch Nails’ “Piggy.” Prior to the event, I predicted some band collaborations due to the overwhelming talent on the bill and lespecial did not disappoint when calling upon Gene Shinozaki for some improvisational beatboxing assistance on stage before “Pressed for Time” closed out this jaw dropping first set.

In order to stimulate some other senses before during and after lespecial, Vin Pugliese was put in charge of the intense lighting and visuals to make everything look and feel as good as it sounded. Set two was off to a thunderous and spooky start as the boys took a stab at their Fela Kuti arrangement of “Harambe Zombie” to honor a fallen hero. While there were no dicks out during their rendition of the afro-beat classic, there was black magic in the air as the band and the zombies in the crowd became one.

The tribal beat presented one of the highlights of the entire night for me until just two songs later lespecial annihilated a cover of “Frizzle Fry” from the iconic Primus album. Bemand proved to the crowd that his chops were among the best in the business as he channeled Les Claypool in this creatively mind-blowing anthem. The band kept an eclectic mix of covers coming with Skrillex’s “With Your Friends” and “Fade” by Kanye West. The first set began with a track off their newest album, Omnisquid and in a similar fashion, “Squid Rising” ended the show.

While lespecial was technically finished performing for the night, the now masked trio reemerged as Robert Jacob Max’s Supersillyus Lifeband took the stage. The shadowy and mystical super-group has been an ever-changing phenomenon since its early conception years ago. The Lifeband was heavy on the jam and risk-taking improvisation while still keeping the crowd moving as we gained an hour thanks to an end of Daylight Savings in the outside world. A psychedelic journey through extraterrestrial soundscapes took the Paper Box for one last ride before sending us back into reality in the streets of Brooklyn.

After my first lespectacle, I discovered a kaleidoscope of all things that are right with Brooklyn. A melting pot of different subcultures coming together to create something new during a time when almost everything seems to be remade. The musicians, the visuals, the art and the audience all worked together to create something great instead of trying to make it “great again” which will lead to even stronger and thought-provoking lespectacles in the future! I will see you there.

November 10, 2016
Albany Institute of History and Art Hosting ‘Rock the Museum’ Event this Saturday

This Saturday Nov. 12, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., The Albany Institute of History and Art is holding the Rock The Museum event, featuring an exhibit from photographer Patrick Harbron.

Harbron is a New York City and Hudson Valley resident who spent his career photographing the early careers of rock icons such as Blondie, Elvis Costello and The Police as well as the later careers of The Who, Genesis, The Grateful Dead and KISS.

Attendees will get a rare opportunity to explore more than 70 of Habron’s concert and portrait photographs of influential musicians from the 1970s and 1980s. The exhibition also includes some of his concert posters, memorabilia, and souvenirs, as well as guitars from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Guests are encouraged to wear concert attire.

Tickets for Rock the Museum are available at the Albany Institute of History and Art’s website.

November 8, 2016
Lespectacle 6.0 Returning to Brooklyn

On Saturday, November 5, lespecial will roll into The Paper Box in Brooklyn for the 6th annual “Lespectacle 6.0. ” The sixth installment of the annual throwdown will include performances by Supersillyus Lifeband, Ross Jenssen, Tsimba, and The Beatbox House in addition to lespecial’s two-sets of “death-funk” festivities.

The Connecticut based trio is sure to rage with their circus of talent for a late night in Brooklyn as the event is slated from 9pm until 4am. Keep an eye out for band member sit-ins during each performance as this lineup of artists cannot be contained! Tickets for “Lespectacle” are still available for a short time, but after the band’s killer 2016 Fall Tour, they won’t be around for long. You can purchase tickets here.

November 5, 2016
Avenged Sevenfold Surprises Fans with New Album Drop, Pop-Up Shows

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, Avenged Sevenfold has decided to play Santa Claus, and give A7X fans an early Christmas present in the form of the band’s new seventh studio album The Stage. The music world was going crazy after the band’s virtual performance on top of the Capital Records building in Los Angeles on Oct. 27.

An announcement that the band was working on a new CD would have been great news, but with all the hints that A7X has been showing the past couple of weeks, fans had a feeling something huge was around the corner.

Others in the music business have released an album in this fashion before, but only through a digital media source. Avenged Sevenfold fans can head right out and pick up a physical copy of The Stage at any record store.

Since the announcement, Sirius/XM Octane has been playing tracks off the new album with intro’s by A7X frontman M. Shadows. Shadows recently had an interview with Sirius/Xm’s rock and metal DJ Jose Mangin, to talk about how the release came about.

Mangin showed some love to A7X for breaking the mold for an album release. He asked Shadows the reason why the band decided to go this route to release the new album:

There’s a million reasons, but I guess the most prominent reason would be just the lack of, you know, originality in the way people are releasing records these days. The internet is so quick, things happen instantly. When your parents have iPhones, and they know everything that’s going on, you know everyone is connected and you can do something like this and the word is gonna get out there. A lot of it has to do with our boredom of having to go through three to four singles before you get to the record release, and then three months later it’s finally out, and all the excitement is gone. We just wanted to give the fans the cherry on top right off the bat and just say, here it is. You thought that we were messing around for a year, but we’ve been working.

