Tag Archives: Concert Review

Concert Review: Slipknot, Volbeat, Gojira, & Behemoth In Mountain View, CA

Posted by caemanamelio on

Last night (July 26), I attended the opening night of Slipknot’s “Knotfest Roadshow” at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA and it was one hell of a concert.

Behemoth kicked off the night with a dose of blackened death metal. The group took the stage with skull masks and blasted into “Wolves ov Siberia” much to the excitement of those who showed up early to catch their set. From there, the band removed the masks to reveal their corpse paint, before powering through tracks like “Daimonos” and “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer.” The group’s sound was completely on point and they definitely proved that they are a top notch live act. Some highlights from their set included the aforementioned “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer,” “Bartzabel,” which frontman Nergal donned a Pope hat for, and “Chant For Eschaton 2000.”

After Behemoth, it was time for Gojira. The band’s brand of groove oriented death/progressive metal captured the audience from the get-go. The group opened with “Oroborus” before rocking tracks like “Backbone” and “Stranded.” They were definitely one of the strongest acts of the night with unmatched musicianship and technicality. If you have yet to see Gojira live, you are definitely doing yourself a disservice. Some highlights from their set included the aforementioned “Oroborus,” “Flying Whales,” and “Silvera.”

Once Gojira finished, it was time for the hard rock stylings of Volbeat. The band were firing on all cylinders and gave the crowd something they could dance to after the heavier nature of the previous acts. As frontman Michael Poulsen said: “Did Behemoth steal your soul? Did Gojira rip your face off? Well, we’re here to make you beautiful again.” The group kicked things of with “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” and after that it was nothing but killer tracks and impeccable guitar work from Rob Caggiano (ex-Anthrax) and Poulsen. Some highlights from their set included “Sad Man’s Tongue,” which was complete with a partial performance of Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire,” “Slaytan,” “Doc Holliday,” “Seal the Deal,” and “Still Counting.”

After Volbeat, it was time for the headliners of the evening, nu-metal legends Slipknot. A giant banner with the band’s logo was on display as AC/DC’s “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)” rocked the amphitheatre. “(515)” then started to play through the speakers as everyone screamed. After the track, the banner fell as the group launched into “People = Shit” followed by “(sic).”

The band sounded absolutely perfect. Between Corey Taylor’s insanely powerful vocals, Mick Thomson and Jim Root’s masterful guitar work, Alessandro Venturella’s grooving bass lines, and Jay Weinberg’s incredible drumming, everything was solid on all fronts. Percussionist M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan, the new percussionist, who fans have been calling “Tortilla Man,” and DJ Sid Wilson were also extremely entertaining with their stage antics. Furthermore, Wilson and sampler Craig Jones seemed to be more audible in the mix, which was cool to see. On top of the phenomenal showmanship, the band also had awesome stage production that only added to the experience.

The setlist was amazing too. Fans got all the hits like “Before I Forget,” “Psychosocial,” “Duality,” and “Vermilion,” mixed with a couple of new songs including “Unsainted” off their new album “We Are Not Your Kind” (out August 9) and their 2018 single “All Out Life.” They even pulled out a deeper cut with a performance of “Prosthetics.” It’s too hard to even choose a highlight, but “Spit It Out” is always amazing, especially since the band have everyone get down on the floor only to have them jump back up when Taylor gives the signal.

All in all, it was a stellar show and if you have a chance to catch this tour, it will definitely be worth your while.

Advertisements

Festival Recap: Vans Warped Tour 25th Anniversary Event In Mountain View, CA

Posted by caemanamelio on

On July 20-21, thousands of people descended upon Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA to say goodbye to the Vans Warped Tour at the final of three 25th anniversary events. It was a long weekend of music, skating, wrestling, and more.

