Gothtober -Live Review : Twin Temple, King Dude & Amigo the Devil @ the Masquerade

This was one of the first shows in some time where I was excited   to catch all of the bands on the bill . Twin Temple was stage when we walked in to a larger than expected crowd.It was fitting this show was set on the Hell stage of the Masquerade.  Their theatrical performance did not diminish the emphasis on the music. In fact their backing band was formidable, going off into jams when the sequined duo would go into the more ritualistic side of their stage show. The crowd was really into them, especially the climax of the show where the singer went into the crowd to anoint them with blood.

King Dude took the stage  and announced that he had come to ruin our evening by singing the saddest songs he could think of.  He was accompanied by a percussionist playing a pad of triggered drum samples. He was very engaging with the audience. When he could not hear himself in the monitors he said “It’s because I am deaf from playing all this acoustic music” . He played a little from each album some of the highlights were a darker version of “ Spiders In Her Hair , “Witch’s Hammer “ and “Jesus in the Courtyard”. When he let the audience pick the song it was  “Lucifer’s The Light of the World “ that won by virtue of girl who requested it being hot. He had to shame someone for yelling “Free Bird”. At several points in the set he brought up the fact he was tired from driving a long way, but then suggested they go out to the Clairmont after the show, which in fact after hanging out after the show proved to be a plan that was set in motion. His voice sounded great and I appreciate the fact that he does not try to replicate the album versions  of songs.

Danny came on and began talking about depression and how it was something he learned to live with and not see as a flaw. He also pointed out that the set list was written on the back of the dozen shot glasses on the drum riser and he would drink one before playing the song. He opened with “Cocaine and Abel” . Half of his set consisted of songs from “Everything is Fine”  <>Earlier in the set he played a cover of Tom Jones “Delilah”  and then worked in snippets of Carrie Underwood’s “ Before He Cheats” along with pop songs “Old Town Road” and “Pony”. He talked about when he was in high-school is listened to everything from harsh noise to pop, adding he was really into Meatloaf. Apparently this made him less than popular. But in defense of pop music for what it is , which is fun, he compared it to a water slide saying” A water slide is not art , it is just fun”. He said there should not be guilty pleasures you just listen to what you like.  Given my professed love for the likes of Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift I can appreciate those sentiments.  

The covers did not stop there, he also played “All Star” by Smash Mouth, the audience  sang in unison, as he played along before going into “Husband” . Before the encore he played around with the chorus to Slayer’s “Angel of Death” , just the chorus because he said the verses are sketchy as well as Dio’s “Holy Diver”. When it came to encores , Danny said he hates them so  walked to the other end of the stage and walked back to the mic . All of the acts gushed about the camaraderie on tour. Kind Dude even said from the stage he would like for it not end and move in with them. It was a refreshing juxtaposition to see artists playing dark and depressing music who did not take themselves so seriously.

My girlfriend put this show in her top three of all time. I’ve seen David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Motorhead , so that is a pretty high bar. I can say this might go in my top three most engaging and honest exchanges with the audience. As stripped down as a show could be.  If this tour comes through your town, do not miss it. I never recommend something as strongly as I will tell you to make sure you catch this show. I am guessing you at least have a passing interest in these acts or you would have clicked on this review so there you go.

Live Review : "Neurosis @ the Masquerade

Normally reluctant to go see a band who is not touring behind new material, I had not seen Neurosis since the “Times of Grace” album , so 20 year wait was long enough. The material between “Times of Grace” and “Given to the Rising” was hit or miss for me. Their last album was in a more Pink Floyd direction, but the fact The Bell Witch was opening sweetened the deal. I walked in during the Deaf Kids set. It worked off an energetic drone which provided a dramatic contrast to when Bell Witch took the stage without no far fare at all, It was like they check playing right through their line check,.They proceeded to play one long song that was a delicate throb with occasional vocals . I love funereal doom, but need more dynamics than what they gave that might, though watching the bass player pull it off was interesting for the first 10 minutes.   

