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The Paradise
Boston, MA
August 9, 2008
A Melvins show is usually a sacred event for me for many reasons, one being they're probably one of the heaviest bands you will see that aren't completely metal, and two, they are ALWAYS tight as fuck!
 Porn opened the show, and at first I thought they were going to be some cheesy metal band from the Boston area but it turned out to be a one-man project that consisted of a guitar and TONS of gear to make a nice gritty noisy set of drone-inspired mayhem. About half-way through the set, Dale Crover (Melvins drummer, for those not in the know) came out and started bashing away a rhythm to this monstrous wall of sound Porn was making. It only fueled the intensity of the set and added a sweet backdrop. Don't try googling the band to find out more info, it will only lead to trouble!
Big Business were up next, and as anyone following the Melvins will know, they (bassist and singer Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis) have been a serious part of the Melvins line-up for their last two albums. With lead guitarist Toshi Kasai, a man with a sound that can only be described as Kim Thayll meets Josh Homme, they had a full sound to their set. And speaking of their sound, it can only be described as a more middle-of-the-road Melvins sound with some straight-ahead rock songs that have a heavy load behind them! They played a nice solid 45 minute set that had me more interested in them than I was before the show.
Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover of the Melvins have been the core of the band since the 80's and it shows in their live shows! They have a rapport that is only rivaled by a few heavy bands on the touring circuit (Black Cobra is one that comes to mind!). With the addition of Jared and Coady (of Big Business) in the line-up they only add another element that further exploits the Melvins sound. Playing a good smattering from five or six Melvins albums, which included Stoner Witch, Stag, Houdini, and their newest, Nude With Boots they played with the same fury and passion that they did back when I first saw them in 1994 opening for L7 at Lupo's in Providence, RI.
The dual drum attack of Big Business' Coady joining Dale gave the show a serious boost as they were both playing mostly the same thing but with slight variations here and there. If there is another drummer that could compliment Dale any better live I would like to see it! Jared took all bass and some vocal duties and proved he has staying power as a part of the Melvins. Buzz's playing was passionate and mind-blowing as usual as he is a master of the sludge style of guitar playing. Solos with notes bent unlike any other can bend, the hair, of course was there, as was a nice black momo-type outfit he was wearing that only added to his stage demeanor. It had been way too long since i saw them last and now I remember why I love them so much live. If you've never seen them live I highly recommend it as they're one of the best live bands out there!
A -Matt Smith
The Middle East
Cambridge, MA
August 14, 2008
 Cambridge's own The Proselyte were the first band we caught this night and they played a set filled with slow, intelligent, artsy, psychedelic, heavy as fuck doom. Drummer/vocalist Alec Rodriguez was singing while playing some really interesting drum parts and talented guitarists Nicholas G. Wolf and Mitch Belch handled some of the vocal duties as well. Bassist Brad Macomber laid down some killer bass lines and added some noise to their experimental sound. These guys are probably one the most interesting bands I've seen to come out of Boston in the last year or so and I would highly recommend checking them out live or picking up one of their discs.
Up next were GASP favorites Black Cobra and, as usual, drummer Rafa and guitarist/vocalist Jason kicked our asses again with their brand of stoner metal that Adam Korman once described as evil Kyuss! Playing mostly tunes off their latest release, Feather and Stone this mighty duo almost upstaged headliners Weedeater, but they instead equaled them in intensity. I could wax poetic about them a million times and never get sick of it, so PLEASE, PLEASE do yourself a favor and check these guys out next time they come around, you WON'T be disappointed!
Kicking off their set with the title track off God Luck and Good Speed, Weedeater proceeded to rock the shit out of the tiny upstairs room at the Middle East! Lead vocalist/bassist Dixie screamed his heart out and even though he had some technical difficulties with his bass was able to make up for any inadequacies this caused. Guitarist Shep and drummer Keko laid a nice solid backup to the whole sound that shook the walls as well as our balls! "Gimme Back My Bullets" was a highlight in their set that had the crowd chanting the lyrics along with Dixie. Playing mostly songs off the aforementioned album and "16 Tons" they left me wanting more, so I will definitely be checking them out again when they come back through town! All in al it was a killer bill in a small room that may not happen again due to their growing popularity!
A- -Matt Smith
The Palladium
Worcester, MA
August 15, 2008
Taking a night off from the METAL MASTERS TOUR with Judas Priest, Heaven & Hell, and Testament, Motörhead were the headliners of this festival-type line-up of up and coming metal bands (most of whom I had never heard of) at The Palladium on this hot night in August. The Three Assclowns were out in full effect in various locations in Worcester before we finally made it to the Palladium, and we made it just in time because Motörhead were the next band up when we finally stumbled, I mean strolled into the venue. The fairly full venue were treated to a classic Motörhead set that kicked off with Lemmy stating his usual intro, "We're Motörhead and we play rock n roll" and launched into the "Dr. Rock". Sounding and looking as dapper as ever (with his dyed black long hair), Lemmy pummeled the crowd with his trademark Richenbacher bass and sand paper vocal style. "Bomber", "Overkill", "Killed By Death", "Iron Fist" and the classic "Ace of Spades" all were pulled out for this tight set of rock n roll Lemmy, guitarist Phil Campbell, and drummer Mikkey Dee treated us to this evening.
