Live shows

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Just got back from seeing Soreption, Atheist, and Suffocation at Dingbatz in Clifton NJ. Soreption was pretty solid, but I came for Suffo. Atheist kicked ass, but Suffocation stole the show. I had already seen Atheist recently at MDF, and Suffocation a few times not too long ago, so I knew what to expect, and they did not disappoint. Top tier death metal show. Tweaked my knee a little in the pit, but im getting around on it ok next day so I don't think I injured anything.
 
I attended the Left to Die show last night. They completely ruled. For those that don't know, it's Rick Rozz and Terry Butler with Matt Harvey and Gus Rios from Gruesome. They played all of the songs from Leprosy and about five from Scream Bloody Gore (Zombie Ritual, Denial of Life, Mutilation, Baptized in Blood, and Evil Dead). They sounded phenomenal and the crowd went NUTS. This is as close as we can get to seeing old-school Death live which is especially cool for us guys that were too young back in the day. I got to go backstage and meet Rick and Terry. I brought a fat stack of booklets and got those signed. Skeletal Remains and Mortuous provided good support.

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I'm attending Brutal Assault (starting this Tuesday, 09.08 and it runs until Saturday). Below you can see the running order. I'm fucking stoked. Finally a festival after 3 long years.
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I caught psych band Earth Tongue again last night. After they dropped the heavy vid below a week ago I finally properly clicked onto enjoying their studio stuff, so will make use of the next Bandcamp Friday.

The pandemic and shit has distorted everything to a weird time scale. Jan 2019 when I first saw them feels like aeons ago. The 15-ish months since I last saw them has rushed by, although I had a bit of brainfade on how excited I'd felt in advance of their last few shows.

 
Finally got to see Metallica. Boys are getting old but lucky to see a classic band with 3/4 original members. After seeing Pentagram with old ass Bobby and young ass kids playing everything else, can't do that anymore :lol:



 
It finally happened... saw an international band for the first time in over 900 days. Sasquatch in Auckland last night. I don't think their tour got much past the rumour stage before the pandemic hit, as they were able to use the dates originally intended for Nebula. So maybe California stoner rock/metal 3-pieces are a bit interchangeable but they were great fun. :D

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Check this one off the Metal dream bucket list. I got to meet Wino last night and hang out with him for awhile. He was awesome to talk to, very humble, and gladly took the time to sign my crapload of stuff with personal touches. This was the only show on The Obsessed tour where he played a Wino acoustic set followed by a full Obsessed set and they both ruled. The acoustic set was soulful and had an Americana feel. The Obsessed set was HEAVY AS BALLS. Doom Metal is meant to be heard live. STREETSIDE. And Wino can still shred.

Red Mesa (Stoner/Doom) supported and sounded pretty decent. I picked up a CD for $5 to investigate.

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I finally got to see my dudes in Obituary a couple nights ago. Place was packed. The set ruled and they played the new song "The Wrong Time" which is killer. I met the Tardy bros, Trevor Peres, and Terry Butler after the show and got a bunch of stuff signed. Awesome experience.
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Someone else at the show recorded the new song:
 
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.

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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.
 
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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
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When all the mead is gone...
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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.

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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.

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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...
 
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