Live Review - Acid Bath @ Jannus Live

Acid Bath might be one of my all-time favorite metal bands, but I never thought I would see them live. Their two albums solidified their legendary status, and while I have always caught Goatwhore or Dax Riggs when they rolled through town over the years, when I spoke to Sami, he always stressed the fact that when fans come up to talk to him about Acid Bath he was always surpised since no body made a big deal about them when they were together, making me wonder if he ever cocnsidered the magnitude of the impact those albums had? Much like Deftones, another 90s band that has seen a surge in support from younger listeners discovering them online, the same could be said of Acid Bath, and more credence should be given to this theory, considering how young the audience at tonight's show was. 

The shows on the band's surprise reunion tour have been selling out and in much larger venues than the band ever dreamed of playing 30 years ago. We arrived at Jannus Live late due to car issues and the Pride parade in St. Pete that made downtown parking and traffic chaotic at best. So we missed RWAKE, who I was looking forward to, but was just thankful to still get a chance to see Acid Bath, Weedeater was left, and they bored the hell out of me, they were trying and had energy, but all their songs sounded the same, and the vocals were weak as hell. We worked our way closer just before Acid Bath came on; the music over the PA got better, including Misfits, Obituary, Mercyful Fate, and Black Sabbath playing just before they took the stage. 

I originally considered going to Welcome to Rockville, just to see these guys, until this date was announced, though I watched YouTube videos, and it seemed early on Dax's voice was still warming back up into these songs, and it made me nervous. I'd rather not see a band and have the myth of greatness intact in my head than see a band who does not live up to my expectations, but as soon as Dax started singing, it made be thankful that I waited for them to get a few shows under their belt as a band. I told a friend of mine that it was very evident that Dax and Sammy have lived very different lives over the past 30 years, which was evident in their stage presence. Sammy was a bigger more dominant metal personality, power forward stage presence, whereas Daxy felt more in his head and perhaps even anxious. Though it set up a dynamic that reflects in how the band presents itself sonically, 

Even though I knew the set list, seeing it play out live was interesting as they balanced out the darker melodic songs with the heavier overt metal songs. With the drummer from Goatwhore and bassist from Crowbar joining the original core of the band, it showed the newcomers opening up and showing another side of their playing to create room for melody. It was an interesting choice for them to play the Agents of Oblivion version of "Dead Girl." , Other highlights included stellar versions of "Venus Blue" Paegan Love Song."  and "Bleed Me An Ocean", I was surprised they closed with "Dr. Suess is Dead", but it seems the pacing of the setlist was paced to fit where Dax is vocally, though he sounded better and by doing other styles of music post- Acid Bath, it felt like he brough new vocal colors to his performance. 

He is one of my favorite singers, so his performance was the focal point for me, but everyone was impressive and grabbed my attention at some point. This makes it the best metal show I've seen since Iron Maiden, though these guys do something very different with much darker vibes, that feel more real than singing about Vikings and indians, making it a powerful music moment to solidify these guys as legends and giving me the show I needed from them. 

Looking Back at King Diamond @ the Tabernacle in 2019

Here's a live review from pre-COVID that I found never got published. This was the same set list, as the 2024 tour, the only changes being the addition of two new songs this time around, and Myrkur as a backing vocalist. Along with the fact he is now five years older, though all of us are as well. So wanted to go ahead and share these thoughts of that show, as they are still relevant, considering we are still waiting around for a new album 18 years since "Give Me Your Soul Please" was released, 

I caught the second date of King Diamond’s “Institute” tour and it was clear that the King is still reigning. Bands like Slayer are beginning to retire, yet the King is playing bigger venues than when I first saw him in 1988. He has a new album coming out on the first of the year and a Mercyful Fate reunion making rounds through European Festivals in the spring. Not bad for a 63-year-old who had triple bypass surgery ten years ago. He is certainly hitting his notes more consistently than when I last saw Rob Halford ten years ago, who was 55 at the time. What is it about the King that finds him contining to not only endure but find new success? 

 If you are a regular reader of my thoughts on spread throughout the internet then you might know the King is my favorite metal artist of all time. You would also know that instead of biased gushing, I hold my favorites up to mythically high standards that most at some point fail to meet leaving a select handful who never disappoint. When it comes to things like a new single dropping or a live show, my mind weighs it against when I first popped the cassette of “Abigail” into my Walkman or saw him on the “Them” tour. Like adidcts craving the nostalgia of the first high, juxtaposed against not wanting to rehash what you have already heard them do..

These might seem like impossible standards for artists to live up to, but the very best can sometimes in different ways. For example,  I saw Iron Maiden this summer and it was clear they are pros and have a big energy show. Though it was all business. King Diamond loves what he does and who he becomes. This shone through despite getting the news earlier in the day that his friend and former bass player Timi Hansen died. His production value has increased in terms of the spectacle. The stage was made to look like an asylum where his upcoming album "The Institute"; is set.; He did play the lead single from this album "Masquerade of Madness" which was pretty heavy and fits nicely alongside his other works, making me look forward to the new album. The bulk of the set drew from the first few albums of his solo career "Fatal Portrait", "Abigail", "Them", "Conspiracy" and "The Eye" along with the title track from "Voodoo". Not only does he go out on tour in his 60s, but picks his most vocally demanding work to sing. He knows the fans want his and delivered. I think his appreciation of his fan base and staying true to his brand creates a more fervent loyalty. He sticks to what works and doesn't tamper with that for the sake of mass appeal. 

The fact his imagery has been assimilated into modern metal culture he is revered within the community by metal heads who might not have listened to "Give Me Your Soul Please" . But if you ask them who inspired the look of their favorite Scandinavian black metal band they are not likely to say Gene Simmons. The gothic horror story-lines of the concept albums he has pumped out since "Abigail" has strayed from the Satanic overtones of Mercyful Fate and King is less vocal about his membership with the Church of Satan, but I have still admired him for being true to the what he sings about. For someone who delves into a great deal of fantasy, he is very real. 