They even pulled out the lost Motörhead classic "Metropolis" to much of us old-school fans' surprise. Absent were any new tunes from the then yet to be released album Motörizer, but the crowd hardly noticed as most of them probably weren't even aware how soon after this show that disc would be landing. Even though the set was almost identical to their live "Better Motörhead Than Dead" double live album they released recently, it is always a treat to see these legends in the flesh. LONG LIVE Lemmy and Motörhead!!!
A- -Matt Smith
w/Suffocation, Necrophagist, Dying Fetus, 1349, Rotten Sound, etc.
The Palladium
Worcester, MA
September 5, 2008
 We checked into the Palladium shortly after the show started to get set times and to say hi to some people we know there. Discovering that Aborted didn't make it, and Rotten Sound didn't hit the stage until almost 7, we decided to skip the first couple of bands and head down the road for some beers and food. We returned just in time to catch Rotten Sound play their 30 minute set of blazing grindcore. I've like these guys for a while, but never seen them live. They put on a good show, although the sound was muddled a bit and the crowd wasn't really into them too much.
Norway's 1349 were next on the stage. Now, last time we saw them was opening for Celtic Frost in New York a couple years back. We weren't impressed with them then, but today they were in fine form and put on a good set. They got about a half hour to play, and made the most of it, with their blast beat laden black metal blaspheming the crowd with pure insanity - the crowd seemed to really be into these guys tonight, too. Next was Dying Fetus, and while they were good, the crowd got a little quieter when they hit the stage.
Necrophagist brought their insane technical death metal attack to the stage next. Unstoppable is the best way I could describe the attack they delivered on this night. They were spot on, and the crowd was totally into them for the entire set. The sound was improving at this point, too, which is always a good thing. They played "Stabwound", "Diminished to Be", "The Stillborn One", and ended the set with "Fermented Offal Discharge". Absolutely brilliant set by these guys tonight.
Next up, longtime GASP favorites Suffocation delivered their brutal as hell death metal to the stage. Opening with the kickass "Liege of Inveracity", and playing other favorites like "Pierced From Within", "Abomination Reborn" and a new song "Mental Hemmorage", Suffocation put on one of the best metal shows I have seen in a long time. I had last seen them a LONG time ago, so I was really looking forward to their set, and they freakin' killed all on this night.
Carca$$ ended the night, playing with an hour or so of uninspired, and truly boring music. It seemed the band was simply going through the motions on stage, not looking like they were enjoying themselves, and having minimal interaction with the crowd. This showed, as the crowd was very still during most of the set, and a good number of people made their way out of the Palladium during Carcass' set. Frontman Jeff Walker, instead of trying to win the crowd over, instead decided to berate and take shots at the crowd, with such banter as "we flew 3000 miles to play for you, can't you at least headbang for us" - well maybe if you guys showed some emotion instead of just playing by the numbers crap with terrible sound, then the crowd would have gotten into it a bit more. Bill Steer looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but on stage most of the night...and Jeff Walker even said at one point "this one is dedicated to someone who is in a better place right now - Nottingham UK". Way to work the crowd douchebag. It's no wonder why most of the crowd was standing with arms folded for the entire set.
Their set was comprised mainly of Necroticism and Heartwork era material (no surprise, as that is mainly what they played even during their last tour 15 years ago), with only a few uninspired and feeble attempts at the first two albums. While they played "Reek Of Putrefaction" and my personal favorite "Exhume To Consume" (not to mention the lame ass teaser of another fave of mine "Ruptured In Purulence"), they came across as almost mocking themselves, as the songs sounded weak and wanky, adding Heartwork style lameness that brought the songs down to merely decent sounding. Overall, a brutally boring effort for these blokes, especially after the fierce destruction that Necrophagist and Suffocation had layed down before them.
A- (Everyone else)
D+ (Carcass) -Goz
w/Gamma Ray
The Palladium
Worcester, MA
September 20, 2008
It’s about damn time. The Palladium finally put on a concert showcasing classic power metal at its best. On Saturday, September 20th, the dual German power metal powerhouse of Helloween and Gamma Ray landed their dragons..err tour buses right here in Worcester. After a year of rampant speculation as to whether or not the two bands would indeed tour the United States together, melodic metal fans finally found their satisfaction, as they put on one hell of a show.
