NYS Music 20​16

Category: Metal/Hard Rock/Punk

  • Show Review: Baroness and Youth Code at The Lost Horizon

    This past week was truly a memorable night of music at the famed Lost Horizon. Baroness who is currently on tour in support of their new album “Purple” made a stop in Syracuse on Wednesday night. Joining Baroness was break out Industrial punk duo from Los Angeles, Youth Code. What separates Youth Code from modern industrial bands is that they use instruments and not computers to generate their “industrial” sound. It was a very unique experience. I expect that they will continue to rapidly grow their fan base based on what I heard.

    Baroness played a very moving and intense set. The set included mostly selections off their current album “Purple” such as “Kerosene,” “Chlorine and Wine” and one that I really wanted to hear: “Desperation Burns.”  The band played a very heavy set before concluding with an encore of “Take My Bones Away” leaving the crowd wanting more!

    One thing I enjoy about attending shows other than live music is getting the opportunity to collaborate with other photographers. Please enjoy the selection of photos that were taken by Cathy Bechle of NYS Music and myself.

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

  • Misfits and Danzig to Reunite

    After over 30 years, Glenn Danzig will join Jerry Only and the Misfits on stage for the first time since their breakup in 1983. What fans call “The Original Misfits” — Danzig, Only and long-time guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, will grace the stage together at this years Riot Fest.

    Misfits Poster

    Riot Fest will take place in Denver, on Labor Day weekend Sept. 2-4 at the National Western Complex, then once again in Chicago two weeks later Sept. 16-18 in Douglas Park. The rest of lineup that will appear at Riot Fest has yet to be announced.

    After the band split, members got into a legal battle over The Misfits name. Jerry Only won the rights to tour and record under the name The Misfits in 1990. Danzig found success on his own when he started his self titled band Danzig. Danzig appeared on the first two Misfit studio albums before releasing his first solo studio album Danzig, in 1988. Danzig went on to release ten studio albums after his Misfit days including his current album Skeletons, which was released in 2015. The Misfits didn’t release a studio album after Danzig split until 1997 when they released Static Age, and released a total of five studio albums after Danzig.

    Just like some other bands that have recently reunited in 2016, many fans thought they would never see this day especially after the two sides have sued each other over the years multiple times. The reunion will mark the first time that three-quarters of the band will perform together since the bands most notable Walk Among Us album, released in 1982. Following the band’s breakup, Doyle has performed with both The Misfits and Danzig over the years after the two separated their ways. The Misfits formed in 1977.

  • Dream Theater Presents ‘The Astonishing’ At Radio City Music Hall

    Not too far off Broadway a production hit Radio City Music Hall. Was it a concert?  A theatrical production? Yes. A homecoming show for most of the band members, Dream Theater ‘The Astonishing’ tour made a stop at the famed concert hall – a well-fitting venue for this show in particular.

    Dream Theater

    The band veered off their beaten path to try something a little different while delivering the progressive metal sound they helped define. This tour caught some fans off guard at first, disappointed some who had set their own expectations in advance, and grabbed the attention of the rest.

    Dream Theater presented their epic rebuttal to Rush’s 2112 and distant cousin of Queensrÿche’s Operation: Mindcrime, The Astonishing, in its entirety. The album was recently released on January 29, making it very fresh with some time still needed to take in the 130-minute long monster. Regardless, a start-to-finish live presentation was quite fitting for a tour in support of the album’s release.

    dream theater the astonishingThe show had plenty of the staples of a Dream Theater performance: Petrucci carrying out his psycho exercises on guitar, Mangini’s big drum sound, and Rudess’ busy keyboard lines. Given the presentation of the music the show was very scripted and the focus was split on following the story behind the music. Those looking for the typical Dream Theater experience may have found a slice of it but will have to wait until the next tour. They stuck to their guns with presenting just The Astonishing, with no encore of other material.

