NYS Music 20​17

Category: Reviews

  • Luke Bryan and Friends Sell Out the Lakeview Amphitheater

    It’s no surprise that Luke Bryan and Friends Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day Tour sold out the Lakeview Amphitheater this past Saturday, August 12.  After all, the star studded tour featured some of today’s best country music with both Craig Campbell and Brett Eldredge along on the ride.

    Luke Bryan and Friends darien lakeUp first was Craig Campbell who did an amazing job starting the crowd with his smooth country melodies and high energy boot stomping numbers.  With hits like “Outskirts of Heaven” and “Keep Those Kisses Coming” his true country sound was the first to jump start this happy crowd.

    Luke Bryan and Friends darien lakeUp next was crowd favorite, Brett Eldridge.  Hailing from the small town of Paris, Illinois this young man is from my neck of the woods in Southern Illinois.  It’s been fun watching his career explode with his first hit, “Raymond” in 2010, and his CMA’s New Artist of the Year award in 2014.  Since then, it’s been pedal to the medal with hit after hit for this young man with no end near as his momentum just accelerates with each new album.  With a full catalog of music to choose from already for the show, Brett entertained this crowd with his boy next door charm and charisma for days the moment he hit the stage.

    With a quick set stage change, in no time flat the crowd was able to see the man of the hour, Luke Bryan.  Rising to the center of the stage with flames blazing, Luke came out with his number one hit “Move” and the crowd went wild and the rest is history.  There is no doubt why Luke Bryan continuously wins Entertainer of the Year from several sources.  His personality and charm made the show not only entraining, but down right fun.

    Luke Bryan and Friends darien lakeStarting off the show by bringing a young boy named Nicholas on stage right from the start, his kindness and way with kids showed through immediately, and with that cute little smile and moves for days, the girls were melting into their seats the moment he looked their way. But don’t get me wrong, Luke Bryan is a man’s man too.  With talk of hunting, and fishing, and having a good ole time with his friends and family, he is down right likable to everyone. Where else can someone sing “Sweet Caroline” in a sea of NY Yankee fans and still be shown the love!  The show offered concert goers their money’s worth with a long setlist of hit after hit.  If you haven’t seen him live yet, I highly suggest you see his show.

    If you weren’t at Saturday’s show, don’t fret as he’ll be joining New Yorkers once again on August 24 at CMAC in Canandaigua, August 25 at Darien Center, August 26 at SPAC in Saratoga, and August 27 at Jones Beach in Wantaugh!

    Setlist Brett Eldredge: Superhero, Don’t Ya, Somethin’ I’m Good At, Wanna Be That Song, Beat of the Music / Drops of Jupiter, Love Someone, Drunk On Your Love, Long Way Around, Mean To Me, and Lose My Mind

    Setlist Luke Bryan and Friends: Move, That’s My Kind of Night, Kick the Dust Up, Rain Is a Good Thing, This Is How We Roll (Florida Georgia Line cover, orig. ft. Bryan), Crash My Party, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, I See You, Fast, Drunk on You, Roller Coaster, All My Friends Say, Country Man, Play It Again, Mountain Music (Alabama cover), Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond cover), Fishin’ in the Dark (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band cover), Strip It Down, Drink a Beer, Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day, I Don’t Want This Night to End, Country Girl (Shake It for Me), Paradise City (Guns N’ Roses cover)

  • ARISE Has Risen

    ARISE Music Festival was held at Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, on a jovial weekend August 4-6, surrounded by rock formations, pleasant lakes, and mysterious meadows. This land was indeed filled with love, so its name holds true to its essence. It was a glorious gathering of all walks of life – an open, family friendly, health conscious like-minded atmosphere where one can simply be whoever they please. Acceptance was a big feature of the time that was had and the energies that flooded the air proved this to be true. People united and rejoiced in ways the whole world could learn from.

    ARISEThe weekend consisted of countless extraordinary artists including performances by Atmosphere, Tipper, Lettuce, Beats Antique, Ani DiFranco, SunSquabi, Rising Appalachia, Brother Ali, Break Science, The Brothers Comatose, Desert Dwellers, and Dopapod, just to name a few. The vibe of these acts included a wide range of eclectic music including electronic, hip-hop, funk, jazz, world fusion, folk, soul, and progressive rock.

    Despite the waves of torrential downpour fluctuating all weekend, flooding and destroying the temporary homes of many, everyone at ARISE seemed to shine through the rain and it only made people dance even harder to the grooves of mother earth, especially when a calm, strong, and bright double rainbow appeared at the end of a fierce shower on the third day. This experience was an evolution of mankind, uniting positivity and kindness throughout each moment.

