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Channel: George Archibald, Author at Empire Extreme

Meshuggah 2022 Tour: Pittsburgh Show


The Contortionist/Rivers of Nihil: Pittsburgh Show Review

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Empire Extreme: Music News, Reviews, and Interviews from some of the world's most extreme bands. www.EmpireExtreme.com

A chilly fall day saw concert goers huddling into Mr Smalls Theater in Pittsburgh to watch Rivers of Nihil and The Contortionist perform. Pennsylvania natives Rivers of Nihil are touring in support of their album The Work which came out inSeptember of 2021. The Contortionist have been playing venues since 2007 and will be performing both the Language and Exoplanet albums in their entirety for their sets. Both albums are held in high esteem by the metal community and are in opinion must listen staples of the genre. 

A dark lit stage was the backdrop for Rivers of Nihil to kick off things for the night. Bassist Adam Biggs addressed the crowd prior to their set to say that vocalist Jake Dieffenbach had a personal issue that needed attended to and that he would not be performing tonight. The band proceeded with Biggs filling in on vocals for the night as well as fill in vocals from drummer Jared Klein. A Stand out for the night was the accompaniment of a live Saxophonist performing along side the band. The crowd packing in was banging their heads along to such songs as Dreaming Black Clockwork, More? And Tower 2 as the band finished their set closing out with Terrestria IV: Work.

The Contortionist came out the gate hitting things hard with the Language album out the gate. From the first notes of The Source Pittsburgh was engaged. The crowd even helped vocalist Michael Lessard sing the opening lines to Primordial Sound. After a brief intermission the band flipped the switch and full beast mode coming out the gate with the Exoplanet set ripping through Primal Directive. The crowd erupted in a pit mid crowd churning along as the band played through Contact. The Contortionist is showcasing the dichotomy of their musical skills tonight.

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DEADMEN AND DRAGONS TOUR

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The House of Blues Cleveland was host to the Deadmen and Dragons tour with Trivium, Between the Buried and Me, Whitechapel, and Khemmis. The crowd packed into the venue for a wide arrangement of metal this night, everything from metalcore,  to progressive metal, deathcore and even doom metal on the docket. 

Colorado natives Khemmis took the stage first, their blend of doom/sludge metal got the crowd going from their first riffs. Khemmis has been making their way through the area for quite some time and it was nice to see the Cleveland crowd engaging with vocalist, Phil Pendergast. The band’s set was very energetic with twin guitar solos from Phil and Ben Hutcherson.

Whitechapel took the stage next playing a more condensed set than what I have seen them play in the past years. Kicking things off with I Will Find You and moving right into Anticure. The band also fit in crowd favorite This is Exile getting the pit to open up, before finishing out with Doom Woods. It was a good blend of modern Whitechapel with a little of the old remnants thrown in. I do like hearing the clean lines of Bozeman throughout the set especially on Orphan.

Between the Buried and Me kicked things off with Son of Nothing from the Colors album. A crowd favorite, the pit started going right off matching the energy of the band. Vocalist Tommy Rogers paced the stage, almost stalking as he ripped through Revolution in Limbo. Ever the masters of their craft, the band performed every song near perfect, while scaling through several genres of music. As the bands songs are a cornucopia of different musical styles not only metal, but salsa, easy listening, jazz, blues, and mid eastern influences were all touched on during their set. 

Before Trivium took the stage they were greeted by a sing along to Run to the Hills from the crowd singing along to the Iron Maiden tune. The curtain drops from the front of the stage, dragon statues and fog were the stage setting for Trivium as they took the stage. High energy from the moment they come out Matt Heafy and Co were all about the entertainment for the night. Blistering solos, crowd sing alongs, and the band working the crowd from every angle of the stage. It was like a carnival going off and not knowing where to look next. Trivium’s set was a full out assault with What the Dead Men Say really kicking off the pace then diving into Amongst the Shadows & the Stones. The crowd was right there with every song feeding from the band’s energy. 

