NYS Music 20​18

Category: Metal/Hard Rock/Punk

  • Adirondack Independence Music Festival Closes Out Summer in Lake George

    Just in time to close out the summer, Adirondack Independence Music Festival snuck in a final taste of carefree living and beaming sunshine with a two-day jam in Lake George. Tucked away in upstate New York, the cozy site with two alternating stages backdropped the Labor Day Weekend everybody needed with familiar faces and top-notch talent across the early September lineup.

    Ready to launch festival goers into two straight days of live music, The Melting Nomads took the stage as the opening act. Featuring members from Annie In the Water’s last lineup, the fresh-on-the-scene artists played about an hour set. Next up was Jen Durkin & the Business on the Improv Stage. Steal your Peach band entertained in classic fashion with covers of The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers over two sets. Keller Williams brought a real blue grass, jazz vibe to the entire grounds while Twiddle’s Mihali brought out his guitar to jam alongside Keller. Following Keller Williams was the renowned Sublime cover band Badfish. Twiddle closed out the night for the second year in a row, with an outstanding performance that had everyone on their feet. The band brought out special guests such as Joshua West of The Melting Nomads and Lowell Wurster. Attendance was nearly double of what the festival brought in the year prior, reaching nearly 3,5000 attendees.

    Ready to follow the kinetic atmosphere of day one with high energy, Let’s Be Leonard jump started Sunday funday and got the crowd moving in the early afternoon. Their laid back personalities and welcoming sound are the first to reel you in but their individual talents bring an extra flair to their live performance as a whole. The quintet played a few tunes from their sophomore release, Static, among the zany crowd favorite, “Brad Paisley.”

    Back to School Special followed punctually on the adjoining stage of the 25-acre Charles R. Wood Park. The first-time super group crafted by Turkuaz drummer Mikey Carubba, laid down the funk as they offered up impressively tight playing and fun splashes of covers throughout the hour set. With a highly skilled lineup consisting of Carubba, Beau Sasser (Kung Fu keys), Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz guitarist) and Sam Kininger (former Lettuce Sax), the experienced quartet instantly blended together to create quality tunes and a professional sound you’d think they’ve been crafting for years.The first double set at AIM Fest was taken on by Lucid, who draws a familiar and devoted crowd from Plattsburgh NY.

    Bringing Woods Rock to the forefront of the ADK stage, the North country musicians tapped into an eclectic selection of genres including harmonica solos throughout their two-hour gig. Previously introduced to Lucid or brand new to their sound, their catalogue and live performance is equipped with something for everyone. Right in the middle of a Lucid sandwich, Swift Technique came as a fresh pop of flavor delivering Philly funk with charisma, booming voices and a horns section demanding to be heard. Stellar crowd engagement from all band members and light-hearted messages to take care of one other truly reaffirmed what the upstate festival setting was all about. The entertaining outfit ended their set with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” and passed the mic back to Lucid for their final set, which found a performance of “Backwoods,” featuring Lowell Wurster’s father and Scott Hannay (Mister F, Wild Adriatic).

    Stepping on stage as if they were walking in the front door of their childhood homes, Pink Talking Fish comfortably let loose and connected with the vibrance of their musical predecessors. Momentum kept rolling through a seemingly sped up version of Phish’s “Cities,” giving phans who missed out on Curveball a reason to groove and shake about. A dive into Pink Floyd’s “Breathe” surely found bodies swaying in unison, with the song’s lyrics acting as a reminder to cherish the final moments of festival season. The Allman Brother’s Band “Whipping Post” made a surprise set-list appearance, acting as a bookend to a drum heavy “What’s the Use?” with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong drummer Alex Petropulos dropping by for a tasty breakdown.

