Helloween with Beast In Black - 40th Anniversary Tour (4/21/26)

Post #407

On Tuesday, the 21st of April, 2026, a friend invited me to see their favorite new band, Beast In Black. They happened to be opening for the mighty founders of power metal: Helloween. I couldn't say no! Prior to this invite I had only peripheral familiarity with the music of Helloween. I knew the hits, of course. I had collected a couple compilations over the years: The Best, The Rest, The Rare and Unarmed: Best of 25th Anniversary. Additionally, I was completely new to the music of Beast in Black, a fusion of power metal and dance-metal. In the weeks leading up to the show I did a deep-dive into streaming the back-catalogs of both bands.

As the show opened up, Beast in Black gave us "Power of the Beast" to kick off their set, and it was non-stop from there on...

Their set included tracks from each of their 3 albums, and a few non-album singles. Their newest track, "Enter the Behelit", a collaboration with DIABLO video game franchise and inspired by the Berserk manga series, was featured in their set. It was an adrenaline-fused set of power metal from start to finish. They closed with "No Surrender".

Then the stage was changed over and the crowd prepared for Helloween...

Helloween opened their set with a video montage, playing on the gigantic video screen serving as a backdrop to their stage set, that showcased the album covers of their entire discography. As the montage ended they launched into the track, "March of Time" off of their landmark album, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2.

After that they proceeded to deliver an excellent setlist of songs from their debut album to their newest with a sampling of everything in between. At a couple places there was an interlude where 'The Keeper', their on-again, off-again mascot, narrated segments of the band's history as an introduction to the next song. You'll find the full setlist at the end of this post with a link to a Spotify playlist.

They featured several songs from their latest album, Giants & Monsters, my favorite of which was "Universe (Gravity for Hearts)", an epic song about space, time, life, love and eternity. I had only played this album a couple times a couple of times, so had not yet established my personal favorites from it. "Universe" is certainly at the top of my list after seeing and hearing it performed live.

Near the end they closed their main set with the epic classic "Halloween". A few minutes later they returned for an encore where they played "Eagle Fly Free", "Power" and "Dr. Stein" with the added bonus of the final chorus from 'Keeper of the Seven Keys".

All in all it was a fantastic night of power metal, from the pioneers of the genre to the new generation that will carry it forward for many more years to come. Please enjoy the setlists for each band. Click the links to save the playlist in spotify.com.

Setlist for Beast in Black:
-Power of the Beast
-Hardcore
-Sweet True Lies
-Born Again
-From Hell With Love
-Enter the Behelit
-Die By The Blade
-One Night in Tokyo
-Blind And Frozen
-No Surrender

Setlist for HELLOWEEN:

-March of Time

-The King for 1000 Years

-Future World

-This Is Tokyo

-We Burn

-Walls of Jericho/Ride the Sky

-Into The Sun

-Hey Lord!

-Universe (Gravity For Hearts)

-Hell Was Made in Heaven

-I Want Out

-In the Middle of a Heartbeat

-A Tale That Wasn't Right

-A Little Is A Little Too Much

-Heavy Metal (Is the Law)

-Halloween

-Eagle Fly Free

-Power

-Dr. Stein

-Keeper of the Seven Keys (last chorus only)

Happy Headbanging!

Mad With Power VI-Day 1 (2023) - Madison, WI

 Post #398

On August 18th, a Friday afternoon, I headed north to Wisconsin's Capitol to finally catch a festival of Power Metal I'd been looking forward to for years: Mad With Power VI. This time, 2 bands I've been following were both scheduled to perform. I had seen them both for the 1st time back in 2011, at Dame-Nation III: Shield of Wings and A Sound of Thunder. Unfortunately, just days before the show, A Sound of Thunder had to cancel due to injury. Still, I was hyped for this music fest, and wasn't going to miss it!

With travel time being a major constraint on a weekday (the drive to the venue would take me over 3 hours), I utilized the promoter's Livestream on Twitch to enjoy the first couple bands of the evening. While I was only able to listen, my daughter got to enjoy the video feed as well. The opening act was my longtime favorite: Shield of Wings.