People started moving into the event on Saturday morning and they were already excited for what lied ahead. For those that wanted to take in the whole festival, it was nice to get in as early as possible to navigate the festival grounds and check out the various merch booths, vendors, etc. before their favorite artists took the stage. This date featured performances from the likes of The Offspring, Bad Religion, August Burns Red, Wage War, Goldfinger, Simple Plan, Save Ferris, Anti-Flag, OFF!, Meg & Dia, Silent Planet, and tons more. These groups managed to bring in an unmatched energy that captured the spirit of the festival’s 25 year run. Every act was memorable for different reasons, whether it be The Offspring’s impeccable showmanship and comedic stage banter, Bad Religion’s killer musicianship, Anti-Flag’s inspiring words, or Wage War’s intense onslaught.

As day two arrived, there was no shortage of massive amounts of talent and positive vibes. This day included artists such as NOFX, who played an abbreviated set after some travel issues, Jawbreaker, The Used, Sum 41, The All-American Rejects, Atreyu, Andy Black (Black Veil Brides), Juliet Simms, Dance Gavin Dance, Thrice, Circa Survive, and more. Every artist had a different flair to them, helping to enhance the festival experience even more. This included the awesome dual vocal stylings of Dance Gavin Dance and Atreyu, amazingly powerful vocals from Simms, the entertaining and comedic nature of The All-American Rejects, the extremely energetic Sum 41, and the fun dancey vibe of Black.

Despite all these great things, the real highlight came at the end. NOFX’s flight got cancelled and they ultimately needed to get flown in on a private jet, before getting a police escort to the venue. However, they weren’t going to make it until 9:50, so organizer Kevin Lyman recruited a number of musicians to cover songs from the band until then. Members of Goldfinger, Sum 41, Thrice, Atreyu, The Used, The All-American Rejects, The Starting Line, etc. participated in the cool performance, which Lyman described as a drunken jam session, reminiscent of past Warped barbecues. They even had a fan, identified as Twitch, sing a song before Fat Mike ran out, much to the crowd’s delight.

Once NOFX took the stage, they powered through 11 tracks, before being told to stop, but it was awesome nonetheless. The band were hilarious, energetic, and they managed to give Warped Tour a proper send-off, regardless of the circumstances.

All in all, the whole weekend was a blast. There may have been a few hiccups at the very end, but it actually worked out by making everything even more memorable. The iconic “punk rock summer camp” has been bringing people together for 25 years and it ended the way it should have, with a community joined together by the power of music.

Concert Review: Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, After The Burial, & Vein In San Francisco, CA

Posted by caemanamelio on

Last night (April 18), I caught Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, After The Burial, and Vein on the first date of the “Collapse The World Tour” and it was an awesome show.

Vein kicked off the night with a heavy and chaotic set that left members of the audience mesmerized. The band goes hard with piercing screams, high jumps, and full on hardcore insanity. A highlight from their set was “Virus://Vibrance.”

Once Vein finished up, it was time for After The Burial to take the stage. The progressive metallers powered through a ferocious set with impeccable musicianship and killer vocals. The crowd was going crazy as the group prepared them for the impending co-headliners. Highlights from their set included “Behold The Crown” off their new album “Evergreen,” which was released today (April 19), and “A Wolf Amongst Ravens.”

Soon it was time for Parkway Drive to storm the stage. The Australian metalcore giants were perhaps the strongest act of the night. Their set consisted of mostly newer material from their 2018 album “Reverence” and their 2015 album “Ire” with several older songs thrown in for good measure. The band’s catchy riffing and thunderous drums had everyone moving as frontman Winston McCall led the charge with an unmatched intensity. Highlights from their set included: “Vice Grip,” “Wild Eyes,” “Crushed,” “Bottom Feeder,” and the haunting “Cemetery Bloom.”

After Parkway Drive, it was time for the metalcore titans in Killswitch Engage to close out the evening. The band played a pretty balanced set with songs spanning their 20 year career and the crowd loved every second of it. Between guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz hilarious onstage antics and Jesse Leach’s powerful vocals, it was entertaining the whole way through. Highlights from their set included: “My Curse,” “My Last Serenade,” “Hate By Design,” “Always,” which was dedicated to a fan named Chopper who is sadly battling terminal brain cancer, and “Strength Of The Mind.”

