Concert Review

Toxic Holocaust

Much to my surprise, Toxic Holocaust, the blackened thrash band from Joel Grind, were playing at a tiny bar, Jimmy Z's in Everett, WA. This is a band that has played with huge bands such as 3 Inches of Blood, Soilwork, and the mighty GWAR. They have played in the same venues that most of the bigger bands that come through the Seattle area do and yet they still play the tiny bars without any sort of ego. I was able to talk to Joel after the set and he was a very nice guy to talk to, just a really kind guy. Back to the set, they played roughly an hour long nd just played song after song with no interruptions. They played such songs as Wild Dogs, Nuke the Cross, Future Shock, and 666. It was at a small bar so there were only about 5 or 6 of us actually thrashing and moshing around, which was actually really fun. It really fit the set and the crowd because the band plays such a fast and intense show that it does not need a huge crowd to get moving. They don't play the type of music that allows for a large audience to participate all the time, it is just fast and furious metal that is straight to the point. I loved it because they sometimes all a metalhead wants is some straightforward brutality to thrash around to. A more intimate setting like this bar was perfect for the gritty sound of this very raw band. If they happen to come to your town, make sure you get there and rock your fucking ass off!!

Playlist

Here is a new topic for the site, my current playlist. I am going to try to get a mediaplayer on here so I can upload my playlist so all can listen to it, but as of right now, it is just going to be a list. If anyone knows how to put a mediaplayer on here please feel free to let me know!

Man Must Die - Kill It. Skin It. Wear It.
Gama Bomb - Final Fight
Ignominous Incarceration - Elusion in Mortality
Opeth - Moonlapse Vertigo
Melechesh - Tablets of Faith
Dark Fortress - Satan Bled
Dew-Scented - Act of Rage
Angelus Apatrida - Room 237
Final Breath - Killed by Lust
Coldworker - Paradox Lost
AC/DC - Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Check them all out and have fun!!

Concert Review

Kreator
Kataklysm

Evile

Lazarus AD

Lightning Swords of Death

Its been a long time since I put anything on here, other things have been getting in the way, but I promise to bring more metal to you all.

Kreator, Kataklysm, Evile, Lazarus AD, Lightning Swords of Death

El Corazon; Seattle, WA; 3/18/2010

Starting off the evening was the blackened thrash styles of Lightning Swords of Death. I was not familiar with this band but their presence was very good for an opening band. With a heavy fog machine and very high volumes, they kicked the evening off very well. The crowd was not too rowdy for them but in between songs and after their set they received a very solid ovation. As a result of their very heavy set and intense stage presence, I became interested in them and have since become a fan, which is pretty much the exact result a band in their situation could want.

Up next was the thrash stylings of Lazarus AD. I was able to catch them several months ago when they came through town with Testament and they seemed to have pretty much the same set. The crowd definitely got into the band; after a couple songs the pit erupted into a circle of destruction. If there is one thing that Lazarus AD is good for, it is a solid headbanging time. They have enough breakdowns in their songs that allow the audience to headbang along with the band for what seemed like the majority of the set. The vocals need to vary a little bit but they are a very young band with plenty of potential. They very well could be a top tier band in the future.

Up next was the classic thrash sounding of England’s Evile. This was their very first trip across the pond and they could not have picked a better tour to kick the trip off with. While not a huge name in the mainstream, in the underground they are definitely an up and coming band. They have had great success with their debut Enter the Grave, and they showed why so many people have jumped on their bandwagon. Thrashing through hits such as Thrasher and Enter the Grave, Evile showed their technical expertise while still making sure the audience does not get bored with heavy guitar wankery. If you have not checked out this band you need to go out and buy their music as soon as possible and catch them on tour when they come through your town.

The only death metal band on the bill was the direct support for the headliner. Hailing for Montreal was classic death dealers Kataklysm. Never a band to disappoint, they came out brutal and never let up. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy from note one and they hardly stopped throughout the entire set. They played such hits as Ambassador of Pain and Crippled and Broken which at times seemed to be sing-a-longs for the crowd. They were relentless with their brutality that fueled the crowd into a monsoon of bodies that flew across the floor with no thought of safety. Kataklysm have been around for many years and they never fail to put on an unbelievable performance for the crowd.

Finally, the headliner for the evening, Kreator took the stage. One of the originators of German thrash, Kreator have the ability to play any song from their collection and any crowd will eat up every word and note. They played songs from Pleasure to Kill, Coma of Souls, Enemy of God, Endless Pain, Hordes of Chaos, and others which delighted the audience to no end. When they plated such hits as Pleasure to Kill and Flag of Hate the audience sang along while moshing harder than they did for any other band on the bill. Mille Petrozza still has the ability to coerce the audience to destroy anything in their path even this late in his illustrious career. Kreator is simply a band that every metalhead needs to see live at least once in their life.