    Food vendors provided healthy and nutritional options for all types of eaters, as well as the festival’s own farmer’s market. As you entered from the main camping ground through giant neon totem poles, there was eye candy everywhere; each white tent displayed an extensive collection of interesting goods to be sold, not to mention countless painters, sculptors, and artists of all kinds.

    Temptations with zero expectations. Hammocks galore! There were yoga workshops and practices, domes to climb, beaded huts, teepees, and much, much more. This interactive experience gave one the liberty to wander to different areas such as the “Wisdom Village,” “Children’s Village,” and “Solutions Village”, which all co-created a friendly habitat for the weekend in its own worldly bubble. As a good-vibe-only festival, people could be found at any of the stages, including Big Sunrise Dome, StarWater, Scene Magazine, Green Tree, and main headliners at the Eagle stage.

    Sound mimicked the rhythm of body movements and the full moon and clear night on the final evening of the journey fabricated unparalleled liveliness. For anyone interested in participating in a relaxing care-free time with no service whatsoever, ARISE should be on the top of your list, where you can freely admire the sun and moon rise and set over this magical land while opening your mind to stellar soundwaves.

  • Panorama’s Sophomore Year Brings Diverse Music To Randall’s Island

    For its second year counting, another sun sets on the Panorama Music Festival in Randall’s Island Park. Along with a lineup spanning across a vast array of decades and styles, Panorama brought some unexpected surprises this year, most prominently a broad artistic landscape to admire and become engulfed in.

    panorama randall's islandPanorama’s biggest sponsor this year was HP, and they made it blatantly obvious. A massive tent and dome structured like the Florence Cathedral became home to The Lab, which required visitor participation to thrive, both functionally and artistically. One room would feature a giant globe of constantly-moving graphics. Take one touch of it, and the patterns would shift, creating an entirely new display. Another room had levers attached to brass instruments through long tubes, and each lever pulled created a new sound for the surrounding song played. Another room featured virtual reality glasses to transport visitors to another space. HP also brought us The Lounge, which was an activity center with live music all day, bandana printing, and interactive art photo booths (not to mention very long lines).

    Although one would say this was as equally an arts festival as it was music, it was the impressively diverse lineup that brought in attendees from all walks of life. From R&B worshipers flooding in for Frank Ocean Friday night, to the industrial rockers jumping around for the closing Nine Inch Nails set on Sunday night, there was a place at Panorama for everyone, and everyone came from around the world to celebrate.

    Friday, July 28

    After hours of waiting in line to check in and passing through inspection, Panorama was alarmingly empty in the late afternoon on Friday. With the sweltering heat, it seemed people drifted into the fest slowly, while bands would start playing in one or two of the four venues on the Island. The first Main Stage act to go on was British electro-soul artist HONNE, who played the hit singles “Warm On A Cold Night” and “All In The Value,” along with a groovy “3am.”

    As the Main Stage acts picked up on popularity, the crowd size slowly expanded. Vance Joy came on after HONNE, and despite him being a slight one-hit wonder, his following was enormous and devoted. He played “Riptide” as everyone suspected, but threw in other songs from his popular album Dream Your Life Away, including “Your Mess Is Mine” and “Fire and the Flood.” He also did an incredible cover mashup of the Omi billboard hit “Cheerleader” and “You Can Call Me Al.”

    After some perusing of Panorama’s endless food vendors, and catching part of Future Islands’ set on the Main Stage, in addition to confessions from their previous night (spoiler alert, the lead singer got too drunk), Spoon eased us into the evening at the Pavilion stage, where there was just enough room to squeeze your way to the front. Spoon jumped all over their catalogue for this set, from their newest release of Hot Thoughts (“I Ain’t the One,” “Can I Sit Next To You,” “Do I Have to Talk You Into It,”) as well as their 2014 release They Want My Soul (“Rent I Pay,” “Do You”).

    MGMT followed Future Islands on the Main Stage, and their set featured hits that brought us back to high school where we first fell in love with them. Songs like “Time To Pretend,” “Weekend Wars,” “Kids” and “Electric Feel.” As the night passed on, the stage lights became brighter and the crowd continued to flow in, preparing for the soul and R&B artists to come.

    Beyonce’s sister Solange took the Main Stage at 8, and if you haven’t heard of her before, she is best explained to have a similar-sounding voice to Bey, but with a completely different musical direction. Beyonce keeps to more of a hip hop base, with attention to melodic phrasing. Solange is more abstract, tuning her voice to an instrument timbre and embracing jazz influences to a trip hop style of music. She was the perfect way to segue the psychedelic set of MGMT to the simplistic beauty of Frank Ocean’s music.