Metal needs to have darkness, anger, or danger to it that you feel in its vibration. If not it comes across like they are trying to be something they are not. With King Diamond it's a sense of darkness, perhaps run through a filter of Hammer Horror, but he believes in it enough when he takes on these roles to really sell it to the audience.  Alice Cooper might do a similar,r but now it feels edited for Disney, where King Diamond takes that to 11 and does not apologize or blame it on his alter ego.  His legacy has all the signs of remaining intact and when the show is over in the next 7 years, he will most likely step from the spotlight with the grace and class his career has run off of. Until that day his most recent show is in the top 3 King Diamond concerts I have attended. If you have yet to see him, make this a priority.  

pst664

Live Review- Better Lovers & Full of Hell @ the Orpheum

 On election night it would be pointless to sit around watching a TV show you something that you can't do anything about, so it made more sense to escape that by going to a "hardcore" show. First time catching a concert on the outside side at the Orpheum, thanks to the Florida weather in November it was barely noticeable we were outside until we got a breeze off the Bay.  SPY was taking the stage when we arrived. They were a punk band whose singer might have owned a Napalm Death album or two, all the songs sounded the same but kids liked shoving each other around on the concrete. Not sure how smart that is but, I was at the age when I did not care about shit like that either and I would have appreciated this band more at this age.

Originally, I agreed to go to the show to check out Better Lovers and did not think to check out who the opening bands were til this weekend so was excited to see Full of Hell was on the bill. I caught them back in like 2013 when they were opening up for Mutilation Rites. They crushed it then, but have evolved and perfected their craft in the past ten years. It felt similar in density to the last time I saw Deafheaven life they hit you with an intensity that they do not let up on. They pulled largely from their new album which I am fine with and in fact, it gave me a new appreciation for those songs. I already think it's one of their best albums, and I gave it a 9 on my initial listen, but the energy behind them is conveyed in an even more powerful way live. Their powerful live performance clicked everything in place and solidified me as a fan.

Better Lovers took the stage with a soundtrack that played various popular love songs mixed by the turning of the dial. This was my first time seeing Greg Puciato, I have had a deep appreciation of his other project and felt he was a good singer. His performance with the band comprised of former Every Time I Die was high energy and very professional it leaned on their newest album which was a wise move as those songs were more anthemic and worked more effectively live than if they just played their more chaotic heavier stuff, Since Full of Hell's performance was so intense they were not going to be able match their sheer heaviness, so taking a more rock approach worked well. I think if you go to this show expecting them to play Dillinger songs or Black Queen tunes you might be disappointed by they established themselves as their own entity. 

pst598

Death is June - Live Review : Metal Crushed All Tour with Amon Amarth & Cannibal Corpse @ the Yuengling Center

Death metal hitting arenas was not what I expected, though the more mainstream sounds of Amon Amarth drew in a large portion of the crowd. It was a hometown show the two death metal legends Obituary and Cannibal Corpse. The evening's first band. Frozen Soul served as the impetus to get me out of the house and to the Yuengling Center. Their "Glacial Domination" album is my favorite metal album of 2023.  They opened with "Encased In Ice" which set an ominous enough tone for their introduction. Frontman Chad Green was very engaging, and perhaps the most eager to connect with the crow. The band stomped in the more recent fare with the crunching chug of " Morbid Effigy", They streamed the songs and got to the point with none of the atmospheric build-up heard on the albums. "Arsenal of War' got the moshing going. Their groove style of death metal works well with larger crowds.     artic stranglehold, no snow machine or magic the Gathering was being played in the pit, just the enthusiasm of a band taking the step up to play in larger venues along aide their idols. 

Obituary was impressive and very professional. The last time I caught them was at a club in Atlanta, during one of the periods when Death Metal was not as popular as it is now, so 2009 sounds about right. Production wise everything was dialed in. They might have even been the tightest band. But there was a feeling that despite this being a hometown show they were not into it and punching the clock. Even punching the clock they are still top tier. They only played songs from their two most recent albums, which are both rippers so that was not bad, it was just with a limited time frame, they could have thrown in one classic. Regardless it was clear they deserved to be on an arena stage because, in terms of execution, it was like  watching Slayer in their prime, 

Cannibal Corpse took the stage with little fanfare and a great deal of authority. "Scourge of Iron", was a fitting opening song as it is more deliberate so was no the band just hammering you with a barrage of brutality from the word go. They proved they have been perfecting their grooves over the years with "Blood Blind" from their most recent album.  The more thrashing attack of "Inhumane Harvest" from "Violence Unimagined' felt even more powerful. "Evisceration Plague" would not have been my first choice for their set list, but it translated well, and kept their momentum going. They are pretty confident in their body of work and when they dug into "Death Walking Terror" it proved they have every right to be. Some songs even worked better with " I Cum Blood" certainly being one of them. "Summoned For Sacrifice" was once again proof that their newest album holds up against their body of work. While Fisher claimed "Stripped, Raped and Strangled" was their last song they did come back and play  "Hammer Smashed Face". They were one of the most crushing heavy bands I have seen live. 

Before they went on I knew that no amount of Viking ships, dragons, or Castles could make Amon Amarth as crushing as Cannibal Corpse. Not only was this proven true, but the weaker sound of the Swedish band bored me three songs into their set. Only made it halfway through their set and I was done.  I was glad to have caught Cannibal Corpse and I recommend you do the same thing if you have not yet been hammered in you face by these guys. 

pst266

Live Review - Sleepytime Gorilla Museum @ the Orpheum.

 

On a rainy Wednesday night venturing across the bridge to north Tampa, was only accomplished with the motivation of one of my favorite bands who is also one of the best bands to rock a stage. I saw them back in  2007 and was blown away, so their return to the studio and the crowded funded tour they are currently on could not be missed. Nils folk band Faun Fables had already taken the stage when we got there. They have made it a family act as Nil's two daughters were dressed like they were part of a hippie cult as they sang in unison with synchronized dance routines in motion. They were followed by two bands from Orlando, one was clearly a Primus tribute band that was trying to write their own songs, and The other was a riff machine band that executed well, but the moving pieces of their sound were less than original and there was not where for them to go. Not sure why a band would want to open for Sleepytime as they are always going to blow the other bands away. 