 Arriving to an admittedly sub-full house, Gamma Ray erupted onto the stage with the opener from the new album, Into the Storm. Kai Hansen was in top form, and his voice sounded better than ever. His capabilities as a frontman have come full circle. While busting out Gamma Ray classics like “Ne World Order” and “Rebellion in Dreamland,” he smiled from ear to ear. Kai and his boys simply sounded crisp and fresh. A metal newbie would never guess that some of the band members had been playing for over 20 years. Those newbies may have been left perplexed when Gamma Ray brought out a classic no one expected to hear, “Ride the Sky.” The Palladium erupted for the lost classic. They rounded out their set with more classics like “Fight” and an extended singalong of “Heavy Metal Universe” that went on for nearly thirty minutes. A little much, eh? I sure thought so. They returned for another extended song: “Somewhere Out in Space.” It didn’t take on the mammoth length of “Universe,” but it still went on a little bit too long. Thankfully, Gamma Ray came back with a stormy, empowering rendition of “Send Me a Sign.”
The audience at this show was one of its most interesting points. Between acts, fans of all ages could be seen fraternizing with one another. The high schooler who had just discovered metal stood alongside the aging headbanger who went back to the days of “Victim of Fate.” Each age group seemed to enjoy the show just as much as the other. Even so, there were a few people who went ballistic for the bands. The socializing sure made the break between bands seem much shorter!
 The legendary power metal progenitors Helloween took the stage as a tumult roared through the crowd. Before we could stop shouting, those ever-familiar notes began to play, and the band plowed into their explosive epic “Halloween.” Most of their set consisted of songs from the two Keeper albums. It was clear that after years of sub-par vocal performances that Andi Deris can finally tackle the melodies of Michael Kiske. Songs like “March of Time” and the ballad “A Tale That Wasn’t Right” came off quite powerfully, with the entire crowd singing along. In between songs, Deris got on the mic and decided to give us a lesson in German profanity, or as he called it “very swearing words.” He taught the German translations of many words that I should not print here. Later in the set, Helloween played some of their newer music like “Mr. Torture” and “If I Could Fly.” Towards the end, Deris looked straight into the crowd and told us that it was time to call the doctor! Of course, that meant “Dr. Stein” was up next. They continued with a medley including “Keeper of the Seven Keys,” “Power,” “Perfect Gentlemen,” and many more. It went on a bit long, especially the “Perfect Gentlemen” part. After throwing more guitar picks than I’ve ever seen into the crowd, the band left. Before long, Gamma Ray came onstage (sans their drummer) to join Helloween. Kai Hansen took the mic to play some songs that he made famous years ago. “Future World” and then the instantly recognizable “I Want Out.”
Some shows have strong points and weak points, and leave you unsatisfied. Other shows just rise and rise until they culminate in an explosion of great music. This was one of the latter.
A- -Adam
Boston Common
Boston, MA
September 20, 2008
 The largest hempfest on the east coast, the 19th Annual Boston Freedom Rally took place September 20, 2008 on the Boston Common. From high noon until 6pm, bands, speakers and citizens united to support the decriminalization of marijuana in Massachusetts. The festival was sponsored by MassCann/NORML, High Times and WBCN 104.1FM. From these organizations and others, many responsible adults passionately conveyed their thoughts and opinions including founder of NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) Keith Stroup, Bobby Black and Rick Cusick (High Times), candidate for U.S. Congress John Cunningham, and Masscann leader Keith Saunders, Ph.D. to name a few.
Many of the speakers were there to remind us to vote "yes" on question #2 this election. Voting "yes" on #2 would reduce the penalties for possession of less than one ounce of weed to a misdemeanor and a maximum fine of $100.00 instead of... say... jail. They reminded us to vote for Obama because he's showed some support in the effort of decriminalization. Plus they also had alot of good points to share such as the people who use marijuana happen to be your doctors and lawyers and teachers and not just students, average Joe's and the unemployed. And many of the people that smoke pot happen to be responsible, hard-working people and vice versa. There was much mention about the money wasted sending people to jail over weed, the tax dollars that could be utilized if it was legalized, and the financial aid and education students are losing if they're caught.
I got to the Boston Common just after 12:30pm while DJ Slim and DJ Reel Drama were rappin on stage. At this time the lawn was littered with small clusters of patrons and not very crowded. Some were relaxing on blankets strewn about, others were standing around watching the stage, and many were walking to and fro. The next song was "Utilize Your High" just before special guest Edo G. joined DJ Slim on the stage. But before the duo began, DJ Slim said we weren't ready for Edo and rapped out another short verse, "I Wonder" while Edo waited patiently to help close out their set with "We Do Our Thing".
Next up was the Fear Nuttin Band doing acoustic because of their long trip (and maybe to accommodate any hippies in attendance). Known for their interesting mix of reggae, metal (when they're plugged in), and dance music, I wasn't as impressed as I should have been on account of the mellow acoustic set. It came off a little bit folksy when I was, by then, yearning for something to rock. The music on their myspace page was much more fitting to my personal taste.