    Lespecial hit the stage at dusk, taking the setting sun as an opportunity to bring the hard hitting funk metal and entrancing beats. The multi-talented trio has a way of mesmerizing festival goers with their gritty, unique sound. They loop their live performances and indulge in genres from electronica and house to progressive rock and dark metal. Known for their musical parallels and tendency to cover Primus, Lespecial took on “Jerry Was A Racecar Driver” to begin closing out their set in style with drummer Rory Dolan nailing the Les Claypool vocals.If there was any comfortable space around you, it was instantly absorbed by the time 8 o’clock rolled around. Bodies quickly assembled and flocked towards the front of the stage as Saturday night headliners Pigeons Playing Ping Pong closed out the fest with high spirits and optimal animation. With two sets of straight funk, the unstoppable touring machines pulled out all the stops, including a “Funk E. Zekiel” opener, a number of hits from their latest album, Pizazz, and two sit-ins from the Swift Technique horns on “F.U.N.K.” and Pink Talking Fish keyboardist Richard James on “Cliffs”> “Once In A Lifetime”> “Cliffs.” Always at the top of their craft with wacky facial expressions, in sync jamming and polished dance moves, the quartet have perfected their stage presence. With a tune self explanatory of the entire weekend, PPPP appropriately shut down AIM Fest with fan-favorite, “Fun in Funk.”

    Mirroring a similar feel that the tight-knit Disc Jam community gives off and what has been missing since Catskill Chill shut down, AIM Fest continues to emerge on the scene at the right place and time. It’s fourth year in operation proved to be the best yet and a fitting, colorful sunset to a noteworthy summer of live music.

  • Shinedown Lights Up Darien Lake

    Where does one find all the old school rockers who are just reaching ages where they are getting married and having kids? At a Godsmack and Shinedown show of course. Possibly the one at Darien Lake Amphiteater on July 24. You didn’t find too many young kids at this show, if you saw them chances are they were with their parents.

    Like a storm hit the stage and did they live up to their name. Frontman Chris Brooks got the crowd engaged and on their feet. Even if you didn’t know their songs you couldn’t help but bang your head to it. The band was energetic, and they certainly fit in with the genre for the evening.

    A classic staple in the poppy version of rock came to the stage. Shinedown, from previous shows you`d expect nothing less than perfectionism, and that’s exactly what they brought. Brent Smith and the guys gave us some classics such as “Sound of Madness” and “I`ll Follow You.” They treated us to the new stuff off their latest album ATTENTION ATTENTION such as “Black Soul.” These guys have their stage performance down to a science. Brent took the time to shake the photographer’s hands and also reached out to nearby audiences. He and Zach Meyers have a inseparable chemistry on stage and you almost get excited anytime they are near each other because you can expect some little eye-catching movements or stunts. The stunt they pulled that evening was popping up on a platform towards the lawn section of the audience. Zach and Brent did an acoustic version of “Simple Man.” While not their own song it seems to be a favorite.

    Godsmack, oh what to say about these guys. While being heavy hitters in the older rock scene they can still bring it. Though, I have seen better from them. The sound, under no control of their own, was muddy and what seemed to be sometimes muffled. Sully while having great pipes does not bring an appealing stage performance. Get the man a chair he’s not moving from his mic stand anytime soon. They played some staples such as “Keep Away” and “I Stand Alone.” The audience was pleased with their performance and people left on a high happy note, the real rock stars of the night were Shinedown.

  • Tedeschi Trucks Band and Chevy Court Crowd Agree: “I Want More”

    A crowd estimated at more than 16,000 people gathered at the New York State Fair’s Chevy Court in Syracuse on a beautiful moonlit evening to hear the unique sound of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Susan Tedeschi’s powerful, emotion-soaked vocals are at the front of most of their songs. What makes the band unique is the addition of her husband, world class guitarist Derek Trucks, and a cast of fellow band mates that would be the envy of any guitar/vocal combo. Including the punch of double drums, the wallop of a horn section and extraordinarily gifted backup singers, and the sublime Kofi Burbridge contributing accents on flute and huge swaths of sweeping organ melodies, there is a multi-layered density to their music that simply doesn’t sound much like other bands.

    At times, there are elements of funk, soul, roots rock, blues, jazz, free-form jams, and a kind of comfortable pulse or groove to all of it that propels the music further. While Tedeschi and Trucks have their names on the marquees, they allow plenty of latitude for every member of the band to shine and contribute. It’s the type of music that finds people that might be unfamiliar with the songs still smiling, tapping their feet, shuffling and swaying back and forth, and feeling their spirits uplifted as the music builds and soars.

    A couple of the evening’s highlights occurred back to back, in the form of Tedeschi’s breathtaking vocals on the gospel-like “Bound for Glory,” followed by Mike Mattison (who shares many songwriting credits in the band) taking the lead to sing a gritty, growling cover of Bob Dylan’s “Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood)”. Those weren’t the end of the highlights, as a couple of tunes later, the band invited Central New York native Al Schnier from the band moe. to join them in a cover of “Tell the Truth.” This was a guitar fan’s dream, as Trucks, Schnier and Tedeschi stood side by side at center stage and traded riffs for nearly ten minutes. In an interesting twist, the first ever live performance and first ever recording of that song by Derek and the Dominoes included Dave Mason (of Traffic), who had played earlier in the afternoon on the same Chevy Court stage.

    The band finished their main set with a song that seemed to perfectly express the sentiments of the crowd, “I Want More.” After a brief exit, the band returned for encores. Derek Trucks and saxophonist Kebbi Williams teamed for an instrumental “Swamp Raga” intro to “Midnight in Harlem.” The band closed the show with an exuberant take of Joe Cocker’s “Space Captain.”

    Tedeschi Trucks Band Chevy Court Setlist: Don’t Let Me Slide, Laugh About It, High & Mighty, Get What You Deserve, Lord Protect My Child @, Bound For Glory, Made Up Mind, Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood) @, Part Of Me, Tell The Truth #, More And More, How Blue Can You Get %, I Want More, Encores: Midnight In Harlem (Swamp Raga intro), Space Captain $

    @ – Bob Dylan cover, # – Derek and the Dominoes cover, % – BB King arrangement cover of Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers song, $ – Joe Cocker cover

  • Photo Gallery: Halestorm

    The Albany Capital center hosted a triple-bill of heavy metal music on Friday, Aug. 3 — Halestorm, In This Moment and New Years Day — all of which featured a female lead singer. Halestorm, the Grammy Award-winning band out of Red Lion, Pennsylvania, may have been the headlining act, but it was a special night for Maria Brink of In This Moment. For Brink, the Capital District concert was a homecoming event for the Clifton Park native. She dedicated her band’s set to her family and friends in the audience.

    Check out our Halestorm photo gallery below.

  • On The Cinder Plans Fall Foray Into Canada

    On The Cinder hits the road again this fall with stops as far as Canada. The run starts off Sept. 5 in Buffalo, where the trio formed the band in 2012. They head west to Detroit on Sept. 6, then have a run of five shows north of the border, including Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal before circling back to the states for a Sept.13.

    The fun-loving crew recently released a music video for their song “Soap Box,” in which drummer Tyler Rzemek gets fed up with being in the background and kidnaps bandmates Jason Wright and Mike Jacobs. Hilarity ensues as the antics and props grow more and more incredulous.

    On The Cinder Great Lakes, Eh? Tour

    Sept. 5 – Hotel Dalmatia – Buffalo, NY 
    Sept. 6 – The Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
    Sept. 7 – Probably House – London, ON
    Sept. 9 – Doors Pub – Hamilton, ON
    Sept. 10 – Bovine Sex Club – Toronto, ON
    Sept. 11 – Black Squirrel Books – Ottawa, ON
    Sept. 12 – L’Esco – Montreal, QC
    Sept. 13 – The Town Shop – Syracuse, NY

  • Hearing Aide: Diluted ‘Legitimate Bastard’

    Rochester natives Diluted are set to release their latest EP, Legitimate Bastard, on August 18. Pat Mulligan, Zach Coffey, Matt Helmer, Tyler Creller, and Mike Kimack came together in 2014 and have created a fan base with their unique sound and killer instincts. The band’s previous album Never Fit In was nominated for Rochester’s city newspaper’s Best Local Album of 2017. I was excited to see if Legitimate Bastard would be a worthy follow up.

    My favorite track on this EP is the final song “Bothered.” Matt Helmer and Zach Coffey really shine in this song on the guitar. Their guitar solo, about 2 minutes and 40 seconds in, is joined by Tyler Creller on the drums. However, Creller is only playing the cymbals which adds to the cathartic feel of this song. The band did an amazing job using all the tools at their disposal to portray the emotion of the song.  They are not afraid to think outside the box.

    I also enjoyed the third track, “Spintech.” The band made some very interesting choices instrumentally that make this song catch your ear as soon as it begins. Ten seconds in, I almost felt as though I was entering the twilight zone. It is almost creepy, in a good way, after listening to two very heavy songs. When I first listened to this album, I thought this song would have worked better as the first track, given its interesting instrumentals, as if you were entering the twilight zone. However, after my second listen, I appreciate the placement of this song as it is leading the listener into yet another dimension of Diluted’s talent.

    I was not a fan of the first two tracks on this album. “Lose My Number” is a very heavy metal song, and while I can appreciate the style of music, the vocals seemed messy even for this genre. The second track “An Innocent Onlooker” is also a heavy metal track but the vocals are cleaner and more precise. My only complaint about this song is it begins with one vocalist screaming and another singing. I found it distracting to be listening to both styles at the same time.

    The range of talent showcased on this EP is impressive. From screaming heavy metal, to a beautiful ballad, there is something for everyone on this EP. However, while that would work on a full album, I am not sure it is a smart choice on an album with only four songs. As a first-time listener to Diluted, Legitimate Bastard sounds like a mix tape rather than an album by one artist. Diluted made some great choices in the making of this album but with only four songs there is no chance to reiterate their different talents. I finish this album a fan of Diluted, and I would love to see them live, but I am not sure this is an album I would buy for myself.

    Diluted will be performing an EP release show on Saturday August 18 at the Bug Jar in Rochester.

    Key Tracks: Spintech, Bothered.

  • Slayer’s Farewell Tour Pays Syracuse a Curtain Call

    News of a Slayer farewell tour hit many in the metal community hard, but in a year of farewell tours, it’s not surprising that this Huntington Park, CA band, created in 1981, would call it a day.

    Joining Slayer on this final trek across North America were fellow thrash metal veterans Anthrax and Testament, current thrash flag-bearers Lamb of God, and British grindcore pioneers Napalm Death.

    Slayer Farewell Tour
    Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway of Napalm Death

    It would be easy to say that this lineup of veteran thrash legends is a cash grab nostalgia tour, but nothing could be further from the truth. All five bands are touring on current releases. Critics have proclaimed the latest Anthrax and Testament releases among the best of their respective careers. This was a lineup of bands still fresh, despite several decades of headbanging that left fans of each band wanting more.

    New York-based Anthrax had an especially strong contingent of fans in attendance, as lead vocalist Joey Belladonna is a native of Oswego, a short drive from the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater. Anthrax, always the historians, opened and closed their set with a tribute to the recently deceased Pantera drummer, Vinnie Paul. The band opened with the riff from the Pantera classic, “Cowboys From Hell” and closed with the same, sending those in attendance into a headbanging frenzy. Anthrax, particularly bassist Frankie Bello, is one fun band to watch perform.

    Slayer Farewell Tour

    While most of the show was an exercise in headbanging for the largely 40-something crowd, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe added some acrobatics to his band’s set, invariably leaping from the riser at the front of the stage.

    Napalm Death performed a career-spanning set, including a slightly extended version of their song, “You Suffer.” This track, from Napalm Death’s debut album Scum, has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s Shortest Recorded Song at 1.316 seconds long. Make some time to hear that below:

    Slayer bid a fond farewell to a standing ovation following a raucous “Angel of Death” from the band’s classic Reign in Blood album. Their setlist was dotted with songs covering their entire career, including the opener, the title song from their latest album, Repentless.

    Setlists

    Slayer: Repentless, Blood Red, Disciple, Mandatory Suicide, Hate Worldwide, War Ensemble, Jihad, When the Stillness Comes, Postmortem, Black Magic, Payback, Seasons in the Abyss, Dittohead, Dead Skin Mask, Hell Awaits, South of Heaven, Raining Blood, Chemical Warfare, Angel of Death

    Lamb of God: Omerta, Ruin, Walk With Me in Hell, Now You’ve Got Something to Die For, 512, Engage the Fear Machine, Blacken the Cursed Sun, Laid to Rest, Redneck

    Anthrax: Cowboys From Hell (Pantera cover) (Jam), Caught in a Mosh, Got the Time (Joe Jackson cover), Madhouse, Be All, End All, Evil Twin, Antisocial (Trust cover), Indians

    Testament: Brotherhood of the Snake, Rise Up, Dog Faced Gods, The Preacher, Practice What You Preach, The New Order, Into the Pit, Over the Wall

    Napalm Death: Multinational Corporations, Instinct of Survival, When All Is Said and Done, Smash a Single Digit, Standardization, Suffer the Children, Silence Is Deafening, How the Years Condemn, Scum, You Suffer, Dead, Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Dead Kennedys cover)

  • Slayer Brings Their Farewell Tour To Albany

    Slayer brought their Farewell Tour to the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on August 1, along with a handful of some of the metal genre’s best acts. Lamb of God, Anthrax, Testament and Napalm Death joined the legendary thrash metal band’s going away party. In January, Slayer announced that they would be embarking on a farewell tour, playing concerts all across the United States along with select dates in Canada. The show started right around 5 pm with Napalm Death taking the stage. Following a short set by Napalm Death, Testament was up next. The band played many fan favorites among music off their latest album, Brotherhood of the Snake. Anthrax took the stage next playing fan favorites such as “Indians.” The thrash metal band out of New York City also delivered a tribute to Pantera.

    slayer farewell

    Slayer opened the show with guns blazing, courtesy of one of their newer songs, “Repentless.” Next, they played “Blood Red” followed by “Disciple.” For the rest of the show, Slayer treated fans to career-spanning songs ranging from the early days up to their latest album. The line up featured Gary Holt from Exodus on lead guitar who has been with the band since the passing of the great Jeff Hanneman, along with Paul Bastoff on drums who has been in and out of the band throughout their career. Slayer’s legacy began when they formed in 1981. What made them stand out is that they pushed metal to its limits. The group out of Huntington Park, California is known to be one of the heaviest and most influential bands in the metal music community. They have produced many of the most important albums in the scene including their third album, Reign In Blood. They are also part of the “Big Four” of thrash metal which also includes Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth who all toured together between 2011-2012 all over the world, including a special concert at Yankee Stadium. Slayer has released 12 studio albums over their career and will always be known as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Fans will truly miss them.

  • The Future of Discovering Music: Interview with Dan Lilker

    Dan Lilker is something of a metal legend having been in bands that are household names such as Anthrax and S.O.D while also staying in touch with the local metal scene with bands including Blurring and Nokturnal Hellstorm. When he’s not shredding he’s working at Record Archive. Now he has joined the ranks of Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) and Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth) as a DJ for Gimme Radio, an online 24 hour radio station dedicated to metal, with his show Braindeath.

    Dan LilkerJacob Krug: How did you get the job at Gimme Radio?

    Dan Lilker: I met the Gimme Radio staff at the second edition of the Decibel [magazine] Metal and Beer Fest back in March in Philadelphia which is Decibel’s home base. I was there with a brewery from Virginia called Adroit Theory with whom I helped brew a nice, hazy New England Double IPA called Personal Coma. At first I did a video interview with the Gimme radio crew, and then they asked me if I’d be interested in being one of their DJs. It sounded like a really cool thing to do since although I’d spent over 30 years playing metal, I’d never done anything like this.

    JK: What do you hope to do with your position at Gimme Radio?

    DL: I just want to play a bunch of cool stuff that I enjoy personally as well as songs from bands that have been inspirational to my work. Without hopefully sounding too big-headed here, I do realize that there’s a lot of people out there who respect me and the music I’ve made, and I’d like to think that listeners would find my choice of bands/songs interesting in that respect. If I can get people to check out a band they might not be previously familiar with, then that’s the more direct answer to your question I suppose.

    JK: With on demand streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music becoming the primary way people consume music what do you think Gimme Radio will accomplish?

    DL: These services usually have you search for what you want to hear or provide bland suggestions, while Gimme Radio serves up killer underground metal (as well as more palatable choices depending on the DJ) without requiring input from the listener. You basically sit back and enjoy the ride, and hopefully get turned on to some new bands. We do all the work!

    JK: Do you think the concept of Gimme Radio could be applied to other music genres?

    DL: Possibly, but I think it would work better with more underground genres like industrial or goth music. Two reasons for this- people who like less-known music are more passionate about following it, and also, mainstream pop music (Dave Matthews, etc.) is already all over “regular” radio, and having a Gimme Radio format for it is almost unnecessary.

    JK: Do you think Gimme Radio will be a direct competitor with on demand streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify?

    DL: It’s indeed possible- for one thing it’s free! Also, as I mentioned above, there’s the advantage of the listener not having to search for what they want to hear, which is a great way of being exposed to new bands. But it’s a slightly different format because of that, so it’s almost apples and oranges anyway.

    JK: What part of metal’s future do you think Gimme Radio will play?

    DL: As more people slowly but surely transition from listening to “hard copies” (vinyl, CDs) of the music they enjoy to online streaming services, Gimme Radio will be there to ensure that the radical underbelly of metal is still strongly represented in this format, so in that respect, they’re just as important as the bands themselves in keeping the flame burning.

    JK: You mentioned people moving away from physical media to digital media. What’s your opinion on the revival of cassettes and vinyl? And how underground sub genres like black metal has strong ties to cassettes.

    DL: Good point…

    Well, perhaps I should have phrased that “as most people transition etc.”. As an employee at a killer record store [Record Archive] I know that vinyl in general is doing really well now, both new and used. Cassettes are also still doing well due to their underground nature, that explains their thriving in black metal, where (like punk) there’s an aversion to corporate industry shit.

    Personally, when we have a metal party over at our place we use my wife’s Spotify subscription with our smart TV, maybe just out of laziness, which is probably what a lot of people do. Not to mention that you can hear whatever you want without owning it or digging it out. And using Gimme Radio with “travel speakers” will definitely be happening at the next bash.

    Check out Dan Lilker and Gimme Radio here

  • Disturbed Finishes Recording New Album

    Heavy metal legends, Disturbed, have announced that the band has completed their seventh yet-to-be-named studio album.

    On the bands upcoming album, Disturbed ventured off into several different styles of music. The band is leaning on their fanbase, the “Disturbed1’s,” to vote in an online poll, what kind of single the band should release first, heavy, or ballad.

    Disturbed stated: “The new record is done! The new album includes many styles of music. Since our last album and the recent footage from the studio, we’ve seen a lot of discussion about the evolution of our new music. Disturbed Ones, we have decided to embrace the debate. For our next single — what kind of sound do you want it to be?”

    Blabbermouth reports that in a recent behind-the-scenes video of the band, frontman David Draiman stated about the upcoming album: “You fight for the strength of your creation, you fight to make the greatest thing you possibly can, and it’s worth every minute, it’s worth every bit of sweat, it’s worth every tear. So that’s what we live for. Every time we put out a piece of art, it continues to define who we are. What could possibly be more important than that and require more of your focus and your time and your energy.”

    In a past interview with The Pulse of Radio, guitarist Dan Donegan talked about the band being totally prepared and on the same page before entering the studio: “I mean, we definitely go in there very prepared. We never enter the studio unless we feel like, right now, if these are the songs we record, that we would have an album that we’re proud of and we’re excited about. And we put everything under the microscope and examine it the best we can to make sure that we’re prepared. We don’t like going in there wasting time. We go in there to work, and to try to make the best album we can.”

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