Testament

Anthrax and Testament, House Of Blues – Anaheim, January 23, 2012

There was a very compelling reason to make the trek to Downtown Disney this wet Monday night in January. Three, actually and their names were Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel.  While buddy Dave and I got in to see the last song of the opener’s set, the venue was already packed and sweaty and plenty of hair was flying.  Tonight was co-headliners Testament’s turn to take the middle set and as the lights lowered the anticipation rose.  Chuck Billy is as generous as he is imposing and he was all smiles and air guitars throughout the band’s massively powerful set.  One of the architects of the thrash/speed metal genres, Testament laid down charging beats, chugging dual guitars and fast-chanted raspy vocals for opener The Preacher.  Lights flashed along with Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson’s amazing fretwork.  While the safest place to be at the venue was in the upstairs bar, the best place was the front of the crowd pressed up against the photo pit barrier as bodies flew over and fists were raised to yell, scream and sing along to the metal masterpieces.  Billy’s glowing microphone stand was part light saber, part motorcycle handlebar and part muffler pipe, the singer swinging it upside down to play air guitar on it.  Testament’s style of metal is dark and dangerous, yet still focused on dynamics, tempo changes and mind-altering guitar solos.

Yes, Testament played Practice What You Preach and D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate), two iconic metal songs that belong in the Bible of Thrash.  Into the Pit was a highlight of the night, the band a whirlwind of energy spinning the audience into a frenzy of flying hair and thrown up metal signs.  Electric Crown is the Testament crossover song, proving that Billy can sing tunefully and the band can do melody along with their brutality.  Testament wrapped up their set with the intense  Disciples of the Watch.  Billy alternated between fast spit vocals and throaty growls, inciting fans to most to the insane beat and red-hot solos.

Anthrax

I’ve seen Anthrax many times throughout their career, and never have they been anything less than amazing.  Their most famous songs invite audience interaction, especially in call and response songs Caught In A Mosh and Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) and I just learned after all these years that Antisocial is from a French band named Trust. Anthrax presented many songs from their new Worship Music disc, featuring the long awaited return of Joey Belladonna, who was in fine voice on this, the second night of their tour with Testament.  They opened with Earth is on Hell and Fight ‘Em ‘Till You Can’t, proving that the band, celebrating their 30th year, still have plenty of fire in them and plenty to prove to the world.  Charlie Benante created a militant beat as well as dropping percussive bombs throughout the venue as the set began.  Caught in a Mosh got the not so young punks on the floor to swinging their knees and elbows.  We chanted along with Belladonna “I ain’t gonna live my life this way/ Cold sweat, my fists are clenching/ Stomp, stomp, stomp, the idiot convention.” Anthrax made Antisocial one of their signature songs decades ago, a call to arms and a theme for acceptance in an intolerable world.  The Devil You Know is one of the catchiest songs on Worship Music, again incited fans to move and yell along, the song full of melodic changes and hackle-rising moments. The band was just warming up as they introduced Indians, still so vital years on, one of the band’s more socially conscious songs.  The pit opened up, heads banged and the crowd roared along with Belladonna “Love the land and fellow man/ Peace is what we strive to have” and “…A flag of many colors is/ What this land is all about.” In the End, the closer on the new album came next.  A dark number as close to mid-tempo as Anthrax get, the song was emotional and epic, with ominous drums and swirling and uplifting guitars. It shows Anthrax are just getting better in the song-writing department and was a glory to experience in a live setting, with the vibrations washing over us.