White Mic was the next rap artist. I will say that the rap acts got progressively better as the day unfurled. With DJ Slim, the beats sounded too advanced for the rappin (sorry Slim, I like vocals to have a flow or some fierceness and style). When White Mic was on stage, the lyrics were more hardcore, they fit the good beats well, and they actually sounded like they were more 'sung' than spoken. They had alot more energy than anything I'd seen on the stage so far. Later in the day the last rap act, Gutterheads, took the stage just after The AndWutz. They were an animated bunch of fellas all in white shirts and blue jeans. They were more hip hop and earned my respect for spinning some metal riffs into the mix. They had a little mosh starting during their second song but it faded as the set went on. I must say it was an alien kind of moshing. More like skipping around as it fizzled out.
Herbal Nation took the stage at 1:30pm. They were the first band that I got to see with a drummer. Their guitars were plugged in and they also had a small horn section (sax and trumpet). They started out a little rock and funk. The next couple songs,"FAT" got a bit jammy and "Hi Hat" went a little too jazzy for me so I left the stage area to check out the goods.
There were the usual carnival foods; sausages, dogs, burritos, Italian ice, etc. etc. Many tents were set up for selling clothing, jewelry, posters, hemp articles, incense and sundries. There was some terrific artwork. Tents for the major and minor sponsors MassCann/NORML, High Times, Salvia Zone. Tons of information about politicians, libertarians, and several organizations in support of decriminalization and legalization of marijuana. And, of course, kids were asking merchants where they could find bowls only to be told "There aren't any, it's illegal to sell pipes in Massachusetts". Too bad those kids didn't look around more first because they would have found them being sold 'incognito'.
I didn't miss much of the show except the end of the Herbal Nation set, some more speakers, and the Thunder Brothers. I heard all about the Thunder Brothers because people were making fun of them. They played other bands music (like Nine Inch Nails and Rob Zombie) and some techno stuff with a couple girls on stage with hula-hoops. I finished exploring the wares and ambled back toward the stage via the left side of the common. There were a few more regular merch stands as well as most of the band's tents/tables.
 The most interesting stop was Graveyard BBQ's custom painted RV with it's flaming moustache over the grill. Their clan, called 'The BBQ Nation' were toting around two gigantic (over 3 feet long), fake joints. These oversized doobies later were passed and tossed around the audience several times replacing the proverbial beach ball. Above the awning was a huge pot leaf made of the same material as the 3 ft joints. Under their awning was their CD's and tee-shirts for sale and next to that was Stake Airbrushing all set up to do body painting for free with a BBQ purchase or for hire. He even had some sweet new designs on display for the happy occasion. Oh and there was a real short guy running around in a hot dog costume, too.
At 3pm the AndWutz took the stage opening with Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right". The AndWutz is an all girl rock band that sounds like heavily punk-influenced, glam metal but without the big hair and bright clothing. They played about 4 or 5 catchy originals then ended the set with Lita Ford's "Kiss Me Deadly." The next act was Gutterheads [mentioned earlier] before speakers Allen St. Pierre (NORML), Steve Epstein (MassCann/NORML), and Rick Cusick (High Times) came out to lead us into happy hour. As they began the countdown to 4:20pm, the crowd was packed. From the stage halfway to the tents. There were no more blankets where it was packed and it was standing room only unless you were off to the sides were stage visibility was little to none.
Just after the countdown, it was finally time for some hard rockin. I had been waiting long enough for some metal. As Prospect Hill started their set, a thick white cloud was rising out of the audience like an outdoor fishbowl. So thick you would think you were indoors in a smoky room. They did play the one song of theirs I like best "S.O.E." along with "Panacea", "Into The Light" and ended the set with "Breakdown". They get credit for solidifying the mosh pit for the rest of the day. Space opened up in the center for just such a purpose and stayed. By the second song, I did notice that their sound was only half metal and the other half emo/mainstream. I guess you're kinda stuck with that staple if you have a metal band and your singer has nice clean vocals. Pity.
Now somehow between 4:45 and 5:15, they managed to squeeze in a few more acts before the headliners got to put their drum set up on the stage. First, The Fear Nuttin Band came out again and did three more songs, then Dave Tree and Superpower came to do four to five quick hardcore/punk songs ending with "Who's Got The Drugs?"