22They opened with the slow pulse of “A Sun That Never Sets “ . 13 minute songs are ambitious openers, but it worked for these guys when they took the oddly barren stage. No projections  or crazy lighting. As I told a friend they played all their Pink Floyd sounding stuff without the Pink Floyd light show. Lars Von Till had a much more commanding stage presence than Scott Kelly who looked like he had fallen asleep watching football and awoken to play the show. They followed this with “My Heart In Deliverance “ from the “Honor Found in Decay” album. This 11 minute song found the drums picking up from the droning lethargy and gaining more traction. They keep the mood droney for most of the songs from “Honor Found in Decay” though some what more stripped down than the album version. Stepping on the distortion as needed with the chanted “in a show world part “ really kicking the most ass . 

 I had forgotten  how good of a guitar player Steven Von Till is. I think Scott Kelly’s solos projects tend to get more of a spotlight so Till doesn’t get as much acknowledgement as he should. The title track from “Given to the Rising”  was the first song where it felt like a metal show. The more post-rock like “ To the Wind” worked well live as it had atmosphere tempered with heavier punch. In last two minutes proving them the grandfathers of sludge. Things stayed heavy when they went back to “Times Of Grace” for “End of the Harvest”.  Pulling from this time period of their material the last song from “A Sun That Never Sets “ seems like a good choice. If you like Neurosis then this is a tour of deeper cuts, if you like their new stuff it will be even better for you. Either way they are total prose and it is good to seem them without or without the balls and whistles even though I was hoping for something of “Souls at Zero”

Live Review : Watain & Destroyer 666 @ the Masquerade

This was my first time in "Heaven" the larger room at Masquerade's new location in Underground Atlanta. Higher ceiling and wider space, we were still in the security line for Nexul's set. This was my first time catching Destroyer 666 and they invoked many of the thrash bands I saw back in the 80s.  Considering what now appears to be sensationalized accounts of their more barbaric behavior, I saw little in their demeanor that would support claims against them. They have the typical metal bravado, but were gracious and inclusive, making not scathing remarks of any kind. Their detractors who claim they are such mediocre musicians they have to resort to stunts, would have been eating their words if they saw how the band won over the crowd that was very supportive of  what seemed to be a healthy metal spirit which some claim to be toxic masculinity. Though most of the females in attendance had very positive reactions to their performance. None seemed to be offended by anything that went down on stage. The most demanding Warslut was might have been when he asked them to lower the lights for a more introspective part of the song where he knelt and looked to be praying to his guitar.  So fake news is now in every sector including metal press apparently as it was an excellent set with little in the way of controversy about it. In fact it was more melodic than what I have heard from their studio releases. The bass player handled all the more sung backing vocals. I am glad I caught them they firmly cemented me as a fan and I bought a shirt to support them.

Watain is not a band that is going to sellout or blow up, instead each tour finds the band's fan base growing slowly and steadily.Atlanta has been behind the curve when it comes to black metal. The in-town metal scene in this city has it's roots more based in punk, so tends to favor thrash over black metal. However it was a solid showing with a crowd that got into the performance more fervently than previous times the band has passed through. My fourth time seeing the band the main difference seemed to be the energy they commanded the stage with.Since the Masquerade is a fairly new venue it seemed a few limitations might have been place on the band as the sweet stench of putrefaction did not ride the air. The score of tridents lining the stage were also not ablaze. The altar at the base of the drum riser was still there and various skulls adorned the stage. At one point Erik spat blood out into in the crowd from a skull chalice, but that was the extent of  ritualistic theatrics. The emphasis was putting the music in your face at high volume.

For me hearing "Total Funeral" and "Malfeitor" were my personal highlights, but I have a thing with "Lawless Darkness" being one of my all time favorite black metal albums so those songs will always have a special place for me live. I think the show for me proved how much of a seamless transition there is from  the three songs they played from their new album "Trident Wolfe Eclipse" and the rest of their work.  I think it's a testament to the body of work they have. With many black metal bands you are hit with a wall of sound from the blitz of blast beats, but Watain's mix found the guitar melodies cutting through.  Erik prowled the stage in his usual fashion, but it was the rest of the band that really stepped up their game in terms of stage presence. This made for a more powerful performance. One of the guitarists in my band was really impressed by them and he only had a sparse introduction to the band before the show and is normally into bands like Behemoth, so it shows their ability to win over metal fans who might not be devoted to "Transylvanian Hunger" . Black metal's impact on metal a whole is now a permanent fixture in the genre, and this show proved Watain's place at the upper tier black metal and silenced non believers.