Sleepytime took the stage and after a false start due to some technical issues hit the audience with a stunning version of "Freedom Club".While they have not toured in over a decade, they do not have much in the way of rust to brush off and fall back into what they do with fluid grace. Odd time signatures that King Crimson is surely jealous of flowed. They have an intense charm onstage. Playing five songs from the new album, went overall and is a testament to how well it stands up against their body of work. "Burn into Light" showed their more melodic side. To say Nils stays in character for the entirety of the set makes the lines blurry as to who he really is as his persona in Sleepytime feels authentic to who he is.

 I think the five new songs that took the dominant role in their set, showed how in the making of the new album the rest of the band has played a more active hand in contributing. Micheal Mellender seemed to play more guitar this time and also sang more than I remembered seeing him do when I saw them previously. He also pulled out a trumpet at one point,. Carla's violin came across as a more crucial bringer of the song's melodic currents, and her vocals were really stellar on this evening. Nils also proved capable of getting up into his falsetto, though on the version of "Hymn to the Morning Star"  reworked here he sang a more bluesy version of the song over the intro to "Sleep is Wrong" which was the encore. 

Another highlight for me was getting to hold Dan's microphone stand for him for the duration of "Old Grey Heron" b because it was not strong enough to hold up the recorder he tried hanging from it. He was not pleased with the overall sound of the night. At the start of the set Nil's explained that they met due to the fact Dan was the maintenance man for the co-op they lived in. So as the man who keeps their live show bolted together, it is understandable that he likes everything fully operational. His vocals were also more noticeable for this show and playing flawlessly as ever despite his qualms with the sound. They had a long drive to New Orleans ahead of them so I did not stick around to chat afterward, but if you have never seen them live you must find yourself at one of their shows the next chance you get as they continue to be one of the most compelling live bands ever. 

pst151

Live Review - Crosses @ The Eastern

I don't know why it takes me so long to write live reviews, I used to just bust it out the following more, but the more time that passes between me and the show the harder it is to get motivated so here it goes. I might be an even bigger fan of Shaun Lopez's other band Far than I am of Deftones, though I think Chino's first three albums with Deftones are modern rock classics, and they managed to transcend the nu-metal bandwagon they rode in on. The combination of the two musicians was never what I expected it to be when this project came out, but I like Depeche Mode, who has always been one of Chino's influences, so respect what they do, I might prefer Team Sleep due to the Pinback connection but was curious to see how Crosses translated live. The results were not far off from my expectations. 

My first time at this venue which, was nice tucked back into one of the gentrified corners of the East Side. There was an abundance of Tool shirts, this was not a metal show, so not surprising this was on the periphery of a more open-minded metal fan base, Crosses is at times darker than Deftones, but not a huge "goth' crowd either. Seemed like a collection of people who are online a great deal but do not play World of Warcraft, as they were more into Bitcoin and podcasts. Sure great deal of IPAs were sold this evening. A Sacramento DJ who worked rock music into disco tracks spun at set before Crosses went on which seemed fitting enough. He worked things like the Cure into a set followed by Shabazz Places, and then maybe some Siouxsie. 

Crosses had impressive stage production given the size and budget of this tour, and considering they rarely tour, carried a great deal of energy. It was mainly the  Chino show. He looked healthier and was more capable of pulling off screams, though these were mainly done as accents where Deftones uses a more aggressive vocal approach. Also, the vocal cords are like rubber bands the warmer they are the more pliable, so Chino has been on stage more for the past year, whereas at the Rockville show, he had not been singing much previously. He worked the stage well, and his stage presence is more present, rather than being crouched down screaming at the floor like Defontes early days. 

Much like their albums after the initial bombastic energy they took the stage with waned, they grew on me throughout their set, Most of their songs drone on one groove, due to the drum programming that was triggered by backing track more than likely run from the sound booth, as Lopez played guitar more than he lingered by the synth setups that lanked either side of the stage. But for two guys on stage, all by their lonesome they managed to create something that resembled a rock show and Chino sounded perhaps better than the last time I saw him with Deftones. If you are a fan they are certainly worth seeing when the opportunity presents and more than a placeholder for the next Deftones show. 

pst103

Live Review - Morrissey @ Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete

 The Mahaffey Theater was a great choice of  a venue for Morrissey to find himself in.  Designed to look like a classic European opera house, it captured  the kind of class Morrissey exudes even when draped in sardonic sarcasm. There was no opening act just a pastiche of film that opened with the Stooges "Seek and Destroy' set to military footage that is fitting even the news of the world, which Moz evaded from the stage. The opening films felt like you were sitting in his living room as Morrissey clicked through all of the cool Youtube videos he thought you should check out that range from Bowie to Sophie Loren. This is my 6th time seeing him and this proved to be the longest intro film I've sat through from him. 

He opened with "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" which was fitting since his success continues to be his best revenge against a media that tries to ignore him since they can't cancel, yet are never able to ignore him because his legacy only gets closer when you thought it was in the rear view of pop culture. He followed this up with "Suedehead' which found his voice limber for a 64 year old.  The first of the five Smiths songs he played was " Stop Me If You Have Heard this One Before' , which I have heard him perform before. "Irish Blood, English Heart" rocked harder than previous performances. This was followed by "Alma Matters" which is one of those songs from "Maladjusted" an album I was lukewarm on when it was released, but the song  has grown on me over time, and this performance drove the point home. 

"Speedway' is another  underrated classic from his solo career,  the live performance of this was a powerful reminder of what a great song it is. This came after he went on a bit of sermon regarding how he is only capable of speaking from the heart and how it was not popular in this day and age as the music industry continues it's decline. This made the lyrics more timely, and was the closest he came to addressing his controversy, which was more than expected as Moz's invulnerability to execution from the court of public opinion lies in his ability to disregard what other's think of him, and express this contempt with a calm demeanor and reason as his argument to always prevail. 