Keith Saunders took the mic for some more motivational words and again got the crowd chanting "No Cuffs For Cannabis" while Graveyard BBQ set up to close out the festival. The 3 ft joints were in the crowd and the huge pot leaf was on stage along with their 'Raw Rippin' plywood crowd-surfboard. At around 5:20 Graveyard BBQ opened with their own stylish tribute to the occasion. A medley of timeless classics gone metal that consisted of "Purple Haze" (Hendrix), "Earache My Eye" (Cheech and Chong), "Rainy Day Woman" (Dylan), "Sweet Leaf" (Sabbath) and ended with their own "Creamskull Boogie". Next was "The Clothes That Make The Man", "Ride The Stache" with intros and guest Big Bill and then "By The Grace Of The Grill". Being the rebels that they are, after learning they had less time than they thought, they went out with a bang. They started with another tribute to the band Boston and going into their signature closing song "BBQ Nation". Then their crew, The BBQ Nation, rushed the gate and turned the stage into a party. The Raw Rippin board went into the crowd and Brownbag Johnson got up and stood on top of it for the guitar solo. Then the crowd caught him, he started the song back up and rode the wave back to the party on stage to finish the song. But not before jumping back on the audience for one more ride.
It was a good day and a good show with a great ending. There's just something hilarious about a little guy dressed in a wiener costume jumping around and headbanging on stage. Guess you had to be there. It was free, I don't know why you weren't.
B+ -Alesha
The Palladium
Worcester, MA
September 25, 2008
Who knew cellos rocked so hard? That was the question weaving through my mind after seeing Apocalyptica at the Palladium September 25th. A near full crowd flocked to the Palladium to see the cello metal masters, who unbeknownst to me had recently obtained a good deal  of mainstream success. That said, there was a multitude of emo kids moonlighting as metalheads throughout the night. Ugh. The crowd was pretty diverse; the true metalheads were there for the old school covers, hipster fans with a penchant for odd music were present too.
Of course, I’m not ignorant enough write off a show for having a non-metal audience present. I’m not childish. In all seriousness, right from the start of the show, Apocalyptica had tremendous presence. They paraded across the stage with cellos in hand, swinging them around, whilst headbanging just as much as any other metal band. It was quite a sight. Topping it off was one eerily stationary member on the left side who bore frightening resemblance to Ihsahn of Emperor fame. They kicked off the set list with a few original tunes before going into what I came for: the metal covers on cellos. Beginning with an abbreviated version of “Fight Fire with Fire,” they then went into their signature cover, “One.” This was also abbreviated! It was such a shame that they felt it necessary to cut short the songs that made them famous. That’s something that should never be done.
They show reached its undeniable nadir when they introduced their guest vocalist. He certainly didn’t fit the metal mold. Joining them on stage was the singer for pop/rock act Fuel. While the mainstream kids screamed with enthusiasm, the tried and true metal fans justifiably scoffed in disgust. I’m not at all familiar with the radio friendly tripe that they proceeded to play, but I sat there nauseated by the repugnant spectacle. Pre-pubescent kids headbanged all around me to what they thought was metal. Thankfully after two top 40 catastrophes, Mr. Fuel exited the stage. After playing some more original tracks, they went into a two minute version of “Seek and Destroy!” After that, came the encores, where they played Edvard Grieg’s “Hall of the Mountain King” and “Enter Sandman.” It wasn’t over though, the little rat from Fuel came out for one more pop travesty.
I’ve never been to a show so divergent in quality before. The early original songs were great, played with plenty of energy and theatrics. The metal covers were kitsch, but nearly ruined by the fact that each of them was significantly abbreviated. Then the new songs were played, which were so abysmal and poppy that they may have well been played by Nickelback.
C -Adam
Kataklysm, Dying Fetus, Eluveitie and Keep of Kalessin
The Palladium
Worcester, MA
October 1, 2008
The dark, cramped room that breathes underground; the rectangular space with a bar and a stage carved out of the sides; the walls where sound reverberates awkwardly, yet with exhilaration. Of course, I’m talking about the Palladium upstairs. On Wednesday, October 1st, the Palladium upstairs put on the type of show it’s famous for: a quartet of death metal tyrants. That night we were accompanied by the grinding riffs of Keep of Kalessin, Eluveitie, Dying Fetus, and Kataklysm.
Up first were the old school Norwegian black metallers Keep of Kalessin. Being a band that has gotten lots of talk lately, and one that I sadly missed at last years NEMF, I was excited to see what these guys could pull off. Sadly, their minimalistic riffing and constant blas t beats didn’t carry over to the Palladium’s minimal sound quality. Most of the instruments were indecipherable; you had to listen very carefully to make out individual guitar lines. I wasn’t alone either. No one in the crowd was getting into the band. The entire crowd just stood stationary, unable to get past the poor sound.
Up next was the Swiss sensation Eluveitie. These guys need to be seen to be understood. Up there on stage with a hurdy-gurdy and violin, it goes without saying that they certainly had a strong presence. Their sound was actually quite good, unlike the drowned noise of Keep of Kalessin. In short, Eluveitie was just fun to see live. Not too many people knew their music, but we all had fun jigging and moshing to it.
