Trivium
Wrapping up “The Sin and the Sentence” touring cycle that began in late October 2017 and saw them trek all through the US, Canada and Europe for more than 100 dates, the road warriors in Trivium are back for another leg of North American dates that will see them hit 25 more cities through November 3rd. Joining in on the fun for this leg are the supergroup-esque fellas in Light the Torch and the ever entertaining band out of Gothenburg, Sweden, Avatar.
Polaris
Ah, Music City. Where else can you gather with all the single ladies and run this town with Beyoncé and Jay-Z on a Thursday, shake it off with Taylor Swift on a Saturday, and then beat the hell out of your closest hardcore friends somewhere in between on a Friday? Well, if you happened to be in Nashville, TN between August 23rd and August 25th you could have done all of those things, but if you were at the Gideon, Polaris, Varials, Chamber, Nothing Left and 30 Nights of Violence show at The End on Friday night, I doubt those other shows were high on your itinerary. Continue reading
Napalm Death
Napalm Death have been creating thought provoking grind core classics since the mid 1980’s. In most everyone’s eyes they are the kings of grindcore and are responsible for inspiring bands all over the world. Their lyrical content usually written by vocalist Barney Greenway is often complex and gives listeners ideals to chew on and come to their own conclusion. Napalm Death is currently supporting Slayer on their final world tour. We was able to catch up with vocalist Barney Greenway after their performance in Nashville at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium on August 12th. I must add that speaking with Barney was a pleasure, one of the most easy going and pleasant people I’ve ever interviewed. We are grateful for his time in conducting the interview. Continue reading
Slayer
Slayer is one of the bands that defines metal, their fan base are full of die hard fanatics. It’s not often you get the chance to go to a show and know it will be the last time you will see the band perform. Sure, other bands have had farewell tours but more often than not bands break up or fade away and you don’t have that opportunity to say goodbye in a live setting. Slayer gave that to me and over 8 thousand other fans on a Sunday night in Nashville, Tennessee. As we rolled up to the venue there was already protesters lurking about warning us of our sins and our eternal damnation for attending such an event. I hate to tell them but with all the flames and fire Slayer had on stage it was probably hotter than hell, and we’d go to straight to Lucifer lair if it meant we got to hear “Disciple” one more time. For this leg of the tour Slayer brought an amazing cast of characters with them. The lineup included 3 of the Big Four of Thrash; Slayer, Testament, and Anthrax. In addition to those veteran acts we also were “blessed” with Lamb Of God, and Napalm Death opening the show while the sun was still high in the sky. Continue reading
Smashing Pumpkins
For seven to eight months out of the year (depending on a playoff run), Bridgestone Arena and Nashville, TN are locally referred to as Smashville thanks to the success of a certain NHL hockey team known as the Nashville Predators. But on the night of July 20, 2018 the name Smashville took on a new meaning as the Smashing Pumpkins brought their Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour to Nashville, the sixth stop on a massive US tour extending into September and heading to the UK and Italy in October. Continue reading
Ghost
Less than five blocks away from the Mother Church of Country Music, there was a sermon being delivered from the stage of the Andrew Jackson Hall that was polar opposite of what most people would expect from Nashville, TN. Just up the street from country twang filled honky-tonks on Broadway, throngs of fans descended upon the Tennessee Performing Arts Center to spend an evening with Ghost who brought their Rats! On the Road tour to Music City USA on May 23rd. Continue reading
Primus
The city of Nashville, Tennessee has always been a household name for famous music cities around the globe; as a matter of fact it may just be the music CAPITOL of the world. Legendary venues such as the Grand Ole Opry have hosted some of the most famous names in music like Johnny Cash and Chet Atkins, but there’s no shortage of Metal in the country music capitol of the world. On May 15th, 2018, the Primus rolled into town on their summer tour with support from Mastodon and All Them Witches at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. The tour started on May 6th in Denver, Colorado and ends on July 7th in Phoenix, Arizona.