    The story behind The Astonishing is set in a futuristic version of the United States where music is made entirely by machines (NOMACs). Its plot follows the good guys (Ravenskill Rebel Militia) as they try to overthrow the bad guys (Great Northern Empire of the Americas). The progression of the story is told as the songs weave between ballads and Dream Theater’s trademark sound. The album version is fully orchestrated beyond just the five-piece band, something that was perfectly transposed to the stage through live programming.

    The live presentation of the story of The Astonishing was well executed. It maintained a balance between concert and theatrics, weighted more heavily toward the concert component. The projections accompanied the music and helped convey the songs rather than taking a place at the forefront of the show. Maintaining the futuristic dystopian appeal the show occasionally felt like a walk-through of  the video game Portal. For those who have no idea what that is, let’s leave it that the show had a rather technological feel to it.

    Though it was a different show than the typical for Dream Theater, it was an interesting change of pace to have a combination of music and story. Going into the show without a thorough understanding of the story and the right mindset was a slight distraction from the music. Despite this, Dream Theater’s performance of The Astonishing was well thought-out and seeing it a second time would make it more enjoyable than it already was.

  • Twiztid Juggalo Invasion 2016 Tour Lights Up Magic City Music Hall

    This past Friday the city of Binghamton was paid a visit by Detroit Michigan’s dark and demented duo Twiztid. Twiztid, who is currently out on the road on their Juggalo Invasion Tour in support of their newest release Mutant Remixed & Remastered brought with them a very impressive lineup consisting of  Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox, The R.O.C., Lex the Hex Master, and Davey Suicide.

    TwiztidThe show kicked off with opening acts The Real Chaos, Insane E, Ajax and Trilogy. I have to admit given the number of openers and the limited amount of time each were allotted to perform, they all delivered very energetic and intense sets and did a fantastic job of getting the audience warmed up for a very powerful night of music and mayhem.

    If these acts didn’t get the crowd warmed up enough, the next round of artists kicked things into overdrive. Artists Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Boondox, Lex the Hex Master and The R.O.C. delivered nothing but excitement, skill and precision to their fans that evening. Fans danced, moshed and sang along with the artists! When it comes to gritty, sleazy full on metal you should check out UnHolywood, Killafornia’s very own Davey Suicide! One may think metal does not fit into this mix but Davey and the band are comparably dark and sinister and even won over some new fans!

    Now for the main act! The artist everyone was waiting for, Twiztid.  The fog rolls onto the stage amid the eerie low glowing green lights, the intro is cued and the demented duo creeps onto the stage. The fans go crazy as Twiztid tears up the stage with their back up band The Wickedness! Yes, they did something they have not done in a long time they used a live band to help them take things to a whole new level for their fans. Twiztid played a nice selection of tracks from their immense catalog. With Wickedness as back up, they were able to put different spins on their songs. They cranked out such hits as “Die Motherfucker Die” and the loudest version of “We Don’t Die” I have ever heard! Madrox and Monoxide are true masters of their art!

    The show was incredible and intense from the beginning right up to the end leaving fans wanting more.

    Prior to the show I had the opportunity to chat with Blaze Ya Dead Homie.  Blaze is a very welcoming and down to earth guy despite his hulking and terrifying appearance. We talked about his new album “Casket Factory,” artists who inspire him and horror movies. Hope you enjoy the interview!

  • Amon Amarth Vanquish Water Street Music Hall

    On Monday April 25, Rochester New York fell prey to one of Sweden’s most notorious metal bands. Amon Amarth kicked off their 2016 Jomsviking North American tour on April 17.  Joining them on their voyage are fellow Swedes, Entombed A.D. and American thrash metal band, Exmortus.

    The line outside the venue stretched the entire length of Water Street and then some. Some concert goers went as far as dressing in viking armor, helms and bracers in support of Amon Amarth’s musical theme.

