Concert Review: Fabio Frizzi, Brooklyn, NY (10/30/17)

It was just over two years ago that I first had the pleasure of witnessing the genius of Fabio Frizzi live and in person. It was one of those transcendental, bucket list moments that I never thought I would ever get to experience. I am fast learning that those “I never thought” thoughts are never a lock. I mean, this came after I saw Iron Maiden (four times now), a band I never thought I’d get the chance to see live and after I saw Goblin (at the same venue as Frizzi, no less). Since that time I have seen another “I never thought” in the person of John Carpenter. I have pulled off a horror trifecta. Now, I have had the absolute pleasure of seeing Fabio Frizzi a second time (and in another week will be able to say the same for Goblin).

Concert Review: Iron Maiden w/ Ghost (Barclays Center 7/21/17)

It has been a handful of years since i was a regular concert goer. There have been a number of factors that led to my general lack of concert going, like the fact I don’t really care to travel long distances to go to a show and the lack of quality shows coming to my neck of the woods. Well, one of the bands that could and should get you out of your concert-going funk is Iron Maiden. When I learned they would be marking a stop in Brooklyn and were bringing Ghost with them, well, I knew where i had to be. And there I was and they did not disappoint whatsoever. In fact, the show sold out so fast they added a second date.

Concert Review: John Carpenter - Live Retrospective (Playstation Theater, 7/8/16)

It’s not often that I go to concerts anymore. It’s not that I don’t want to go, but access to artists I want to see is a bit more scarce these days. Of course, there are some that I make every effort to go see based on the rarity of appearances. Back in 2013 it was announced that Goblin was embarking on their first ever tour of the United States. This announcement was one of those rare moments, an artist I adore, it was a bucket list moment and the show was utterly transcendent. Two years later I was able to repeat that feeling when composer Fabio Frizzi (The Beyond, Zombie) went on a tour of the US. That, too, was absolutely incredible. Now, in 2016 I was able to scratch another entry off the bucket list, I saw John Carpenter in concert. It was magic.

Concert Review: Fabio Frizzi - Frizzi 2 Fulci (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA. 10/10/15)

Over the years I have come to be a big fan of Italian horror, specifically those from the 70's and 80's. This fandom also came with a love for the music that accompanied the horrific images. This includes the likes of Goblin and Fabio Frizzi. These artists have created some of the greatest music ever written and when you get a chance to see them perform their music live must be taken advantage of. The opportunities are far and few between, since they are based out of Italy, it is rare that they make it State-side. Fortunately, I got to see Goblin two years ago on their first US tour. It was a transcendent night of music. Now, I have gotten to see, and meet, Fabio Frizzi on his first tour of the US.

Concert Review: Goblin at Underground Arts (Philadelphia, PA 10/5/13)

I do not know when, exactly, that I became aware of Goblin. I was late to the horror game, so it was much later in life that I was introduced to horror movies and it was after that that I became aware of the importance of music. I saw Dawn of the Dead and loved it, but the composer did not click. The closest I can think is when I fell for Suspiria and the music for that movie is very distinctive. Since then I have listened to their scores and particularly one of their compilation disks, it never gets old and is just beautiful music.

Concert Review: The Big 4 (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax) at Yankee Stadium 9/14/11

All things considered the day started just like any other day. I woke, showered, had some breakfast and got on the computer for a little pre-work time. 8am rolled around and I left the house, headed for work. I arrived, got my computer turned on, checked my email and started the days work. Nothing unusual there, but there was something different about this particular day. You see, it was September 14th and that was the day that the Big 4 was happening at Yankee Stadium, and I was going! To say I was a little excited would be an understatement.

Concert Review: Welcome to the Family w/ Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace, Sevendust (4/30/11, Times Union Center Albany, NY)

It was a couple of months back when a friend asked ominously "Want to go to a concert?" Of course I was interested, then he told who was playing and I was definitely in. It sounded like a good time for live music. Avenged Sevenfold and Sevendust? You can consider that a winning combo. Toss in Three Days Grace for a little bonus material and now you have a show. It's been a few years since I have seen either A7X or Sevendust and I was definitely interested in seeing them again.