    Frank Ocean had a different plan than most headliners you’d suspect. From his introduction through the piano-based ballad masterpiece “Solo,” he segued into a variety of poetically-somber song choices, including his most recent singles “Chanel” and “Lens.” With an occasional loop or sample, Frank’s set was mostly piano and acoustic guitar to support his sultry-toned voice. The ending of his 2016 hit “Self Control” seemed to elevate the audience to a unison voice, and with every part Frank sang, the audience sang back. To top it all off, Frank wore a shirt for his entire set that read “Why be racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic when you could just be quiet?”

    Saturday, July 29

    Saturday’s cloudy skies staved off sunburns and provided some refreshingly mild air as the early afternoon sets broke the silence of Randall’s Island. Opening The Parlor stage was the female-fronted gritty punk rock band BLEACHED, countered on the Pavilion Stage with NONAME dealing out some funky R&B beats. On a casual-paced meander toward the Panorama Stage, the laid-back rock grooves of Pinegrove, indie rockers from not too far away in Montclair, NJ. The easy-going afternoon saw one more act before gearing up for the evening. New York’s own Mitski welcomed many late arrivals to the festival as they finished their walk over the RFK Bridge. Though backed by a full band, Mitski closed her set solo bringing out a powerful lo-fi  rendition of Patti Smith in her vocal performance.

    The packed evening schedule posed several tough choices to make especially for those who had hopes of staying through an entire set. The side stages were scheduled with just enough time to catch at last part of a set without completely missing an act. Texas-based Survive’s set was rather captivating with an improvised feel that drew ears and minds close in to the experimental electronic ambience. Following Survive on The Pavilion stage were Scottish indie pop-rockers Belle and Sebastian, led by Stuart Murdoch sporting a Mets hat as a nod to Panorama’s originally planned site in Queens. With other local NY hat-tips tossed throughout the set, Belle and Sebastian weaved a bit of the early afternoon good vibes pace into the evening. The tent at The Pavilion was packed for that stage’s last act of the day was packed. Alt-J clearly had a big following of their own as fans, including in their set one of their better known songs “Left Hand Free” and one of their newest songs, “In Cold Blood.”

    Back at the main stage following Pinegrove, Jagwar Ma turned their electronic dance rock into a big sounding, beat heavy jam including their songs “Uncertainty,” “Give Me A Reason,” “Come Save Me,” and the set-closing “O B 1.” Nick Murphy, who previously went by the stage name Chet Faker, had a rather impressive rock ‘n roll stage presence behind the fusion of electronic, rock, and trip hop. Closing out Saturday was a highly anticipated set by Tame Impala, whose Panorama set was the biggest show they have played so far in the US. Their live show was just as precise as their recorded songs but much more immersive with their visuals just as much a part of the show as the music.

    Sunday, July 30

    Like each of the previous two days Sunday saw a light crowd for the early afternoon sets. Early birds had an easy start before kicking into high gear with some mellow danceable beats from Maryland-based producer Shallou before a New Orleans style interactive revival set from NYC’s own Rev. Vince Anderson & The Love Choir. As more of the snooze button crowd flocked in, the warm July sun greeted alt rocker Bishop Briggs on the main stage while the dimly-lit set of post punk band Preoccupations was underway during the same time slot at the tented Parlor stage. The never-ending festival dilemma of competing set times was a nuisance as both sets would have been better seen in full rather than making a jump from one to the other.

    For anyone who knew the band Jack’s Mannequin, the lead singer Andrew McMahon has since moved on to a new project, known as Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness. Though they’ve had success with their recent album release Zombies on Broadway, the ensemble brings in a nostalgic audience from the early 2000s, and their set wasn’t complete without Andrew playing the early Jack’s Mannequin classic “Dark Blue,” which added an extra piece of satisfaction to the set. Andrew McMahon is a frontman and character of his own, constantly walking through the audience, crowd surfing, and even riding an inflatable duck above the crowd. Their set included parachutes and beach balls, entertaining us in a way our inner four-year-old could really appreciate.

    Glass Animals was the perfect following act on the Main Stage, as the artwork for their new album How To Be A Human Being lit up the stage in vibrant shades. From that album, they played “Life Itself,” “Season 2 Episode 3,” and “Pork Soda.” They also payed homage to their earlier album release that got them on the musical map, ZABA (“Black Mambo,” and ”Gooey”). Days before the festival, they released the single “Agnes” which they also debuted at Panorama to hundreds of fans spread across the Island.