    Holley Underhill - Horns

    Setting the pace for the evening was Sourthern California quartet, Exmortus. Their performance was enthusiastically received by the crowd throwing up their “horns.” The band consists of Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez on vocals/guitar, guitarist David Rivera, bassist Michael Cosio and Mario Moreno. Their set list for the evening was as follows: “Rising” “For the Horde” “Foe Hammer” “Death to Tyrants” “Moonlight Sonata (Act 3)” and “Metal is King.”

    With the crowd already hungering for more, Entombed A.D. was next to take the stage. Consisting of Lars-Göran Petrov on vocals, Olle Dahlstedt on drums, Nico Elgstrand on guitar and Victor Brandt on bass, the Stockholm based band’s heavy riffs added fuel to the fire, as crowd surfers began making their way towards the front of the venue towards waiting Security. The band’s set list for the evening was in support of their February 26 album release Dead Dawn with songs such as “Dead Dawn” “Stranger Aeons” “Second to None” “Midas In Reverse” “Living Dead” “The Winner Has Lost” “Revel in Flesh” “Wolverine Blues” and “Left Hand Path.”

    With the venue at near capacity, the fans were ready battle when Amon Amarth time came to slay the crowd. The stage was set with a giant viking helm emitting smoke with the drum kit perched atop between it’s horns. With their new album release, Jomsviking, which has dominated the charts around the globe, the band took the stage like a storm starting things off with the song “The Pursuit of Vikings.” The performance was met with more crowd surfing, chanting, fists in the air and horns raised enthusiastically. With frontman Johan Hegg sporting a drinking horn on his side and decorated leather bracers on his arms, he appeared as a viking warrior straight of some epic story. Backed by guitarists Ted Lundström and Johan Söderberg along with bassist Olavi Mikkonen and  new drummer Tobias Gustafsson, the show raged on through the night with songs from the new album along with some old favorites. The set list being, “The Pursuit of Vikings” “As Loke Falls” “First Kill” “The Way of Vikings” “At Dawns First Light” “Deceiver of the Gods” “Cry of the Black Birds” “One Against All” “Thousand Years of Oppression” “Destroyer of the Universe” “Death in Fire” and “Runes to My Memory”

  • Five Finger Death Punch Being Sued By Record Label

    According to a recent report by Blabbermouth, metal rockers Five Finger Death Punch are being sued by their record label Prospect Park for breach of contract. Prospect Park claims that the band is trying to cash in before their bandmate, frontman Ivan Moody, does something stupid or even dies. Moody is accused of being addicted to alcohol, and some worry that if things end in a train wreck, Five Finger Death Punch’s music catalog would end up worthless.

    Five Finger Death Punch. Photo by Jim 'JT' Gilbert / JTGphoto.com

    Five Finger Death Punch signed a four-album contract with Prospect Park in December 2012. The contract states that the band could not record any new material earlier than nine months after its latest release, unless the label agrees to it in writing. The band’s third studio album under contract, Got Your Six, was released Sept. 4, 2015. That means the band can’t start “any portion” of the new album in the agreement until June 4, 2016.

    Also under the agreement, the band is under contract to release two masters for a greatest hits album. The band refused to deliver the masters out of concern from Moody, and members plan on recording the greatest hits album on a new record label. Part of Prospect Park’s lawsuit states:

    Regrettably, with the encouragement and assistance of their entertainment lawyer and business manager, the members of FFDP have unequivocally repudiated their contractual obligations to permit Prospect Park to determine the recording elements of a new record and a greatest hits record. In doing so, the members of FFDP are shamelessly attempting to cash in before the anticipated downfall of their addicted bandmate.

    Prospect Park blames the band for rushing to record the fourth album that they are contracted to, disregarding the health and safety of Moody and ultimately destroying the band in the process. The record label says that the band has reached out numerous times with concern about Moody’s addiction getting out of control and fear he may not be there to fulfill his obligations to the band and the contract, thus seeking to capitalize as soon as possible at the expense of Moody’s health.

    Prospect Park also stated in the lawsuit, “Based on FFDP’s own assessment, Moody is unable to perform at the level required under Section 3.01 of the Recording Agreement for delivery of the Fourth Album’s master recordings or Greatest Hits Masters.”