Concert Review: The World of Webs Tour - Twiztid, Blaze, DJ Clay, and More (Poughkeepsie, NY 12/4/10)

As many of you who know me know, I am not exactly the biggest fan of rap or hip hop. I am not against it, it is just not my cup of tea and my knowledge can be called severely lacking. That said, I am a pretty big fan of the Psychopathic Family, you know, Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Anybody Killa, and the rest. So, when I saw that Twiztid was going to be rolling into town, there was no doubt that I was going to be in attendance. No doubt. This was a must see strengthened by Twiztid's incredible recent album, Heartbroken & Homicidal.

Concert Review: Bob Dylan at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center (11/16/10)

Considering my knowledge and experience with Bob Dylan, I am the last person who should be writing about him. This is funny considering this is the third time I have done so. The first was back in August of 2004, just a few months after beginning this site. My father and I went to see Dylan and Willie Nelson on their tour of minor league baseball stadiums. It was an incredible experience and something I never thought I would experience. Two years later Dylan again came through and played the same stadium. My father and I again attended and had a great time. Now it is four years later and I am once again honored to be in the presence of music royalty.

Music Video Review: The Big Four - Live from Sofia, Bulgaria

There is always a little bit of controversy when talking about the biggest names in thrash metal. I know I have been taken to task on a few occasions by my references to the so-called "Big Four." I freely admit that as much as I love metal, I am not the most knowledgeable about its history. So what? I know what I like and I recognize the bands who have influenced my love of the genre for so many years. In my eyes, and in the eyes of the public at large, there are no bigger thrash bands than Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. They have collectively influenced a generation and continue to deliver their music all over the world. With that said, it has always been the dream of millions of metalheads to see these four bands share the stage. That dream is now a reality.

Concert Review: Iron Maiden w/ Dream Theater - July 12, 2010, Madison Square Garden, NY

Wow. What else can I say? This was an amazing concert and a fantastic experience. I came to music late, I came to many of the greats even later. This being true, I missed opportunities to see many of these bands much earlier on that I did not even know existed. So, when I my tastes and breadth of experience expanded there are some acts I never thought I would get to see live. One of those bands is Iron Maiden. I have now seen them three times. To think I never thought there would be one. This is my fifth time for Dream Theater, although it is the first in a number of years.

Concert Review: We are the Fallen w/ Aerias, Audible Thought, Who We Be, and Headboard Jockeys

A few weeks ago a reunited local act, featuring three quarters of the original line-up (joined by a new drummer), played their first live show since the reunion. It was a benefit show that they easily stole from the rest of the bill. They were not at the top of their game but they sounded very good and you could tell they were hving a great time being back on the stage together. They were reenergized and seemed ready to conquer the world, or at least have a hell of a time trying. Here we are now, they are back on the stage opening for an up and coming national act. Not bad for a few weeks into their latest run, no? The band I am talking about is Audible Thought. We'll get back to them.

UFO w/ Freakswitch, Starstruck, Adam's Echo (10/8/09, Poughkeepsie, NY)

Live music is a wonderful thing. It really does not matter what style is being played, there is always something about seeing musicians ply their trade without a net that is exciting. Even when the band is not terribly good, there is still something to be said about watching them put themselves out there. Those who perform live music are brave souls and should be supported, of course it is always desirable that the band be good, but if you enter in with a positive attitude, you will always find something to like.