Shield of Wings are Chicago's answer for symphonic metal, and I feel with each passing show they prove they truly hold their own. I feel like their opening performance set a very high bar for all the acts to follow. The crowd was pumped, and into their captivating performance from the first note to the last measure of their set. Shield of Wings delivered a stunning performance of many of the best tracks from their new album 'Unfinished'. They even included a cover from The Elden Ring video game soundtrack! While I heard it, and caught glimpses when I stopped at red lights on my journey, it all just made me wish I could be there in the venue with them. In time, another opportunity will present itself. But for now, I leave you with their setlist...

-Cedar

-Native Colossus

-Breathing

-The Final Battle (Elden Ring ST-cover)

-Mind of Myth

-Wetland

-Sunfire Shower

Next up was Greyhawk, a Seattle-based power metal band. They came out and immediately struck with soaring riffs, cascading lead guitar solos, and powerful vocals delivered with deep baritone and a force of will. Their tempos were fast and furious. their themes were medieval and fantastic. Again, I had to hear the majority of their set through the livestream, but we did manage to arrive just in time to hear their closing number. Their debut released in 2020, and they have a new single from 2022. Look for this band to release a 2nd album in the near future! Their setlist for Mad With Power VI...

-Gates of Time

-Frozen Star

-Call of the Hawk

-Halls of Insanity

-Don't Wait for the Wizard

-Steelbound

We took a few minutes to browse the merch, meet the members of Shield of Wings face-to-face. They were gracious enough to pose for photos with fans. Then we made our way back to the floor to prepare for the evening's literal surprise: what band would fill the vacant slot in the lineup?

The answer was Seeker Pearl. Seeker Pearl are a Chicago-based heavy metal band blending elements of hardcore, ambient-metal, and come electronic elements. Vocally their singer delivered a lot of smooth melodies in the verses and often let it rip with screamed choruses. Their lead guitarist gave us some great guitar leads and solos here and there too. When they went heavy, they really hit hard! 

They seem to be the newest band of the entire lineup. Their earliest release on Spotify is from 2022. They seem to take a more modern approach to the art of recording, by releasing singles as they record them. Their artist page features several singles, but not full-length 'album' as of yet. Regardless, I will keep following them for new releases- singles, EPs, or full-length albums: whatever they choose to give us! Songs available to stream from their setlist are:

-Tempest

-Ouroboros

-Shadow Machine

-Deja Vu

-New Tide

-Oversoul

Next up was Wilderun- a Boston-area Progressive power metal band. They have been around since 2012, with their latest release being in 2022. Their compositions are epic in length, and span multiple genres as they incorporate symphonic elements, folk metal, power and death metal. If I would compare them to any band it may be Opeth. If their setlist seems brief, keep in mind that most of the songs they played are in the 8-10 minute rage!

-Passenger

-Far from Where Dreams Unfurl

-O Resolution!

-Vaunting Veins

The penultimate band of the evening was Powerglove. These guys changed things up and really gave the audience several laughs as their gimmick became evident as they took the stage: the played power-metal versions of video game theme songs! (and a couple cartoon soundtracks thrown in for good measure!) Some of their selections go WAAAY back! I'm talking Street Fighter, and the original Tetris! For each song, they also had a video element, displaying scenes from the video games or cartoons while that jammed out with ferocious intensity! The guitar solos were top-notch, and they even had perfectly timed sound effects! Their setlist:

-Kraid's Lair

-Tetris

-Under the Sea

-Kirby

-Guile's Theme

-Age of Aggression

-Gotta Catch 'Em All

-Mario Minor

Finally, it was time for the final band. Seven Spires. Another band from Boston, Seven Spires were the perfect headliner, Symphonic power metal with some death-metal and black-metal screams woven into different songs... They could swoon the audience with operatic vocal in one minute and devastate us with demonic screams the next. Musically their talent was superb: complex song structures, intense tempos, and soaring guitar solos to rival the likes of DragonForce. They were like Nightwish and Jinjer rolled into one.

