Live shows

[SonOfNun]

Gatecreeper also played at the show with Obituary and I'm much more of a fan now than I was before. I had had their latest album but hadn't spent much time with it or been gripped by it yet. After they played some songs from it live it's really clicking with me. The live setting really brought out the groove in their music which I love.

 

[Bloopy]

Skeletal Remains tonight was awesome fun. Tired myself out fairly quickly. Only the 2nd band from beyond these shores I've seen since the pandemic given Vader postponed. 2023 is looking tasty though.

 

[SonOfNun]

What a weekend. I went to three shows (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). The first was Amon Amarth, Carcass, and Obituary. I hadn't seen Amon Amarth since 2006. They have gotten much bigger and so has their show. They had guys in medieval attire sword fighting on stage, etc. I watched a lot of the show from the side but when "Put Your Back Into the Oar" came on I pushed my way up near the front and joined the row pit which is one of the funnest things I've done at a show. Obituary was awesome again and I enjoyed Carcass, especially the stuff I knew from Necroticism. Would be cool to see them in a smaller venue.

Amon Amarth


When all the mead is gone...

Carcass

Obituary

 

[SonOfNun]

Saturday was one of my favorite musical experiences. Martin Lopez, former drummer of Opeth, has a new progressive metal band named Soen. My friend and I were VIPs at the show and spent an hour talking with the band. Martin signed all my Opeth CDs and he appreciated us and knowing the impact he had on us. I discovered Metal via Opeth at 16 with the Deliverance album and Martin was one of our first Metal heroes. Soen put on a great show.

 

[SonOfNun]

Sunday was the night of the young guns as I saw Undeath, 200 Stab Wounds, and Phobophilic. Small venue was packed. Total riot. I was in the front row with stage divers everywhere headbanging away. Met all the band members and they were cool dudes and signed all my stuff. I came away from the show a much bigger fan of 200 Stab Wounds than before and also appreciate Phobophilic more as their stuff translates well live. All very good young bands.

Undeath


200 Stab Wounds


Phobophilic

 

[Bloopy]

Cockney Rejects in Wellington last night. Great fun for a weeknight. 2nd time I'd seen them, with the 1st being a few months before the pandemic took over. They don't play any of the material that got them into Encyclopaedia Metallum, not that any of us really want/need them too - hah.

Also saw Mayhem the other week. I just liked that it was a rare chance for me to see a band from beyond these shores a 4th time. Good varied setlist and they were fun and all, but I still think the 1st time was the best - that venue in 2010 seemed to have a whole row of subwoofers and Attila's growls were shaking the floor. I probably won't bother to see them again unless the rest of the lineup is enticing. The big story of their tour was that 2 days earlier in Auckland, a couple of songs into their set a feral fan bit a photographer on the upper arm. Helping to maintain Mayhem's notoriety I guess...

 

[SonOfNun]

I need to go see them so I can get Hellhammer to sign my Antestor CDs.

 

[rms]

Got tickets to Kreator & Death Angel in May. Elder is coming in May too

 

[Psilociraptor]

Just got tickets for Death to All and Emperor curious if they are only going to play songs from Anthems or if they just felt like naming the tour that… hopefully the latter

 

[SonOfNun]

I'm thinking about that Death to All tour. Would complement the Left to Die show from last year pretty well and I haven't seen Suffocation since 2005-ish. Well, at least Terrance Hobbs and some dudes will be playing anyway.

 

[Psilociraptor]

I'm thinking about that Death to All tour. Would complement the Left to Die show from last year pretty well and I haven't seen Suffocation since 2005-ish. Well, at least Terrance Hobbs and some dudes will be playing anyway.

I had tickets to the Left to Die one but ended up giving them away because I was sick. Super bummed about that, so i'm determined to make up for that.

 

[SonOfNun]

Saw Suffocation for the first time since 2005.

 

[EspaDa]

Saw Suffocation for the first time since 2005.
View attachment 33044

Do you remember the setlist? Pretty curious about it. Saw them last year.