set list... 
  Devil's Blood,  
Black Flames March 
 Nuclear Alchemy 
 Malfeitor
 Total Funeral 
 Angelrape 
 Furor Diabolicus 
 Outlaw
 Sacred Damnation
 Sworn to the Dark
 The Serpent's Chalice

the Used @ The Masquerade

Chances are you grew up on Slipknot and while I was old enough to know better their 2002 album was pretty damn good. These guys are more of my wife's thing than mine, but she goes to plenty of shows with me that she prolly could care less about, so I endured the suffocating heat of the soon to be closing Masquerade. Openers New Language we a typical band from L.A. lots of show constantly talking about the fact they are on tour , but no real substance when it comes to the songs with laughable lyrics.  As their set progressed every song was a little worse than the one before it until it became hard to bear. By the time the Used took the stage after making the crowd re-live the late 90s with a mix of pop music blaring over the p.a . the place was pretty packed. In some ways this does not surprise me since the city prefers to keep one foot in the past musically. Myspace would have been proud of this show back in 2003.

The Used are still good at what they did. This was the first of a two part series . This was the first night and they were playing their self titled 2002 album front to back. The album is one of the few that have stood the test of time and the songs were endearing. The band played their instruments well with their bass player being their surprise ace n the hole as he was the only one who went above and beyond on this instrument and seems to have perfected his crafted over the years where the guitar player and drummer, clocked in played the songs and did their job. The main problem was vocalist Bert McCracken. While possessing an odd child like charm on stage that makes you wonder what medical marijuana is really doing to people, he answered the question what happens when you take the screaming out of screamo? You have a pop punk band.  After having surgery to remove polyps on his vocal chord, he has made statements  varying from the surgery took out half of his range to his voice has never been stronger. The real answer is never figured out  how to scream from his diaphragm and is too stoned to want to teach the old dog new tricks. Which I Do not mind not screaming if you decided your are done with and and to focus more on actual singing. However if you go on tour to preform an album in it's entirety and you can't do it vocally then why bother?

His voice was hit or miss the bass player took over most of the screamed parts , though they were more yelled than actually screamed. Bert let the crowd sing most of the higher sections or screamed section and got by on his charisma alone. The crowd was too caught up in being blasted back 14 years to really mind or notice. The set had some strong moments with some of the more melodic gems  shining the brightest, though the song " A Box Full of Sharp Objects" also translated well even with out the screams. They seemed to be enjoying what they are doing and the crowd did too, I can check this off my list, but would not go seem them again.

The Masquerade Goes Underground

I don't delve to far into the local Atlanta music scene with this blog, but I have plenty of friends in touring band's from all parts of the world this will effect so I will weigh in as the Creative Loafing has only given one perspective to the news that the venue which has been rumored to close for years now is finally leaving the historic excelsior mill location on North Ave and moving to Underground atlanta. Under Ground Atlanta is a shopping and entertainment district that open in 1969. It was closed in 1980 after the MARTA transit system began running trains in 1979 and brought with it crime that was deemed uncontrollable in that area. The area was revitalized and converted into a shopping mall and re-opened in 1989. Then in 1992 with the Rodney King Verdict the area was damaged by looters who attacked tourists and after this incident and caused a 40 percent drop in sales. The area has struggled since even after the 2004 incentive passed by the city to allow bars there to serve until 4:00 am .

This incentive did spark the opening of two clubs Alley Kat and Future. Opened by a former employee of the classic Atlanta goth/fetish club the Chamber that was popular in the 90s, Future sought to serve as a home for displaced Chamber patrons and Alley Kat was more of a rock club that filled the void left by the last bastion of cock rock known as 9 Lives in the Little 5 points district. Atlanta has always been more of a punk town, because college age kids can play punk without it effecting their partying, you can get away with practicing minimally if you are only playing four chords in the first place. Even Mastodon has their punk roots. So real rock clubs come and go. If you are not the hipster flavor of the week playing at the Earl, the 529 or the Star Bar. Then Masquerade has been one of the only other options in-town. Atlanta is very divided this way most rock music is played outside the perimeter and then by radio listening suburbanites who think Slipknot is a new band.