Just over halfway into the show, the seemingly unstoppable Dying Fetus took the stage. There is nothing special about Dying Fetus, but these guys continue to tour nonstop, even seventeen years into their career. That is sheer dedication. They might follow the same formula for pretty much every song, but you gotta hand it to these guys. They did suffer some sound quality issues during their set, however. Throughout most of the show, Sean Beasley’s vocals were pretty much the only audible sound, as  everything else swarmed into one wall of noise. Possibly garnering the largest pre-Kataklysm crowd response of the night, Dying Fetus closed with “Pissing in the Mainstream” for dozens of fans who had doubtlessly heard the song performed dozens of times prior.
After a delightfully short wait, everyone’s favorite death metal Quebecers Kataklysm began to play. They sounded really tight, not missing a note or straying off beat at any point. Despite their incessant blast beats, twisting riffs, and hammering bass lines, their sound came across crisply. Maurizio Iacono’s stage presence is demanding and stunning, as he gestured, screamed, and roared his way into the heads of the audience. He threw up the sign of the hammer towards the volatile mosh pit and the lone stage diver. While other bands that night put on a decent show, they just couldn’t compare to the powerhouse that was Kataklysm.
B -Adam
w/Watain, Withered, Book of Black Earth, and Cold Northern Vengeance
Middle East
Cambridge, MA
October 7, 2008
Having seen Watain on their last tour, it was a given that I would be seeing them again if they came back through town. Add on the fact that they were touring this time with the great Withered and Book of Black Eart, and it became even more of a no-brainer for me.
I missed the first coupld of local openers due to traffic and the unending need to quench my thirst at a bar down the street. I made sure to get there in time to see local black metal act Cold Northern Vengeance, who put on a great show when they opened for Watain's last show here, in the much smaller upstairs room at this same club. Unfortunately, they weren't nearly as good tonight. When they took the stage, it looked like a totally different band, aside from the mainman. They only played three songs, and those three were pretty apethetic if you ask me. Maybe they have recently changed band members and the new guys don't know the stuff as good or something, but they just weren't nearly as good tonight as they were last year.
 Seattle's Book of Black Earth took the stage next, spreading their form of blackened death metal to the Massachusetts crowd for what I have to think is the first time. The crowd was growing pretty big at this point, but it didn't seem to many of them new much about Book of Black Earth. This makes sense, though, as their new disc, Horoskopus (see my review here) , wasn't released until a week after this show. They played mostly songs of that disc during their 30-minute or so set, opening with "Death of the Sun" and including my favorite song "Funeral of Peace". By the end of their set, the crowd seemed to be a bit more into them, so maybe some of the people in attendance will check out their disc and come back to see them when they come through town again.
The mighty Withered were up next, unleashing their blend of sludgey blackened metal to the waiting masses. At this point, the room was pretty packed, and you could tell a lot of people were there to check out Withered, as the front of the stage started to get packed before they came on. Opening with "To Embrace...the Fated Breath" off of their latest masterpiece, Folie Circulaire (review), the band was in superb form tonight. The sound was massive, full of the overly distorted guitars that they are known for, and the bass sound that they had that night was just absolutely perfect. Playing mostly selections off of their latest disc, but also dipping back to their Memento Mori debut, Withered made the most of their 45 minute set. Please come back and do a headlining show sometime soon!
After some backstage rituals, Swedish black metal mavens Watain hit the stage with some nasty smelling incense, though there was no pigs blood drenching the crowd tonight, thankfully. The crowd was packed tight to the stage at this point, showing that the majority of them came to see the headliners tonight. Celebrating 10 years of blasphemy, Watain ripped through an hour or so of their well crafted and catchy black metal with precision. They had a new session guitar player this time, replaceing Set Teitan who toured wth them last time, but he seemed to know the material perfectly. Playing a good selection of old and new, it was almost the same set as they played last year, but they didn't do the Dissection cover this time. Highlights for me were "Satan's Hunger" and "Sworn to the Dark", both of which had the crowd chanting along at the appropriate parts.
This show had a great lineup, and promised to be a good show from the beginning. Good lineups don't always put on good shows every night, though...but the show tonight was just flat out great from beginning to end.
A- -Goz
The Palladium
Worcester, MA
October 10, 2008
The fifth annual Rock n Shock convention and concert weekend was probably the best in years, organizer Gina Migliozzi (our hero!) really hit the nail on the head this year! With a Grade A list of celebs from the movie (mostly horror) biz and some top notch metal acts it was sure to be a success, and it was! Unfortunately, I was only able to attend the Friday night line-up but it was more than fulfilling considering it spanned only five hours!