If you are looking for a show that covers just about every inch of every musical genre this is the tour to check out. High energy packed from the first band to the last. The entertainment value has been turned up past 11. Be sure to check out the Deadmenand Dragons tour with Trivium, Between the Buried and Me, Whitechapel and Khemmis you will not be disappointed.

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LOATHE PITTSBURGH SHOW REVIEW

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​It was a packed crowd at the Spirit Longue for the opening night of the I Let It In, and It Took Everything Us and Canada tour featuring Loathe, Statis Dress, Omerta, and UnityTx. Tonight, the crowd would be in for a blend of nu metal, rock,hardcore, progressive, pop, punk, and in parts the extreme, as these bands have elements that go off the beaten path at times pushing the song sonically to a new plane. With the advancement of pitch shifters, and electronics these bands have a vast array of sounds at their disposal to wield at their will, building heavier creative rhythms to get the crowd moving.

​UnityTx was up first, the band is a cross of nu metal, rap, and hardcore. The songs come out hard and heavy, with a beatdown style to them, low tuned and having a bounce. The vocalist was very active throughout the set pacing the stage and even getting into the crowd during the set. The crowd was getting amped and the first of many mosh pits for the night broke out. 

​Omerta took the stage next, this band falls more on the heavier side of nu metal, adding elements of experimental metal: noise, pitch shifting, and feedback paired with precision time break beats, think Dillinger Escape Plan and Tallah. The music has the bounce while coming fast paced and aggressive. To pair with the audio chaos this band throws down on stage, every member putting maximum effort in to visually grasp everyone in attendance’s attention. By this time in the show crowd members were climbing onto the stage, to stage dive; the energy level of the crowd was a force to witness. 

​Hailing from the UK, Static Dress was up next delivering a sonic ensemble of post hardcore, punk and emo to the stage. Vocalist Olli Appleyard was very energic: using all the stage for his theatrics, engaging with the crowd, and encouraging sing a longs. A standout, on stage was the masked guitarist Contrast, this night he was wearing what looked like a purge mask blacked out along the mouth and forehead. While adorning a black raincoat, his presence was haunting while keeping the melody going. The crowd at this point was fully locked in, feeding out of Appleyard’s hand as the band played through their set. 

​Loathe was next, batting clean up to all these heavy hitters tonight. This UK band takes progressive, nu metal, and alternative metal, and blends it with the melodic, while spicing things up with occasional harsh vocals. At this point of the night, people were standing on top of each other to witness the band play through crowd favorite after favorite. Loathe kicked things off with ‘Aggressive Evolution’ and playing through ‘Two-Way Mirror’. On Screaming, the crowd joined in with vocalist Kadeem France’s more somber vocal lines. The band continued through ‘Is it Really You?’  and ‘I let it in and It Took Everything’ before coming back out for an encore of White Hot. 

​If you are looking to expand your musical horizons, I highly suggest you catch Loathe and Co as they are performing the ‘I let it in and It Took Everything’ album in its entirety. You will be in for a full sonic assault. This is a high energy show, so expect the crowd and the bands to be moving for the night. 

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The Pain Remains Tour:Pittsburgh Review

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Empire Extreme: Music News, Reviews, and Interviews from some of the world's most extreme bands. www.EmpireExtreme.com

As the packed crowd waited to enter The Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks on the last US date of The Pain Remains tour you could feel an energy in the air. People were lined up and down the block eagerly awaiting a chance to see their favorite bands perform tonight. What a show they will see, a list of all killers for the night with headliners Lorna Shore, and guests Aborted, Ingested, Angelmaker, and Ov Sulfur; it would be a headbangers and moshers paradise for the night. Each band has their own distinctive take on death metal and deathcore; from heavy slams to intricate melodies, and even blistering solos, all ends of the spectrum would be covered tonight. 