The question not answered in what I have read about this move is...what is going to be different than when we tried this 12 years ago . If anything the area has gotten worse and Underground Atlanta is not much different than the other storefronts in the area where you can get gold in your teeth or minutes on your phone. In 2014 the area was up for sale to the developer WRS, who was going to turn it into yet another mixed use development. Which is what is replacing the Masquerade.  In fact these mixed use developments also close Thunder Box a rehearsal space that was located behind the Masquerade.  One of the first nails in the coffin of the city's hope to ever become  a rock town. The move has been called 'temporary" until they can find a better location. Think the kids are venturing into that part of downtown to see Cute is What We Piss On? Think again. To compare it to the Mammal Gallery a few blocks away is a mis-step as well. That is basically a bigger version of Under the Couch, where hipster- Georgia Tech students pretending to be punk rockers on their parents credit cards go. Here is the reality check, can I get more more reasonable thinking in the monitors?

Live Review: Chelsea Wolfe @ the Masquerade

The door were very early so we only got to hear the tail end of A Dead Forest Index, when we arrived. Chelsea Wolfe took the stage a little before 9:45. If you have been reading this blog for sometime, at this point you might even think, oh not another Chelsea Wolfe concert review, but this show was very different. The majority of time she has passed through Atlanta she has played the Earl, short of the East Atlanta Restaurant and Lounge. This 300 capacity room, more often than not is one of the city's better sounding venues.As her career has blossomed, Ms. Wolfe has grown out of the venue. The first time passing through the city on the "Abyss" tour found her playing Aisle 5. This time she played the Masquerade, the 1000 person capacity room upstairs in "Heaven" which Chelsea found too dark and at one point asked for more light saying she couldn't see where she was going. Not one of the city's best sounding rooms, normally home to touring metal bands who combat this with sheer volume. Things did get loud. She mainly focused on the new album and "Mers". What I enjoyed the most was how she played around with her approach to the older songs which in the past I have seen played acoustic and more atmospherically when plugged in. She opened with an amped up almost punk version of "Demons". The band was different as well, long time bassist Ben Chisholm was still around , but now has a new drummer Jess Gowrie of Happy Fangs on the drum throne as well as a different guitarist by her side as well.

It was the how of this show that made it special.If I want to hear the album, I'll plug in my iPod. If I am seeing the same artist twice in the course of a year, a change of set list is at the very least expected. Here it was not what songs were played but how they were played, which in some cases were better than the recorded versions. "Moses" being thre prime example here. It was given a dirtier jangle to create an almost grunge like sound that could have come from the "Mistake in Parting" album. A few songs in an energetically it was evident that Wolfe has spent enough time on the road to refine her live show into the elusive tier of artists who are a must see given the fact , each show is an individual experience unto it's own and not just a musician clocking in for work to plow through the songs they have been fine tuning for years. Perhaps it was the new band who were not as tight with the songs as the last band she came through with, but that didn't seem to be the point of the show. It rocked loudly with no guitar solos and drum flurries or any of the pretense that normally turns the boys club of rock n roll into more of an athletic event. If you are at all familiar with her last album "Abyss" which almost received as much coverage as "Murs" then it should not come as a surprise that there were moments in the show that were heavy in almost a metal manner, but more often than not heavy sonically.

 The mix was a little weird as some of the looped backing tracks from her more electronic tinged studio recordings seemed a little loud at times, and the guitars could have been louder. The Masquerade is a big boomy room. It seemed their were some monitor issues and she winced back from feedback when using a digital delay. These sound issues that come with the venue considering is not known as being one of the city's best, did not mar the performance in a manner that was distracting to their performance though energetically the energy shifted slightly on stage when this occurred. If she is coming through your town, she might be playing bigger venues but hopefully she will, find her self getting more love from the sound man than she did at the Masquerade show. If you have seen her before and think you can skip this show without missing out, I understand the pull of gravity the couch can have when under the light of Netflix, but this was a much different show than what you have seen from her and is worth catching.