I think this was the first time I have heard him perform "Half a Person" . This arrangement veered away from replicating what the Smith's did. The lyrics still remain a defining declaration of who he is. This version was slower, and more nuanced. The most surprising moment might have been his cover of Waylon Jennings "Are You Sure Hank Done it this Way" which was true to the original but still firmly in his wheelhouse. He closed the set with "Jack the Ripper" returning to the stage for the one song encore of "How Soon is Now" which was all the crowded needed by that point. The charm and energy he summoned on stage  surpassed even what I saw Robert Smith do back when the Cure came though to play an arena. Aging gracefully Morrissey proved the legends are true and he still wears the crown. 

Live Review : Cold Cave @ the Orpheum in Tampa

 My first time in the relocated Tampa venue that moved from Ybor City to the north suburbs. It falls at just under a 1000 in capacity. An out side bar to cater to smokers/ vapers  with a food truck in the back. This was the band's 6th stop on the first leg of this tour. Los Angeles based singer Riki opened , who performed her set with enthusiasm. She handled both cuing up her beats as well as providing a oddly choreographed performance, that she sold with her deliberate movements and the charisma in which they were delivered with, that compensated for her breathy singing that was somewhat pitchy, as the translation of her style that was weathered from the first week on the road. Sounds great in the studio, but translating to projecting it into a club PA is more demanding , which is why more belted rock singing works better in this environment. She was entertaining regardless. 

Cold Cave has come off high profile tours opening for the Cult, and Depeche Mode. They have had to prove themselves to much larger audiences than what was gathered this Wednesday night at the Orpheum, to crowds not familiar work their work, while this evening seemed to be largely fans who knew the words. They have not been the most ardent road warriors over the years, so this helped further refine their live show, so they took the stage with a professional attitude that still upheld the band's mystique. They opened with "Prayer From Nowhere" from their most recent 2021 album. They followed this up with the title track from their debut album. This showed the kind of balanced set list, more bands could learn from. The dished out their legacy in equal portions. In researching their set lists over this leg of the tour is is some variation but staples like "Glory" are pretty consistent, which kept the crowd dancing. 

The more obscure "People are Poison" did not diminish the energy, as Wesley's wife Amy Lee churned the song's bass play line.. They followed this up with " A Little Death to Laugh' to keep the cold wave vibes authentic and the mood bleak. The pulse of "Nothing is True But You" was crowd pleasing. Their older material like "Youth and Lust" holds up very well, and he sung it with compelling attitude. I have always felt that "Cherish the Light Years" is their best album, and a song like "Confetti" in the live environment  certainly supported this claim. It was also one of his best vocal performances of the evening. The live version of "Underworld USA" reminded me what a good song it is. 

I would have expected "the Great Pan is Dead' as the set's opener but it came late in the second half. It still worked in terms of delivery the intensity the song carries. They followed it up with another song from 'Cherish the Light Years" with "Villains of the Moon".   He was every ounce as emotive in his delivery live as on the album. "Promise Land" from their last EP worked well to close out their set, as it delivered the goth club vibes.  They left the stage briefly to play "Catacombs" that found the jangle of guitar cutting through more live. This was followed by the angular synths of "Life Magazine" found Amy taking over on vocals . The last song of the encore was the driving dance floor slapper "Icons of Summer".  If you have not yet seen Cold Cave live and like dark music of any variety, I strongly suggest catching them when they come your way. 

Live Review : Alice Cooper & Rob Zombie present the Freaks on Parade Tour @ the Mid-Credit Amphitheater

 After the lackluster performance Filter gave at Welcome to Rockville 3 months ago,  I was not surprised to here things had not improved as they busted through the tail end of their set as we tromping across the sprawling parking lot. They left the stage as we stepped into the venue, so it only a matter of  getting to our seats before Ministry took the stage before sunset. They were the loudest band of the night, and given the nature of what they do rightfully so. Their set was relentless with only song titles spat out by 64 year old Uncle Al, who voice got the job done, though with really only cyborg barking required the bar was not very high when it came to his vocal demands.

 Al was joined onstage by to former members of Prong guitarist Monte Pittman and Keyboardist John Bechdel, along with Paul D'Amour, the former bass player of Tool. The set list was generally pretty predictable with the staples that have made the seminal industrial act's aggressive sound so commanding on stage over the years, and the proved to be equally effective, though the smoke machines while the sun was still shining down, to did help the band visually, as the production aside from video screens on either side of the stage adding some visual texture. The sets strongest songs includes the pounding opener "Thieves", along with "Stigmata" , "Burning Inside" , 'NWO" and "Revenge" which was the only song that needed an introduction as it's from the band's first album "With Sympathy" when they had more of a Depeche Mode like New Wave sound, those elements were still in place, but guitars gave them more heft and Al's vocals were delivered with the leathered lungs his hard living has gifted him with. They close with "Goddamn White Trash" the first single off their upcoming album, which got a mixed response given the fact they were in Florida, there was muttering after the set that Al was being mean. Perhaps he was but mean sounds good on him. 

Alice took the stage , after a screen declaring he had been banned in Florida lowered. He opened with a brief version of "Lock Me Up" from "Raise Your Fist and Yell" and transitioned into "No More Mr Nice Guy".  It was largely a streamlined stage show weighing heavily on greatest hits. His band has become a taunt machine with the fleet fingers of Nita Strauss, killing it with explosive solos. The only surprise is he did bring out the snake for "Snake Bite" from "Hey Stoopid" . He played three songs from "Hey Stoopid" and only drew from "Billion Dollar Babies" more with four songs, though one of those being the jam version of "I Love the Dead" which plays after Cooper's execution scene. Cooper's voice was strong and he actually sounded better vocally than when I saw him at Ruth Eckerd Hall. He is always great live even when not relying on some of the more theatrical elements., which felt like who ever put the tour together, I am guessing the answer is Rob Zombie's management. Zombie's career would not exist without Cooper and we are about to get into Rob's set soon enough, but both musically and vocally Cooper's camp had them outclassed at every turn. 