 

[SonOfNun]

Do you remember the setlist? Pretty curious about it. Saw them last year.

They played Thrones of Blood, Jesus Wept, Breeding the Spawn, Catatonia, Effigy of the Forgotten, Funeral Inception, Pierced From Within, Bind Torture Kill, Liege of Inveracity, Infecting the Crypts, and I think Clarity Through Deprivation. Not in that order but I know they played those first 10 songs.

 

[Bloopy]

This week I finally saw the Sacred Reich/Vio-Lence tour that was postponed since 2020. Not bands I listen to, but knew it'd be worth seeing when we don't get many thrash bands visiting here. Vio-Lence in particular was great fast thrash fun and I enjoyed them more of the two. Found out later that vocalist Sean had gotten a stomach bug and been unable to perform 3 nights earlier in Melbourne (with a guest filling in), but luckily he was good to go here in Wellington. Maybe he's a bit too grating to listen to at home but at a concert I had no issue.

Also caught a visit from Aussie crust punk band Szkło recently.

 

[Bloopy]

The triple Polish pulverisation of Vader/Hate/Thy Disease last weekend was killer. Wasn't converted to a fan of the latter 2 bands but fun enough that I'd consider seeing 'em again if they decided to make that freakin' long journey here.

This weekend it was a couple of nights with a few Aussie-based black/war metal projects, though all founded by NZers. Vesicant was a good time. Now it's just local bands in my calendar... oh, The Exploited is coming back so maybe I'll go to that.

 

[J.]

Seeing Dream Theater and Devin Townsend on the 18th, in Sugar Land (where I grew up; city right outside of Houston). My woman bought tickets. More interested in Devin and hope he plays the early to mid career stuff. She will enjoy it, as it's metal-lite.....but then on Friday the 23rd I'm dragging her to see Emperor in Chicago. Can't wait.

 

[Bourbon]

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Gloryhammer at the Wiltern in LA.

Man, this was such a fun show. The new singer isn’t quite on the level of the old guy, but he’s good enough. Phenomenal energy and super entertaining stage presence. Excellent setlist. Only downside was a short set, as Alestorm were the headliners. Didn’t stay for them because it was a work night and I don’t think much of Alestorm.



Rhapsody of Fire at the Observatory in Santa Ana. Really great stage presence and vocalist Giacomo Voli does a fantastic job of engaging the crowd, even bringing a kid up on stage for one of the songs. Probably made that kid’s year. Wind Rose was really fun too. Hadn’t heard them before, but it was really catchy.


Sisters of Mercy at the Palladium in LA. This was the weakest of the three shows I’ve seen lately. You could barely hear Andrew Eldrich, and frankly, it felt like he was up there as a prop. Some of their older, more gothic songs we’re “modernized” and kind of lost their dark vibe. Still, there were some enjoyable moments, but I’ll probably skip next time they come to town.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Emperor and Mäleficentt at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA.

First, this was my first time
At YouTube theater, and I’m not a fan. It’s really austere and boutique feeling. The sound system is very clean, which is nice, but it was not loud enough for a metal show. Also, I know all these concerts are overpriced, but $35 for parking and $19 for a beer is a new level. Most venues in LA charge about $20 to park and $10 for a beer. No merch tables either. Don’t know if that was a band choice or a venue choice, but I’m guessing the latter.

Mäleficentt were a band I wasn’t too familiar with beforehand, but they were solid raw black metal. Nothing innovative here (other than the vocalist occasionally using a conch shell as an instrument), but if you like raw black metal with classic second wave melodies and drum patterns, you’ll enjoy their show.

Emperor were excellent. The setlist was great. They played all but one song off Anthems and more than half of Nightside. Ihsahn’s voice sounds great, and the clean passages are actually better than on the albums, and the growls are still on point. I’ve been listening to them since I was sixteen and Anthems was the first black metal album I bought, so getting to hear them live was something I’ve been waiting for for decades.