Concert Review: Mushroomhead w/ Straight Line Stitch, Supe (Pougheepsie, NY 8/23/09)

It seems that whenever I see Mushroomhead, they are on a tour sponsored by Jagermeister. I don't think this little fact really means anything, but considering I have seen them on a good number of occasions it was an odd little curiosity. Also, more often than not, they would be on the road with Dope, another band that gives a high energy performance. Unfortunately, they are not in this particular package. The name of this tour is the "HED to HEAD Tour" and features Mushroomhead and (hed) p.e. I must admit this is not as enticing a package as Mushroomhead and Dope, but what are you going to do? Sometimes you have to give a little in order to experience a Mushroomhead show, which is something everyone should do at least once.

I got to The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY a little bit late and I missed a pair of local openers. This is something I regret as I always like to see what the local scene has to offer. Sure, I go to some local shows, and that is a great thing, but it is a different experience to see them with national acts and the larger crowds they bring.

As I got inside and obtained my first beer, the first national opener was just getting ready. The band hails from Tokyo, Japan, (although, they now call California home) and goes by the name Supe (pronounced "shoop"). They took the stage like a band possessed, delivering high energy rock to a young crowd that seemed ready to eat it up. I must admit, I got caught up in the energy of the performance as well. They definitely know how to put on a show and worked the stage like a well oiled machine. I guess my problem with them is that the music was not all that great.

Do not get me wrong, the music is not bad, and I am relatively sure I would enjoy checking them out on CD. The crux of the matter is, is that as entertaining as they were live, the music did not really stand out as being very original. It was solid, driving, well played hard rock, and it was very easy to get into live, but at when thinking about it after the fact, I must admit to being less than thrilled, especially considering what followed them.

Following Supe is Straight Line Stitch, straight out of Knoxville, TN. This quintet upped the ante delivering some rough, in your face metal that threatened to pound your face in. This is a band I know I have heard these guys before, but I cannot remember where it was. I do have to say that I was impressed with what they had to offer. It was not like they are rewriting the book of metal, but they do have a sound that does stand out with its blending of metal, metalcore, and a touch of hardcore.

The band is fronted by Alexis Brown, who possesses a powerful voice that does not sound like it would come from someone so slight. She has a powerful growl that sounds like her throat is coming apart, then change on a dime and have a beautiful singing voice. It will be interesting to see how far they can go.

All right, the opening acts are out of the way it is now time for the band all of us were there for. Well, at least me anyway.

The stage was cleared and redressed for the coming of Mushroomhead. This means a few more light fixtures, some floor toms mounted at the front of he stage and plastic bags to cover the stage monitors and other electronic equipment.

After an excruciating, but not terribly long wait, entrance music picked up and the lights went down. Coinciding with the lights was a roar from the crowd and a "MUSHROOMHEAD!" chant. Then the band slowly came to the stage and the song "43" picked up. What followed was an hour of great music, lots of lights, and a fantastic stage show.

Oh yes, I would be remiss f I did not mention that the band featured some new masks. Gone are the X masks and the pig masks, in their place are these creepy baby doll masks, with a variety of hairstyles (or lack thereof) and in a couple cases, slits to allow for singing. I do not know what the story is behind them, but they were really odd and I am assuming they will tie in with the new album they have been working on.

In any case, as per usual, they put on a great show. If there is anything to complain about it is the fact that their sound could use a second guitarist. After losing Bronson a couple years back, the sound is a touch thinner live. Still, they manage to tear it up ad get everyone into the show. Waylon has stepped up and has eclipsed J Mann, in my opinion, he is a strong and versatile singer who plays well with Jeffrey Nothing's vocal style. Plus, who doesn't love the in time drumming with the water covered toms? Great visual, if nothing else.

I must admit that I do not particularly care for (hed) p.e. and I chose to leave prior to their set. Apologies to their fans, but I had other commitments and figured I would be better served by the early exit.

I believe this set list is pretty close to what Mushroomhead played:
1. 43
2. Kill Tomorrow
3. 1200
4. Bwomp
5. Before I Die
6. These Filthy Hands
7. Damage Done
8. Simple Survival
9. Save Us
10. Solitaire / Unraveling
11. Xeroxed
12. Sun Doesn't Rise
13. Empty Spaces
14. Born of Desire

Mushroomhead - "43" Live 8/23/2009 from Chris Beaumont on Vimeo.