Cooper said very little aside from introducing his band, and really the only wink in the direction of the recent media controversy around him was in the closing lyrics to "Elected" where he states "everybody has got problems/ and personally I don't care" which sums up why he is bullet proof from being cancelled by journalists trying to lure him into conversations that have nothing to do with his music, he states his opinion and leaves it at that, no further defense needed, as he is no stranger to controversy, yet he is capable of having an audience of 14,000 still eating out of his hand. Being also worth 50 million, helps with his apathy, as at75  and still being able to rock a huge crowd is really a victory lap. If you are a fan , I assume you have already seen him live, though he is history lesson in how to rock for any generation. 

Rob Zombie's show has moved into more of a Vegas level multi-media spectacle as when I saw him in 2019 with Marilyn Manson. Eventually his set worked it's way into White Zombie songs, but while there is a uniform feel to his radio friendly brand of industrial rock, there is a big hooky anthemic feel that works well live as it's high energy. His solo work has begun to stand the test of time with songs like "Superbeast" and "Living Dead Girl" proving to be a fun time. Half the show was accompanied by the coinciding music videos to the songs playing along on towers of video screens that littered the stage. Amid all of this the most musical substance came from former Marilyn Manson drummer Ginger Fish, who kept the songs moving even when he was grooving to electronic tracks and samples. Zombie's impressive stage presence that found him dancing around the stage at 58 years old was a feat, given the Florida heat and bright lights. His voice was not that great, but much like Ministry the bar was low when it came to vocal performance. It might be best described by the conversation I overheard to older people having as I left, the woman said to her husband "So he is like a rock n roll rap" and I can see how she reached that conclusion. Zombie might have put on the best spectacle of the night, Alice Cooper's band was armed with more musical talent. This was my third time catching Zombie, and not sure I need to catch him again. 

Live Review : Mudvayne "the Psychotherapy Sessions" Tour @ the Mid-Credit Amphitheater

Having not seen Mudvayne since they opened for Kittie in 2000. They blew Kittie off the stage that night, and I bought their first album the next day. I had a curious optimism about the band, but the addition of Gwar to this tour's line-up is what sealed the deal for me. Granted outdoor concerts in July are not ideal in Florida. Despite the hype "nu-metal" is getting about it's second coming as "nu-core" the lawn was closed and only half of the 10,000 seats were filled.  I caught the last two Butcher Babies songs. I like the new albums , and they were very professional , though one of their singers was wearing jeans on stage, which seemed overdressed in the heat , when she used to just wear duct tape on stage.

Next up was Non-Point, I am always willing to give this guys a chance, never seen them before. They had a great deal of energy. but all there songs began to sound the same half way into their set. Then Gwar who I saw several times going back to 1990 when I saw them with Murphy's Law. This was my first time seeing them since Dave Brockie's death. I enjoy the Blothar album's I think they do justice to the band's legacy. I have never seen Gwar playing anywhere larger than a club, so  the Amphitheater at even half capacity was weird as well as seeing them trudge out on stage during the day in costume. The stage show was dialed back due to limited back line. If this has been the band at the height of their Scumdogs fury , they would have blown every one off the stage, but we got what we got and it was entertaining. The crowd was a mixed bag of people old enough to have seen Gwar in their hey day, and younger kids in their twenties who might have not had much of a clue about them. The victims continue to change with the time as Vladimir Putin and an AI Chat GPT bot as the victims of  the day. I can say in Blothar's defense, Oderus could not pull an AC/DC cover. I think Gwar could stand to thrown in a few more classics. 

Coal Chamber turned out to be the surprise of the show. I don't recall seeing them back in the day but they could have been playing the side stage on an Ozzfest back in the day and I might not remember. I was really only into the first album .When "Chamber Music" came out , I was into heavier music, I should go back and give it another listen. The two albums that followed came out off my radar and without me caring. I think what was most compelling about Coal Chamber is how they fell back into their roles , like they were picking up where they left off without missing a beat. Energy wise, and how they pulled everything off , they made the best showing of the night. Granted the bar was never set very high for them ,as their stuff is easy to play and not very demanding vocally. At 57 you never felt like his age was making him struggle at what he did. The songs you know... "Loco",  "Big Truck" etc...hit with the kind of impact you would want them to. 

Muudvayne's strengths as a band seemed to play against them at time. It is hard to tell if the crowd could tell. Things felt off when they hit the stage with "Not Falling" . It felt like Gray could have uses another song to warm up with. The smoothly sung verses suffered because of this and the higher passes into falsetto felt choked. This carried over four songs later when they went into "World So Cold" and the struggle still could be felt when they covered the Police's "King of Pain", despite doing their own version of it. The only three songs I was not as familiar with were from "New Game". I like the Shining inspired "Dull Boy" the best of the selections from that album. The addition of the second guitarist worked sonically though I think bassist Ryan Martinie could have been louder in the mix in order for their sound to have the kind of impact it achieves online. Their set did have strong moments in some of the more progressive jams, and Gray's screams were on point, despite his actual singing making his voice feel a little out of shape. I was inspired to give "the New Game" another chance , but doubtful I would spend money to see these guys again.  

Live Review- The Cure @ Amelie Arena

 

My third big show in the span 10 days. It would take one of my favorite bands to get me out among people. Fortunately my seats were on the side of the stage in the shadowy balcony of Amelie Arena that remained untouched by house lights for the evening. I felt like Bat-Man looking down over the stage . The Twilight Sad had just taken the stage when we got to our seats.  The Scottish dream pop band, opened for the Cure the last time I saw them in 2016. I was familiar with their material and impressed by their energetic performance. Their singer, croons without the indifference most common in the genre. He can put some guts into his voice and belt it out with some anger at times. When they left the stage, rain sounds were played over the PA which I felt was a nice touch. 