    In a sudden shift in musical genre, hip hop legends A Tribe Called Quest followed Glass Animals, with an impeccable energy and bittersweet farewell as the group openly announced that this set was the last they’d play in New York as Tribe. Woven in between their latest releases from their November 2016 closer album We Got It from Here…Thank You 4 Your Service (“The Space Program,” “Dis Generation,” “Black Spasmodic,” “We The People”) and some of their influential songs throughout trip hop history (“Buggin’ Out,” “Check The Rhime,” “Bonita Applebaum,” “Electric Relaxation”), their set spanned over years of evolution, while repping the same Queens pride from their youth. They made several acknowledgements to the audience, including their gratitude for the support they’ve received over the last few years without founding member Phife Dawg. They even left an extra mic open on stage to keep his spirit present, and upon the end of their set, the applause was long and emotional as fans bid farewell to one of the greatest groups in hip hop history.

    To imagine a Nine Inch Nails concert may be difficult for some of their most devoted fans, being that the band has been through two hiatuses, label complications, and several changes in band members. Since their official return in 2013, they’ve been releasing new material, like a trifecta of singles entitled “Not The Actual Events,” “Add Violence,” with one to still be released by the end of the year. They opened their set with the uncomfortably luring intro to “Dear World,” and with thin black ribbons flying from their instruments, they transitioned from feelings of rage with songs like “The Wretched” to the unsettling ballad “Something I Can Never Have.”

  • Hearing Aide: Incantation ‘Profane Nexus’

    Death metal has many faces, much like the seven headed beast that rises from the sea! It can have the speed and ferocious nature of a great white shark, thrashing while tearing the flesh apart without mercy! Or the infernal beast can take a sickening slow approach. Slowly filling your body and soul with dread as you gasp for air! Yes, the genre has taken many shapes and forms. One of the most recent incarnations, has risen from the depths of the nine circles once again. This demonic beast is known to those as Incantation from Jonestown, Pennsylvania. They have unleashed the most disgusting of all unholy sounds with their latest release Profane Nexus (released via Relapse Records). Let us delve into the hellish world of death metal, but with severe caution in this album review.

    Incantation 'Profane NexusProfane Nexus is the follow up from 2014’s Dirges of Elysium ( released via Listenable Records). With this latest release mixed and mastered by Dan Swano at Unisound  Studios, most known for helping the Swedish death metal scene with such groups like Entombed,  you can bet already the album will have that filthy muddied sound we love to drown ourselves in. The album starts with the blistering guitar works from McEntee and Lombardozzi on the opening track “Muse.” With the familiar down tuned style of the band, it contains both groove orientated soundscape combined with clearly mastered technical skills of both guitar players. You can feel the riffs gorge on your remnants with each passing second!
    If you need something for those blasphemy outings, “The Horns of Gefrin” shall be your unholy hymn of choice for you then! Severn (drums) will have you begging for the barrage of intense and unforgiving dynamic display he is showcasing in his drumming to stop before your skull cracks open! He will bash your head in with a smile on his face. Incantation is most known for their more sludge driven type of death metal much like Autopsy and Disma. The track “Incorporeal Despair” brings that sudden sensation of dread and suffocation to the album. McEntee’s vocal approach will make you feel as though he is speaking from the deepest parts of the abyss. Dragging through the river of Styx you shall find Sherwood as your ferryman as he plays  the most blood curdling  bass riffs, cracking your soul in half!
    Even throughout the many band changes in regards to  live performance members, the name Incantation shall reign forever in the death metal world from the past, present, and the future! I give this album an 8/10. Check out the band’s site to order, and sample the album, Relapse Records online store,  and of course check out your local record store to see if they can supply you with this perfect dose of death.  Remember boys and girls, hail the goat!
    Key Tracks: The Horns of Gefrin, Incorporeal Despair, Ancients Arise

  • Hearing Aide: Wintersun ‘The Forest Seasons’

    With the seasons being so diverse in their nature, many find comfort with each emotion they bring along with them. The cold bitterness of winter as wildlife and forestation finds rests, the welcoming embrace of spring when life resurrects again, summer brings the heat to keep our spirits filled with fire, and fall the season of beautiful changes and wonderful spices. Much like the four seasons, metal has the ability and beauty of melding together all sorts of aspirations. Only a few groups have been able to incorporate these elements to make  masterpieces in our time.  It has been five years since the 2012 release of Time I (released via Nuclear Blast Records), which pushed boundaries which a metal band should sound like. With much anticipation of the latest album from Wintersun, The Forest Seasons (released via Nuclear Blast), the musicians of this ever changing and growing tribe has without a shadow of a doubt created another masterpiece that will stand throughout time. This band is no other than Wintersun! With their third studio album under their belt, it is time to give into nature and give this album a proper review!