 I met up with fellow Assclown Goz at the now infamous Armsby Abbey for a brew before we ventured over to the Palladium to locate Frank Watkins (of Obituary) to try and set up the interview with Unleashed I was planning on conducting and had been try to secure for three months! We found Frank and were told Unleashed were at the Irish Times, so we walked over and found them at the bar and decided to do the interview with bassist lead vocalist Johnny Hedlund right there since we couldn't convince him to walk down to the much superior Abbey! After it was over (see this issue for the interview) Goz and I headed over to the Palladium to get our tickets and check out Unleashed. We had a few more beers while Carnifex played their set of yawn inducing deathcore.
Unleashed were right on time (6:15!) and kicked into their half-hour set of punishing Swedish death metal that included cuts off some old albums such as "Death Metal Victory" and the classic off Where No Life Dwells, "Into Glory Ride" as well as a few off their brilliant new release "Hammer Battalion" (see my review in the Summer issue) like "Your Children Will Burn", "Black Horizon", and the title track "Hammer Battalion". Instead of the album lyrics Johnny changed "Battalion" into a battle cry with the audience and had us chant "Hammer Battalion USA" about five or six times to show we want them back next year. I have to say it had been 17 years since I last saw Unleashed and it's so refreshing to still see them kick-ass live like they did back in their beginning days! I'm sure I'm not the only one who is looking forward to finally seeing a full Unleashed set when they come back next year!
Since we had an hour to kill before Obituary were going to hit the stage we headed over to the convention center so I could get an autograph or two. The only one I ended up getting was Chris Sarandon (Fright Night, Princess Bride, and voice of Jack Skellington) but I did get to sit in for the Q & A session with Jason Mewes and Brian O'Halloran of Kevin Smith films fame. The Q & A proved to be amusing, especially when Jason bitched that there wasn't going to be any more sequels to any of the movies and to stop asking (I snidely asked if there would be a Jersey Girl 2 and Brian said "that's just wrong!" I asked about the use of King Diamond's "Welcome Home" in Clerks 2 and Jason saw my Mercyful Fate shirt and gave me props for it! It turns out Jason got Kevin into King Diamond and Kevin ultimately wanted to use it in the film. All in all it was worth checking out!
Zipping back over to the Palladium to catch Obituary, who gave one of their most ambitious sets I've seen in awhile with classic cuts like "Chopped in Half", "Turned Inside Out", "Cause of Death", "Slowly We Rot" and a sweet surprise Celtic  Frost cover "Dethroned Emperor". Feeling thoroughly satisfied by this supreme death metal act, we headed back over to the DCU so I could gather my remaining autographs (Jason Mewes and Brian O'Halloran) before they closed the celebrity area. I would have loved to gather more but at $25 a pop it's a bit pricey in my current sad financial state!
We headed back to where we began the event (The Armsby Abbey) and finally had some dinner and a few more brews before Goz called it quits because he had to work the next morning, while the rest of us went to a party at the Crowne Plaza. This was no regular party, it was basically THE party for the celebrities of the event to hang out at. Among the ones I recognized were Doug Bradley (Pinhead), Zack Galligan (Gremlins) and in the most bizarre twist, Corey Haim (Lost Boys, Lucas), who joined me and Mike and a few others for a peace pipe circle discussion of Wynona Ryder and how he likes Worcester.
All in all it was a most excellent event and had I went to the other days it would have been even better! Let's see what they pull out of their hats for next years' line-up!
A -Matt Smith
Danzig, Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Winds of Plague, and Skeletonwitch
The Palladium
Worcester, MA
October 17, 2008
 The Blackest of the Black tour began promptly at 6:55 pm as scheduled to a meager crowd that were treated to a blistering set of thrash/death metal as only Skeletonwitch could provide. These old school-is-new metalers rocked the crowd for a 20 minute set that was filled with more power and fury than the new Metallica disc provides us with. I first saw them live at the NE Metalfest here earlier this year and was blown away by their sound. Playing songs from their debut CD, Beyond the Permafrost I think most people in attendance will be highly recommending checking them out when they come back around.
Up next were Winds of Plague, and aside from the sight for sore eyes keyboard player, Kristen, who later joined the mohawked lead vocalist for a song (and sounded ten times better than him) they weren't really that memorable. Playing a real meat and potatoes style deathcore metal with some interesting keyboard parts, I honestly would have been back at the bar for most of of their set had it not been for Kristen's talented playing and rocking at the keys! Kristen, if you're reading this, I have space for a keyboard payer in my band, and we're 100 times more interesting than the project you're in now, just putting that out there!
Lisbon, Portugal's Moonspell were up next and these talented players have been cranking out their brand of dark gothic death metal since the early nineties and show no signs of stopping. Playing tracks off their latest release Night Eternal and as well as some classics from their back catalog they had the mostly full theater rocking to their 45 minute set. It's great to see bands like this still around to show the newer generic metal bands what it means to play interesting extreme metal.