This marks the sixth time I have seen the Cure. More than likely it will be the last. Not that they did not give a fine performance, in fact Smith's voice sounding much better than videos I saw at the start of the tour. I just want to remember them without any further decline. Of the six times I have seen them, this show had the oddest energy of any I have been to. The venue only seated three thousand more than sheds I have typically seen these guys in. It felt like there was a little more clock punching going on from Smith despite, his pipes sounding better than they did in 2016. The best energy came from the band when they deviated from the hits, making me think, that perhaps he should just retire them. "Love Song" was played at a brisker pace which breathed a little more life in it, but it was the only song from "Disintegration" he gave a shit about playing. I get it songs like "At Night", "Push" and "Play For Today" felt more inspired, they have other albums with better songs. I was glad 'Wild Mood Swings' was not forgotten and not jazzed that nothing was play from "Pornography" , but I have heard him play most of those songs before. 

Smith had the same band with him that played in 2016. Reeves has become more of an integral part , and was allowed one shredding solo. Jason Cooper was the unsung hero of the night as his drumming was on point all night.  Roger who is close to an original member, was having sound issues. He stepped away from his keyboards and waited for them to be fixed which might have factored in to the shortest set of the tour so far. Perhaps burn out is setting in . At 64 Smith might find the experience less rewarding than he did ten years ago, but they have a new album they are putting out one day, and bills to pay. The new stuff worked pretty well, at times lyrically it might not have been the best, but blended with the classics.  We left during "Friday I am in Love" as I do not like the Cure's happy pop songs which seem like fast forward classics in comparison to their best material. Overall even Smith dialing it in is better than what most bands can do at their most inspired. 

 

Live Review : The Misfits & Megadeth @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

 I am not huge on reunion tours, as it seems too many bands are staining their legacy with cash grabs, there are few exceptions to this rule, however I was not able  to pas up the chance to catch a few of my favorite bands from High School. Committing to venturing to an outdoors concert after May in Florida is an even greater test of your fandom. Really just me venturing out of the house and forcing my misanthropic ass to be around people is a testament to how much I like a band. Thanks to misinformation in regards to the actual start time, and traffic going into the venue we missed Fear, who could be heard playing from the highway as we reached the venue. The half mile walk from parking to entrance and display of  general stupidity from the concert goers who were corralled at the entrance like cattle all helped  the delay so once we set foot inside the Amphitheatre, Fear had finished their set. 

Megadeth took the stage at 7:45 with a rather stripped down stage set up, Dave has been bitching about the cost of touring these days so this was not a surprise. They were surprisingly better than expected. I saw them back in the day a few times with their Clash of the Titans performance being the stand out. They might have lacked key members from that era, but were impressive. Sticking to the hits, they played two songs from their latest album and cranked out all the "Peace Sells" and "Sweating Bullets" you might   and was never that impressed. They stuck to their "hits" opening with "Hangar 18". They only played two new songs, aside from those it was all the songs you might expect from "Peace Sells" to "Sweating Bullets" . They closed their set out with "Holy Wars".  Dirk from Soilwork was behind the drums and pulled every thing off as needed. It was odd thinking how the White Lion b assist was able to take care of business, but that is what happened. They brought out Lee Ving for a cover of "Nothing is Something" which did not go over as well since no one knew it. But I was glad I got to see him sing one song having missed Fear. 

Punk in a massive  20,000 capacity Amphitheatre is an odd oxymoron for outsiders.  If any one was going to do it the Misfits would be the band. In line waiting to enter the venmnue a disgruntled  "punk" was complaining about Megadeth opening , and asked why was it not Minor Threat. The very nature of this question says he had no clue what Ian MacKaye was about, and only a punk in the sense of wasting his life by being wasted. A shame he missed Fear as well. The Misfits are larger than life so that is why this show worked. Their stage was flanked by two giant pumpkins and the back drops of Vegas like video screens, They were not about ideals but teenage aliens and pulp monsters. They opened with "Death Comes Ripping" , which was the most suitable song to start things with. 

Danzig sounded fine which was my main concern as he sounded like he had lost all ability to belt it out on his terrible Elvis covers album. There was an amusing casual attitude to his onstage banter, he at least acted like he was taking requests from the audience, which I find it hard to believe there were not people within earshot screaming for "Angel Fuck" which did not make an appearance. But as Danzig said they do know a lot of songs, I did not expect all of them to be played, though the fact most are under three minutes gave them time to cram a bunch into their set. They have great songs, some of the highlights for me were "Vampira" , "Where Eagles Dare" , "Hybrid Moments" , "Some Kind of Hate" and "Skulls". This was billed as the "Original" Misfits but the line-up was bolstered by the addition of Dave Lombardo on drums, and Dope / Joan Jett guitarist Acey Slade, who stood behind Jerry Only on stage. Dave did his job, obviously this was less demanding than playing Slayer or Mr. Bungle. Doyle has more of a metallic guitar tone, and due to the benefit of the big production this was a much better sound than they had originally.

Live Review - Tori Amos @ Ruth Eckerd Hall

 It's been almost 20 years since I had last seen Tori Amos live. To the best of my recall saw her in 2002 and 2004. Putting her at around 39 years old for those performances. As far as her studio album go, "Scarlet's Walk" was the the last one I listened to on a regular basis. "Native Invader:" I reviewed here , but aside from that I have only caught a few songs here and there. This was the second night of  this leg of her  tour which opened in  West Palm Beach. It makes sense that Amos who is a part-time Florida resident would include multiple dates in the state. The opening act was the trio towr's  , which was a quaint folk act that felt like some kind of mom-core as their songs seemed to be about the changing landscape of domestication. Tori's band took the stage first promptly at 9 pm. They were two session musicians John Evans and Ash Soan, who seemed pleased that they were able to cut loose and indulge their prog rock side. 

She opened with "God" and followed that with the title track from "Ocean to Ocean" which is the album is touring behind. With 16 albums in her discography, there is no way she could play something from each and still make the crowd happy. If she stuck to the hits, then it would have leaned perhaps more heavily than she would have liked are her first few albums. She actually played the most from "Scarlet's Walk" which found four of those songs in the set. At 59 it is understandable why she did not play more from the first two album that might fall a little out of her range, as she did not sing up in her soprano range much. Let's face it Tori has retained a very strong cult following that allowed her to sell out the 2000 seat theater, putting here in range of what Morrissey has in terms of draw these days. If you asked your average twenty something, they are not likely to know who she is unless their parents exposed them to her. 

