AFTERSHOCK: Friday [Review & Photo Gallery]

Following a sold-out crowd of 60,000 last year, the Aftershock Festival expanded to three full days for 2019 with attendance reaching an unheard of 97,500 this year. The eighth annual edition of the Northern California rock festival, produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, took place on Friday October 11th, Saturday, October 12th, and Sunday, October 13th at Sacramento’s Discovery Park. The massive lineup of over 50 bands was headlined by Tool, who debuted music from their chart-topping new album ‘Fear Inoculum.’ blink-182, who headlined the second night, made their Danny Wimmer Presents debut in support of their new album ‘Nine.’ Slipknot, whose new release ‘We Are Not Your Kind’ has been burning up the Billboard 200 album chart, headlined day one. Continue reading

DROPKICK MURPHYS Launch Fall US Tour With CLUTCH & HATEBREED

Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys announce their fall 2019, coast-to-coast US tour with Clutch, beginning September 20th at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Joining for most dates will be Hatebreed, along with special guests Amigo the Devil and Russ Rankin of Good Riddance for select dates. The trek will end at the WAMU Theater in Seattle, Washington, on October 15th. Tickets for most dates go on sale Thursday (April 18th, 2019). Continue reading

Just Announced: CLUTCH Reveals 2019 Winter Tour Dates

Maryland bluesy hard rock veterans, Clutch have just released dates for the first leg of their Book of Bad Decisions Tour for February and March 2019 in support of their latest album, ‘Book of Bad Decisions.’ Tickets go on sale today (November 16, 2018) at 10:00 AM at www.pro-rock.com. Continue reading

Carolina Rebellion: Sunday [Review & Photo Gallery]

Queens Of The Stone Age

 

It seems like the weekend had flown by when my alarm went off Sunday morning. With the majority of the festival weekend behind us it was kind of sad knowing this would be the last day of Rebellion until 2019, because you know at this point we have to go regardless of the lineup, it’s just great being surrounded by like minded metal heads. We all have our favorite days of the festival based on the lineup for the day. Sunday just happened to be the day I was most excited about. Personally for me I was stoked to see Mutoid Man, Greta Van Fleet, Baroness, The Fever 333, Queens Of The Stone Age, Billy Idol, and Thrice. There is a little bit of everything in Sunday’s lineup. You have nostalgic acts from totally different generations. Like Billy Idol who started his career in the mid to late 70’s, then you have Incubus who was legends in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Then you have Greta Van Fleet who are playing music that sounds like it’s straight from the 70’s but the majority of the members of the band aren’t even drinking age yet. The Fever 333 is also a new band who has been taking stages hostage and demanding attention. Baroness are a band that has flew under the radar for a lot of people but have been a keeping prog and sludge alive since their formation in 2003. Sunday was a day to show praise for all that is hard rock and heavy metal.

 

 

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CLUTCH Gets Culinary With New Single “Hot Bottom Feeder” and “Book of Bad Decisions” Preorder Bundle

 

Maryland stoner rock band Clutch are releasing a preorder for their upcoming record Book of Bad Decisions. This “Limited Edition Collectors Bundle” includes a rare picture disc LP, flask, flag, shirt, long sleeve and a hatchet with autograph box. That’s right, I said a mother fucking hatchet! These gnarly bundles will be delivered on or before the albums September 7th release date. This bundle can be found on the band’s site. Continue reading

CLUTCH, THE BRONX, RED FANG & FIREBALL MINISTRY Rock The Bluegrass State [Review & Gallery]

Clutch

I can’t think of a better place to be on a rainy Saturday night in May than at Sold Out Manchester Music Hall! It’s dry inside the drinks are cold and the music is LOUD! It’s also the first Saturday in May so there’s a little horse race going on up the road a piece, but tonight that was the farthest thing from this crowds mind! Tonight was all about Clutch, The Bronx, Red Fang and Fireball Ministry shaking the roof off of Manchester Music Hall!

Fireball Ministry

Fireball Ministry had first swing at this huge crown and they didn’t waste it! This group of experienced musicians (formed in 1999) knew exactly what to do with this crowd and that was to work them into frenzy for the bands to come. That’s exactly what they did with songs like “Flatline” “Two Tears” and “King”. You know it’s going to be a great show when the first band puts out a performance like this!

Red Fang

Next to take a shot at keeping this crowd going was Red Fang. Red Fang is another band that has been around the block. Formed in 2005 in Portland Oregon, this “stoner metal” outfit has 4 studio albums, several EP’s and a host of video’s to pull material from. It was evident from the beginning of their set that Aaron Beam vocalist and bassist was having a good time with this big responsive crowd, he had a smile on his face from start to finish! Playing songs like “Blood Like Cream” “Hank is Dead” and their first single “Prehistoric Dog” Red Fang had the folks in Manchester Music Hall right where they wanted them!

The Bronx

Trying to keep the momentum up that Fireball Ministry and Red Fang had started was The Bronx. To say they not only kept it up put pushed that momentum forward would be an understatement. The Bronx has been around since 2002, formed in Los Angeles California. I’ve seen them listed as a punk/ hard rock band, whatever category you want to put them they are talented musicians and onstage front man Matt Caughthran is nonstop! I was wore out after watching him, jumping running, dancing, moving back and forth across the stage and at one point in the crowd, were he sang three songs while dancing and moshing with some very surprised fans! Their fifth album titled ‘V’ was just recently released; all the albums are self-titled with roman numerals differentiating each one. If you like loud, energetic, well played music get out and see The Bronx!