    Back in January 2017, Wintersun announced they were finished recording the newest album and you can bet the metal community was set on fire. Through every metal forum I was on to my Facebook feed, the flavor that everyone wanted to taste the most this year was Wintersun. Upon them releasing this album, you bet metalheads world wide were eating this up like the mead from Thors goblet! The first track of the album, “Awaken From The Dark Slumber (Spring),”  opens up with such galloping force, it will overtake you in mere seconds. Jari Mäenpää (vocals/guitar) has the perfect mold for beauty and relentless attitude with both his clean vocals and growls. Mäntysaari  joins Mäenpää on guitar to help propel the song on an ever ending journey of soaring guitar riffs as well as very delicate yet masculine precision. Much like many great progressive metal bands, such as Dream Theater and Symphony X, you will find the guitar work is mesmerizing as much as the lyrical content. The visual of dreams fading and life not returning back to the lands, this track will take you on a brand new journey of rebirth and darkness.

    What I adore most form the boys in Wintersun are the elements they bring across the spectrum into all of their material. Pulling influences from folk metal, black metal, power metal, and progressive elements to craft a very unique sound that many tried over the years to copy, but failed doing so. With such huge amounts of inspiration from previous projects they have done like Ensiferum for example, they know how to make the influences work as one. The track which really builds upon the many musical backgrounds of the members is “Eternal Darkness (Autumn).” This song is so over the place, yet the band knows exactly how to bring it altogether. Koskinen adding some more bass along with Mäenpää (also drum programming), they give it a very sinister sound with a hint of sorrow hidden in the wall of sound they have created. It has the power symphonic feel of Dimmu Borgir while giving it such a technical sound, it blows your mind! This track is made for the black metal type of fans as well the symphonic metal camps. The tremolo picking is so fast it is face melting. If I can suggest you listen to any track by itself to get the main idea of the album, you should blast this one when you can. You will not regret it, I promise!

    With such a huge amount of production they used on this album you see some great vocals on the choir pieces with great vocalists that worked with Tyr, Children Of Bodom, and Moonsorrow for a couple of  examples. What gives this album even more of a  mystic vibe to it are the liner notes giving those who had the most hands on this album  their own seasons. Mäenpää (winter), Mäntysaari (spring), Koskinen (Autumn), and Hahto (Summer). This album carries all the best elements of what metal and what musicianship should be crafted as. It gets a 10/10. Go check out the album on the band’s page.

    Key Tracks: Eternal Darkness (Autumn), Awaken From The Dark Slumber (Spring), Loneliness (Winter)

  • It was Still Lawnboy: Phish Glazes the Crowd on the Final Night of Baker’s Dozen

    It took 13 consecutive shows for Phish to perform 237 songs at Madison Square Garden, with not a single repeat among them. It will take far longer than this Baker’s Dozen of shows to fully grasp the historic nature of this run of shows by Vermont’s famous quartet.

    On the final night of Phish’s Baker’s Dozen of shows at The Garden, a Pink Glazed donut was the flavor du jour, tickets were nearly impossible to acquire and fans flocked inside early to get ready for the last night of bustouts, first time covers and extended jams that have been the hallmark of Phish’s residency. While the donut flavor did not directly correlate to anything performed during the show, the audience and band were both glazed with joy, reaching the end of this unprecedented run of shows.phish baker's dozen

    The first set of the evening featured songs phans chase, including “Dogs Stole Things,” “Ha Ha Ha,” “Camel Walk,” and “Sanity,” among others. Vida Blue’s “Most Events Aren’t Planned” was a surprise cover, one of a handful that Phish learned in advance of the run. The long awaited bustout of Hendrix’s “Izabella” left many flat-footed with the original intro preceding the stand alone set closer, but once Trey kicked into familiar riff, the crowd cheers began to arise while some stood in disbelief and others with jaws dropped, as the cover shelved for 19 years finally made an appearance in the 25th set of the run.

    Set 2 began with “Simple” which wandered past the 25 minute mark, nearly matching the Northerly Island jam from July 14, kicking off a five song set. The new tune “Rise/Come Together” had a powerful, unifying message tied within the ascending rocker, and was greeted by fans with cheers as the “Rise up…. Come Together” lyrics were matched with Chris Kuroda’s growing light show. Bowie’s “Starman” followed, only the second version since The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was covered in full last fall in Las Vegas.

    “You Enjoy Myself” finally arrived, with all the pent up energy you would expect after nearly 2000 minutes of music, and the release on the lyric “Boy” was as powerful as it’s ever been. Prior to the vocal jam, Mike began to tease the “Izabella” bass line and instead of the usual vocal jam, Trey put his guitar back on and, began to jam back into “Izabella” on more time, one of those ‘Holy shit’ moments that kept happening night after night. The set was capped with The Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup,” a perfect ending to the high energy, jam filled set.

