The long history of Anvil has been well documented. Formed in Toronto, Ontario, they were on the forefront of a heavy metal explosion in the early eighties but their star never quite reached the heights that so many predicted. Continue reading
Seventh Day Slumber
This is the fifth year of the City Rockfest Tour but the first time the tour came to Pikeville, Kentucky at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center. A tour featuring some of Christian rock/metals biggest names. With Seventh Day Slumber heading up an all-star group of bands this was lining up to be a killer night of music. Continue reading
Papa Roach
April 15th arrived and it was time to see the rock and metal legends Papa Roach who have been slaying stages around the world for over 25 years now. At one of Bristol’s finest venues I must add as well; the O2 Academy. To kick the night off was supporting band Nothing More. It’s not often you get a supporting act that could easily book a headlining tour of their own. Both bands are incredible and the show was exactly what we all had been waiting for.
Nothing More
The first memory that comes to mind about Nothing More’s set was they had the biggest and loudest sub-drop I have ever heard. It made the audience jump, then vocalist Jonny Hawkins emerged and climbed up on a metal structure high above the stage and cranked the handle on an air raid siren before jumping down and getting back to the set. With half his torso painted black and in bare feet (as always) storming around the stage with so much passion and even having a laugh by kicking towards me at one point with a cheeky grin. Besides having a fun time all around they delivered a high caliber, charismatic set with intense energy to match. With the way they have dominated radio air play, festival stages and supporting gigs these guys better be on your radar or you’ve been hiding under a rock. Its always nice to see a drummer who slays the kit which Ben Anderson absolutely does with no troubles. The vocalist interacts with the crowd. From time to time on the vocal high notes you hear a slight resemblance of Perry Farrell from Janes Addiction and Porno For Pyros. Being part of a sold out night and seeing the band members enjoying it as much as you do is the most wonderful thing ever. And it was just getting started.
Papa Roach
Papa Roach was the headliner of the show and damn did they prove themselves worthy! The crowd was already hyped up after the stellar performance by Nothing More. However, the fans still had lots of sweat and energy to give on this rock n roll filled night. Chanting ”Papa Roach” started ringing out before they even took the stage. After realizing that they were going to open the night with a legendary track from their sophomore release back in 2000; ”Last Resort.” The crowd literally couldn’t keep the excitement in much longer. We were treated yet again with another iconic track ”Between Angels And Insects” which was without a doubt another reason for fans to get motivated. Later that night Papa Roach showed us just how heavy some of their songs can be, especially live. With the walls of death opening up and the people choosing their side the game was on and I was yet again just a little closer to finishing my own bucket list as well.
To be this far along in their career and still selling out tours in venues of this size really shows the staying power that Papa Roach has, while many bands fade away with genres popularity this band continues to thrive!
Papa Roach
To make it even more remarkable, they went off stage only to return for an encore. Something special was brewing and the band covered “Firestarter” by The Prodigy saying ”We miss you and love you Keith, rest in piece.” Just as the song ended the entire crowd chanted Keith’s name. Afterwards Coby even shared some personal thoughts about Keith. Saying he is missed and that it had been truly amazing seeing him all these years ago. He will be missed.
So for all those people who haven’t decided on seeing either Nothing More or Papa Roach live I highly recommend both. They share such a unique energy and are a must to cross of your bucketlist!
In Flames
On arrival to the SWX Bristol, UK, the queue was already around the block an hour before doors opened – wow! I’ve not seen this at the SWX for some time. Fans were keen to get in and watch this awesome lineup Continue reading
The month of March in the Bluegrass state (Lexington in particular) is generally all about basketball, but not on this night. Tonight was about rock n’ roll. Dirty, sleazy rock n’ roll. Buckcherry rock n’ roll and they did not disappoint! Along for the ride, and ready and willing to get dirty, was Joyous Wolf and Kentucky’s own Kiss Kiss Bang. Continue reading
Fresh off releasing their tenth studio album, ‘Hexed,’ Children Of Bodom have been turned loose in North America to support it. Swallow The Sun, Wolfheart, and Hollow Cry added to the chaos as the tour stopped at the Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Continue reading
The Queensryche machine is in high gear. They released their new album, ‘The Verdict’, earlier this month and have taken to the road to promote it. They have recruited metal veterans Fates Warning to join the tour and the duo played to a packed Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota. Continue reading
Dutch Symphonic giants, Within Temptation, are currently marching through the North America on The Resist Tour. This run has an international flavor as Sweden’s In Flames and Smash Into Pieces rounded out the three-band bill. Despite a winter storm engulfing Minneapolis, people rolled into the Skyway Theatre for a night of music. Continue reading
Shinedown brought their ATTENTION ATTENTION World Tour to the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota for an explosive night of music. Close to eleven thousand people not only rocked out to Shinedown, but also got great shows from Papa Roach and Asking Alexandria as well. Continue reading
All That Remains
About a month and a half ago, one of the more off the wall tours I’ve seen this year was announced. All That Remains, Attila, Escape The Fate, and Sleep Signals announced a huge tour with 30 dates spanning across the United States. Each band brings something unique to the table for this tour. Sleep Signals brings their signature hard rock sound with strong hooks. Escape The Fate brings an intense mix of slamming post-hardcore, hard rock riffs, and a heavy alternation between screaming and clean vocals. Attila brings their well polished deathcore sound that launches crowds into a frenzy. It feels like a party the entire time these guys hit the stage. To close the show, All That Remains brings an eclectic blend of sounds as they have progressed over the years. They have those famous, shredding riffs from songs like “Six” and “Two Weeks” to calm, powerful ballads like “What If I Was Nothing”. As you can see, the bill is varied but still has something that connects each band at the same time. The tour gives you your fill of all areas of hard rock and makes for an explosive night of music. We were lucky enough to cover this show at The Apollo Theatre A.C. in Belvidere, IL on March 10, 2019. You check out our review of each band along with photos from each performance below.