    The lawsuit lists numerous text messages and emails from FFDP band members and represenatives. A message on Nov. 15, 2015 reads, “The writing is on the wall, and that, it’s a matter of time before Ivan hits the wall — and once he does — it will be too late to sell.” In an email received on Dec 3, 2015, band members wrote, “if Ivan does something stupid — dies…., goes away to jail — then the catalog is a bust — then we won’t be able to sell and we’ll be trying to salvage what we can — IF we can … so to me it’s imperative to make a move and sell.” One message even says that Moody is getting in the way of an eight-digit payday.

    The label states in the lawsuit some of the reasons why they want control over the recording elements. Some of those reasons include a precipitous decline in sales, the fact that radio has told the label that the band’s sound is getting “stale” and the disappointment that the band has failed to reach Platinum or Multi-Platinum level.

    During a show in Memphis in May 2015, Moody was accused of having an onstage meltdown, and some fans even thought the band split up as the rest of the band left Moody on the stage by himself after he made a remark about drummer Jeremy Spencer’s book. Spencer left the stage first and the rest of the band slowly followed. Moody soon after that released a statement blaming technical difficulties, and saying the band was in good standing with each other.

    At the end of March 2016, Moody was hospitalized, forcing the band to cancel their Australian tour, and a gig as a supporting act for Black Sabbath’s final run. Moody was admitted to the ER in his hometown of Denver and was said to make a full recovery. The band has recently notified Prospect Park that Moody is in an in-patient rehabilitation facility for an unknown duration of time.

    Five Finger Death Punch is slated to play many of the major rock festivals this May including headlining the opening night at the first-ever Rock’N Derby in Schaghticoke on May 20. The band days ago confirmed a fall tour with Shinedown and Sixx: A.M., and a coast-to-coast tour of Canada with Papa Roach and Sixx: A.M.

  • Buckethead Has Returned: Westcott Theater Performance Coming May 3

    After four long years of waiting, fans of Buckethead finally have the chance to see him live once again. The man who sports the white mask and bucket on his head is coming to the Westcott Theater this Tuesday, May 3. Tickets are on sale for $25 and are available at the door.

    bucketheadFor those who may not know who Buckethead is, he’s a guitarist who can practically play anything. Buckethead is a guitar virtuoso who covers many different genres including metal, funk, classical and more. Starting in the late ’80s and learning from the great Paul Gilbert, Buckethead has been attached to his guitar ever since. Bucket’s first solo album, Bucketheadland, came out in 1992, and that’s where the journey began.

    Since 1992, Buckethead has released 264 studio albums. The lineup of musicians that Bucket has worked with is extensive as well. That list includes Bootsy Collins, Iggy Pop, Les Claypool, Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Mike Patton and many more. Buckethead was also the lead guitar player for Guns N’ Roses from 2000 to 2004. The long-awaited Guns N’ Roses album Chinese Democracy features Buckethead on all but two tracks.

    Not only does Buckethead play guitar, but he is also a fantastic bass player, a talent which he displays at his live shows as well. Watching Buckethead play live will certainly leave everyone in the audience in a daze. For those who think watching a guy play guitar for over an hour straight may be boring, Buckethead will certainly prove them wrong. Complete with dance moves, nunchucks and toy giveaways, Tuesday’s show is sure to be one to remember from Buckethead.

    Although his official website hasn’t been updated, Buckethead has an entire tour planned for the next few months. For those interested in seeing Bucket’s show, the Westcott Theater is the only place to see him in New York except for his show at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill on May 7. The rest of the dates can be found at this link.

    To purchase tickets to the show this Tuesday, visit the Westcott Theater website.

  • Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon Talks Tour, Family, and More

    Sevendust has been around for 20 years, but the last 12 months may have been their biggest yet. The band has attracted a lot of new fans thanks to a well-deserved Grammy nomination. They released their most acclaimed album to date: Kill the Flaw. They just played sold out shows in New Zealand and Australia. And… starting today they are headlining a tour here in the states.