Ov Sulfur took the stage first. Lead by Vocalist Ricky Hoover, formally of the band Suffokate brought their style of blacken deathcore to the Pittsburgh crowd. A few technical issues cut into the first songs of their set but that didn’t stop the crowd from throwing down during the set. Heavy lows and screaming highs set the background as the band’s music had a relentless grind throughout the set. A standout during the set was the performance of their newest single “Stained in Rot”, released in late October; the song is a barn-burner churning away as moshers were starting to get their bearings for the night. 

​Angelmaker took the stage and demanded the crowd’s attention from the first minute. This Canadian outfit has a duo vocalist assault with Mike Greenwood, and Casey Tyson- Pearce belting out everything from gutturals to high pitched screams. Paired with three guitarists in veterans Matt Perrin and Colton Bennett and newest addition Johnny Ciardullo of Carcosa, who joined the band in early 2020. Angelmaker throws everything at you from heavy breakdowns, the fast grinds, to soaring melodies, and even the kitchen sink. Live the band dominates the stage, putting on one of the best performances of the night. Vocalist Casey Tyson- Pearce even spanned the photo pit to get in with the crowd standing on top of the barricade during the set. This band continues to raise expectations every time I see them live and delivers tenfold with their performances.

Ingested took the stage next, their sigil was marked across the stage and backdrop as the Slam King from Slamchester held court this night. Vocalist Jason Evans was ever the presence this night, pacing the stage utilizing every inch to engage with the crowd. Even demanding a “Wall of Death” during the set which saw the crowd part and slam back together as the band kicked in. Notably on this tour the band was joined by Miles Dimitri Baker of Voidbringer/Interloper on guitar. He is one of the best in the business and was a well-deserved addition to their live set. The band set was scattered with songs from their newest album Ashes Lie Still which was released earlier this November. 

Aborted was up next, following all these heavy hitters these seasoned veterans brought their own blend of cosmic gore and horror to the masses. Their set showcased the best of their previous releases from Retrogore through ManiaCult. Their stage dressing had two cabinets of curiosities, which held what I could only describe as David Cronenberg inspired monstrosities. The music is blazing fast and very technical, guitar solos and grinds in abundance. The band not to be outdone by Ingested, asked for their own wall of death which saw the venue collide amongst itself before the band kicked into ManiaCult. Vocalist Sven de Caluwe got into the action ramping up the crowd as he paced the stage and even at points mimicked a machine gunner chopping down the crowd as a cascade of crowd surfers were coming over the barricade. 

​Headliners Lorna Shore closed out the night, the success of this tour is coming off the back of their latest and highly celebrated release Pain Remains that has been charting since its release on October 14th, having seen every show sold out. This is a pivotal success not only for deathcore but metal in general as it shows the genre still has a huge listening pool and continues to push against the grain of what is popular music today. Many in the crowd careened to get closer to see vocalist Will Ramos belt out his distinct style of gutturals. Paired with the intricate guitar styling of Adam De Micco and Andrew O’Connor and the blistering drumming of Austin Archey, the band was a force to be reckoned with onstage. The music paired with fog and quick light changes were a over stimulation of the senses as the audio assault played on. The band played through several notable singles, including “Sun//Eater” and “To the Hellfire” before an encore of “Pain Remains” parts 1 through 3 to close out their set. 

This being the last night of the US tour, the bands will continue into Canada to finish out. If you were able to attend this tour, you were in for some very special moments. Each band on the bill is unique on their own but this collaboration was one of the best tours I have witnessed. If you are a fan of  heavy music I high suggest you check out all of these bands for you are sure to find something new and fantastic to spark your ears. 

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Katatonia Pittsburgh Show Review

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A chilly evening for a mix of doom and folk metal was on the docket for concert goers as they lined the street waiting entry to The Thunderbird Café to see Katatonia, The Ocean and Cellar Darling. This night would unfortunately not see The Ocean perform as there were issues at the Canadian boarder which delayed the bands entry to the United States. Opener Cellar Darling and Closer Katatonia would be performing extended sets in the wake of The Oceans absence. 