All in all, it was an amazing show and if you have a chance to make it to one of the dates on this tour it will definitely be worth your while.

View this post on Instagram

#AfterTheBurial killed it! 🤘 @aftertheburial

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

View this post on Instagram

#Vein were insane right now! 🤘 @vein.tv

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

Concert Review: The Amity Affliction, Senses Fail, Silent Planet, & Belmont In Santa Cruz, CA

Posted by caemanamelio on

On February 8, I attended The Amity Affliction, Senses Fail, Silent Planet, and Belmont concert at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA and it was a great show.

The event began with a fun performance from pop punk act Belmont. The band were energetic and had great songs that really helped warm everyone up early on in the evening. A highlight from their set was “Pushing Daisies.”

View this post on Instagram

#Belmont rocked! @belmontmusic

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

Silent Planet took the stage next with their unique brand of metalcore. The group take heavy music and mix it with poetic and atmospheric elements, while maintaining a clear and powerful message. It’s definitely an interesting experience to see them live, especially if you don’t know what to expect beforehand. Some highlights from their set included “Native Blood,” “Panic Room,” and “Depths II.”

View this post on Instagram

#SilentPlanet killed it! @silentplanetband

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

After Silent Planet, it was time for the first of the two co-headliners, Senses Fail. The post-hardcore act blasted onstage with “Can’t Be Saved” and just kept rocking from there. Buddy Nielsen may have been the most energetic frontman of the night with crazy dance moves, mic tricks, cartwheels, and more. He was definitely entertaining and the crowd couldn’t get enough. Some highlights from their set included “Lady In A Blue Dress,” “Buried A Lie,” “Elevator To The Gallows,” and their covers medley, which featured System Of A Down’s “Chop Suey.” Drowning Pool’s “Bodies,” Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff,” and Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls On Parade.”

View this post on Instagram

#SensesFail were so good! @sensesfailofficial

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

Senses Fail finished up and then it was time for the second of the two co-headliners, Australian metalcore act The Amity Affliction. The band stormed the stage with “Drag The Lake” off their latest album “Misery” as the audience screamed with excitement. From there, the group played a balanced set of new and old tracks with each song being executed flawlessly. Ahren Stringer and Joel Birch’s vocals were especially on point. If you have yet to see The Amity Affliction live, it would be worth your while to catch them on their next tour. Highlights from their set included “This Could Be Heartbreak,” “D.I.E.,” “Don’t Lean On Me,” and their encore “All Fucked Up.”

Concert Review: Machine Head Play Final Show With Phil Demmel & Dave McClain In Santa Cruz, CA

Posted by caemanamelio on

On November 24, I attended Machine Head’s concert at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA and it was an awesome show that saw guitarist Phil Demmel and drummer Dave McClain take the stage with the band one last time.

The group kicked off the three hour set with “Imperium” and the crowd lost their minds. The energy in the room was infectious right from the beginning and it was sustained throughout the night as the band continued to power through tracks like “Volatile,” “Now We Die,” and “Beautiful Mourning.” The group were solid on all fronts and were definitely trying to put on an amazing performance in light of Demmel and McClain’s impending exit. Frontman Robb Flynn was even trying to get the entire audience involved with fist pumping, clapping, moshing, and more.

After about seven songs in, Demmel was given a chance to show off his skills with an insane guitar solo. It was kind of a bittersweet moment, considering he will no longer be performing with Machine Head, but the crowd loved every second of it. As he finished, people started to chant “thank you Phil” for his years of work with the group. From there, they launched into “Darkness Within” followed by the title track to their latest album “Catharsis.”