Exhibiting their humor, Frank Bello’s vibrant bass riff introduced Joe Jackson’s Got The Time, it was a fun two minutes, taking me back to he 1990′s, seeing them on the Persistence of Time tour with Public Enemy and Primus, yet tonight I was shoulder to shoulder, smiling along with fellow fans.  They dusted off Medusa from 1985′s Spreading the Disease, a song owing more to Iron Maiden than anything the band did afterwards, a welcome blast from their youthful past.  More dust was kicked off Metal Thrashing Mad from debut album Fistful of Metal when some of the band were barely out of their teens and Thrash wasn’t yet known.  Belladonna wailed on the high notes (“Whoooooaaaaoooooooyeah” Meeeeeeeeeeeetaaal!”) and the song wouldn’t sound much out of place on the Sunset Strip with Motley Crue and the local hair metal bands of the day.  You don’t have to be a comic book fan to appreciate I Am the Law, but the song is inspired by the future cop anti-hero from the 80′s that is getting a movie remake starring Karl Urban (Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, RED).  Benante and Bello layed out a swinging rhythm, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano tore through some killer solos, the fans fell on the sweat-soaked pit and vocal chords were ruined chanting the song title. But just when we thought the band was done, Benante slung out a hip-hop beat and Ian chugged into the Hava Nagila riff for a bit of  I Am the Man.  Bello sneered into his microphone the poorly rhymed lyrics, Ian commenting that even after 30 years together, Benante still had to “Watch the Beat”!  Anthrax finished off the night returning to I Am The Law, leaving us tired, sweaty, hoarse, sore and happy to have the chance to experience the might band in such intimate confines. The guys stayed on stage bowing and clapping, taking pictures, throwing out guitar picks and drum sticks in appreciation of the fans that have kept them going for three decades.

(Review and Photos by Bret Miller)

Eyes On The Skyline, In Vertigo, Call Us Forgotten, Cobalt Café, February 19. 2012

In celebration of their Self-titled independently released EP, Eyes On The Skyline were headlining the Cobalt Café in Canoga Park – and pieced together a pretty terrific show consisting of five local bands and one out-of-towner. It was certainly impressive seeing all of the local acts supporting each other as well as the friends and fans who arrived to cheer on the event.

The show started early, with Lights In The Sky, Stand As Giants, and Clear The Air kicking off the evening of music in Canoga Park.  Call Us Forgotten was playing their first ever Los Angeles show while In Vertigo was proving why they’ll be headlined across the country in no time at all.

Here is a recap of the last part of the Eyes On The Skyline EP release show…

The first band we caught was Call Us Forgotten from Portland, Oregon. Although this metalcore band are unsigned, they have released two impressive EP’s on their own, gaining a good deal of attention around and beyond the Pacific Northwest. Performing their first Los Angeles show at the Cobalt Café, Call Us Forgotten clearly won over the locals with their wondrously intensive performance. The band kicked off the set with a tremendously tight rendition of A Crusade For The Broken from their recent A Hope Remains EP, and the crowd took notice in an instance. Josh Oliveri is an impassioned front man, really conveying the lyrics with a thrilling sense of passion and energy.  CJ Havener and Adam Williams presented a mighty wall of guitar sound while drummer Kory Thielen and stand in bassist Dillon Evans made for a mightily impressive rhythm section. In addition to their own material, Call Us Forgotten unleashed a stunning cover of the Kanye West tune Heartless, rendering the song all their own. Now on the Seeing Clearly tour with Everyone Dies In Utah and Legacy, Call Us Forgotten will be back with to the Cobalt on February 1st. Catch up with a rising star now, as Call Us Forgotten definitely unleashes a highly memorable show and is well worth checking into.

Up next was In Vertigo, a buzz band on the horizon who are just bursting with compelling ideas. While post hardcore may be the best description for the IV collective, aspects from various other genres are brought in, making for a wonderfully intensive presentation.  Vocalist Jonathan Wolfe is highly charismatic, delivering the lyrics with a fierce sense of conviction.  Opening with the dynamic Exposure (which is also streaming on their Facebook page), In Vertigo presented a spirited set of tunes that really had the Cobalt audience taking notice. The musicianship found within was tremendously tight, consisting of the aforementioned Jonathan Wolfe on vocals, Mark Ryan on guitar, Adam Hayman on guitar, Cooper Campbell on drums, and Billy Hathaway on bass. Other songs performed in the set included Consequences, Wolves At The Door, and Relapse. With performances and compositions this wildly impressive, in with be exciting to see what musical heights In Vertigo will scale on future days. Stay tuned.