Dimmu Burger were up next and they put on an hour long set of their punishing form of Black Death Metal and by the looks and sounds of the crowd more than half of them were there to see their dark heroes of metal. With new additions to the band, the guitarist from Suspiria and the ex-drummer of Vader, they played a solid tight set that will only further cement their place in the world of dark metal.
Lastly was headliner Danzig, who had to cancel his last scheduled performance at the Palladium due to a  terrible tumble from the stage the night before that dislocated his shoulder. I've been a Danzig fan since the 80's and always try and catch him when he comes around and this time was no different. Playing a nice smattering of his catalog (he doesn't have a new full-length out but he did release a compilation of B-Sides about a year ago) that started at album one all the way through seven. Highlights were "Twist of Cain", "Am I Demon", "Long Way Back From Hell", "Killer Wolf", "How the Gods Kill", "Dirty Black Summer" and the classic most well know Danzig song "Mother" I lost serious interest when he got into the tracks from albums 4-7 but that gave me a chance to get away from the neanderthal knuckle-heads on the floor and check out Skeletonwitch's merch table. No Misfits covers this time around as Doyle was not in attendance to help back him up on those tunes. Oh well, we can always hope for that to happen again in the future!
All in all it was a worthy metal package tour and an interesting combination of old-school and new extreme dark metal bands out to show us what they have and STILL have!
B -Matt Smith
w/Ensiferum, Belphegor, and The Absence
The Palladium
Worcester, MA
October 18, 2008
Starting as we usually do by meeting up the street from the Palladium at the Armsby Abbey, Matt, Adam, and I enjoyed a couple of fine beverages while we waited for Matt's friend Bob to show up (and waited for the show to start, too). Because of this, we were absent for most of the Absence, but did catch their last song - a decent cover of Testament's "Into the Pit". We also got to see that the Palladium was absolutely freakin' packed already. If this wasn't sold out, it had to have been damn close.
Austria's Belphegor were the first band we properly saw. I missed them last year when they toured with Unleashed for some reason or another, so I was very much looking forward to seeing them tonight. They certainly didn't let me down with their too-short 35 minute or so set. They played seven songs, opening with "The Goatchrist", and also throwing in "Stigma Diabolicum" and closing with the title track to their latest release, Bondage Goat Zombie (review), complete with a spiked leather bondage headpiece to complete his outfit. In between songs, Helmuth spoke often, but it was very difficult to hear what he said with his thick accent. I was thoroughly impressed with their set, as was Matt, who I think spent his mortgage payment at their merchandise table.
Finland folk metallers Ensiferum were up next. While I thought that their last disc, Victory Songs, was decent, I wasn't too impressed with their live show. The crowd, however was totally into them, singing along, banging their heads, and generally having a great time with it. I am glad someone liked their set, as I just found it to be downtime between the great Belphegor and the soon to come Amon Amarth.
After the folksters were gone, it was time for Amon Amarth to take the stage. They had a HUGE (probably 30 feet tall) banner behind the stage of the album cover for Twilight of the Thunder God (review) that was a blacklight poster, and changed colors depending on what lights they shined at it. To me, that was a pretty damn cool backdrop. At this point, the entire floor area was packed, and I've never seen so many dipshits at a show before (more on that later). No matter, as once Amon Amarth hit the stage, I blocked out all of their assiness as best I could. Opening with the title  track to their latest, it was clear that Amon Amarth came for one thing today - to completely destroy everyone with their viking themed death metal. They certainly accomplished the feat, roaring through songs from just about their entire catalog throughout their set, including "Free Will Sacrifice", "Guardians of Asgaard", crowd favorite "Death in Fire", and their set closer "Victorious March". Vocalist Johan Hegg has a great stage presence, interacting well with the crowd, enjoying drinking from his drinking horn, and headbanging with the best of them. That reminds me - Amon Amarth do some of the best synchronized headbanging of any band around - all four of the front stage members always seem to be perfectly in synch when they are banging.
Back to the crowd situation. It seemed like an unusually young crowd at the show tonight, and there also seemed to be a ton of 14 and 15 year olds there with their girlfriends, smack dab in the middle of the floor. If someone bumped them, they'd get pissed as they were trying to protect their girly or something. Get the fuck over it - if you're going to be on the floor at a show, you're going to get bumped. If you want cuddle time with your girl, stay home on the couch or go sit on the stairs in the back of the room. Don't be a douche to me because I bumped you or your little tart once or twice.
Aside from the crowd issue, and the fact that I could have cared less about Ensiferum after seeing their first song, this was an amazing show. Ensiferum is not included in the grade.
After the show, Matt and I headed over to Ralph's Diner to see old friend Scott McCooe's band Transient. We got there in time to see only the last few songs of their set, but what we saw was good. Apparently, Matt had also told the guys from Belphegor to come down and check out the show, and they arrived just in time to see about a minute of the bands set. We hung out there for a while, but I had to split due to a long drive home and work the next day.
A- -Goz
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