The band then played six more tracks, including: “Is There Anybody Out There?,” a cover of Iron Maiden’s “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Locust,” etc., before it was time for McClain to say goodbye with an epic drum solo. It was another bittersweet moment since McClain’s thunderous beats will no longer be present in the band’s live shows, but everyone was awestruck nonetheless. The solo paved the way for three more killer songs, “Bulldozer,” “Killers & Kings,” and the crowd favorite “Davidian.”

After that, the show began to reach its end, but the energy never faded. In fact, it actually grew as the group rocked a covers medley featuring tracks from Metallica, Bon Jovi, Queen, Guns N’ Roses, and Alice In Chains. As if that wasn’t enough, they followed it with “Aesthetics Of Hate,” “Game Over,” and “Old” as the main set came to a close. The audience then screamed “Machine Fucking Head” repeatedly until they returned for their encore song “Halo.”

At the conclusion of the track, Flynn thanked everyone for coming out, and said it was kind of a weird moment since it was Demmel and McClain’s last show, but the two did have an incredible sendoff as the crowed yelled “thank you Phil and Dave.” Demmel seemed to be a little emotional and gave a Flynn a long hug, before all the members ended up hugging each other. Demmel and McClain then took center stage for one last bow as everyone screamed. With that, the latest chapter of the band was officially closed on a high note. However, there is still a bit of uncertainty regarding their future, so it will be interesting to see where Flynn takes things next.

Concert Review: Ghost In San Jose, CA

Posted by caemanamelio on

On November 15, I attended Ghost’s show at the City National Civic in San Jose, CA and it was an awesome concert.

The night kicked off with the “Prequelle” intro track “Ashes” before the curtains were removed to reveal seven Nameless Ghouls. The group launched right into “Rats” and as the song approached the first verse, Cardinal Copia took the stage while the crowd screamed with excitement.

The screams continued throughout the first act as the band shredded through tracks like “Ritual,” “Devil Church,” and their Grammy award winning song “Cirice.” Each one sounded flawless thanks to the current Ghouls who are all impeccable musicians.

The Cardinal’s vocals were on point as well. He also wasn’t afraid to cut loose and dance, which helped create an infectious energy that transferred to the audience. On top of that, the frontman even underwent frequent costume changes to add to the spectacle.

As the show rolled on, there was several more surprises. Among them were Papa Nihil’s groovy saxophone solo on “Miasma” and the band’s acoustic rendition of “Jigolo Har Megiddo.”

After a few more songs, the first act officially came to an end with “Life Eternal.” That was then followed by a 15 minute break, which helped pave the way for the “second coming.”

Act II began with a trio of “Meliora” tracks (“Spirit,” “From The Pinnacle To The Pit,” and “Majesty”) before they broke out another classic “Satan Prayer.” That was followed by “Faith”, which then gave way to “Year Zero” and the church hymn “He Is,” the latter of which was a highlight of the night.

After “He Is”, Copia said they were going to play a song so heavy that it would “wobble asses” and “tickle taints.” That track was of course “Mummy Dust.” It was definitely a good way to keep the crowd pumped up towards the end of the set and the high was sustained with their cover of Roky Erickson’s “If You Have Ghosts.” That performance was completed with band introductions, which were pretty funny considering everyone was just called either Ghoul or Ghoulette.

The band closed their main set with two of their most catchy songs, “Dance Macabre” and “Square Hammer.” They then took a bow and exited the stage.

However, the audience was clamoring for more, so the Cardinal decided to return to give them a proper send-off. At first, he suggested a parking lot orgy, but he ultimately agreed that wasn’t a good idea, so he decided to play one more song, “Monstrance Clock.”

All in all, it was an amazing show, and if you have yet to see Ghost live, it would be worth your while to do so.

Concert Review: Slayer, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Testament, & Napalm Death In San Jose, CA

Posted by caemanamelio on

On August 26, I attended the final date of the second leg of Slayer’s farewell tour at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA and it was an insane show.