Concert Review: Unearth w/ For the Fallen Dreams, Woe of Tyrants, Starring Janet Leigh (Poughkeepsie, NY 7/17/09)

Unearth is one of those bands that I was a little slow to discover. To be honest, I was caught a little behind the eight-ball as metalcore began its rise to prominence some years ago with the likes of Unearth, Killswitch Engage, and Shadows Fall. Still, once I discovered it, these upper echelon bands of the genre stood out like a sore thumb, but in a good way. Since my discovery I have had the pleasure of seeing Unearth a total of three times, twice back in 2007 and then this past Friday night. Each time has spawned a memorable performance filled with high energy and top notch performances.

This evening began earlier than the time stated at The Chance's website. This faux pas caused me to miss the first two bands. They were local acts selected to join the main touring party, and from what I heard, they both put on good performances, even acknowledged by the main acts. The two bands were Trapnote and Talionis. The former I have seen on a few occasions, but not in quite some time, but they were definitely on the rise the last time I saw them. Hopefully I will get a chance to see them at some point in the near future. The other, Talionis, is a name I have seen, but have not yet heard them. One of the band members was passing out samplers after the show, so I snagged one of them, but have not yet listened.

As I walked into the club, Starring Janet Leigh was getting ready for their set. They were in the process of finishing their sound check, so I headed straight for the bar and got myself a Heineken. You know, just a little something to get the evening going. I the proceeded down to the middle level of the small club, bordering the pit in front of the stage, so as to get a good view of the stage.

Almost like they were cued, no sooner had I taken up residence in the best spot I could find, the Canadian metal outfit tore into their set. I mean "tore" quite literally. For about 25-minutes, Starring Janet Leigh were a metallic force to be reckoned with. They are a fusion of death, extreme, progressive, grind, and even a little jazz, the end result being totally mesmerizing and considerably different than your normal metal experience. The vocals are of the typical growled variety, but what makes them standout are the musicians. In particular, the guitar and drums were spectacular. The drummer was blazing fast and was all over the kit playing odd riffs and time signatures, ripping through roles, slowing down to play soft jazz patterns before immediate acceleration back into the heavy stuff. Meanwhile, the guitars were all over the place, using a variety of different sounds within each song, it was like he was tap dancing over the foot pedals in addition to keeping his fingers flying over the right notes. This is definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Next up was Woe of Tyrants, hailing from Ohio, this up and coming act has just begun its march across America. They debuted in 2007 with an independent release and made their national debut this year with Metal Blade records. Much like Starring Janet Leigh, they wasted no time getting out there and ripping up the stage. The five-piece brought heavy death/metalcore sounds to the crowd in relentlessly brutal fashion.

These guys new one speed, fast. At no point do they slow down, take a breath, nothing. As good as the were, I fear they may burn out fast. It has to do with vocalist Chris Catanzaro, he is going all out from the first word, the way he distorts his voice into these twisted growls, I fear he is going to destroy his vocal cords. Everything was at a high level, you could see his throat straining, the veins pulsing, and his face turning red. It is actually kind of scary. I hope that he finds a safer way of singing because this band is good and I would hate to see them get sidelined by blown vocal chords. It would not be the first time in recent years a singer has had to modify his style.

The final warm up act was For the Fallen Dreams. They arrived on stage with no less energy than the two bands prior, but there was something about them that I did not particularly care for. The music just did not hit me with any force. Maybe it was the mix, maybe they were off their game, perhaps I just genuinely didn't care about it. Whatever the truth is, despite the energy with which they attacked the stage and the love being given back by the crowd, I just did not connect. It did seem like I was on the outside looking in, considering the warm reception they received. Frankly, I do not have much to say about them, aside from knowing they will be back in town in a few weeks with the Thrash and Burn tour that is being headlined by Devildriver.