All Them Witches
Getting the night started off the RIGHT way, All Them Witches didn’t hesitate to make their presence felt early. As an opening band, you don’t have a lot of room on stage to perform, but for these three gentlemen, space was not an issue. Sludgy, muddy guitar tones and thunderous drums roaring throughout the venue set the tone for the rest of what was an incredible bill to be a part of. Their set was incredibly well received for an opening band, and if you weren’t a fan going into the show, you definitely were when you left.
Mastodon
Rolling into the second performance, the mighty Mastodon showed Nashville why they are some of the masters of their craft. Intelligent songwriting, cut throat guitar and bass tones, and the bouncing vocals of all the members roar through the speakers and bring Nashville off their feet. Their set was diverse, containing songs from multiple records released through their storied career. From the ominous chimes on the intro of the opening song, “Sultan’s Curse,” to the heavy outro to the final song, “Steambreather,” both off their new record, ‘Emperor of Sand,’ Mastodon proved why hardships in their personal lives served as fuel for them to continue on to make music that pleases them and all their fans, and they proved it with a murky stage presence. Mastodon are veterans of the road and made sure Nashville left this concert with a new favorite artist.
Primus
The headliner of the evening, Primus, brought that of what you expect from a band of this stature. Opening their set with, “Too Many Puppies,” every voice in the auditorium was singing along with Les Claypool and moshing along to the complex rhythmic patterns of Primus’ music. At this point, it’s hard to not love this band, or at least heard of them. Technical difficulties on Ler’s end at one point couldn’t even stop them from performing. An impromptu bass solo from Claypool along with comedic stories kept Nashville enthused the entire night. The stage presence of Tim Alexander is astounding even behind his mountain of drums, along with in your face rhythms that are the core part of Primus’ music. All the fans were engaged throughout every song, and even at lower points of the evening, the cheery Nashville crowd were involved with every set, singing along, moshing and pushing, proving why their city is THE music capitol of the world even for this genre.
The 2nd annual Rock N Pod Expo will take place on August 25th in Nashville, Tennessee at The Nashville Palace. In this modern era of music local radio stations are routinely playing the same artists over and over or only spinning those well established bands that have been dominating the airwaves for years. That’s where the podcasts come in; the majority of these podcast hosts started their show simply because they were passionate about music. These podcasts also provide a platform to promote up and coming bands. The Nashville Rock n Pod Expo will feature over 25 participating podcasts that have combined downloads exceeding ten million. The Nashville Rock n Pod Expo is like the Comic Con of podcasts and it features much more than simply the hosts of these shows, there will be a variety of jaw dropping guests who will be appearing at the event as well. Now in its second year, the Nashville Rock n Pod Expo is a one-day event that celebrates all things rock, metal and podcasting. Continue reading
Photo Credit: Joy Slaprez
Rusty Shipp is one of the most unique bands that you will ever hear. The band is based in the land locked city of Nashville, but they are a nautical rock band. Formed in 2014 the band has released ‘Mortal Ghost’ which was seen by many to be one of the top albums of 2017 and the band has much more to offer. They plan on releasing a few more singles prior to putting out another record. Once you hear the groove and intelligent lyrics that put in their songs you will instantly become a fan.
*This is part of the “World’s Loudest Month” segment where we branch out and focus on bands that fans can see at the year’s biggest music festivals during the month of May 2018! This week, we introduce Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, a blues-rock quartet from “Music City” Nashville, TN who will be seeing a lot of stage time this Summer at Rock on the Range, Rockville, and more!*
I’m a firm believer that no matter your music preference, whether it be metal, rap, pop, or techno, everyone loves the blues in some form or another. It’s also my belief that this, paired with the know-how and musical ability to create incredible music compositions, has played a major role in the rising success of Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown. The band is the epitome of soulful, genuine songs of rhythmic blues-infused rock and roll and have proven themselves so much as to be privileged enough to share the stage with music giants like ZZ Top, Eric Clapton, AC/DC, and Guns N’ Roses. Continue reading