Grindcore legends Napalm Death kicked off the night with a sick set. The group played about 12 tracks, a third of which were off their album “Scum,” including their one second hit “You Suffer.” The highlight of the group’s set was their cover of Dead Kennedys’ “Nazi Punks Fuck Off,” which was preceded by a cool speech from frontman Barney Greenway who called for “equality for all human beings without exception.”

After Napalm Death, it was time for the Bay Area’s own Testament. The band burst onto the stage with the title track to their latest album “Brotherhood Of The Snake” before transitioning into “Rise Up” off “Dark Roots Of Earth.” After that, they pretty much stuck to the classics, much to the crowd’s approval. Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson’s guitar work was amazing as always and Chuck Billy’s voice sounded more powerful than ever. The highlights from their set included: “”Into The Pit,” “Over The Wall,” and “Practice What You Preach.”

After a short intermission, Iron Maiden’s “The Number Of The Beast” could be heard blasting throughout the arena and as soon as the music faded, Anthrax took the stage and started rocking the intro to Pantera’s “Cowboys From Hell,” before launching into “Caught In A Mosh.” The band were one of the most energetic acts of the night and they had the crowd going crazy. Joey Belladonna’s vocals were on point the whole set and the musicianship between Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Frank Bello, and Jonathan Donais was impeccable. Their performance mainly consisted of their hits with “Evil Twin” off their latest album “For All Kings” mixed in. Highlights from their set included: “Madhouse,” their hit cover of “Antisocial,” and their closer “Indians,” which was completed by the “Cowboys From Hell” outro.

After Anthrax, it was time for Lamb Of God to tear things up. The group’s set began with “Omerta” before they broke into “Ruin.” Frontman Randy Blythe put on a great performance with high jumps and harsh vocals. It’s also worth noting that guest drummer Art Cruz (Winds Of Plague, Prong) did a tremendous job filling in for Chris Adler, who was unable to make the tour. As usual, John Campbell, Willie Adler, and Mark Morton, were on top of their game as well. Highlights from the band’s set included: “512,” “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For,” “Laid To Rest” and the closing track “Redneck.”

After Lamb Of God, it was time for the headliners of the evening, the almighty Slayer. The band’s set began with crosses projected on the curtain, and they soon turned upside down before turning to pentagrams and eventually to Slayer’s logo. Then the band just exploded onto the stage with a shredding performance of the title track to their latest album “Repentless.” It was a bittersweet moment, because as awesome as it was, everyone knew this may be the last time they will get to see the group, since they are out on their final world tour. However, the good thing was the fact that things were just beginning at that moment. After the band finished the track, they started ripping their way through classics such as “Blood Red,” “Disciple,” and “Mandatory Suicide.” Kerry King cranked out riffs like a machine, as Gary Holt (Exodus) complemented him with intense solos. That guitar work combined with Tom Araya’s banshee like screams and Paul Bostaph’s thunderous drum work created a solid unit that would be hard to outmatch. The stage production was incredible as well, especially all the fire. The band really wanted to put on a show and they definitely succeeded. It’s hard to choose a highlight, but watching them play the last three songs,”Raining Blood,” “Chemical Warfare,” and “Angel Of Death,” was so epic it’s hard to put into words. When all was said and done, Araya returned to the stage to thank everyone for the years of support, and with that it was time to say goodbye to the legendary band. Their final tour will extend throughout 2019, so if you have a chance to catch them, it will be worth your while.

View this post on Instagram

#SLAYER!!!! @slayerbandofficial

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

View this post on Instagram

One more of #LambOfGod! 🤘 @lambofgod

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

View this post on Instagram

Another one of #Anthrax! 🤘 @anthrax

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

View this post on Instagram

#Anthrax were awesome!!! 🤘@anthrax

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

View this post on Instagram

One more of #Testament! 🤘 @testamentofficial

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on

View this post on Instagram

#NapalmDeath were sick! @theofficialnapalmdeath

A post shared by Caeman Amelio (@caeman13) on