They are a relatively new band themselves, with their first album, Solveig, from 2017, and their latest- Gods of Debauchery, dropping in 2021. As a fan, I am so glad to see that they've made it to this side of the pandemic, and eagerly look forward to their next new album, whenever they can manage to release it. For now, I'll leave you with their setlist:

-Gods of Debauchery

-Distant Lights

-Lightbringer

-Ghost of Yesterday

-Succumb

-Drowner of Worlds

-Bury You

-Gods Amongst Men

-Oceans of Time

-Echoes of Eternity

-Serenity

-Fall with Me

-Dreamchaser

-With Love from the Other Side

-The Trouble with Eternal Life

-This God is Dead

-Through Lifetimes

If your are a spotify user, check out this playlist, featuring all the setlists described here, in order:

https://spotify.link/Hpzi69SgVDb

If you use a different music streaming service, try visiting www.tunemymusic.com to convert it to you music app of choice!

And lastly, if it is still available, you can watch the archived livestream of the whole show on the Twich.tv channel by Lords of the Trident here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1902334654

Mad With Power VI was a 2-day music festival, and this was only the 1st day. I unfortunately could not attend the 2nd day, but again, the livestream should be available at the same Twitch channel. 

Happy Headbanging!

Act of Destruction-Beyond Eternity (2019)

Post #376

Act Of Destruction have returned with their 2nd independent release, Beyond Eternity. Roughly 4 years have passed since their debut Extinction, which I reviewed previously. In that time the band has seen some changes. One change was the addition of David Kraus on guitars and backing vocals. Kraus is also guitarist and lead vocalist from Scars of Armageddon (another former winner of my Independent Band of the Year poll), so if you're familiar with their sound, then the backing vocals should sound familiar!

Beyond Eternity starts off with Eternal Combustion. This song is sure to be a crowd pleaser to their established following. It has their classic formula of rapid-fire drumming, melodic-death/hardcore vocals by John Bravo III, intricate guitar riffs and unarguable talent with guitar soling. The production seems even crisper than their debut, which was already great! It's like a perfect hybrid between metalcore and melodic death metal.

Ascending Into Glory has an initial guitar riff that fades in. They slow the tempo down slightly, but otherwise is another great song, complete with a great guitar solo. This one seems to have some power metal influences outside of the vocals.

Spiritual Infinity is where Act of Destruction up the ante, and give us all a new twist to their formula. When the chorus comes around, Kraus' soaring melodic vocals blend in with John Bravo's harsher, death-metal growls. The resulting sound surprised me at first with its contrast in style, but it works! It will simultaneously quench your rage and pierce your eardrums. There is again fantastic riff work, and substantial guitar soloing- a true winner of a song!

The Source is a different combination again. With another display of slower-tempo riffs, Act of Destruction showcase their whole package here. The vocals are primarily John Bravo's hardcore growls, but the backing vocal formula includes both Kraus' melodic screams and Nigel Bravo's deeper, guttural death metal vocals are present as well. Then, we also get some spoken word passages by Nigel. The lyrics throughout this EP have been orbiting themes of philosophy, conservation and more esoteric concepts like religion and science fiction. This song is again like that, and has one of my favorite lyrics: "Your tears are the rain upon the blinding dust of the Earth."

Starkblast is a crowning jewel on this recording effort. Clocking in at over 7 minutes, it is the band's longest recording yet. It brings progressive metal elements into the fold more than they've done before. Again the vocal style is a 3-fold revolving door with the Bravo brothers providing the hardcore and death-metal growls, and Kraus the melodic elements. They also have guest vocals by Pindy of Armored Assault! Closing it off are more esoteric spoken word passages by Nigel Bravo, backed my Kraus' fading melodic screams.

Visit Act of Destruction's Bandcamp page for downloads, or find them in iTunes or on Spotify!

Foredoomed-Ordeal (2017)

Post #360

Foredoomed are a melodic death metal band from Joensuu, Finland. They have a very diverse style of death metal that incorporates elements of power metal, progressive rock, ambient rock, and symphonic metal to name just a couple. The best known band I can think to compare them to may be Amon Amarth, but they offer so much more.