Cellar Darling kicked things off, hailing from Switzerland the bands sound is a blend of folk, rock, and progressive metal. From keyboards to flute, and even a hurdy gurdy thrown in for an original blend of rock and metal. Vocalist Anna Murphy’s vocals soared over the heavy guitar work of Ivo Henzithroughout their extended set consisting of songs from 2019’s The Spell and 2017s This is the Sound album. Notable songs during their set were Death, The Spell and Black Moon. 

Katatonia was up next, there set consisting of their hits from throughout the years. Hearts Set to Divide warmed up the crowd, as the band continued on Dead Letters, Teargas, and The Racing Heart were standout favorites from the night. The band even performed their latest single Atrium which was released in late October before closing out their set with an encore of The Racing Heart and Lethean. 

For a show consisting of two bands, the show was very entertaining, and the crowd was engaged throughout. Katatoniaare seasoned veterans and consistently bring a solid show to each new venue. Cellar Darling was a great opener, very entertaining and their vocalist kept things light with little anecdotes during song breaks to keep the crowd’s attention. The Ocean’s presence was missed but in my opinion didn’t effect the show as both bands stepped up this night.

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Blind Obedience Tour: Pittsburgh Show Review

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The Roxian in Mckees Rocks, Pa was host to the Blind Obedience Tour starring Loathe, Periphery, and Underoath.  The nearly sold-out show was packed to the gills, as people entered the venue wanting to catch a glimpse of their favorite bands. Loathe was just in the Pittsburgh region last November,  at Spirit Lounge has been collecting quite the following of fans since their previous visit. Periphery is touring in support of their new album Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre. Underoath just released a new single Let Go, so there was plenty of new music to be heard this night. 

Loathe took the stage first. These Liverpool natives play a collection of progressive, and alternative music with a bit of shoegaze mixed in. the songs tiptoe the balance between the somber and aggressive, with the sound of downtuned bass and guitar in syncopated rhythm with the drums. All matched with the tag team of clean vocals by Kadeem France and guitarist Erik Bickerstaffe, with a bit of harsh vocals added in really takes the listener on a journey. Some of the stand out performances were on Screaming, Is it Really You?, before closing out the set with Gored.

Periphery was next with an ever-changing set list. Vocalist Spencer Sotelo explained during the set,” I have seen you looking up the set lists prior to our shows so we decided to change things up bit. “   The band under the guise of green and blue light and fog kicked things off with Reptile from their last album Periphery IV: Hail Stan. The crowd was hit with a sonic wall of guitar as periphery live hosts three guitarists live, Misha Mansoor, Mark Holcomb, and Jake Bowen. These three keep the rhythm section very full and busy throughout the songs as each are accompanying each other with harmonized riffs. The band in anticipation of the release of Periphery V also performed Wildfire, and Atropos from the album, before closing out their set with Marigold. 

Underoath came out to an already energized crowd. A dark stage set the mood for the band as they kicked off things. The band kicked things off with It’s Dangerous Business Walking out your Front Door, bright lights, fog, and the stage antics of the band got the crowd moving along to the beat. Vocalist Spencer Chamberlain was pacing the stage like a wild animal, leaning into the crowd to encourage sing a longs while ripping through the set. Guitarist Tim McTague kept the energy up as he also ran across the stage and back getting the crowd into it as he rocked out. 

Overall if you are looking for a high energy show and great entertainment while hearing new music this is the tour to see. Every band brought out their A-game tonight to put on a great show. Please make sure to give Periphery’s newest album a listen now out on all streaming platforms, and to also give Underoath’s newest single a play as well.