Deafheaven& Tribulation @ the Masquerade

Things got started really early at the Masquerade. Funny enough the three level venues had the Insane Clown Posse, playing up stairs as this show took place on the ground floor. I did not see any Juggaloos, but this is Atlanta and they can blend in easily with some of the trailer trash outside the city limits that reminds you Atlanta is in Georgia. It was unlikely that openers Swedish metallers Tribulation were mistaken for being down with the clown, despite the little bit of make up they wear. They deftly attack their instruments in earnest, allowing the songs to breathe a little more than they do on the albums. At times it feels like they are jamming. Which is fine by me because if you want to hear a band sound just like the album, then why leave the house to go look for parking somewhere?

Deafheaven This was my third time seeing Deafheaven. The first time they blew Alcest off the stage in a small club called the 529.On the “Sunbather” tour they played a larger club, and were intense, but it was a less aggressive energy than the first time I saw them. Like any good drug addict, we often go into shows wanting to have the same feeling we had when we first saw the band. But they are no longer where they were in fact the set steeped in their two most recent albums with “Roads to Judah” ignored. Judging from the crowd that made me feel I might as well have been at a Minus the Bear concert, lending credence to the line of thought that they make black metal for people who don’t like black metal.

They did not seem as loud as a metal band should be, while the high ceiling of concrete box known the “Hell” section of the masquerade which is often used as more of a dance club, didn’t help, I have seen bands like Converge and Watain play there and leave me ears ringing. They are more about clarity and less about the power of volume this time around. For their encore they came back and played  “Sunbather” and “Dream House”, which were of course crowd pleasers since they served as the entry point into the band for most. I am not surprised by the fact the crowd has grown with each show, the cat was out of the bag with “Sunbather”. I however like “ New Bermuda” for it’s added aggression and more metallic edge, the only way this came across like was in Clarke’s vocals which carried more snarl and sometimes dipped into lower growls. His stage presence was not as in your face at times he looked to be waving his hands like a conductor while he connected himself to the song’s heartstrings.  What Deafheaven is or isn’t can be bickered out on comment sections as long as the band is in our consciousness. They played with a great deal of sincerity. The sound they make is who they are. I am ok with most of the changes I just want them hear them louder next time.

Faith No More @ the Masquerade Music Park 7/31/15

I was reluctantly indifferent to the thought of seeing the band again after being less than impressed by their last album. The show in contrast to the previous nights under sold Slayer show was sold out. So not liking crowds and hearing the horror stories of how packed the Scion Fest was few years ago , there was even more inner resistance. My fiance had already gotten  her ticket, so the problems to over come became the Refused management who was  less than responsive and the venue wasn't much help either despite having a previous working relationship with them, so I was getting prepared in my head to walk home. I had left my phone at home and my iPod is MIA, so along with being taken off one of my medications the inner world was getting bleaker by the minute. However our friend who bought a ticket from a scalper pitched in with my fiance and helped me gather funds to do like wise. We stood around in the humidity which was every thing you could expect from Georgia in July, the over cast sky did not empty. The crowd was a diverse mix generally older than not, some hipsters , some metal heads some fringe punks, the shirts worn ranged from black metal bands to Jawbreaker. The p.a. began playing 60s pop as the road crew dress like they were in a cult decorated the stage with flowers.

The band took the stage and opened with the first single of their new album, which came across better live than on the album. Then I got two songs from "Angel Dust" the playfully perverse anthem "Be Aggressive" and "Caffeine" which packed a little more of a punch though when compared to music of today Faith No More doesn't strike me as a metal band or even that heavy. Sure they rock and have an explosive edge to their dynamics which gave the show plenty of momentum. They were quick to switch gears on this jerking you back into the soulful " Evidence" where Patton's voice showed little signs of his age and proved him to be  one of the best vocalists to come out of the 90s scene. Sure  " The Real Thing" came out in the 80s, but the bulk of his career was realized in the rise of the alt rock movement. Speaking of the 80s "Epic" was next. He really nailed  the nasal tenor hook in the chorus. The first moment that was less than perfect for me was when they dipped into their new album and played"Sunny Side Up" one of the new albums less ballsy and not quite as focused songs. They bounced back from this with one of the shows better moments "Midlife Crisis" and "Everythings Ruined" from "Angel Dust" at one point Mike Patton asked the audience what they like to do since they seem to be able to do every thing in the Georgia heat, he reported back from the crowd response that some one said twerk, which lead to a him trying to twerk and  mention his enthusiasm for twerking.  In "Midlife Crisis" they broke the song  down into a more disco version. Then from "Album of the Year" came the well executed  "Last Cup of Sorrow" . The slow jams vibe was followed by their cover of "Easy" the first of two covers, the second being the cover of Burt Bacaharach's "This Guy's In Love With You", another b-side that is a live staple for them.  After "Separation Anxiety" off the new album came  came the "King For  Day Fool For a Lifetime" songs, "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies" and "King For A Day".
Much like "Mother Fucker" , the song "Superhero" went over better live making it seem like it belonged along side Faith No More's other work. They closed with "Just a Man" which was dynamic enough of an ending, I would have preferred one more off " the Real Thing" perhaps "Surprise Your Dead", but that didn't happen. After beginning this Top 100 albums of the 90s I became  rather sentimental and Faith No More was at one point in time one of  my favorite bands, so it was good to have some of my faith restored in them after the disappointment their last album caused.