Ordeal is their debut album, and after listening to it all the way through, I am blown away by the quality of production and mixing that is evident on these tracks. Their intro track 'Origin' is a beautiful, symphonic metal track with melodic female vocals provided by a guest musician, Mia Rouvinen. Then they hit you with 'Ghost Recurrence', a more aggressive thrasher, and it changes the game as vocalist/guitarist Atte Kymalainen proceeds to show you what he can do. Death metal growls dominate for much of this song, but elegant melodic vocals come into play for the last minute or so of the song. By now the listener knows what the band is capable of, and the rest of the album explores each element further.

 I first tried to listen to Foredoomed as a death metal band that has incorporated melodic elements and styles of power metal and symphonic metal into their sound. The more I thought about it, however, that seemed like a lot of things to incorporate into a death metal pallet of sounds. Then I stepped back, reconsidered, and found that a better description is perhaps a progressive power metal band with a heavy infusion of death metal style vocals. I found this to be a more comfortable context to appreciate their musical diversity, so that is how I shall refer to them.

While the vocal are indeed mostly death metal growls and screams, with deep guttural tones and ear splitting shrieks, they do incorporate a significant amount of melodic, and operatic vocals too. The musical formula that drives the band's sound it truly melodic in focus. Don't get me wrong, they are still brutally heavy and have moments of pure death metal ferocity, but there are lead guitars overlaying melodic phrases every time you turn around. There is also a near-constant presence of keyboards and/or synthesizers that serve to fill the sound, even in moments when they may be so overpowered by the grinding riffs you hardly notice them.

Foredoomed are a truly talented melodic death metal band. They incorporate such a balanced and abundant amount of melodic, progressive, and ambient elements that I do argue they are more a power metal band that incorporates death metal elements than vice-versa. Ordeal as an album, is a masterpiece of this infusion of metal formulas. I can't get enough of it! If you are a fan of Amon Amarth or even more traditional European power metal bands like Sonata Arctica then you will find much to like with Foredoomed!

Recommended tracks from Ordeal:
-Ghost Recurrence
-Search for Tomorrow (My personal favorite! Love the lead guitar melody and theme that recurs throughout this song.)
-Dualism
-Shade of the Darker Sun

Follow Foredoomed on:
FACEBOOK
BANDCAMP
Official Website
Check out their lyric video for Dualism!

ICED EARTH-Dystopia and Plagues of Babylon (2011-2014)

Post #356

A cold and snowy February calls for me to review Iced Earth once again! This time, I am taking a long-overdue look at the dawn of the Stu Block era. Stu Block had been the vocalist for Into Eternity prior to joining Iced Earth in 2011 to replace long-time singer Matt Barlow. From all I have read on Barlow's departure, between the official Iced Earth website, facebook page, and wikipedia articles on the issue, his departure from the band was amicable and seemed to be an honest retirement. (Barlow has since started a band called Ashes of Ares).

Stu Block stepped in and provided a voice for their 2011 album, Dystopia. As a long-time Iced Earth fan, I was naturally hesitant about another change of the vocalist role, but Stu's amazing range and stylistic emulation of Barlow's tone, and grit immediately put me at ease, and in the end the Dystopia album won me over completely.

Consistent with Iced Earth's recent trends, the album's title track opens with a slow anthem-like riff, and power chords that ring long and heavy. Then Stu Block unleashes a devilish scream, the tempo is kicked into high-speed, and a classic Iced Earth thrash-fest is underway...

While the title track 'Dystopia' thrashes along with the best Iced Earth classics, I cannot help be notice the uncanny, seamless transitions from deep growls to high falsettos that Block displays throughout the song. At some point this talent surpasses simple emulation of Barlow's vocal style, and approaches a 'King-Diamond-esque' mastery of range.

'Anthem' is the next track, and the clean guitar intro which transitions to a low-tempo, minor-key riff shows the listener that Iced Earth will again have all their talents on display for this album. The lyrics are a social criticism with a call for resilience among society's downtrodden classes. The plight of the homeless and poverty-stricken are present throughout. Never a band to shy away from social or political issues, it is clear that Iced Earth are also out to make some statements on this album.

Iced Earth show you their full repertoire on Dystopia, with songs that push the upper limits of intensity like 'Boiling Point' and 'Days of Rage', but balanced out by softer and slower tracks like 'Anguish of Youth' and 'End of Innocence'. Not only are the riffs impressive, but the lead guitar solos are better on this album than the past several Iced Earth albums.