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Polyphia Pittsburgh Show Review

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As I pulled up to the venue I was met with a huge line outside the Roxian Theatre as fans came out in the masses for Polyphia tonight in the Burgh. The attendance for tonight seen the crowd line up several blocks down from the venue then wrap around to the back lot and back towards the backside of the venue. Such a great turn out for PolyphiaPolyphia have been taking the music world by storm with each new song comes a new innovation or technique introduced to instrumental music. Known for thesongs  Playing God, Goat, and 40 Oz. ; the band continues to push the ability of their instruments. 

First on the bill is Unprocessed, a German instrumental band.They use a blend of clean and harsh vocals, with fingerstyle guitar, and technical prog metal, and a load of shred to create very textured songs. The bands performance is very relaxed with points of high energy scattered throughout. For a band who has been with Polyphia for 2 months on the road, there is so much potential. I’d love to see where there a year from now, after refining and developing their music further. 

Polyphia took the stage next, and the crowd erupted with energy. Crowd surfers began coming over the barricade as the band played on encouraging a party atmosphere as they worked through their set. Hit songs like 40 Oz, Champagne, and Playing God were huge hits.  The band took a moment before an encore of G.O.A.T., and finishing out with their set with Euphoria

Overall the show had a very relaxed feel while allowing everyone to have a good time. Great music from some of the best musicians on the planet provided the soundtrack to the party at the Rox this night. This is definitely a tour not to sleep on when it comes to your town. 

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The Black Dahlia Murder: Pittsburgh Show Review

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Spectators packed into the Roxian this evening to witness the return of The Black Dahlia Murder to Pittsburgh. It’s been a few years since the band has visited the three rivers area. This is the first outing the band has planned since the unfortunate passing of former beloved front man Trevor Strnad. Also joining TBDMthis night is Terror, Frozen Soul, and Phobophilic. 

North Dakota’s Phobophilic took the stage first. This band really reminded me of old school Carcass with the buzz saw guitar tones and growl styled vocals. During their set a small circle pit broke out, which was a great warm up to get the crowd into the action. 

Dallas TX death metal band Frozen Soul was up next. This band had me reminiscing of Dying Fetus, and Morbid Angel. Slow churning metal with half tempo breakdowns that just hit you like a sonic sledgehammer. A pushup pit formed early in their set as the crowd was really matching the energy of the bands stage performance. A stand out moment during their set was Arsenal of War, vocalist Chad Green announced this was the 2nd time live this song has been performed, and the song was in honor of his brother who had passed recently. 

Terror took the stage with a fury, high energy from start to finish. This Los Angeles hard-core troupe announce security was falling asleep at the show and needed a waking up, so everyone needs to get moving. Vocalist Scott Vogel would frantically pace the stage while ripping through song after song. During the set Vogel could be seen throwing his microphone to audience members to even ramp up the crowd. 

The Black Dahlia Murder closed out this night, under a shade of green the band kicked off with Verminous. This was the first time for me seeing Ryan Knight with the band, he was apart of BDM during the Ritual and Deflorate albums. Ryan has returned to guitar duties so that long term guitarist Brian Eschbach could pick up the microphone. Pittsburgh also got to see the return of The Ape. As Statatory Ape began dressed in a tank top and shorts the BDM Ape came out throwing bananas to the crowd. It was nonstop chaos from this point on as the crowd ramped up, to Nightbringers and Miasma. 

This was a great show to take in. Some may take this as a toe in the water approach to see what lies next for The Black Dahlia Murder. I for one would love to see the band continue to March forward and am excited to see where they go from here. Supporting acts Terror, Frozen Soul and Phobophilic were interesting and entertaining to watch. If you are looking for a death metal show with high energy, count this show in for a good time. 

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Chaos and Carnage 2023: Cleveland Show Review

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This year’s cast of bands for the Chaos and Carnage Tour saw a rounded out group from newer acts to seasoned veterans taking the stage. The Agora Theatre was the setting for fans of all subgenres of metal to converge this night. Chaos and Carnage tour has been a showcase for many subgenres of metal over the years, and try to reflect that diversity with the bands they have performing. 