Live Review : Voivod @ the Masquerade

This was a show I had been waiting for since was announced. I think I was looking forward to seeing Voivod as much I was looking forward to King Diamond. So they are without a doubt one of my all time favorite bands. But regular readers know that means the bar is also raised really high for them. We got there right as the band was taking the stage. They opened up with "Warriors of Ice" off "War and Pain". Snake had a big smile on his face and seemed to be having fun right when he stepped on stage in a leather vest and Doom shirt. They followed this with one of my all time favorite songs, not just of their catalogue, but of all time... "Tribal Convictions". This is where sound crunched in and tightened it's guts. At first glance I thought Blacky was on stage and he was just low in the mix, since his bass tone has a growl to it that is just another defining characteristic of the Voi Vod sound, after all Away did not look like he had aged until I saw him up close when I shook his hand after the show, thirteen year old me would have been freaking out at this point.Later on Snake introduced the new bassist as Rocky and asked the crowd if he was greasy enough for them.

 One thing that is pretty impressive and speaks to the bands integrity is the fact the didn't just shove a bunch of new songs in your face, not that I mind the new stuff, but almost everything was off the first five albums. This is funny to me because when I listen to 'Target Earth" I sometimes think this is the album that should have come after "Nothing Face". Not taking any thing away from "Angel Rat" or "Outer Limits" as I love those albums too, that just the vibe I get from it. From "Killing Technology" they ripped into the beautifully dissonant thrashing space punk of "Forgotten In Space". This is the first song that grabbed my fiance who was at the bar for the first song and originally came to see Napalm Death. By the time Napalm Death was on and her mind had been blown by Voivod, she was having a hard time taking grind-core seriously after being bathed in what the Canadian metal legends do.

Of course as Voivod's career progressed they became more progressive with each album, so it only made sense for them to play something from "Nothing Face" next. So the even more winding road of "Inner Combustion" unfolded. Snake's voice was spot on all night. He contorted his face in a series of cartoon like grimaces through out. Away proved he is one of metals best drummers, his feet are insane. Chewy also did a good job with the old stuff, he also proved he can shred when he wants to thanks to his solo in the one and "Astronomy Domine" . Rocky doesn't have the same cutting tone that Blacky had for this era of their work, where the bass has more snarl than the guitar. Chewy does have a more traditional metal tone than Piggy as well, but he knows how to hit the dissonant chords to get their signature sound. The one new song is actually their new single "We are All Connected" which is being released as a split single with At the Gates. It's a good song that blends both sides the old and the new, maybe even more fluidly than "Target Earth" which was pretty spot on to begin with.


 They wrapped the show up with their punk fueled theme song "Voivod" and their last song which Snake dedicated to Piggy "Astronomy Domine"...the Pink Floyd cover off of "Nothing Face' which taught metal heads the world over about Syd Barrett era Floyd.I ran into the every one but Snake during Napalm Death's set. Napalm Death like Voivod , had not lost anything over the years. Barney Greenway, looks younger now than he did in their hey day. He was wildly energetic circling the stage like a windmill in a tornado. Their drummer takes a different approach than Away, but is pretty monstrous in his own right. I didn't realize Ringworm played this show until I passed their merch table, if situations were different that day I wouldn't have minded catching those guys. At is was I am glad I got there in the mick of time so I did not miss a second of Voivod's set. This is the show for 2015 others bands are going to be measured by.