    As front man, Lajon Witherspoon said to NYS Music, “This (Sevendust) is a great thing, we can never stop now. After the Grammy nomination it created a spark and it opened the door.” The door has been opened and Sevendust is taking advantage.

    This will be the band’s first headlining tour since the Grammy nomination for their song “Thank you,” and if the set lists from Australia are any indication of what’s to come, fans are going to be excited to hear some classics mixed into the new. Lajon said that the band “is not sure of the set list, yet. (It’s hard) setting up and picking a set list with so much music.” But they do plan on tapping into each album, to “make it a true Sevendust experience.”

    As for new music, besides Kill the Flaw, the band is constantly coming up with new stuff. LJ explained that “(They) have grown as writers, grown as artists, and grown as men.” They have families now, and take the much needed time away to reset and do things the right way. This keeps the music fresh-minded, and obviously with recent success, relevant.  Lajon also squashed any rumors, past or present, of this being the band’s last tour, “we can never stop now, the cats in the band really love each other.”

    Time off the road is as important as time on the road, especially with young kids. Lajon welcomed a son into the world in December, and juggled that with the Grammy nomination, a New Years Eve show and planning the New Zealand/Australia and the U.S. tours. Before going on the road, he even fit time in to watch his daughter’s first softball game.

    Being an attentive dad and a great musician is in Lajon’s blood. His father was in a disco era band, and he remembers going to see his dad play around Nashville as a young kid. “The instruments were so much bigger. I got to go to sound check and I still remember the colors on the walls and wanting to be an artist.” Those experiences laid the groundwork for Witherspoon’s start in music – initially soul, and then bringing that soul to the metal world. It’s that unique sound that has helped influence many bands in the metal and hard rock scene today, the fusion of soul and metal.

    The Kill the Flaw tour consists of thirteen headlining dates and a rock festival nearly every weekend. For the headlining shows, you can expect well over an hour of high-energy rock and roll. Get to the shows early because one of metal’s new stars, Like A Storm, will be opening the shows, and perennial powerhouse, Trivium, is providing direct support. This is a line-up that you can’t miss.

    Mark your calendar, the dates are:

    Apr. 26 – Baton Rouge, LA @ The Varsity Theatre
    Apr. 27 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
    Apr. 29 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
    Apr. 30 – Fort Myers, FL @ Fort Rock
    May 01 – Jacksonville, FL @ Welcome To Rockville
    May 03 – New York, NY @ Playstation Theater
    May 05 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
    May 07 – Charlotte, NC @ Carolina Rebellion
    May 08 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head
    May 13 – Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom
    May 15 – Somerset, WI @ Northern Invasion
    May 17 – Sioux Falls, SD @ The District
    May 18 – Arlington Heights, IL @ Home Bar
    May 20 – Columbus, OH @ Rock On The Range
    May 21 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
    May 22 – Schaghticoke (Albany), NY @ Rock ‘n Derby
    May 24 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
    May 25 – Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
    May 27 – Shreveport, LA @ Riverside Warehouse
    May 28 – Pryor, OK @ Rocklahoma

    Note: 2016 has been a rough year for music legends, we’ve lost David Bowie, Merle Haggard, Phife Dawg, Glenn Frey, and now Prince. I found out about all the deaths in the normal way, well, the normal way “now” – through social media, except Prince. I found out about Prince’s death from another rock legend, Sevendust’s Lajon Witherspoon. We were on the phone talking about the upcoming tour, Grammy nominations, and influences. And, like any musician over the past 40 years, Prince touched LJ’s work, and like any music lover over that same time frame, Prince touched my life. When Lajon told me that him and his publicist, Kevin Chiaramonte, just heard Prince passed, I was truly at a lost for words.

  • Killswitch Engage Brings Metal to Binghamton

    Hardcore metal fans were out in force this past week in upstate New York. On April 15, 2016 Killswitch Engage rolled into the Magic City Music Hall in Binghamton, along with guests Toothgrinder, Memphis May Fire and 36 Crazy Fists.