The show opened up with Slay Squad, self proclaimed Ghetto Metal. The music mixed beatdown with rap and deathcore. Crown Magnetar took the stage next. This band takes deathcoreand pushes its limits throwing in elements of blast beats and slam riffs. Following Crown Magnetar is a band I first heard of while listening to Sirius Xm, Sanguisugabogg. Cleveland natives, this band has its own take on death metal. To push the action of the crowd, the band offered free merch to any crowd member who can hang onto a football placed in the pit at the end of their next song. This aggression only went into a fury as Aborted took the stage. Vocalist Sven de Caluwe, frantically paced the stage during the set, amping up the crowd. Waves of crowdsurfers were coming over the barricade as their own blend of cosmic death metal played on. A change of pace saw progressive metalcore band, Born of Osiris take the stage. The band kicked off playing crowd favorites as Bow Down, White Nile, and Angel of Alien. The riffing of Lee Mckinney and Nick Rossi were standout throughout the set which seen the two trading off throughout Machine. 

Suicide Silence picked the pace back up from the start kicking off with Unanswered. During the set Vocalist Eddie Hermidaasked for a wall of death to form before the beginning ofDisengage, which saw bodies colliding into one and other. The energy was building as the band ripped through their set. 

One of the OGs on the bill, Death Metal juggernauts Dying Fetus closed out the show. Under a cloak of red and fog, the band emerged performing Justifiable Homicide. Fetus played from throughout their catalogue this night including One Shot, One Kill, Compulsion for Cruelty, and Wrong One to Fuck With. 

Chaos and Carnage 2023, felt balanced to me. These types of tours are always scrutinized in some way, from the bands on the bill, to the types of music being played. This year seamed to at least have something for everyone while also showcasing bands from all periods of a career. Make sure to catch the Chaos and Carnage Tour going on now.

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Interview with John “The Butcher” Robert Centorrino of Crystal Lake

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​Earlier this year Japan’s Crystal Lake announces that their vocalist is stepping down and that an open audition would be held for one participant to win a spot in the band. Since leaving The Last Ten Seconds of Life, John ‘The Butcher’ Robert Centorrino was toying around with the thoughts of doing band life again until this opportunity came into his life. John recorded a video and entered the contest. John having been picked to audition for the band, would have to perform through a series of live shows with the band in Japan. I was fortunate to speak to John about his musical journey towards becoming Crystal Lake’s newest vocalist and performing with the band on Knotfest and on a large-scale Japanese tour. Also while discovering where his perseverance and self-motivation came from to go through such a journey. 

GA: Lets look back over the last year. Crystal Lake’s vocalist Ryo Kinoshita steps down, and the band is faced with looking for a replacement. How did you get involved with the band?

JC: I can’t remember if I came across it (the news) on Instagram or someone sent it to me, and they were like, “yo, Crystal Lake lost their singer.” People just telling me to look at this, and because I was such a fan of the band, one of the first things that pops into my head is: I could do that.  I could definitely DO that. I initially kind of didn’t try, even though I felt confident. I didn’t know if I wanted to tour anymore. I just went through this entire experience. I’m really learning how to love my life and myself, and I’m finding myself appreciating the things that are around me. Then one morning I woke up, and started scrolling the gram as many do, and I forget his name but a Gary something, kind of an abrasive dude but he is really cool to talk to.  He said something like; If you are fucking good at something, do it. What the fuck are you doing just sitting around? Most people aren’t good at anything. If you are good at something and people want you to do it, and like what you do, go ahead and do it. I just remember watching that and it made me feel like,’ yea what the fuck am I doing? Alright I’m going to do this.’ Then I was like; alright here we go, foot to the floor type shit. 

GA: The band held a contest for participants to audition for the vacant vocalist position, what was that period like for you? 