Recommended Tracks:
-Dystopia
-Anthem
-Boiling Point (Intense! A really fast thrasher where Block's vocals really are more comparable to Ripper Owens than Matt Barlow)
-Anguish of Youth (A slower tempo ballad with the clean-heavy-clean transitions that Iced Earth fans are accustomed to)
-V (Heavy groove. Jam-riffing, V is for Victory! "Minds awakened, rid your life of tyranny" Excellent guitar solo!!)
-Dark City (Clean intro again, vocals again are acrobatic- again reminded of KD)
-End of Innocence (A sad ballad, and true masterpiece of a song. Inspired by the illness of Stu's mother. Lead guitars add melody, acoustic guitars add texture, yet choruses are heavy. The theme throughout is about finding inspiration.)

Plagues of Babylon picked up where Dystopia left off. Another concept album, this one actually makes some lyrical references to concepts explored on the Something Wicked, 2-part album. This album opens with a slow and ominous drum beat. Again, this serves as a build-up to the actual song, 'Plagues of Babylon', which shortly morphs into the classic Iced Earth thrasher-type of song. Stu Block's versatile vocals are on display from the get-go.

Block's deep growl is in constant contrast with his upper-range screams and mid-range melodic voice, which simultaneously surprises listeners with unexpected twists and serves the needs of each given song and just the right moments. As I mentioned before, he fits perfectly as a replacement of Matt Barlow, yet also draws comparisons to Tim Owens and even the legendary King Diamond.

'The Culling' is one of the songs that seems like a direct continuation of the concepts from the Something Wicked albums. Mainly a mid-tempo grinder of a song, it also contains a breakdown segment and an impressive guitar solo.

'If I Could See You' is a sad and touching Iced Earth ballad of loss. In much the same way as 'Watching Over Me' primarily featured clean guitar melodies and a minor key tone to convey the emotions of loss and grieving, this song displays the softer side of Iced Earth and is more about losing an inspiring role model than a friend or lover.

The Highwayman is a cover of the Jimmy Webb song made famous by the country super-group The Highwaymen. Here, in similar fashion, Iced Earth performs it as a quartet with different verses sang by Jon Schaffer, Stu Block and guest vocals by Volbeat's Michael Poulsen and Symphony X's Russell Allen. The presence of such big names in the current metal scene make this the best collaboration of talent in the genre since the Big Four of thrash metal performed the song 'Am I Evil?' together on stage in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Recommended Tracks:
-Plagues of Babylon

-The Culling
-Among the Living Dead
-If I Could See You
-Cthulhu
-The Highwayman

Scars of Armageddon at Penny Road Pub for Headbangin' Helliday II

Post #346


Scars of Armageddon are set to perform their last show of 2016 on December 10th at Penny Road Pub in Barrington, IL.

Headlined by Devil Land, this show will also feature Warmouth and Act of Destruction. Tickets are $10, doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm. Go and bang your head with Scars of Armageddon one last time while they're the Independent Band of the Year for this blog.

Scars of Armageddon-Never Sleep... Again (2013)

Post # 329 [Poll Winner-Independent Band of the Year 2015-16]

Scars of Armageddon are a traditional metal band out of McHenry, IL. They originated around the year 2011, solidified a line-up in 2013 and recorded their debut album independently. Last fall they were featured in my annual Independent Band of the Year contest and won, pulling ahead in the final days of voting. A bit later than intended, but well worth the wait, here is my review of their debut album...

Never Sleep... Again is an album of power metal with a thrash edge. Immediately your ears are bombarded with chugging and galloping riffs at a fast tempo. The vocal style is reminiscent of late-80's NWOBHM style bands. There are plenty of guitar solos too. Shredding galore!

Although the fast and heavy riffs dominate the palate on this recording, the band does change things up with occasional melodic, clean guitar parts in a couple songs. These moments add a nice balance to their sound.

If I were forced to compare them to a known band, I'd probably say early Queensryche... like from their debut self-titled EP. 'Queen of the Reich' and 'Nightrider' are a couple songs I'm thinking of. Scars of Armageddon's own tracks like 'The Return' or the title track, 'Never Sleep Again' will fit right in with the likes of those...