But being a cult legend is not a bad thing as you are playing for the hard core fan base that is going to appreciate it when you dig deep and play a song like "Take to the Sky" which is a b-side from "Little Earth Quakes".  I would say the hard core fan base made up perhaps half the audience, which left the other half the audience holding their heads in boredom as they wanted to here "hits" that really never came until she close with "Tear in Your Hand".  I guess I split the difference as I knew the bulk of the songs, but aside from the Scarlet's Walk songs, many of  deeper cuts, I at least found the jazzy jam versions that they played to be interesting, perhaps not the most energetically compelling if you were expecting a rock show, but very consistent with who Tori is as an artist , and for that I can not fault her , as it made me more curious to start digging back to see what I have missed over the years. 

Live Review : Voivod & Imperial Triumphant @ the Floridian Social Club

 Still getting out to explore venues new to me , it took one of my favorite bands to inspire me to not settle down for the evening on the couch. Having seen Voivod multiple times going all the way back to the 80s , they have a knack for picking hungry young bands on the rise whose performance forces the Canadian thrash veterans to bring their A game. I have seen Soundgarden open for them, Amenra open for them and now Imperial Triumphant. Funny enough it was when Voivod opened for Napalm Death that they offered up their best show This tour finds them celebrating 40 years as a band. The newer members more fused with Snake and Away by now. 

A decent crowd for a Wednesday night, the venue holds 800, so maybe 400 people showed. Local bands death metallers Vacuous Depths opened the show, they play a dense slightly blackened style of death metal with their drummer being the star of the show. He played every accent with intensity but was very relaxed in doing so. Then Heaven's Gate  a band with Tony from Iron Regan and Municipal Waste, with the drummer from Cannibal Corpse, they played the kind of cross over thrash you would expect from that kind of pairing and were popular with the crowd. 

The venue seemed to have been designed for the aesthetics of  Imperial Triumphant in a Lynchian art deco. It was like you were stepping into one of their music videos.  I have reviewed a couple of their albums  "Vile Luxury" and "Alphaville" , the latter and improvement over the former, but it scored an 8, well done not blowing my socks off and being listened to in heavy rotation. They are much more impressive live. It is oddly more their element despite having the benefit of being able to add more layers of sound in the studio. On stage the side of the band you see grooves and uses their energy to maximum effect. Obviously with the masks there is a theatrical element, but this is taking further in their interactions with the crowd. I am going to go back and give their 2022 album a listen after being so impressed by their performance. They are not a black metal band and perhaps that was the turn off given the spin my peers in music press tried to angle them as black metal band that was creating music that was safe for everyone to listen to  and trying to cancel their Northern European  counterparts for being hateful. Black metal is supposed to be hateful, these guys are progressive metal, perhaps death metal at times. What they do works for them but is not a replacement for death metal, nor is that the intent of their performance.  

Voivod's surviving members are 58 year old singer Snake and 59 year old drummer Away.  Away's drumming  shows that the years have been kinder to him, as he plays a wide range of demanding dynamics ranging from the faster thrashing punk of their earlier "War & Pain" songs to the more recent prog outings. They even played one of the heavier 90's songs that served as the forerunner to what Meshuggah does today. While Away's playing was flawless, Snake's voice held up pretty well, he even  pulled off the bulk of the thrash era screams on the song "Killing Technology"  which they opened with. Their 13 song set could be said to lean heavily on their newest album "Synchro Anarchy" , but they only played three songs from it and then a song from almost every other album. Yes, even "Angel Rat" and "Phobos" which acknowledged the period without Snake. 

 When you have been around for 40 years it is ambitious to encompass the entirety of your career in one show, especially when you are a band like Voivod who sets out to write often conceptual albums rather than singles. They are not a greatest hits band, many songs were screamed out for by the fans, "Tribal Convictions" perhaps the most, but this was not an evening for taking requests, due to the winding nature of their arrangements, this tour was obviously very rehearsed with little room for improvisation. The set list has not varied much from show to show, sure Jason Newstead joined them for a song at one gig, but aside from that it's business as usual without feeling like they were punching a clock, as the enjoyment of their songs is retained after four decades. 

Live Review : Skinny Puppy @ Jannus Live

Having now caught Skinny Puppy at three different landmarks in their career, I have a new perspective on their legacy.  The first was on their 92 “Last Rights” tour. The second on the “Greater Wrong of the Right” and now on what has been billed as their final tour. If this is their final tour and if anyone was going to stick to their word in this regard I would trust them more than say Cher or Motley Crue who have also made such claims in the past and opted for bigger paychecks instead. After all, given the sporadic nature of the project’s touring do we really want to see them in their 70s, or is a graceful goodbye that upholding their legacy with dignity preferred? I want the latter. 

 This most recent show at Jannus in St Pete, an outdoor venue, is basically a boxed courtyard that is surrounded by residential buildings. The crowd was large enough that the merch line wound back toward the stage while the openers Lead in Gold droned on into the dusk. Paul Barker of Ministry fronts the band , using his bass the way guitar typically holds down a post-punk band. This duo is very capable, but they have focused their sound in a murky place that many bands of this kind occupy, making them less than urgent in their approach. Skinny Puppy would finally take the stage in typical theatrical flair that found Ogre singing as a shadow puppet behind a white screen . They opened with “VX Gas Attack” from the 1988 “VIVIsectVI” album. Their messages about the horrors of chemical war even more timely now give the state of the world today. When Ogre came out from behind the white curtain, he wore a black shroud that gave him the appearance of the Elephant Man. During “Tormentor” the theme began to emerge with the interplay between Ogre and an actor clad in a militant cyborg costume, who represented an oppressing energy. “Love in Vein” was a highlight for me since “Last Rights’ is my favorite Skinny Puppy album. 