The headliners of the evening Eyes On The Skyline took the stage as the hour was nearing 11.  And even though it was getting late, the sheer enthusiasm and intensity that band exuded really made one stand and want to hit the pit!   Opening with the one-two mega-punch of Ezpz and Grab Your Nerf Guns, (Let’s Do This) from their just released Self-Titled EP, Eyes On The Skyline certainly impressed those who stayed on to the very end of the night. Demonstrating strong potential and the memorable songs to back it all up, Eyes On The Skyline performed a dynamic set to a wonderfully enthusiastic hometown crowd. Other notable tracks which hit a grand slam with the Cobalt audience included the rambunctious Little Shred Riding Hood and the ferocious I Am The Dread Pirate Roberts. The proficient Eyes On The Skyline lineup consists of Doug Dunlap on lead vocals, Duncan Murray on bass and vocals, Sean Powell on guitar, Seth Abrams on guitar, and Brad Williams on drums. Presenting it all in the classic DIY fashion, Eyes On The Skyline is destined to break out of the City Of Angels in no time at all. A terrific end to an incredible night of bands in the SFV!

(Review and Photos by Kenneth Morton)

Call Us Forgotten on Facebook
In Vertigo on Facebook
Eyes On The Skyline on Facebook
Cobalt Café Official Homepage

Only Regret The Summer, Cobalt Café, January 13, 2012

Did anyone realize that it was Friday the 13th when Only Regret The Summer took to the stage in an opening slot for Set To Stun and Lions! Tigers! Bears!? The infamous date certainly didn’t seem to matter, as the luck of the draw had this Los Angeles based metalcore band performing to a packed house filled with enthusiastic fans. Angelinos rarely seem to find themselves excited about anything having to do with their local scene, so what a nice surprise it was to see an unsigned band really connecting with an audience through their music and live presentation.  Performing songs from their recently self-released Vera EP, Only Regret The Summer was filming a video, and they surely acquired some striking footage from the evening’s events.

Those who witnessed the show saw the Cobalt spin off the hook with heavy breakdowns, memorable sing-along choruses, and some pretty fiery pit action. Opening their set with the title track from the EP Vera, the crowd quickly gathered around the stage ready to see one of the L.A.’s fastest rising bands.

In addition to the songs from the EP, a new tune entitled Phillsoraptor was unleashed, clearly showing a band bent on progression and adding to their already impressive repertoire. The closing song Common Knowledge Amongst Elves was especially a crowd favorite, with members of the Cobalt crowd being invited to come up and perform the anthem-like lyrics “I’m so sick of disrespect, chivalry’s not fucking dead.” The moment was explosive – something one would witness for a much-revered out of town signed act yet graciously bestowed upon a promising young band from the City Of Angels who more than deserve it.

The dual vocal assault raging from Only Regret The Summer is impressive. Fabi Behnam handles the clean vocals with a dynamic sense of conviction and passion while John Lee screams with a fiery wild-eyed dedication. Both singers are highly charismatic and really reel the audience in with their collective performances. Adam Gendler and Garrett Winn unleash a sonic wall of sound with their precision guitar work. The combustible rhythm section is presented with ferocious intensity by bassist Ryan Krouse and drummer Stuart Wong. No regrets here – these guys are ready to be signed and are well worth checking into both within a live setting as well as in recorded format.

Labels such as Rise and Victory should take note of what Only Regret The Summer has to offer. Fans of We Came As Romans and The Word Alive might also want to investigate Only Regret The Summer as well and catch a band on the verge of breaking through. It will be exciting to see where Only Regret The Summer is headed in the seasons ahead.

(Review and Photos by Kenneth Morton)

Only Regret The Summer on Facebook

Days Difference, Paradise Fears, The Roxy, January 12th, 2012

The Cab and The Summer Set were in town on the second day of their Everything’s Fine Symphony Soldier Tour, selling out the prestigious Roxy Nightclub on the Sunset Strip. Fans were arriving hours before the concert was scheduled to begin, clearly showing that endless touring and promotion has paid off big time for the two co-headliners. Also soldiering along on the tour were two extremely promising acts – Paradise Fears and Days Difference – both of whom we’ll be hearing more about in the months to come. It was great to see that a lot of the audience members were already familiar with both openings acts, and had arrived early to enthusiastically greet the bands.

Opening the night on a joyously upbeat note was Paradise Fears from Vermillion, South Dakota. It was the band’s very first trek to the wilds of the Hollywood, and their opening set with nothing short of a triumph. Amazingly unsigned, Paradise Fears presented a top-notch collection of pop rocking tunes that won over the crowd in a big and glorious way. Performing songs from their self-released Your Truly full length, notable selections from the set included Get To You and Waste Of Time. And their Gym Class Heroes/Taking Back Sunday mash-up was absolutely inspired, showing that the band can clearly measure up to the big leaguers. Front man Sam Miller is a super charismatic presence, and although he claimed his voice was a bit shot, his passion and enthusiasm more than made up for it. He and the band sounded absolutely terrific and professional, and there is little doubt we’ll see these talented musicians headlining venues such as The Roxy by the time 2012 spins to an end. In addition to the aforementioned talents of Sam Miller, the impressive Paradise Fears lineup consists of Cole Andre, Michael Walker, Marcus Sand, Jordan Merrigan, and Lucas Zimmerman, Was their set too short – yes! But they made the most of their time and surely won over a whole bunch of new fans in the process.

Next up was Days Difference, who was making another appearance in LA, after playing the Nokia Theater a few months ago, opening for Jordin Sparks of American Idol fame. The band has grown tremendously since their Self-Titled Universal Motown Records debut, and has gained a good amount of fans along the way. Lead vocalist Jeremy Smith really set the material on fire, exuding a showmanship that would do stalwarts such as Billy Joel and Andrew McMahon of Jack’s Mannequin proud. One of the highlights was the melodious Evil, a new song that really enveloped the Roxy room with a sense of rapturous delight. Another standput in the set was the band’s brand spanking new single Down With Me, a super infectious number that had the entire crowd dancing and singing along. The Days Difference lineup really shines and delivers the goods in a live setting, featuring the talents of Jeremy Smith on vocals, keyboards and guitar, his brother Jonathan Smith on drums, Jeremiah Ricks on lead guitar, and his brother Micah Ricks on bass. All in the family, and perhaps that was why the band performs tremendously tight as a unit. Judging by the new material, it’s clear that Days Difference are in for the long haul, and their music possesses the type of mass appeal that makes a band enduring. In other words, expect a brilliant career and a lot of great music for this Virginia Beach based collective in future days!

The night raged on with The Summer Set and The Cab thrilling the fans with impressive sets. And thus ended another star making night on the legendary Sunset Strip. Watch for out interview with Sam Miller of Paradise Fears coming soon to Highwire Daze Online!

(Review and Photos by Kenneth Morton)

Paradise Fears on Facebook
Days Difference on Facebook

ohGr, The El Rey Theater, December 11, 2011

Ogre and band entered the stage to a recording of Michael Jackson’s 911 phone call as he lay dead from a subscription drug overdose. Dressed in grey and black suits and ties, Ogre sported a police riot gear helmet with a skull painted over the visor.   He lifted the visor to reveal a black and white painted face.  

Crash began with William Morrison’s chugging guitar, Jeff Smith’s ominous piano and Justin Bennett’s pumping drums. As ambulance sirens blared, the audience began to dance.  The evil chants of Pissage followed, leading into a more atmospheric and cathartic second half of the song.  Eyecandy was the flipside, starting slow and building into a pounding conclusion.  The energy rose on Majik’s fast beat and dazzling keyboards.  On Lusid the band set a funky groove as Ogre shook his hips and danced around the stage, his makeup beginning to melt away under the lights.

Our minds were blown by the time of Comedown, from the the most recent OhGr album Undeveloped.  Ogre tweaked his voice like it was just another instrument to alter, then sang clearly as the audience joined in for the upbeat lyrics “Crash and die crash and die“.  The topics of an OhGr song may be dark but the mood at the show was exhultant as Ogre smiled at the photo takers as we danced and sweat.  Dog was another uptempo rock song that got the audience grooving, Ogre chopping up his voice for atmospheric effect.  While Nitwitz has some social commentary but we were all smiles as the guitars grinded away with the militant beat and dance groove.  Tragek was goth as uplift, a mix of analog 80′s and digital 2011 angst.

The highlight of the night was the industrial dance pop of Cracker from debut album Welt.  Ogre singing about people pretending to be evil to suit mass consumption, accentuated by a hyper rap that brought the audience to rapturous applause.

For their encore, OhGr treated us to 101, crunchy guitars and booming drums invited us to sing along with Ogre “Who do I have to fuck? I don’t know!“

Horror actor Bill Moseley joined the band throughout the set for beat poetry sessions accompanied by Ogre’s treated cries and screams. Also, former KMFDM and Marilyn Manson bassist Tim Skold took the stage for a song, returning to OhGr after touring with the band for the Welt tour.

The cold night in Los Angeles was warmed up by showmanship and style from Nivek Ogre and friends.  Look forward to seeing Skinny Puppy in 2012!
See more picture at my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bretrmiller 

(Review and Photos by Bret Miller)

JOSH CATERER, GARLAND, The Echo, December 6, 2012

Garland opened up for Josh Caterer this evening in Echo Park at The Echo club on Sunset just below Alvarado.  Garland played as a four piece but I would have rather seen them as a six member piece unit that was used on their debut CD.  They played several songs from their first release including the songs Bye + Bye, Reverie and the great version of Sunshine Days that really rocked the crowd. They had lots of sound problems which included high searing pitches from the guitars that ruined a lot if the bands softer songs. This in return gave the lead singer hard to hear himself problems through the monitors to watching him hold his own ear just to hear himself sing his falsetto voice. There was one other really great new song called I Need You which would make for a great single if they can get a new album recorded.

Josh Caterer was in town to show off his newest solo EP The Heart Of Christmas. I would have thought this was going to be a Christmas show. But to my surprise, Josh did about 45 minutes of The Smoking Popes songs acoustic.  He took several requests from the attended audience and played them for us. He charmed us in the middle of some of the songs to tell us what the songs were about as well. He also played a couple of compositions about his wife who was also in attendance at this show. Some of the songs of The Smoking Popes he did were Gotta Know Right Now, You Spoke To Me, Paul, First Time, Rubella, Need You Around, Pretty Pathetic, They Say We’re Too Young and a few others as well.

During one song he broke into doing What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding, a cover of an Elvis Costello song. At the very end of the intimate evening, Caterer played two songs from his new solo EP.  To set the Christmas spirit a float he did Conroy The Gingerbread Boy and the lead track The Heart Of Christmas. You can buy this EP while Josh is on tour or you can order it from him at www.joshcaterer.com.

I hope he has been recording these intimate shows while on tour. They would make for a great DVD.  He should consider for the next Smoking Popes record to be an acoustic one. The Smoking Popes are currently signed right now to Asain Man Records.

What an early Christmas treat it was to see Josh Caterer live in such an intimate setting.  Here’s hoping this becomes an annual holiday tradition!

(Review by Jonathan Wright – Photo by Kenneth Morton)

The World We Knew, Inhale Exhale, The Browning, Dead And Divine, Cobalt Café, November 14, 2011

It may have been a Monday night in the San Fernando Valley, but there was plenty of mosh and metal to be experienced at the Cobalt Café. The Headbang Heaven Tour made its way into Canoga Park.   Four bands in total, all ready for their own shots at the big leagues.

Definitely a solid package, and surely one that was more than capable of blowing the roof off the venerable Cobalt.

It was tremendous to see many of the local bands who opened the show, as well as their fans, stay for the entire evening, ready to support other groups who found themselves performing  a long way from home.

Here is the metal and mayhem, which commenced on this night of The Headbang Heaven Tour. Horns up and here we go!

Kicking off the touring package on a sonic note of pure fury was Dead And Divine. A long way from their hometown of Burlington, Ontario, the band clearly won over the early arrivers with their super intensive amalgamation of metalcore and rock and roll. Presenting songs from their recently released album Antimacy, charismatic vocalist Matt Tobin was certainly not afraid to go into the crowd and present the lyrics with a stunning sense of urgency. Chris LeMasters and Sebastian Leuth shred it all into oblivion on dueling guitars while bassist Kellan Lindsay and drummer Kelly Bilan made for a wildly impressive rhythm section. Notable songs presented within the set included The Sugar Sickness and Carcinoma. In existence since 2004, Dead And Divine unleash a live show that is not to be missed.

The break though band on The Headbang Heaven Tour was definitely The Browning, who had the room packed and captivated with their compelling brand of metal and electronica. Their latest album Burn This World was recently spawned through the mighty Earache Records, clearly presenting a band fearlessly pushing musical boundaries. The audience was singing along and moshing it up big time to the aural assaults presented by this Dallas based outfit. Vocalist Jonny McBee was an especially persuasive presence, commanding the stage with his fiery performance. The impressive musicianship was delivered with an all out ferocity by Collin Woroniak on guitar, Jesse Glidewell on bass, and Noah Robertson on drums. Judging by the impassioned, off the hook reaction of the fans, there is little doubt that The Browning will be headlining their own tours in no time.

Inhale Exhale has been through a ton of lineup changes since their inception in 2005, yet they remain supremely tight and wondrously enthusiastic within a live setting. Formerly on Solid State Recordings with a grand trio of well received albums, Inhale Exhale is doing it all on their own for now, and presented a powerful set that was sure to leave a lasting impression on both new and older fans alike. Highlights from the show included A Call To The Faithful, Bury Me Alive, Explosions, and a brand new song entitled Your Eyes. The current Inhale Exhale membership consists of Ryland Raus on vocals, John LaRussa on guitar, Greg Smith on bass, and Tony Saffell on drums. Even without the assistance of a record label, Inhale Exhale have managed to maintain the passion and energy that has made the group a whirlwind musical force to be reckoned with. It will be exciting to see what the future has in store for these Cleveland, Ohio based musicians.

Headlining the night was the devastating The World We Knew, whose determination and perseverance has made this band nothing short of an underground legend. Their latest album Death Dealer was recently released through the BlkHeart Group – a collection of extreme metal brutality that will definitely stun your senses. In a live setting, The World We Knew is driving and relentless, presenting a show with the sheer intensity of a car crashing head on into a full speed locomotive. Vocalist Frank Fanelli exudes a ton of passion and aggression, and is definitely one of the most underrated front men traipsing around the country today. The dude is on fire, and his explosive energy is highly infectious. The World We Knew’s current lineup is especially tight and dynamic, performing with skilled precision. In addition to the killer songs unleashed from Death Dealer (including the mesmerizing title track), earlier cuts Hellbound and To The Wolves received an enthusiastic reception.

And thus concluded another freakin’ night of metal in the wilds of Canoga Park – brought to you by the fine folks at Artists Alliance Concerts!

(Review and Photos by Kenneth Morton)

Dead And Divine on Facebook
The Browning on Facebook
Inhale Exhale on Facebook
The World We Knew on Facebook
Artists Alliance Concerts on Facebook
Cobalt Café Official Home Page

The Thrust Management Tour with Everyone Dies In Utah, A Faylene Sky, Sleeping With Your Enemy, For The King, Cobalt Café, October 30, 2011

A Sunday night in the semi-wilds of Canoga Park, and The Thrust Management Tour made their way into town for an appearance in the Cobalt Cafe.

At this point, the tour consisted of A Faylene Sky and Everyone Dies In Utah – two up and coming post hardcore bands who are surely paying their dues on the road, and yet making a good deal of new fans along the way.

Also joining in on the show were two local acts – For The King and Sleeping With Your Enemy – both delivering impressive sets on the Eve of Halloween.  Presented by the Artists Alliance Concerts, formerly known as twoHearts Promotions. And now on the show…

First up was For The King, a new local band on the scene who kicked off the evening with a sonic blast. Although For The King only presented four songs, you could feel the passion and conviction they place in their material. On the metalcore side of the spectrum, For The King opened their set with Like Thieves, instantly gaining the audience’s attention with their overall intensity. Screamer Alex has a good deal of stage presence, and really reeled the audience in with a fiery vocal presentation. For being a new band, the members are pretty tight, with Bryant on lead guitar, Nahuel on rhythm guitar, KilluhAnt on drums, and Mikey Bear on bass driving the material home. Joining the band on the last song Dethrone Him was new singer Kenny, lending even more power with a dual vocal assault. A promising beginning for a group that could go places in time. Be on the lookout for further appearance of For The King – they could have a prosperous musical reign in store for them.

The good times and great tunes arrived in the form of Sleeping With Your Enemy, the only band of the night who bothered to dress up for Halloween. One member even took to the stage as a banana! Definitely the most entertaining, in your face performance of the evening, fans of such acts as Escape The Fate and Falling In Reverse are sure to find a local favorite when encountering what Sleeping With Your Enemy has to offer. The wildly charismatic James Deen excels in the screamed vocal department, presenting a manic energy and wondrous enthusiasm that was highly contagious. Russell Lane and Ricky “Waldo” Olvera shred it up to bits on dueling guitars while bassist Tyler Kane and drummer Chivon Azamian made for a formidable rhythm section. An enthusiastic set from a thoroughly engaging band we will undoubtedly hear a lot more of in future days! Expect Sleeping With Your Enemy to be headlining their own shows in no time.

The big news regarding A Faylene Sky is their recent signing to Tragic Hero, a record label that has kick started the careers of such bands as Alesana and A Skylit Drive. Touring non-stop since their inception in 2007, it is good to see perseverance finally pay off for this Providence, Rhode Island based band. Now part of the Thrust Management Family of bands, A Faylene Sky remains a compelling musical force to be reckoned with in a live setting. The dual vocal assaults of Kevin Lacerda and Troy Ray are especially potent and impassioned. Through all their time spent on the road, the band is exceptionally tight, with heavy duty performances coming from Adam Perry on guitar, Noah deVeer on guitar, Dave Coletta on bass, and Chris Arbour on drums. Tops songs unleashed in the set included I Wasn’t Born Again Yesterday, Define Alive, and The King’s Son. A remarkable performance from a collective more than ready to hit the big time!

Everyone Dies In Utah not only brought the infectious sonic tunes to the Cobalt, but a pretty killer light show as well. Now on the Thrust Management Tour in support of their recent Tragic Hero release entitled Seeing Clearly, EDIU nearly blew the roof off the venerable Cobalt Café. Opening the set with a mighty rendition of their crowd favorite Bed, Bath and Beyonce, the band was definitely well worth waiting up the entire night for. Especially impressive was their supremely heavy cover of the Katy Perry song E.T. – a thoroughly imaginative rendition that even Ms. Perry would want to shake her booty in the pit to. The EDIU lineup remains a lively force of nature, consisting of Danny Martinez on vocals, Dustin Dow on guitar, Taylor Bagley on guitar, Justin Yost on bass and vocals, Trey Golden on keys and synth, and Justin Morgan on drums. Even heavier live than on their recording, the sheer intensity is definitely enhanced by the wonderful techno parts. Suitably closing out the evening with So Long & Thanks For All the Fish, EDIU clearly proved why they are sure to be a driving musical force in the coming New Year and beyond.

And thus concluded another exciting evening at the Cobalt Café. Special thanks to Cobalt manager Adam Bomb, Cobalt soundman Malone, John McCrary at Artists Alliance Entertainment, and Sinjin Ayat at Thrust Management for all that you do for our local and national music scenes!

(Review and Photos by Kenneth Morton)

For The King on Facebook
Sleeping With Your Enemy on Facebook
A Faylene Sky on Facebook
Everyone Dies In Utah on Facebook
Cobalt Café Official Home Page

Opeth

Opeth, Katatonia, The Mayan Theater, October 19, 2011

Mikael Akerfeldt’s decision to only sing clean vocals on the Heritage tour (and for now on) was a good one.  Opeth filled the night with songs spanning their career and it was their most varied set yet. The show began with the progressive guitar runs of The Devil’s Orchard, from their latest album Heritage.  Akerfeldt incited the audience to sing along with him to the “God is Dead” refrain, while the long haired fans flung their manes. Fredrik Akesson strapped on an acoustic guitar for I Feel the Dark, new keyboardist Joakim Svalberg played flute sounds and drummer Martin “Axe” Axenrot picked up the pace.  To the band’s credit, the song never got too precious, especially when they tore into the second half which saw Akesson back on his (heavily distorted) electric guitar and the whole room got real heavy.  Next up was Face of Melinda, a song many in the audience never thought they’d hear live.  At a past show Akerfeldt said Windowpane was the song that would get them chicks, but I think they impressed the ladies even more with Melinda, when the lights and guitars turned pretty and soft with Akerfeldt crooning his lyrics of a lady love promised to another.  The song built to a crescendo of metal guitars and pounding drums, bringing even more power to the poetry.  Porcelain Heart continued the power and mystery going from dark to light, soft to heavy, the audience raising their fists and their voices to the wordless vocal melodies placed at the high points throughout the song.  In these days of lean and mean, Opeth make the effort to blow our minds and take chances with something as wonderful as Axe’s drum solo in the middle of Porcelain Heart.

After the big light show and being dazzled by Axe’s drum workout, Akesson and Akerfeldt sat down to perform songs acoustic.  Pyre, available as part of the Heritage Bonus Package, was a lovely number, with an amazing flamenco-like solo from Akesson, once again showing his skills on the six string.  Throat of Winter can be found on a digital EP from Roadrunner Records for the God of War 3 game.  The song has a few quite haunting melodies and fine keyboard work as well as mesmerizing guitar interplay between Akesson and Akerfeldt, especially during the closing minutes.  Slither got our blood boiling again, Akerfeldt in his usual wicked humour introducing the song as Opeth’s tribute to Dio, the man who created metal and who was its very best vocalist.  Akerfeldt said Sliver was to sound like Rainbow, though much, much worse.  Self-deprecating to a fault the front man may be, but the song kicked ass with arthritis-inducing shredding, delicate acoustic strums and Martin Mendez’s thrumming bass work all summing up another excellent Opeth song. Hex Omega did that hard/fast, soft/slow thing to perfection, building from beautiful valleys to windswept heights with ease, the spotlight on Svalberg’s talents on the keyboards for a mellow middle break.

Katatonia

For their encore, Opeth performed Folklore, from Heritage.  Sing-song and flute-like keys mingled with winding guitar patterns, both spooky and mesmerizing, then ending the song and show with a vigorous workout of guitar fireworks and driving rhythm.

Opening the show were old friends and countrymen of Opeth.  Katatonia performed songs from their insanely good latest album Night is the New Day as well as from their catalog.  Also celebrating their 20th year, Katatonia were in fine form and entertained the audience with their cathartic dark metal.

Vocalist Jonas Renske wears his heart on his long black sleeve and hides behind his long hair, but the man has a distinctive and emotion-filled voice.  Without the aid of keyboards or studio trickery, Katatonia were harder and harsher than on album, yet still brought the light with their uplifting melodies and smiles behind their flipping hair.

(Review and Photos by Bret Miller)

Mindflow with UFO, The Key Club, September 24, 2011

The legendary UFO were in town headlining the Key Club on the Sunset Strip on a Saturday night. Fans of all ages arrived to hear UFO’s many hits, spanning through a brilliant career, which began in 1969. Touring in support of their recently released Best Of A Decade greatest hits collection on SPV / Steamhammer, the night was one of sheer musical adventure for their still very much impassioned fan base.

For the entire tour, UFO brought along Mindflow as their main support. Based out of burgeoning Brazilian rock and metal scene, Mindflow has been in existence since 2003 – not as long as UFO, but still an commendable time for a band.

Opening the show at the early 8:00 time long before UFO would hit the stage, Mindflow certainly impressed all of the early arrivers with their dynamic brand of progressive rock and metal. The band appeared genuinely excited to be playing on the much revered Sunset Strip, and the audience clearly returned the enthusiasm. Opening with the exhilarating sounds of Corrupted from their recent With Bare Hands magnum opus on Nightmare Records, the evening was surely off to a magnificent beginning.

One of the most powerful songs within the Mindflow set was Break Me Out, featuring a triumphant chorus that will remain within your head for a long and glorious time.  Break Me Out possesses a ton of hit single potential, and is certainly an anthem for the ages! Other impressive tunes Mindflow unleashed included Reset The Future, Shuffle Up And Deal, and the explosive Destructive Device.

Rodrigo Hidalgo is an extremely creative guitar playing, filling the venue with an electrifying wall of sound. Ricardo Winandy on bass and Rafael Pensado on drums make up a tremendously tight rhythm section. And then there’s front man Danilo Hebert, whose soaring vocal delivery was absolutely inspiring to behold.  The tour with UFO was definitely a star making adventure, and there were many in the crowd who proudly showed off the Mindflow merch they had just purchased after seeing the band.

And night would rage on, with other local opening acts and then a memorable appearance from the great UFO! What a wondrous, out of this world way to spend a Saturday night on the Strip!

(Review and Photos by Kenneth Morton)

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