    For the encore, Trey choked back tears as he began Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” which was followed by Page leaving his key rig while the band kicked back into a jam on “Lawn Boy” that was last heard on July 25, jam-filled donut night. Page told the crowd “A lot of people have been asking me if this is still ‘Lawn Boy’…. It is,” referencing a fan made shirt that appeared only days after the half hour version of the typically standard three minute lounge singer tune.

    The laughs that erupted from the audience were due in part to the band being in on the joke and the audience/band interaction solidified as the run came to a close. Page sang a few bars of “Lawn Boy” and while he retreated to his rig, Mike and Fishman laid down the opening bass and drums to “Weekapaug Groove” to fake out the audience (there would be NO repeats this run) before the final release of “Tweezer Reprise” was finally laid out for the fans.

    Phish had done it – 13 consecutive shows, no repeats, over 200,000 tickets sold over the course of the run, and a gleeful crowd embracing the joy of the final night of a piece of music history. But most importantly, it was still ”Lawnboy.”

    Setlist from Phish.net

    Set 1: Dogs Stole Things, Rift, Ha Ha Ha, Camel Walk, Crazy Sometimes > Saw It Again > Sanity > Bouncing Around the Room,Most Events Aren’t Planned[1], Bug, I Been Around, Izabella
    Set 2: Simple > Rise/Come Together > Starman, You Enjoy Myself, Loving Cup
    Encore: On the Road Again > Lawn Boy Reprise > Tweezer Reprise
    [1] Phish debut

    phish baker's dozen
    phish baker's dozen
    phish baker's dozen
    phish baker's dozen
    phish baker's dozen

  • Hearing Aide: Venomous Maximus ‘No Warning’

    Over the years, Black Sabbath has been known to create not only the metal genre as a whole, but  also inspired so many sub-genres  from the roots of all things heavy.  Because of the wall of sound and the occult themes, many fans were mesmerized by that approach and set out on pilgrimages to create their own form of occult rock. From bands like Candlemass, Angel Witch, whom brought the sound of wicked laced lyrics in their songs, to groups like Electric Wizard who brought the evil overtones with immense amounts of 60’s influence drug speak,  it is fair to say Black Sabbath has given birth to so many great bands over the years with their influence. Among the children of Sabbath, we have Houston’s Venomous Maximus.

    venomous maximus no warningThey started casting evil incantations with their debut album, Beg Upon The Light (released 2012 via Occulture), the band was eagerly accepted in the doom underground. Now it has been two years since their last spellbound of a record Firewalker (released 2015 via Shadow Kingdom Records). They came back from the crypt to cast one more feverishly dangerous of an album, No Warning (released via Shadow Kingdom Records), the doom rockers have once again unleashed hell and we love it!

    No Warning is the third studio album from the band. The formula of New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) with the elements of Black Sabbath,  this album hits you where it matters most. With Beg Upon The Light single “Give Up The Witch” we have the continuation of the story with “Return of The Witch.” Much like from the debut album, the vocals will  have your skin crawling with excitement. Higgins (vocals/guitar) still sounds like an ominous banshee which you do not want to meet in a dark alley. Such a deep and very melancholy style of vocals, one will find themselves caught in the beauty of the darkness of the lyrical themes. With tracks like “All Of My Dreams” and “Pray For Me”  displaying the most powerful of vocal creation, you will without a doubt be putting these tracks on repeat while you let the night take you away.

    The band really knows how to make catchy songs while keeping that metal attitude alive. With Higgins, Larson (guitar/synth/backing vocals), Diles (bass), and Draungardy (Drums/percussion) working like an unholy covenant, the songs they create will have you banging at your next black mass! My personal favorite songs which I feel have the best girt type of mood would be “No Warning” and “Spellbound.” With such energy you will fall in love with Draungardy drumming and bass playing from Diles to penetrate into your mind the end of days is nye! It really will make those fans of Sabbath and Candlemass really feel as though the two groups made a Rosemary Baby and is offering the craft to the world! With the guitar work of Higgens and Larson working as one being, the 80’s guitar style is very clear in the tracks, with soaring guitar solos, but still carrying that doom induced dread that even the dead can enjoy rocking out to!

    I have always been a huge fan of doom and occult themed bands. In fact it is one of my favorite genres of all time to enjoy with friends in the graveyard back in my youth. Doom metal will continue to haunt the underground and the passion for all things ominous. The genre will continue to be a favorite of the metal underground. With No Warning your passion will only grow with the genre and the band. This fine specimen gets an 8 out of 10 from me.  You may go to the band’s bandcamp to get the album or Shadow Kingdom Records website. Get it out and may the spirit of the witch grace your ears!