JC: Yes, they had an open audition on their website setup, where they had all the stipulations and rules, they wanted you to follow for your audition. The things they were looking for in a singer. I kind of had a half and half of what they were looking for, and me being the New York guy that I am saw a couple things that they wanted that I didn’t have. So, I figured if they liked my voice none of this is going to matter. This isn’t high school; this is a band. For instance, I can’t speak Japanese, but I will go learn Japanese. If they like my voice, they are going to take me. So even though I didn’t know anything Japanese other than how to say konnichiwa at the time. I don’t care, I don’t know Japanese; I will learn Japanese and show these guys how much I want to be a part of their band. I just entered the competition. I went to Austin Coope from Prison Lives, and he helped me do the first video. We did it really raw. I sang it through maybe twice; and he kept the first take and that was the first audition they got.  We didn’t do a lot of editing to the video either, because we wanted it to be super raw and super live, so that they could judge the character of the voice. A couple day later I got an email from them, and I was like, hell yea let’s fucking go!Then the panic started. 

GA: Having been well seasoned in traveling from your former touring bands and seen a lot of the world, what was your first impression of Japan when you first arrived for the contest? 

JC: I couldn’t believe how clean everything was. I stepped out of the airport into the subway, and I was like the floor wasn’t black. The yellow lines are still bright yellow. Everything looked brand new, but it wasn’t. I was also very impressed with the level of organization. In New York, when you go to get on the train for instance, no one stands in a single filed line. People just crowd the door and get on. In Japan, the first thing I noticed was everyone was standing in lines outside of the train. They were standing in these specific marked areas. People would stick to one side when using an escalator and use the open side for people to be able to walk past if someone was in a rush, which is not a thing in America, you would get stuck on that escalator, or like twenty people will bumrush to get in front of you to board a train. That kind of behavior isn’t a thing over here. The first things I noticed were: the organization, how on point everybody is, how courteous everyone is, and how clean everything was. Even, the white floor in the airport was white, there wasn’t even any shoe marks on the floor. They are like a very thoughtful society over there. 

GA: During the contest, you looked and performed like the professional you are. In what ways did you prepare to be onstage with the band? What were some of your favorite parts of that process? 

JC: Back then I didn’t have a set up at my house (I do now), so practicing was super frustrating and annoying because I like to play live. So, you don’t have all the MO of the adrenaline and the crowd flipping out. I started singing a full set every single day to prepare. I would put on a set of headphones in my bathroom, and scream into an unplugged microphone to get the general feeling. I would do it in my bathtub naked so I could just sweat out into the tub and not my clothes; then just turn on the shower. Every single day I would sing the entire set. Even if I didn’t sing, I would still do my warmups. I put a lot more thought into the preparation and care of everything I do.  I guess what I did was, I did all the tour stuff off of tour, at home to get myself as prepared as possible. I have been listening to Crystal Lake songs… when I say repeat, I mean on repeat. I haven’t listened to any other music in a while. Very rarely now do I get a chance to put on someone else’s band and take a moment to listen to something, because I am constantly learning new songs. The band changes the set up almost every other show, so we are always adding in new music, and trying to do something different. So, I’m taking the OCD of tour and implementing it into my daily life. 

GA: In what ways was this different from any of the bands you worked with in the past? Was there a language barrier or having to work out things with the band prior to performing? 

JC: For language we have a slight barrier. It was a little more when I first showed up compared to now. They not only stepped up their language game as well as myself, but we have also gotten used to the words each of us say. We understand what we are all talking about now. Crystal Lake records every performance we do. If we are in the studio or on stage, there is a camera rolling. At the end of that session, everyone sits to watch the video. Everyone will dissect the video and nitpick parts of the performance. Some people will find that frustrating, but me being the ocd guy that I am, and always wanting to put on my best, I am always striving to get better. They are super professional, and on point with noticing everything that is going on. They want to make sure every set is just as good if not better than the last. They are not about back tracking their performances. There is a lot of preparation in the live set. In America, a lot of bands have this improvised take on their set where they will randomly stop and take a break and the band kind of waits. We all know every single point of when we are going to talk, what we are going to say. We know where everyone is on stage throughout the set. I know when YD is going to jump off stage, so we are never in each other’s way. 