Finally, the band that everyone in the smallish crowd was waiting for, the mighty Massachusetts-bred Unearth! Which brings me to a point before going any further. Where was everybody? Sure, there were people there, but not enough. With Unearth playing that place should have been packed to the sky. It was embarrassing for the local metal fan community to have such a light turnout. Reminds me of not long ago when Shadows Fall sold a total of 17 tickets and had to cancel. I know the economy isn't the greatest and many (most) shows are not selling out, but I am sure we could have had a better showing than we had. Now, on with the show!

Unearth is an amazing act, their music perfectly blends the brutality of hardcore and the technical precision of metal. They mix until ready and serves as many as will have it or can stand it This performance was as good or better than the prior two times. They went at it with reckless abandon, brutal when they needed to be, precise when they needed to be, but always playing to the crowd.

It Buz McGrath is a wild man on stage, running around, ripping through riffs and leads, mooning the audience, jumping off his speaker cabinet, he will not be contained. Meanwhile, Trevor Phipps is a solid frontman, keeping everyone involved with the festivities while growling, screaming, and singing his lungs out.

When their set ended, the small but loud crowd would have none of it, imploring them to come back for "One-More-Song" (and repeat). This eventually got the lights flashing in time followed by the band's return to the stage for just that, one more song. They closed the night strong, performing perfectly and leaving the crowd thirsting for more.

The set list included such songs as "My Will Be Done," "Giles," "Sanctity of Brothers," "Endless," "This Time was Mine," "Crow Killer," "Zombie Autopilot," "We Are Not Anonymous," and "Black Hearts Now Reign."

Click HERE to see a photo gallery of pictures I took of Unearth.

Unearth Photo Gallery from The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY (7/17/09)

This is a selection of the better photos I was able to take while at the show: (Click to see larger)

Concert Review: Static-X w/ Bury Your Dead, Seventh Void (Poughkeepsie, NY 5/21/09)

It must have been about a month ago that I was perusing the upcoming show list for The Chance Theater. It had been awhile since I took a look and there were a number of new shows on the schedule, one of them stood out from the rest, Static-X. Yes, the world's leading provider of evil disco was coming back to Pough-town. They had spent an evening here just over two years ago with OTEP in tow. As soon as I saw the listing I knew I wanted to go, then something else caught my eye. One of the opening acts was called Seventh Void and right next to that it said (Members of Type O Negative). Those words pricked up my ears. Instead of knowing I wanted to go, I knew I had to go.

I arrived at the club right around 7:30. I walked up the door, produced my license and was properly wrist-banded to allow for some party-time drinking, and headed inside. It was apparent that I missed an act, I believe it was Dirge. This is regrettable, but with the way door open times shift and get confused with show start times, it happens from time to time. That said, I was all set for some live music.

The first band I saw was called Judgment Day, I believe. The few times they said there name I found it hard to hear. So, I apologize if I got the name wrong and I suspect I have, I cannot find any reference to a band called Judgment Day. In any case, the band was solid and the small, but growing, crowd was definitely getting behind them.

They are a metalcore band, but not one that was terribly original. No, they do not stand out from a crowd, but that is also a good thing. They are solid and brought a lot of energy to the stage. If I had to describe them, I would say they are like Killswitch Engage if Corey Taylor was their singer and they collectively had less talent. Judgment Day (if that actually is their name) may be derivative, but they are worth taking a peek. Their debut album is set to be released come September.

In short order the equipment on stage was swapped out for the first band that I was really interested in seeing. It was going on 8:30 and Seventh Void took the stage. I was excited to see these guys, probably more than any other band this evening. It's funny, as hyped as I was, the crowd took awhile to warm up to them. It is hard for anyone to start up a new band, regardless of your pedigree (half of the band is from Type O Negative), especially with what seems to be little label support and a brand new album.