    Key Tracks: Return Of The Witch, Pray For Me, All Of My Dreams

  • Hearing Aide: The Southern Belles ‘In the Middle of the Night’

    The sort of plasmic, shape-shifting rock and roll spawned by The Southern Belles of Richmond, VA, has been released to humans everywhere for their listening and dancing pleasure on August 5. Their third album, In the Middle of the Night, is oddly akin to Willie Wonka‘s three course dinner chewing gum, in that, through the consumption of one product, several flavors can be indulgently experienced in a brief period. At least by listening to this album, no one will need a swarm of oompa loompas to roll them to the juicing room… that we know of.

    This album dives deeper than their previous release Close to Sunrise, offering heavier jams, tighter instrumentation and an overall more spacious and grandiose sound. The Southern Belles is Adrian Ciucci (guitar), Tommy Booker (keys), Aaron Zarrow (drums), and Derrick Englert (bass). In the Middle of the Night was recorded at The Ward recording studio in Richmond.

    “Everywhere 1” floods the eardrums with runaway guitar like an antsy racehorse exploding out of the starting gate. In under a minute the tune relaxes before getting groovier, continuously arousing the listener’s curiosity. Ciucci’s vocal tone is a crosshatch of Motion City Soundtrack’s Justin Pierre and Jimmy Eat World’s Jim Adkins. The song culminates with an uplifting message of gratitude: “Everything I try to be, there’s someone there reminding me/ Life is grand, we’re so lucky/ And it’s amazing everywhere it takes me.” This closing sentiment is a suiting cap to the opening song of an album, almost an anthem to their success, four musicians converging, playing their brand of music together in a way no other combination of musicians could exactly replicate. Something to be thankful for.

    “Deja Vu” offers a more somber beginning, with higher octave backing vocals that emulate The Flaming Lips with a sea of airy voices echoing Ciucci. It shifts from whirring organ to bouncy guitar, offering an uplifting release from the heavier tone. “L.A. Moves” opens with delicate guitar and elements reminiscent of NY synth-rock band Jimkata. “Tryin” promptly brings the Vulfpeck vibes with playful keys before escalating into a rock-opera ballad replete with gospel-like vocals and undulating tempos. The album closes with “Everywhere II,” trickling in with calming water effects, muted organ and vocals with Pink Floyd connotations before Ciucci utters the heartening sentiment, “Just know in the end you’re gonna get where you’re goin, so take good care of your friends/ They’re the only ones who know you and the only ones who care so be kind and fair.” The song then picks up tempo and finishes on a high note with a cathartic swirl of guitar and pounding drums, bringing it full circle to the beginning of the album.

    In the Middle of the Night was officially released on August 5 at The Broadberry in their hometown. The single is being streamed via Soundcloud and their website, and can be heard on SiriusXM’s Jam On. The Southern Belles have been touring the East Coast leading up to the album release, and will hit the road again for their fall tour. They will be playing Saturday August 12 in Capon Bridge, WV at La La Land, followed by the Peace of Mind Fest in Halifax, PA on August 31.

    Key Tracks: Everywhere I, Tryin, Everywhere II

  • American Acoustic Brings Magic to Chautauqua

    When you scan your ticket at the gate for admittance to the Chautauqua Amphitheater you don’t immediately enter a concert venue. You first gain admittance to the Chautauqua Institution, a self-contained gated community unlike any other. There is a surreal quality to the surroundings, only amplified on this cool, rain-drenched August evening. A group was gathered in the Chabad House to welcome the Sabbath a few steps from Palestine Street and just around the corner from the Ecumenical Society. Quiet, tree-lined and nearly carless streets led down to a town square where a group of kids were taking advantage of the extended summer evening with a pre-dusk soccer game. It felt like we were extras on a movie set, wandering through a story beyond our immediate grasp. Just past the square, the faint sounds of acoustic guitar emerged from a sunken wooden amphitheater. It was newly rebuilt and restored this past year, a unique space with stunning sound and excellent sight lines. People were gathered inside for the evening’s entertainment, being provided by American Acoustic. The location and entertainment overlapped in some sort of mystical is-this-real-life place, a dense mash of thick color in the middle of a complex Venn diagram.

    American Acoustic is a dream-come-true tour for bluegrass and Americana fans. The all-male super-group-in-reverse Punch Brothers (featuring Chris Thile on mandolin, Paul Kowert on bass, Gabe Witcher on fiddle, Noam Pikelny on banjo and Chris Eldridge on guitar), joined forces with the all-female super group I’m With Her (featuring Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan) and rogue guitar phenom Julian Lage for an all-out string feast.