    Fists were pumping, bodies were slamming, moshing and surfing and all horns were thrown in full fledged tribute to heavy metal with a packed house of well over 1000 fans in attendance. Toothgrinder from Asbury Park, NJ started the night off at 7:30 followed by Anchorage, Alaska based metal legends 36 Crazy Fists and finally Memphis May Fire, hailing from Dallas, Texas who performed an inspiring 40 minute set with a few of their hits including “Beneath The Skin”, “Stay The Course” and “Vices.”

    All three opening acts set the stage for “Killswitch Engage,” who took the stage at 10:10 p.m. and brought an hour and fifteen minute non-stop assault to the revved up crowd in Binghamton. Frontman Jesse Leech led the metal onslaught along with the shredding guitar duo of Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel and the thunderous earth shaking bass of Mike D’Antonio and drummer Justin Foley.
    IMG_2516-Edit

    Killswitch, from Westfield, MA performed a whopping seventeen song set list that included tracks from five studio albums such as Alive and Breathing, The End of Heartache, As Daylight Dies, Disarm the Descent and their newest studio album just released in March, Incarnate. 

    Killswitch came out hitting hard with the number four track “Strength of Mind” off their new chart topping album Incarnate.  From there they went on to perform “A Bid Farewell”, “Numbered Days” and “Alone I Stand”, the first track off the new album.

    Metal fans were not disappointed as all four bands from different corners of the U.S. brought the house down with a massive sound, tons of high packed energy and crowd involvement. Killswitch continues its year-long tour in support of Incarnate throughout 2016, eventually heading to Europe on June 3, then back to the North America on July 17 before heading back to Europe for November and December dates.

    [FinalTilesGallery id=’753′]

    Setlist: Strength of Mind, A Bid Farwell, Numbererd Days, Alone I Stand, Beyond The Flames, The Arms of Sorrow, The New Awakening, Hate by Design, Take This Oath, Always, This Fire Burns, Rose of Sharyn, Embrace the Journey, My Last Serenade, The End of Heartache, My Curse, and In Due Time

  • Hearing Aide: BREN ‘Hot Lunch’

    BREN, from Plattsburgh, have just released their debut EP, Hot Lunch. In a world where many will say punk rock is dead or watered down, those skeptics have not heard BREN. BREN is a three piece ensemble that can honestly call their music punk, complete with nasally vocals screaming personal lyrics. Yes, this is fun punk rock and you can dance to it, but to actually sit down and listen to the lyrics being sung and written by Matt Hall, there is a lot more going on and that is what makes this debut album a must-have.

    Opening with “Parade”, and the lyric repeating “ There was something there, there was something there! I’m not imagining it.” shows that this punk rocker has a paranoid, more emotional, side to him. This could be ground breaking: a three piece punk band that actually has something personal to say in a punk rock setting. In “If there was something going on.” Hall paints a perfect upstate New York autumn of contemplation and anger. This song is brilliant. But in the 1:28 second rant if you don’t pay attention, the fast paced music will take away from the song’s meaning.

    “Dream Song” is different from the other tracks on the album in a few distinct ways. The lyrics are short, but sweet. Matt sings “ I kissed you in a dream last night” and then there’s an instrumental bit that showcases Sarah Mundy’s bass slapping as well as Zach Hircsch’s drums. This is a direction punk rock does not often take. The songs are usually short and to the point with very little to show in the jamming out sense. This song, however ,was different, letting listeners know that this group is more than three power chords and yelling – they are the real deal. In the album closer, “I’m better now”,the lyrics take us on an American Psycho journey through some very dark imagery in pleading her to talk to him again, because he’s better now. The song seems to be a metaphor for going through a rough patch in life. This album has the potential to reach many different audiences, and each unique listener can find their own meaning.

    KEY TRACKS: Parade, Dream Song, If There Was Something Going on