Recommended tracks:
-Never Sleep Again
-Our Dying Day
-The Return (this track opens with a clean guitar melody, setting a melancholy tone)
-Edge of Darkness

Preview or download these songs and more at Scars of Armageddon's Bandcamp page!

Trivium in concert with Conniption and The Bloodline (1-21-16)

Post #324

Touring in support of their newest album, Silence in the Snow, Trivium made a stop in my neck of the woods in southeast Wisconsin and I got myself a ticket, in spite of it being on a week night. It has been far too long since I've managed to see Trivium live, plus this would be my first chance to see them as a headliner! They've put out 3 albums since I last saw them on Mayhem Fest in '09, so there would be plenty of new songs in their set, plus I also got a chance to see two other up and coming bands: Conniption and The Bloodline.

I had been following The Bloodline in recent months, since Mike Sylvester of Fist to the Sky joined their touring line-up, but Conniption were completely new to me. I had no idea what to expect. As soon as Conniption started playing I knew I was in for an awesome night of thrash and power metal. Conniption are from Milwaukee, WI, and they perform an intense brand of traditional metal or power metal- fast-tempo, power-riffs, numerous extended guitar solos, and a vocal style akin to Iron Maiden. One of the songs in their set was an instrumental, featuring multiple guitar solos- traded off between lead guitarist Bill House and vocalist/guitarist Michael Brigham. The two played competitively, razzing each other while the other was playing their lead... sort of the way that Sam Totman and Herman Li of DragonForce do. After their opening set, it was time for The Bloodline.

The Bloodline are a Chicago-based melodic metalcore band, and a perfect warm-up for the likes of Trivium. Their style fluctuates between melodic vocals, and hardcore screams in a well-balanced ratio. Vocalist Travis Neal had a commanding stage presence while singing either style. I was reminded of Five Finger Death Punch's Ivan Moody, and it wasn't just their coincidental image of shaved heads, this dude can really sing... and scream. At every point where the song called for it, bassist Mike Sylvester was right there providing the backing vocals, also with both the melodic or hardcore style. Their brutal heaviness and intensity got the crowd energized and moshing ensued...

Next up was the band the whole venue had been waiting for with eager anticipation. Trivium- a band who in my opinion are the best to come along in thrash metal since the genre's beginnings in the mid-1980's. Trivium- whose music I regard as highly as I do Metallica's or Megadeth's. Trivium- a band who almost single-handedly restored my faith in metal's future when I first heard their song 'Entrance of the Conflagration' nearly 10 years ago...

Trivium took the stage as the classical music of 'Sn0fall' played as their intro. The crowd gave them an enthusiastic welcome, the release of their anticipation almost palpable... The band launched immediately into the title track of their new album, 'Silence in the Snow'. Power chords, thundering drums, and headbanging ensued almost immediately. After that they quickly mixed things up, playing a song from nearly every one of their albums in quick succession. They gave the crowd some of their older and well known hardcore classics like 'Rain' and 'Like Light to the Flies' from their landmark Ascendancy album, while ensuring each song was packed with potent energy, and they gave a kick-ass performance!

Matt Heafy was a perfect front-man: Keeping the crowd engaged, and entertained. He mixed some goofing off stage antics in with the expected venting-of-rage that Trivium's lyrical style lends itself to. For the first few minutes of their performance he stuck his tongue out for the crowd in a variety of manners, playing to the smartphones that were snapping pics every couple seconds. He struck several poses while his hands kept jamming out riff after riff. But he would let the crowd get too complacent either, asking us to keep the emotions high and loud even between songs. We in the audience were more than happy to oblige. We gave our all to show our support with screams, headbanging, moshing, and fist-pumping as often as possible.

The band as a whole was in top form on this wintry night. Bassist Paolo Gregoletto provides the melodic backing vocals, and Corey Beaulieu the hardcore backing vocals, while Matt switched back and forth with expert vocal control. Not to be overlooked is their brand new drummer, Paul Wandtke. Hired on by the band right at the start of this tour, replacing previous drummer Mat Madiro on short notice, he nailed all the drum parts like a pro. Heafy gave him a special nod right before he launched into 'Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr', the band's trademark song, and one with the most intense drum-intro I've ever heard.

Trivium left the stage but it was mere seconds later that chants of "TRI-VI-UM! TRI-VI-UM! TRI-VI-UM!" started up... And we kept it going for several minutes until another taped intro began to play. The crowd erupted in cheers with recognition of the track 'Capsizing the Sea', the intro to their 2011 album, In Waves. Matt Heafy again thanked us for being a great crowd, but also instructed us to sing the two-word chorus "In Waves" as loud as we could, and when the song kicked in, we did! I know I was screaming myself hoarse as the mosh-pit grew to encompass at least half the square footage of the entire venue. A fitting conclusion to a killer set-list by one of my favorite bands.

Here are the songs performed on this night. You should find they make an excellent playlist! You cna find the songs of each band downloadable through their websites, also listed below.

Setlist: CONNIPTION
-The Torrent
-Sonata #1 in b minor
-Kamikaze
-(Come On) King of the Road
-Let the Wolf Out

Setlist: THE BLOODLINE
-We Are One
-Divided
-Dead and Buried
-Midnight
-With Fire (Comes Absolution)
-Poisonous
-The Blackout

Setlist TRIVIUM
-Sn0fall (intro)
-Silence in the Snow
-Into the Mouth of Hell We March
-Strife
-Rain
-Tread the Floods
-Built to Fall
-Like Light to the Flies
-Insurrection
-Throes of Perdition
-Becoming the Dragon
-Down From the Sky
-Until the World Goes Cold
-Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr
---encore---
-Capsizing the Sea (intro)
-IN WAVES

After the show I also took advantage of a meet - n - greet they offered for Trivium. Getting to hang with these guys after the show was a truly special honor. I headed to the balcony of the venue and waited a while until the band came out and made the rounds, taking a couple minutes to chat with each fan in the room, and sign their CD's or LP's too. They were very humble, very personable, and professional guys! I wish I had thought of some more meaningful stuff to talk with them about, but I was starstruck, and simply grateful for the opportunity to meet them and say a few words. You may recall that I missed a chance for a meet and greet when I attended Mayhem Fest, but this night made up for it.

Don't forget to follow each of these bands on facebook:
Trivium
Conniption
The Bloodline

My pics from the show...

Scars of Armageddon opening for Dissona's Album Release show: Jan 23rd, 2016

Post #322

HappyHeadbanger's Independent Band of the Year, Scars of Armageddon, are playing their first show of 2016 on January 23rd! They're opening for progressive metal band Dissona's 'Paleopneumatic' album release show.

This show will be at Nite Cap 5007 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago. For just $10 you'll see five Chicago area metal bands. Show starts at 7:30pm... Don't miss it!

Imminent Sonic Destruction-Recurring Themes (2012)

Post #315

Imminent Sonic Destruction, from Detroit, MI are like the 2nd coming of Dream Theater. There are some specific examples of similarities you can directly compare, but as is the case with any new band, they forge their own unique elements into those they take from their influences. Beyond that first impression of mine, they do seem to be true disciples of prog rock and prog metal as their name is a direct inspiration from the progressive space-rock band Hawkwind. It is just with their heavy tonality, and balanced instrumentation, Dream Theater is the most accurate comparison that comes to mind...

Recurring Themes is a full-length album (it's hard not to be when they employ such an accomplished prog-metal style!) that is packed with technical prowess, grand ambition, spectacular musicianship, and jaw-dropping execution. Although a self-released title, they did catch the ear of famous metal producer Roy Z (whom has produced albums for the likes of Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson), and he offered to produce this album.

The opening song, 'Driving Home' features heavy guitars, synthesizers, and elegant guitar solos. It clocks in at just over 10 minutes and instantly gives you a heavy dose of this band's abilities. Fans of Dream Theater (like myself) will find them to be a promising young talent with a bright and promising future.

Another track, 'With Death This Story Ends', gives you a bit of something new, as it incorporates a subtle amount of hardcore screaming in the vocal palate. At first it is a slower, subdued song, with a mild tempo primarily driven by bass and drums. Overall the vocals are still primarily melodic, it is just that we hear their potential for the harder edge after a transition towards the end of the song. In this day and age almost any serious metal band will use some degree of hardcore vocals. Imminent Sonic Destruction are no different, and they can do so as well as anybody, they just choose to use it sparingly.

Describing their style as "progressive super metal" is no understatement, and neither are the comparissons to Dream Theater! It takes a lot to reach that level of musicianship, and it is not a comparisson to make lightly. They can compose and execute compositions of epic length with professional scope and vision. no less than 3 of this album's tracks break the 10 minute mark. 'Raven', the longest of them all, clocks iin at 16:36, and closes the album in stellar fashion.

Another favorite track I want to highlight is 'Here, It's Over'. This one has a dark, melodic intro that feels like it's building to something. The bridges and choruses are heavy thrash metal segments, while the verses revert to the melodic minor-key vibe of the intro. The lyrics depict a personal relationship: a life built together that is slowly disintegrating. Vocally, there are hardcore screams that come into play when the emotions intensify.

So if any of you are a Dream Theater fan wondering when another band might come along to follow their footsteps, or carry that style of metal into the next generation, wait no longer. That band has arrived, and their name is Imminent Sonic Destruction!

Visit their Youtube Channel to see music videos, interviews, stunts, updates, etc...

Though this release has been out for a couple years already, they are still touring in support of it. As a matter of fact, ISD are opening for Fates Warning on their North American Tour this fall!

Visit their facebook page for more details and updates...

Recommended tracks from Imminent Sonic Destruction's Recurring Themes:
-Driving Home
-Monster
-With Death This Story Ends
-Temple
-Here, It's Over
-Raven

Salvacion-God Gold and Glory (2014)

Post #295

Salvacion are a power metal band from Wilmington, NC. They stick very true to the classic metal influences of the this sub-genre of heavy metal, emulating the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Scorpions. There are a lot of bands now going with the 'traditional' metal direction these days. Salvacion still have a unique sound thanks to the vocals of Nicky Sponsel, who channels a voice like the Scorpions' Klaus Mein into a music style that is more aggressive and intense than anything the Scorpions ever did.

Their latest album, God Gold and Glory, delivers another ambitious element: it is a concept album. The theme focuses on Hernan Cortes and his conquest of the Aztec empire in Mexico. All the glory, and the contrasting atrocities of this brutal conquest are touched on in the lyrics of various songs on this album. The printed lyrics on the inside of the CD sleeve begin with a quote from Cortes himself. "I and my companions suffer from a disease of the heart which can be cured only with gold."

Musically, God Gold and Glory proves to be a well-executed, focused, and talent-packed piece of music. The recording quality is top-notch, the playing is high in technicality, and the overall groove maintains a solid style throughout. A wide variety of instrumentation throughout keeps the listener captivated. Screaming guitar solos bring intensity, heavy distorted riffs keep rocking along with acoustic phrases and even keyboards in some places. The tempos can reach a fevered pitch, but there are slower tunes and passages included too. Sponsel's talent beyond the vocal aspect shouldn't be overlooked as he also plays guitar, bass, and organ on this recording! The other half of the creative team in Salvacion is drummer Carlos Denogean, who in addition to gang-style backing vocals also penned the lyrics along with developing the overall concept.

Recommended tracks from God Gold and Glory:
-Obsidian Knife (A true, heavy thrasher! Lyrics depict the tradition of Aztec sacrifices)
-Stroke of Luck (This one has more of a throw-back feel to it, like heavy 80's hair metal)
-Gambler's Throw (This one is like classic metal with a rock n' roll vibe. Headbanging recommended!)
-Satan Shame and Steel (Organ intro has an old-school Deep Pruple vibe, then it becomes a heavy tune. The lyrics develop the album's concept more thoroughly. The song's title is the inverse of God Gold and Glory- but it could equally serve as the title-track.)
-Way More Unstoppable (In spite of the grammatical redundancy of the title, this is one of my favorite songs on this CD. Also it is one of the heaviest songs, a great way to close the album!)

Follow Salvacion on their facebook page!