    Like a scene from The Wizard of Oz, two large wooden doors automatically opened to the side of the stage, and musicians would emerge from the darkness beyond. They ebbed and flowed from the lineup throughout the evening, displaying multitudes of unique combinations, providing moments upon moments of sheer brilliance.

    Each was a verse in the poetic epic that comprised the entire show: In a duo with Chris Eldridge on “Things in Life,” off their recent release, Julian Lage snuck masterfully melodic picking in, around and under Eldridge’s vocals / Kowert accompanied the otherwise a capella I’m With Her for their set-closing take on Adele’s “Send My Love,” each of their beautiful voices weaved around each other in a magnificent groove / A perfectly placed dog bark rang out during the Punch Brothers’ performance of Claude Debussy’s “Passepied,” further knotting the connection between the place and performance, much to the delight of the crowd and band alike / In a cover of Josh Ritter’s sea-faring tale “Another New World” the closing improvisation section appropriately contained monster waves of sound, swelling with energy / Jarosz joined the band for an oozing and sparse rendition of Radiohead’s “The Tourist”  / The entire ensemble combined for a hair-on-end words-can’t-describe it cover of the Beatles “Julia” / A show closing take on the traditional “Father Adieu” was a true vocal workout, each verse being sung by a different combination of voices, with the last round between the collective male and female voices, simply stunning.

    Those extra special moments were wrapped tightly amongst more folk-induced warmth and heat. Julian Lage and Noam Pikelny showcased their individual eye-popping talents with interspersed solo pieces. I’m With Her beefed up their minimal-but-growing catalog of originals like “Overland” and “Little Lies” with covers of Jim Croce’s “Walkin’ Back to Georgia” and John Hiatt’s “Crossing Muddy Waters.” The Punch Brothers took over after a short break, with a set spanning their catalog, hitting on “New York City,” “Julep,” “Familiarity” and the clever pairing of “Hops of Guldenberg” with “Rye Whiskey.” During the closing portion with everyone on stage, Thile presented a new song, ripped from the headlines, titled “Comey’s Waltz,” with lyrics like, “Now someone else has to come and stick it to ya, hallelujah” and “Sir, I’m already gone.”

    With a fun romp through Randy Newman’s “Mama Told Me Not to Come” featuring everyone, as their encore, they sent the crowd back on their way. Exiting the gates of the community, like emerging from the corn fields in the “Field of Dreams,” we were mortal again. The real world beckoned, but we’ll always have that magical night with American Acoustic in Chautauqua.

  • Thanks be to God for Alabama Shakes in Albany

    Thousands gathered to listen to a preacher give thanks. Her boisterous voice echoed throughout the golden walls, as painted angels peered down from the ceiling. She removed her glasses to wipe the sweat from her brow and then threw her hands to the sky as she sang to the heavens in gratitude and desperation. Brittany Howard is the lead singer and guitarist of the Grammy nominated band, Alabama Shakes. On August 1, 2017 she was a preacher. The Palace Theater in Albany was the church. The sold out crowd of 2,800 ticket holders the congregation.

    Throughout the evening, she would pause to give thanks. Thanks to the Emily King, the opening folk act who drummed up the crowd’s excitement. Thanks to the fans for coming out on a Monday to show their support and hear them play. Thanks to her eight other band members for tearing it up. And a reminder to “take this message with you and make others feel good.”

    Like a southern preacher, Howard was animated, soulful, serious and powerful. Entering onto the stage with a sample of David McCallum’s “The Edge” playing in the background, a feeling of intensity was shock waved throughout the building. The Shakes began with “Future People,” a song from their 2015 album Sound and Color. As she would do throughout the evening with songs like “I’m Yours” and “Dunes,” she began quietly but then abruptly pounced into action with volume and muscle.

    The songs they played from the 2012 album, Boys and Girls, like “I Ain’t the Same,” and “Hang Loose” have a distinctly southern gospel rock to them. They’re playful and dance-inducing, providing opportunities for the band to shine. Every song from Sound and Color seemed to be more Howard focused. Her vocal range is bass to soprano, all with notes she holds. Her voice has an old-timey, soulful sound that pairs nicely with the instrumentals.

    Before returning to the stage for a three-song encore, Howard and backup singer Lloyd Buchanan performed a sweet, romantic and somehow heartbreaking duet of “Gemini.” The two were able to convey a sense of unbounded and tender love. The evening ended with a soft “Over My Head,” like a lullaby to say goodnight.

    Those lucky enough to witness the raw talent of Alabama Shakes at The Palace Theater went to bed that night feeling pure bliss and of course, gratitude.

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