A lot of bands, you’re hearing what people are saying. You know their reviewing this, you’re hearing the vibe of the record before you even get to hear the music and that’s just wrong to me. Like I want people to make their own decision. Listen to the music and figure it out for yourself instead of being fed the press release. Like, this is what its going to sound like and it’s our favorite most melodic heaviest thing ever. It’s just so boring at this point.

After Mangin plugged all the ways on media you can hear the album, he wanted to confirm that fans could purchase a physical copy immediately from retailers. Shadows replied:

Well that’s the craziest thing, Props to Capitol Records for being able to pull that off. This is the first surprise release that actually has a physical release with it. You know when you talk about Radiohead or Kanye (West) or Beyoncé, it was all digital, but we’ve been able to sneak records into the stores. So you can go anywhere and pick it up now.

After joking with Shadows about hiding the new album with a fake cover or labels, Shadows confessed, “We definitely had some fake labels going around, and we also had (Chris) Jericho’s fake album title.”

A7X set up pop up shops in New York and Los Angeles over the Halloween weekend to celebrate the release and for fans to get their hands on some A7X merch.

The Stage Tracklist:

01. The Stage
02. Paradigm
03. Sunny Disposition
04. God Damn
05. Creating God
06. Angels
07. Simulation
08. Higher
09. Roman Sky
10. Fermi Paradox
11. Exist

October 31, 2016
Attila brings the Chaos Tour to Clifton Park

Attila’s Chris Fronzak said that Attila has been around for 12 years and will be for 100 more.

With their performance from the Chaos Tour On Oct. 20, at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, this can easily be true. Metalcore band Attila packed the venue alongside Chelsea Grin, Emmure and Sylar for a night of raw heavy music.

Openers Sylar from Queens, NY gave a heavy start to the night to let fans know what they were in for. Although the activity from the crowd for their set was minimal, frontman Jayden Panesso didn’t stop building intensity from the audience. The musicians themselves utilized the space on stage to make sure every part of the venue got a taste of their sound.

Following Sylar was the five-piece metalcore band Emmure. As soon as they stepped foot on stage, you could feel the atmosphere in the venue change. Fans were opening circle pits, mosh pits and created such havoc that an ambulance with paramedics came towards the end of their set to help the injured fans.

With fans screaming and moving all over the venue, Emmure was immediately called on stage for an encore after their set despite being the second band on the lineup.

Chelsea Grin, who accidentally set off fire alarms during their set, had one of the most engaging performances of the evening. Vocalist Alex Koehler made sure to get in contact with every fan that crowd surfed to the front and got off stage and against the barricade of the audience twice to share his mic with fans.

With every song performed by Chelsea Grin, the intensity in the venue became stronger and stronger. More fans were acting out and jumping on top of other fans to sing lyrics with Koehler. With fans filled with excitement, headliners Attila came on stage to end the night with what would leave fans in awe.

Although some find Attila’s lyrics distasteful, Attila came out performing “Public Apology,” a single from their new album Chaos, out Nov. 4, to set the pace for their show. Front man Fronzak immediately wanted to show fans what Attila are about by making it clear he had no care in the world about what happened during their show.

“There are no rules at an Attila concert,” said Fronzak.

Whether you like Attila’s music or not, it is impossible to deny their absolute love for their fan base. Fronzak immediately went out of his way to make every fan feel special by utilizing the space of the entire stage. Fronzak was sharing the mic with fans and promoting activity by inviting every fan to crowd surf to the front and give him a high five.

Trying to excite fans, Attila left the stage momentarily only to come back moments later with Fronzak shooting fog from a fog gun across the audience.

Besides the band’s incredible fan interaction, they had stellar stage performance to complement it. The general performance by everyone in Attila was entertaining. You could tell every musician was loving what they were performing and only became more excited by seeing the reactions from their fans.

Out of most of the bands in the metalcore scene, Attila stand out as going above and beyond to show how much they love the fans of their music.

Following the trend of making fans feel important, Fronzak made a fan’s dream come true of singing on stage with Attila. Before performing their popular song “Payback,” Fronzak called for the best metal vocalist in the audience to come on stage. Becoming what he called “tryouts for Attila,” three men took the stage to compete to perform “Payback” on stage.

With the crowd cheering for their favorite vocalist, a fan got to live out his dream of performing, “Payback” in full, with his favorite band.

To appeal to his fans, Fronzak made clear the messages in his music. “We never claimed to be perfect. We know we’re f-ck up’s, that’s why we make music about it.”

Smiles stretched across the faces of fans of all ages who came out to rage with Attila. With the amount of fan interaction, it was impossible for any fan to leave the venue without feeling like an important part of the Chaos Tour.

With this type of attitude and energy for their live performances, it is easy to say Attila will have many years of tours ahead of them. If you are looking for a night of heavy music with a feeling of exuberance, make sure not to miss the Chaos Tour.

October 26, 2016