Fortunately, after a couple of songs the crowd began to get into it. I must admit that the first song or two had me a little worried, not so much for the crowd participation so much as the band's sound. It sounded awfully weak and I could not make out much of front man Kenny Hickey's vocals, and the band had an overall lack of punch. What the problem was, I am not sure but I am reasonably sure there was some problem with the monitors, when the sound came up it brought a punch to the stage that had a ripple effect through he audience. I love it.

The band did not have a lot of space to move around on the stage, but it mattered not. Seventh Void is not about the stage antics (not that there is anything wrong with that), they are about delivering a slab of heavy rock, and that is what they did. They tore through such tracks as "Closing In," "Heaven is Gone," and "The End of All Time" before closing with"Broken Sky."

Kenny's voice sounded a little rough, but still strong. His guitars were solid and well complimented by Matt Brown's work, together they create a nice thick wall of guitar fuzz. Behind them, Johnny Kelly leads the rhythm section with his big drum sound. The back end is thickened by Hank Hell's bass playing. All things considered, they may not be the most original act, but they are rock solid and playing music worth listening too.

Next up was hardcore act Bury Your Dead, offering a decidedly different sound from the heavy hard rock of Seventh Void. I first saw these guys about two and a half years ago, they were opening for Hatebreed and Killswitch Engage, and it was one hell of a show. The time in between has seen the band release a new album with a new singer and replace one of their guitarists, so this is a different look than what I knew.

They came out, opened with "Harvester of Straw" from the Beauty and the Breakdown album and never looked back. They played with as much intensity as the small amount of stage they had would allow. It was great watching them play. It was a different experience than last time, they are a bit more melodic with their new stuff and singer Myke Terry sings a little more than Mat Buso did before him.

Bury Your Dead has a new album arriving on My 26th and they played a couple of tracks from that album, including "Inhuman" and "Hurting Not Helping." The new cuts sounded good, and no one can fault their energy! This is definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Static-X was the last band to take the stage, and were they ever welcomed by the eager crowd! There is nothing like a little evil disco to finish the night strong. No sooner did they start ripping it on stage did the crowd go berserk. It also only took a couple of songs for me to realize that I need to add more Static-X to my collection, the same thing I said when I saw them two years ago, something I have made a reality picking up Cult of Static. Prior to this I had not picked up an album since 2001's Machine. In any case, the albums are good, they are just as good live.

Wayne Static walked to the center of the stage, signature hair standing straight up, big smile on his face, crowd roaring, and it was off. There was no way they were going to disappoint, and they didn't. Now, Static-X may not be absolute instrumental wizards, their music may never be considered truly classic, but I can honestly say that I cannot think of another band that they sound like. They have a unique sound that is very easy to get behind.

They played a mix of tunes spanning their ten years in the public eye, covering six albums. Of course, there were only a few songs that I knew, including the pair played for the encore, but the rest were easy to get into. Their performance is tight, precise and filled with groove. I think it is impossible to not let these tunes in your head, they are insidious in their ability to get your body moving.

Every once in awhile the band would stop to toast the crowd and do a shot, delivered by the lovely Miss Static, who spent the show standing towards the rear of the stage dancing to every song and distracting every male in the place. Nice addition to the stage show, if I do say so myself.

In any case, this was a great show with strong performances all around. There is nothing like a night of live music, especially when they bands are good!

Static-X Set List, I found this on the web and it appears to at least close to what I saw:

1. Lunitic
2. Dirthouse
3. I'm With Stupid
4. Stem
5. Black & White
6. Stingwray
7. Destroyer
8. Cold
9. Bled for Days
10. Behemoth
11. Canabal
12. Love Dump
13. Sweat of the Bud
14. This is Not
15. Push It

As an added bonus, I snapped a few shots with my phone, many were not all that good, but here are a few worth checking out:

Seventh Void:



Bury Your Dead:



Static-X: