Saturday, March 9th was all about Death Metal in Worcester, Massachusetts.
It all began at 3:00pm, with a packed matinee show at Ralph’s Rock Diner, one of the most popular smaller venues in New England. It also happens to host a regular night of metal bands. This round was a special matinee show to warm up the masses to coincide with the Decibel Magazine Tour event happening later in the evening at the Worcester Palladium.
This show would have been enough on it’s own to fulfill your Death Metal needs but immediately after and about a mile down the road, the Decibel Magazine Tour was at the Worcester Palladium featuring Morbid Angel, Immolation, Necrot and Blood Incantation, along with a few more.
It was a prompt 7:00pm start, with most everyone from the Ralph’s show in attendance, plus another 1500 or so fans added to the mix. Two bands on the bill have even played little old Ralph’s themselves not so long ago (Immolation and Blood Incantation), which made feel even more like a party.
Next up for Decibel Magazine’s live events is the Decibel Metal & Beer Fest, happening in a couple of weeks on April 12th-14th at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Click the day links for the full lineup and ticket info:
Alice Cooper in 1975’s ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ Concert Film
Article By: Brett Schacht, Guest Contributor ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor
Before the release of 1975’s ‘Welcome To My Nightmare‘, Alice Cooper‘s first record as a solo artist, Vincent Furnier’s alter ego and his band mates had already crafted a career’s worth of genre-defying, defining works that still hold up as…
Any band that has the stones and tenacity to hang around for nearly four DECADES is bound to have its share of “Shawshank” moments – of wading through a tunnel of shit in the hopes of finding the sweet relief of musical freedom at the other end. (more…)
Fall is officially upon us, which of course means we are in the midst of a barrage of disgusting, trendy, pumpkin flavored garbage being consumed fervently by people who have clearly lost their minds over a flavor even a starving rodent shies away from.
Luckily for those of us who are more interested in music and shows than in seasonal flavorings, Fall also means that it’s busy season for concerts… especially metal or “metal-ish” concerts. This fall started off well for me, with the first headlining tour of Paradise Lost in six years. Supporting acts Solstafir, from Iceland, and Chicago natives The Atlas Moth rounded out the bill at Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA on Friday, October 5th.
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth started out the night with their version of Psych-Doom-Sludge or whatever you want to call it. (I’m not a huge fan of genre tagging and I’m not very good at it, anyway.) Quite honestly, this was the strongest and most cohesive they have been on stage since the first couple of times that I saw them, sometime between 2010 and 2012, I believe. Anyway, this time they really seemed solid together, “in tune” with each other, if you will (I can’t believe I just wrote that. Ugh.)
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth
Next up was Solstafir, who I was not familiar with until I saw them at Maryland Deathfest in 2014, on the big outdoor stage at the former Edison Lot. Although I really enjoyed them there, this was a better way to see them. Intimate and personal. For many of the people I talked to that night, this band stole the show and I can understand why.
Solstafir
Solstafir
Solstafir
Solstafir
Full of emotion and energy, they began playing to a crowd mostly there to see the headliners and won them over pretty quickly, so much so that audible “wow’s” were heard in the crowd after their set was complete. If I was to make a list of bands to make sure you see live, they would be on it, no question, but not because they have some cheesy stage antics or banter. They don’t, they are just fucking good!
Solstafir
Solstafir
Solstafir
Formed in 1988, British gothic / death-doom / metal band Paradise Lost has released 15 studio albums since 1990, and have earned what you might call legendary status at this point, rightly so. Those first four albums or so were some of my favorite ones to listen to at the time they came out, and it wasn’t even a question to go this show or not when it was announced.
But even their sixteen song set list wasn’t going to make everyone happy as, of course, there are those who only want to hear “Gothic” or “Icon” or “Draconian Times” or whichever album or era they like more. This has to be such a chore for bands that have been around this long and have an extended catalog of material to chose from, that I can’t even imagine attempting to please anyone. Bands have to play what they want and what they feel is right at the time and that’s that.
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
All that being said, they played more songs and spanned more albums than I expected. Songs I had never seen them play like “Gothic” and ones I have like “As I Die” were personal highlights, but they played at least one song from ten different albums. I can’t really say I could have expected more from any band with this kind of history.
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
They were strong and absolutely together, the songs sounded great, and they touched upon a little bit from just about everything. Vocally, there were some likely necessary changes, with a few less growls in places where they “should” be. Even considering that, I just don’t know what else any band could do to make it worth your while to go see them.
Thankfully, the bar wasn’t selling any of that repulsive pumpkin beer, either. If they had, that would be the only negative thing I would have had to say about the show.
PARADISE LOST, THE ATLAS MOTH, SOLSTAFIR Show Review & Concert Photos [Guest Contributor Hillarie Jason]
Article by: Hillarie Jason, Contributor/Photographer ‡ Edited by: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor Fall is officially upon us, which of course means we are in the midst of a barrage of disgusting, trendy, pumpkin flavored garbage being consumed fervently by people who have clearly lost their minds over a flavor even a starving rodent shies away from.
At first glance, casual onlookers would assume the Swiss duo Majesty of Silenceto one among hordes of redundant cookie-cutter black metal outfits. (more…)
For as long as I can remember, it’s always been about the guitar player or the lead singer. That lethal concoction of singers and axe-swingers like Page and Plant. Mick and Keith, Tyler and Perry, Daltry and Townsend, the list goes on and on… (more…)
(By Kira Schlechter, Guest Contributor/Writer, RiffRelevant.com)
The versatility and adaptability of metal is well-known, of course. But nowhere is that more clear than with Tengger Calvary, the New York-based nomadic folk / Mongolian folk metal band. (more…)
(By Kira Schlechter*, Guest Contributor/Writer, RiffRelevant.com) Singer Anette Olzon — unceremoniously let go from Nightwish mid- “Imaginareum” tour after powering that album and the equally majestic “Dark Passion Play” — has hooked up with guitarist / keyboardist Jani Liimatainen (formerly of Sonata Artica), bassist Jonas Kuhlberg, and drummer Jani “Hurtsi” Hurula in the new band The Dark…
For as long as I can remember, it’s always been about the guitar player or the lead singer. That lethal concoction of singers and axe-swingers like Page and Plant. Mick and Keith, Tyler and Perry, Daltry and Townsend, the list goes on and on…
But what about the drummer? You know, that blurry guy that you sorta see in the photos behind the singer or bass player… yea, that guy. Well, as a longtime drummer, I decided I wanted to start shedding some more light on some of the drummers in the “Stoner Rock Realm” that I look up to, or just flat-out love watching perform.
My name is Brendan Burns, and for those of you that I have not met yet, I am the drummer of the stoner rock band Wasted Theory, and I would like to present to you my segment here on Riff Relevant…
“FOUR ON THE FLOOR – THE DRUMMER’S SPOTLIGHT” #4: JON BARRYSMITH
Jon Barrysmith is quite the force to be reckoned with.
In the two short years since the inception of Year of the Cobra, the two-piece Seattle band have covered a substantial amount of ground. Several US tours and even a visit overseas.
Jon exemplifies what I absolutely love about the drums… sometimes you literally just need to beat the shit out of them. Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a sweet spot for hard-hitting drummers.
Sometimes it’s not about the technicality or the finesse of how a drummer plays, but just the sheer force of the playing itself. I had the opportunity to sit down with Jon and pick his brain on Year of the Cobrastuff, as well as talking some shop with him about gear.
Here is installment number four of my Riff Relevant “Four on the Floor” Drummer Spotlight, withJon Barrysmith of Year of the Cobra! —Brendan
BRENDAN:First things first, please give us a quick rundown of your current live gear set-up.
JON: My live gear set-up has been very consistent for quite a few years now:
7”x14” Yamaha brass snare (main)
6.5”x15 Pearl Steve Ferrone brass snare (back-up)
Zildjian cymbals:
15” A Custom Mastersound hi-hats
20” A Custom Medium ride (as a crash)
21” Sweet Ride (as a crash)
23” Sweet Ride (as a ride/crash)
Drum heads: Aquarian Hi-Energy for my snares Aquarian Super-Kick II for my kick drum Evans G2 batter heads for toms.
BRENDAN: When was the exact the moment you realized you wanted to play the drums? Who was your primary influence at that moment? What life lessons did you take away from those influences?
JON: I grew up in Santa Cruz, CA, which was this crazy hybrid of a surfer, skater, punk rock, hippie, college town. I obviously gravitated and latched onto the surf / skate / punk rock side of things when I was super young.
There was this incredible punk rock / hardcore scene we all immersed ourselves into. I vividly remember the first punk rock show I went to, I stood there, wide-eyed, and said “That’s what I want to fucking do!” It was all local musicians and drummers that were my early influences – people I got to meet, become friends with and eventually play shows with.
Main life lessons I learned from that time was the punk rock ethos. Which is still a huge part of me and YOTC – Do it yourself, pave your own path, and bring other people you love and respect with you.
BRENDAN:Which Year of the Cobra songs best exemplifies you as a drummer?
JON: Man… I guess I would say “Persephone” from “…In the Shadows Below” or “Cold” off our brand new EP, “Burn Your Dead”. ‘Persephone‘ has that punk rock / metal growl that’s just embedded in me and the “Cold” song has this cool vibe and a lot of dynamics I’m really proud of.
BRENDAN: Is there specific gear you prefer to use in the studio that would be different from your live set up?
JON: Not really. My live gear is also my studio gear. I have a few different snare drums, but we always end up using the snare I use on a daily basis as the main snare for recording.
BRENDAN:Any type of pre-show warm up rituals?
JON: My practice pad, usually a cold beer, and tape for my fingers – constantly busting my hands up! I always like finding a quiet place about hour before a show to do this.
BRENDAN:Do you find that being in a two-piece band makes it more challenging to musically fill out the songs percussively? Or just the opposite, does it allow you more creative freedom?
JON: I’d say both. Amy and I have the same vision when writing songs and we let that dictate what needs to happen – there’s parts that need to be filled up, and then there’s parts where we feel it needs to be simple and laid back.
That being said, I do think about things a lot differently in this band, since there’s a lot of space to fill. It does get tricky at times to balance how that gets filled – do I use pure volume and power, or do I get more technical to fill it out? That’s the fun part… messing around with both. Then we’ll usually demo some ideas and choose what feels right.
BRENDAN:How do you keep things interesting every night while playing the same set night after night on tour?
JON: Depends on where we are, haha! Touring Europe is rad because typically, you have longer sets, so you can really mix it up every night and take people on a journey. The U.S is different, because you usually have 30-45 minutes most nights on tour. When that’s the case, you focus in on trying to perfect that set, and maybe throw in a new song here or there to change it up and to keep you on your toes.
BRENDAN:What do you think gives your playing its signature sound?
JON: I’m not reinventing the wheel by any means, but I think I play drums from a songwriter’s approach – know when to push, know when to pull, know when to be flashy, know when to lay it back.
I also think I play with a lot of power – you feel it in your chest. One of my favorite compliments was from Matt (drummer for Elder) at Psycho Las Vegas, he said that “every one of my fills sounded like cannons going off”. I thought that was pretty rad…
(Editor’s Note: The photos/gallery included this article were all taken during that same Year Of The Cobra live set at Psycho Las Vegas in August 2017.)
BRENDAN:Any brand loyalty? Are you partial to one drum company over another? Any current sponsorships or your own signature gear?
JON: I feel very honored to be endorsed by Pork Pie Percussion. They make the best sounding drums I have ever played and they have been so supportive.
Other than that, I religiously play Vic Firth Metal Wood Tip Sticks, Zildjian Cymbals, Aquarian and Evans drum heads (specifics listed above).
BRENDAN:What’s the most important piece of equipment currently in your live set up?
JON: The snare drum, for me, is always the cornerstone of a drummer’s sound. That, and big cymbals. 🙂
BRENDAN:What’s that one song that you just refuse to take out of your live set?
JON: That evolves as we write and put out records, but “White Wizard” has definitely been a staple since our first show in 2015. It was actually the first song we ever wrote together – I came up with the main riff for the song, showed it to Amy, and we bashed it out in like an hour. That’s when we knew the band was born.
BRENDAN:What do you basically love about the drums? Is it just the simplicity of the sound, or do you find that it’s more than just a percussive instrument for you? Is it the only instrument you play?
JON: Playing drums keeps me sane. I love the power you can create playing drums, I love the feel it invokes and how the drums can really dictate where the songs goes and how it feels.
It’s a very therapeutic instrument – it’s a great stress reliever and an awesome work out… when played appropriately. 🙂
I also play guitar and write lyrics – riffs and lyrics have been used in every Year Of The Cobra release.
BRENDAN:What do you enjoy doing outside of music, that you feel ultimately contributes to your musicality? For example, a hobby that you turn to in order to stimulate your creativity.
JON: Snowboarding, hiking in the woods, and hanging with my family – they motivate me to work as hard as I can on anything I do.
BRENDAN:Are there any newly emerging artists that are currently influencing you?
JON: We tour quite a bit, so we are always motivated by killer bands we see and/or play with. Do they influence our sound? Not really. They definitely make us want to work harder and be a better band… so I guess that can be considered being an influence.
BRENDAN:If you could give one piece of advice to an up and coming drummer what would it be?
JON: Play everyday and be nice. No one likes an asshole.
Oh, and never break down or assemble your drum kit on stage… EVER.
BRENDAN:What’s the most fun you’ve had out on the road with YOTC?
JON: Oh man. Every tour has been a blast. Our first European tour early this year was probably a highlight, for sure. The shows blew us away and all the promoters and people who came out were so awesome and treated us so well.
We also drove the van ourselves, just Amy and I, so that was pretty crazy and super rad at the same time. It was a great way to experience Europe.
BRENDAN: In your opinion, what band created the blueprint for the sound YOTC most closely models its sound after?
JON: Black Flag, Black Sabbath
BRENDAN:Is “Burn Your Dead” the best YOTC record, in your opinion? Do you notice any major transitions in your sound, or does it simply just compliment your existing catalog?
JON: It’s our best “to date” for sure, and we are really proud of it. Since it was an EP, we definitely took few more chances and tried to expand a bit and I think we opened a few more doors for the next full length, in terms of direction. We’ll always be heavy, but it’s fun to mix things up.
BRENDAN:I’m sure there are tons of others like myself who are very curious to know, what’s it like writing, recording, and performing music in a band with your spouse? (Bassist/vocalist – Amy Tung Barrysmith)
JON: Honestly, it’s the best. This has been the easiest band I ever have been in, and by far the most fun… and I have been in a lot of bands in the past. We are able to write music together at home, show each other lyrics and talk about touring plans – all in real time, we don’t have to send emails or make phone calls. Decisions get made very quickly in the YOTC camp. And she’s a fucking badass 🙂
That being said, early on, we had to learn how to be productive at band practice – if one of us had a bad day at work or whatever, we’d drag that into our practice space and it would cast a dark cloud. Naturally, you’d want to talk about it, or not check it at the door since it’s your spouse. That never happens when you’re in bands with you friends – it’s an escape and instantly fun. Once we applied the rule of checking the outside world at the door, like every other band, we were off and running.
BRENDAN:Anything on the horizon for the band that you can tell us?
JON: We have two songs on Magnetic Eye’s Pink Floyd Redux of “The Wall” coming out early next year – Melvins, ASG, Mark Lanegan, Pallbearer, Mos Generator, plus many other rad bands have also contributed a song.
We’ll hit the road again in February / March for an extended West Coast and Southwest tour, and then we are going back to Europe in May / June for some festivals that will be announced soon. We also have some exciting stuff lining up for later in 2018, that we’ll announce when we can.
BRENDAN:One last question… Bonham or Moon?
JON: John Fucking Bonham.
Thanks a bunch, Brendan!
YEAR OF THE COBRA at Psycho Las Vegas 2017 –
Photos by Leanne Ridgeway (click any photo to open gallery)
Here’s Year Of The Cobra’s official video for ‘Burn Your Dead’:
Stay sharp… more Drummers are throwing Four On The Floor with Brendan soon…
(By Kira Schlechter, Guest Contributor/Writer, RiffRelevant.com)
In just six songs (and two bonus tracks) on its latest album, “E,” the Norwegian band Enslaved has seismically shifted what metal is, blowing open the doors instead to what it can be – thematically as well as musically. (more…)
(By Kira Schlechter, Guest Contributer/Writer, RiffRelevant.com) The legends that were Motörhead always did cover songs, so “Under Cöver,” an album serving to cement the band’s legacy in the wake of bassist/singer Lemmy Kilmister’s untimely demise, is no surprise. It is a supremely effective exercise in showing both how they influenced, and how they were influenced, throughout their career.…
(By Kira Schlechter, Guest Contributor/Writer, RiffRelevant.com)
One band’s loss is a new band’s gain. The Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie lost three core members, singer / hurdy-gurdy player Anna Murphy, guitarist / bassist Ivo Henzi and drummer Merlin Sutter. (more…)
(By Brendan Burns of Wasted Theory, Guest Columnist, RiffRelevant.com)
For as long as I can remember, it’s always been about the guitar player or the lead singer. That lethal concoction of singers and axe-swingers like Page and Plant. Mick and Keith, Tyler and Perry, Daltry and Townsend, the list goes on and on… (more…)
My friend Jim Forrester, affectionately known by the name Rev. Jim, was murdered by strangers while talking on the phone with his wife outside of his work at The Tattoo Museum in Baltimore City. Jim was former bassist for Sixty Watt Shaman, currently of Foghound and Serpents of Secrecy.
There is also a benefit show tonight at Cafe 611 & Guido’s Speakeasy, located on N Market St, Frederick, Maryland. This event will feature 13 bands on 2 separate stages. All proceeds go to his family.
There is a significant and growing reward for information leading to the arrest of his killers. The Church of Satan’s philosophy advocates Lex Talionis, the law of retribution. Justice will be served when his killers are punished to the full extent of the law.
Alice Cooper in 1975’s ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ Concert Film
Article By: Brett Schacht, Guest Contributor ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor
Article By: Brett Schacht, Guest Contributor ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor
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