The shroud came off on “Human Disease” to reveal an alien mask with glowing eyes. From this point until the encore, the acting on stage felt like the show was a torture porn musical rendition of “the Man Who Fell to Earth”. “Hardset Head” from ”the Process” was another musical treat, as perhaps due to the nostalgia I have for it , but “the Process” is my second favorite Skinny Puppy album. It also gave guitarist Matt Setzer from London After Midnight time to shine. The set list paid homage to the totality of their career . Not really a band with a greatest hits to adhere to , the omission of “Tin Omen” felt odd, and the same could be said for “Pro-test”, but having seen them play both those songs before , it did not really phase me.

 When they did include some of the more recent material that leans in more of an EBM direction than industrial, they used the darker songs that blended nicely against their more classic darker work. While “Candle” is one of my favorite Skinny Puppy songs, it felt like a weird way to give their final goodbye, while the more anthemic “Assimilate” felt like the last rallying cry for their vision. Though Skinny Puppy has never been a band to play by any rock n roll rules, or paint any sonic picture that is not of their own vision for in that sense it was the most sensible night for them to ride off into.

Live Review : Goatwhore & EYEHATEGOD @ The Brass Mug

 Seeing Iron Maiden is more than just a metal show, it’s an arena sized spectacle that reels in a broader rock n roll crowd. . Given this, the last actual metal show I had been to was pre-covid, when I saw Morbid Angel and Watain. This was not only the first metal show since the pandemic but the first since moving to Florida. Tampa once had a legendary metal scene that spawned most death metal, but in my two years here I had not found a ton of metal heads. The Goatwhore / Eyehategod show would give me a better glimpse into the scene. The local openers were a mixed bag for various reasons. Dirt Witch had an excellent singer , but sound issues that plagued the band seemed to be the fault of the bass player and guitar who needed to have their tone dialed in. The Kate Bush cover, should have been rethought as well. They were followed by Tunnels of Set,a  blackened thrash band with an affinity for Kreator and fetish for occult poppycock lyrics that drop plenty of legit names and concepts in a fantasy soup of non-sense, though the vocals were articulate enough to make this out and they care about writing songs. 

The main support came from Tampa locals Tickle , who were old enough to know how to dial their tones in. They also played a very deliberate style of hard-core influenced doom crunch. They were tight and professional on stage, with a playful attitude and grind core humor to their songs. I was surprised to find out that for as good as they were at what they did, these guys had not done more in terms of releasing music, or even having a website. Then came Goatwhore who I have seen at least twice before this. While they are also impressive live, their aggression was infectious. The crowd exchanged this energy with the band and Ben formed a genuine connection with the audience, in a manner few front men of extreme metal do. There is rocking at you, then rocking with you. 

Goatwhore’s set let leaned heavily into the new album “Angels Hung From the Arches of Heaven”, but this was fine with everyone since the album kicks ass and goes to show how well those songs seamlessly stand with the rest of their discography as there was never a moment where the energy ebbed due to the fact they were playing new stuff. The “Blood For the Master '' and “Constricting Rage of the Merciless” albums were also pulled from more heavily to flesh out the 12 song set listl, but every album was represented. If you are a fan of this band, they had something for you. Even if you are just a fan of heavy, they displayed their ability to win you over. Given the nature of what EYEHATEGOD does their was a crusty punk element in attendance that made up perhaps forty percent of the crowd and they too were won over by the energy that Goatwhore brought with their cranked up fury . 

EYEHATEGOD casually took the stage. It took a song and a half for them to get warmed up and dialed into the kind of performance you expect from these guys. Even front man Mike Williams joked about this fact saying that they were not as professional as Goatwhore. The swampy New Orleans signature to their sound was firmly in place with the crusty riffs grinding out a Sabbath like lumber that prevailed more than the punk shifts into more up-tempo thrashing . The crowd was there for it and the pit, while not as fierce as what exploded during Goatwhore’s set , kept it moving and people were drinking more and having fun. Mike Williams middle finger attitude exemplifies punk, and even though they are more of a metal band, even to the extent they are commonly thought as the creators of sludge. His don’t give a fuck attitude that finds him joking about what are today thought of sensitive issues like suicide , is what today’s climate in heavy music needs more of. This carried over into the overall energy of their performance to show how they have held such a long lasting place in music, as they bridge genres in more ways than one.

Live Review : Iron Maiden @ Amalie Arena

 

Having seen the band in their 80s prime the bar is high. They are always great live, but Bruce is 64 and Niko is 70 with the rest of the band falling in-between, the question of do they still have it looms. They are not the Rolling Stones. Not to knock Mick Jagger, but his voice works off personality and attitude, where Bruce's vocal parts are closer to opera than metal. Musical they are more complex and faster songs that require higher dexterity and constitution scores than the warmed over 60s rock hits of the Stones. I am certain of not wanting to see Maiden ten years from now. This arena tour is a higher and more lavish production. This show marked the end of this half of the tour, but rather than the band seeming burned out from the rigors of the road, it seemed like the 57 shows they played before this one was what they needed to warm up. 

Despite the crowd not sure how to react, it was a smart move to play the three new songs first. Tears For Fears, took a similar approach. It makes sense as Bruce was able to warm his voice up with songs most recently recorded so he could warm his pipes up, back when I saw them open up with "Aces High", it was too much, and he went into the show winded and struggling to hit the high notes. When they closed with it , he had a better time with it. Did he nail every high not? No, but he got the job done by tackling it to the best of his current abilities. For six old Brits they ran and jumped across the stage better than most bands in their 20s. For this arena tour the stage show was dialed up. Multiple set changes, it started out as a Japanese temple and shifted to a cathedral to a hellish landscape as the band took you on a journey. 

All of the big crowd pleasers were saved for the second half of the show. This gradually found the momentum build until they get to "Aces High" which is the bands highest energy song. Not the loudest show I am been to, but they used enough volume to get the job done, after all they are Iron Maiden who are next to Black Sabbath are the most important band in metal. They proved they are still worthy of that title and showed you how they earned it. The fifteen songs, moved quickly, there we no looking at your watch moments, considering how as a society our attention spans have atrophied this is magic in and of itself. If you like metal, and even if you are not the biggest Maiden fan it is a must to see them within the next fan years, they do not disappoint and the changes in the set list made them even better than the past two times I have seen them.