Clutch

The reason Manchester Music Hall was Sold Out, the reason this crowd was in Lexington KY and not Louisville at Churchill Downs, the reason people were standing in line in the pouring rain was tonight’s headliner Clutch! “Holy Shit!” , that comes real close to summing up this night! This was my first Clutch show and hopefully not my last! A friend and lifelong Clutch fan gave me some advice before the show he said “Watch Neil Fallon, as you’re photographing the show, he delivers his lyrics like a southern church pastor” and he was right. Not only does he deliver those lyrics like a preacher but he controls the crowd like one as well. Back and forth across the stage everyone in the building was watching him and reacting to everything he did. It was beautiful to watch. Neil along with guitarist Tim Sult, bassist Dan Maines and legendary drummer Jean-Paul (JP) put on a show that Manchester Music Hall will not soon forget. They opened the night with “Pure Rock Fury” what followed was an epic set list of 16 more songs that included “Firebirds” “Crucial Velocity” along with two songs off their yet to be released album Book of Bad Decisions (Sept. 2018) “Gimme the Keys” and “Spirit of ‘76” then closing out the set with “D.C. Sound Attack” before coming back for a two song encore “Electric Worry” and “The Mob Goes Wild”. With that an amazing night of music in Lexington, KY came to an end. Those that had the privilege of being here will not soon forget it. There will be various other opportunites coming up to see Clutch as they are one of the headliners of the inaugural Inkcarceration Fest in Mansfield, Ohio in July at the prison where Shawshank Redemption was filmed as well as their own festival in West Virginia the Earth Rocker Festival on Saturday August 4th get more info for that festival here. 

As always get out and see the show! Support local and touring musician, buy tickets, merch and most importantly buy their music!

 

 

INKCARCERATION Fest Feat. RISE AGAINST, LIFE OF AGONY, BUSH, CLUTCH & More

Metal and tattoo, it’s a perfect marriage isn’t it? Yes; this July Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival will bring to you the ultimate summer holiday getaway. It is a a one-of-a-kind destination event that presents to you heavy and hard rock music from over 30+ plus bands on two stages, with some big names from the industry, such as the likes of RISE AGAINST, A DAY TO REMEMBER, BUSH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, CLUTCH and many more. It’s a star studded line-up. Adding more to the festival’s appeal, it will also host a tattoo festival inside of one of the country’s most infamous prisons, plus so much more.

The inaugural Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival will take place on a perfect sunny weekend,  July 13, 14 and 15 in Mansfield, Ohio. You might ask a prison for a venue? Why not? It’s metal to the bone after all. The venue is the Historic Ohio State Reformatory (100 Reformatory Rd), the massive, awe-inspiring locale is recognized primarily as one of the most haunted buildings in the country. Remember the Shawshank Prison used in the 1994 blockbuster “Shawshank Redemption“? It was this very location that was used as a filming location for the movie, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. Mansfield sits directly between two major cities in Ohio, Columbus and Cleveland, and is under a five-hour drive from major cities such as Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit, Louisville, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh. So, pick out your band shirts now or your battle vest if so inclined because this is going to be one hell of a festival. 

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CLUTCH ‘Pitchforks & Lost Needles’ Picture Disc Out Today!

Clutch and Weathermaker Music have prepared three very special Clutch limited edition vinyl collector picture discs. The third in the series “Pitchfork & Lost Needles” is available today. The first in the series, “Live At The Googolplex” was released October 6th followed by “Jam Room” on October 27th. Continue reading

CLUTCH Reveal Winter Tour Dates With DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT & THE OBSESSED

CLUTCH has just announced Winter tour dates for the continuum of their ‘Psychic Warfare’ tour. Supporting the tour will be Devin Townsend Project and The Obsessed. Fan club pre-sale tickets will start at 2:00pm ET today, public stale starts 10am ET on Friday. The on sale date for the 4 Florida shows is TBD due to the hurricane in the region.

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PRIMUS Set To Release Ninth Studio Album, New Song And Tour Dates Also Released

Experimental rock group Primus has just announced the release date and title of their upcoming album. On September 29th, ‘The Desaturating Seven’ will be unleashed to the public via ATO Records. They also released the first song off the record, which they have also been playing live this summer. “The Seven” is a groove filled monster that sounds like it belongs on any of their old school albums. Les Claypool even compares it to King Crimson‘s 1981 record ‘Disciple’. The album is based on a 1978 children’s book called “The Rainbow Goblins” written and illustrated by Italian writer Ul de Rico. It will be the band’s first record since ‘Tales From The Punchbowl’ (1995) that features Larry LaDonde and Tim “Herb” Alexander back in the band. I can’t wait to see how many more twists and turns the band takes. They also added more US tour dates in the fall set to kick off towards mid October. Be sure to pre-order the record here with several other bundle pack options as well. You can check out album artwork, the track list, and all of Primus‘ tour dates below. Continue reading