Concert Review

El Corazon
Fri Dec 4
Eyehategod
Samothrace
Akimbo
Lesbian
Grey

Fri Dec 11
3 Inches of Blood
Red Fang
Heiress
H.M.P.

Studio Seven
Tue Dec 8
Marduk
Nachmystium
Mantic Ritual
Horde of Hell
Forest of Grey

Sat Dec 19
Warrel Dane

Album Review

Skeletonwitch - "Breathing the Fire"

The latest offering from the blackened thrash metallers from Ohio has been highly anticipated. Following up their breakthrough album "Beyond the Permafrost" is not a task easily taken on. The album received rave reviews across the board from critics and fans alike. Many bands have tried to replicate previous successes on new albums and make a record that falls well beneath. Skeletonwitch decided to make a little change in their sound for "Breathing the Fire." They decided to put the black metal emphasis on the back burner and make a more straightforward thrash album. The vocals still have that grim and frostbitten feel but the rest of the music has more of a Bay-area thrash sound. The album starts off with the powerful Submit to the Suffering which pummels the listener with lightning fast riffs, seemless transistions, and a dark chorus with amazing death metal growls. The dynamics shown in the opening track give the listener a glimpse into what they are about to bear witness to for the rest of the album. Crused Beyond Dust starts out slow but quickly builds up to a climax of intensity which segues into a breakdown which transistions to the vocals finally kicking in and beating you over the head with an empty bottle of MGD. It is not easy to combine the party atmosphere of 80's thrash with the epic feeling of a snow covered tundra. Skeletonwitch have found that middle ground and showcase it on this amazing record. A must have for all thrash fans.

Pure Molten Metal

Its been awhile since I have written an editorial so I thought I'd let you know what has been going on lately. I have been trying to buy as many albums as I possibly can lately. In recent memory I have purchased (not downloaded):
Through The Eyes of The Dead - Malice
Dimmu Borgir - Stormblast
Destroy Destroy Destroy - Devour The Power
Skeletonwitch - Breathing the Fire
Dying Fetus - Descend Into Depravity
Dying To Bleed - The Decaying Process
Shaded Enmity - Like Prayers on Deaf Ears
Those are just a few that I have bought in the last month and I have six more coming in the mail as I write this. My reason for bringing this up is the fact that so many people do not buy albums anymore. Gone is the day when people would wait for every Tuesday and purchase the latest releases. Gone is the day that people would bring their latest purchase over to their friend's house to listen to the music and look through the booklet. The age of Napster and iTunes has almost destroyed the recored industry. People can download whole albums for free or purchase single songs without even caring about the other songs on the album that they are missing. It is a shame that this is happening because there are thousands of people that depend on selling their music as their passion in order to make a living for themselves. Luckily, it seems that the metal community has not completely abandoned the music industry. As a result of metalheads shunning most of popular culture, they still purchase albums when they come out. The majority of metalheads still revel in buying a new album so that they can read through the booklet, enjoy all the artwork, and share with their friends the glory of their new purchase. My advice, go out, buy what you can, and enjoy all that a new CD entails. To me, there is nothing like opening the plastic wrap on a new album and breathing in the wonder that is brand new music.

Upcoming Shows

El Corazon
Sunday Nov 1
Valient Thorr
Early Man
Witchburn

Thursday Nov 6
Big Business

Monday Nov 23
Vader
Decrepit Birth
Warbringer
Augury
The Amenta
Swashbuckle

Tuesday Nov 24
Municipal Waste
The Accused
Phobia
Cauldron

Friday Nov 27
DRI
Black Breath

The Showbox
Wednesday Nov 25
Trivium
Chimaira
White Chapel
Dirge Within

Studio Seven
Saturday Nov 14
Suffocation
The Faceless
Vital Remains
Annotation of an Autopsy
Gravenloch

Saturday Nov 21
Ensiferum
Hypocrisy
Ex Deo
Black Guard
Shaded Enmity

Tuesday Nov 24
Eluveite
Belphegor
Alestorm
Vreid

Concert Review

Obituary
Goatwhore

Krisiun

The Berzerker

Warbringer

Obituary, Goatwhore, Krisiun, The Berzerker, and Warbringer

Saturday September 12, 2009 El Corazon Seattle, WA

What a show this was!! The almighty Obituary brought its legendary brand of death metal to Seattle and completely slayed the audience. They are on tour to support their 8th album, Darkest Day, and have not dulled their sound one bit. Coming along on this tour are some of the most brutal and heavy acts in metal. Up first were young thrash upstarts Warbringer. They bring their retro thrash metal sound to this death metal heavy lineup. Opening the set was "Total War," the opening track from their album full length debut album War Without End. It was a perfect song to begin their set because just about everyone in the place knew the words and screamed out "TOTAL WAR!!!" along with lead singer John Kevill. They busted through their best songs from both of their albums and ended the set with "Combat Shock" which is always a crowd pleaser. All in all Warbringer are one of the most energetic bands to watch live and we can all expect more from this seemingly limitless band.

Up next was the less know grind band from Australia The Berzerker. I don't think that the crowd knew what to expect from this intense groups of Aussies. They played with an incredibly high amount of energy that did not seem to be limited by the lack of energy from the crowd. Throughout their set there were a couple of pits, however they could not be sustained for much longer than 10 seconds. It wasn't until the last couple songs of the set that the crowd started to get into them. I really enjoyed just watching the band play, especially the lead singer as he appeared like he could explode into a fury of destruction at any moment. Hopefully they come through again soon as I believe they will have a better showing next time.

Tech death masters Krisiun stormed the stage next. These Brazilian behemoths came out and completely destroyed the audience. The pit did not seem to stop throughout the set except to chant "Krisiun! Krisiun!" The sound was completely brutal and did not stop throughout the entire set. From beginning to end, they completely owned the stage and destroyed the crowd. I will definitely see them anytime they come back to town.

Blackened death destroyers Goatwhore catapulted to the stage and put on one of the most energetic shows I have seen in a long time. Ben Falgoust is one of the most aggressive lead singers around. He was bouncing from side to side, engaging each and every one of the members of the crowd that surrounded the stage, and did not miss a beat. Every one of the songs they played sounded exactly like the album. They played songs from both A Haunting Curse and Carving Out the Eyes of God which are both simply amazing records. Bottom line, they put on a great show that was completly enjoyed by everyone in the venue.

Finally, out came the main act, the death metal legends, Obituary. They came out with very little talking a completely dominated. The pit was overwhelmingly brutal. Bodies were flying all over the floor as the riffs from Ralph Santolla blugeoned the crowds' ear drums. The Tardy brothers controlled the atmosphere with Donald's brutal beats and John's hellacious vocals that could raise the dead. The show kept rising and rising as each song blasted on. The band stayed offstage while Donald Tardy began the encore with an incredible drum solo that electrified the crowd. It all climaxed with "Slowly We Rot," the song that the majority of Obituary fans believe to be their greatest song. From beginning to end this has to be one of the best shows to come through Seattle in a long time. I don't understand why this show wasn't completely sold out and packed but nevertheless, it was an amazing night.

Album Review

Behemoth - Evangelion

The latest effort from Polish blackened death masters Behemoth is one that has garnered a great deal of attention. Behemoth is one of those bands that have risen from the depths of the black metal underground and have risen to death metal mainstream popularity. Their previous two records have ushered them into the lime light and provided them the opportunity to play countless shows all over the world. However, for as many fans they have gained, many of their original fans have strayed as Behemoth's sound has evolved. This may be the album to get their core audience back. Their sound on the previous two albums, Demigod and The Apostasy, while extremely aggressive and dense, did become stagnant through repeated listens. The speed and combative was impressive but became less interesting as all songs were similar. On this album Behemoth vary that sound. On "He Who Breeds Pestilience," the song travels from that signature song to slower tempos that allow the listener to catch their breath. The song ends with the drums being completely in the forefront and brings the listener down from the wild ride they just experienced. "Ov Fire and the Void" is the lead single and has an almost doom-like quality while still containing the blackened death assault. While still assaulting the listener with unrelenting brutality Evangelion has the ability to take the audience to new levels. This album is one that will bring the old fans and the new ones together. Make sure you see them when they come through and destroy your town.

Upcoming Shows

El Corazon
Tuesday, August 25
Forbidden
Drown Mary
Witchburn
The Brain Dead
Fallen Angels

Saturday September 12
Obituary
Goatwhore
Krisiun
The Berzerker
Warbringer

Monday September 21
August Burns Red
The Acacia Strain
Impending Doom
My Children My Bride

Thursday September 24
Edguy
Epicurean
Luna Mortis

Studio Seven
August 24
Suicide Silence
Bury Your Dead

September 1
Beneath All Kaos
Moral Sacrafice
Blood & Thunder
Hands of Gabriel
Dekrepit

September 26
NW DeathFest

Hells Kitchen
September 7
Hatchet
Havok
HMP
Sword of Judgement
Decapitated Corpses