GA: It’s not like a show, but more of a production. 

JC: Yes, that’s a great way of putting it. It’s more like a play and less like a random rock show. Everything you see on stage is preconceived; some stuff is still random. We assume that the crowd is going to be giving a lot of reactions, so we want to give them as big as a reaction during our planning. That way it feels natural when we go out there, but for the most part we know what each other is going to do. 

GA: Jumping ahead, you are announced as the new vocalist of Crystal Lake, I think by this point everyone in the metal community has been following your journey and rooting for you along the way, what are your first thoughts now that you have the gig? 

JC: My first thought when I got the gig was, I wanted to look at all the things I used to do in Last 10 and I dissected those moments in this way. What was I doing in Last 10 that was a little extra that I don’t really have to do here? What was I compensating for, doing those extra things? How can I gain more fans on my side or accept me? I didn’t always feel like a super fan favorite when I was in Last 10. I always felt like someone always had something to say about anything I was trying to do. I tried to get rid of all of that, in the sense that I want to take your ammunition, not that I don’t want to be me. I want to give you excuses to talk shit, not that I want to give you reasons. I dissected myself as a musician and looked at where I could trim the fat. I feel like I didn’t have to do too much of that.

To be honest, (Crystal Lake) they are pushing to have me go crazier and be more of an animal. To be more of a psycho on stage. In my other bands I was told: ‘maybe don’t be so crazy, don’t do something like that, people might not like it.’ Crystal Lake is like hey if that looks cool then do it. Crystal Lake’s image is to be out of their minds. Their stage presence is wild.  They don’t want you to be reserved, they want you to let go. I got to come out of my shell more and more being around those guys. I loved being in my other band. I have no disrespect forthose guys, I still love all those dudes. The new members are my friends, I only don’t talk to one person. I still really respect that band, it’s just a different MO being in a metalcore band as opposed to being in a deathcore band. Deathcore is a little more aggressive and like stern face. While Metalcore is a little more party. I love deathcore, but I am a metalcore kid at heart. 

GA: After the announcement of you getting the vocalist position, Crystal Lake got you started off quite quickly with a trial by fire playing Knotfest and following that up with a tour of big shows throughout Japan. What was it like to perform for such large foreign crowds overseas? 

JC: There is so much to say that performing over in Japan and their crowd and just playing in the East. Knotfest was twenty-some thousand people, something insane like that. When the band stops and is just talking the crowd is dead silent. People aren’t on their phones, no one is scrolling social media, it’s weird and I’m still getting used to it. In America, when people talk it’s kind of a good thing, and when the crowd gets quiet, it’s like oh shit something is wrong. Over here though everyone gets super quiet. I’ve played bigger shows before but never stadium shows, and when they do yell, your bones shake, it’s a lot of people. Those aspects were really different but super fun. When you watch thousands of people jump up and down with you, the adrenaline is unreal. These shows have crazy energetic fans, they are open to having fun, which has made it super fun for me. 

GA: How are you adjusting to the Japanese lifestyle? Any plans to relocate to Japan or have the band transplant to America in the future? 

JC: I don’t know about moving but I am adjusting very well. I like it out here, and I have learned a lot of Japanese as well. I can read the language, but I am still working on reading Kanji, which is the super complicated symbols that are shared with China. I love the food; the food here is so delicious. Asian food is some of my favorite to eat. I live at the Asian restaurants, you can guarantee I’m coming back to the venue with won ton soup, pho, or ramen. I’m really in my glory when it comes to the food. I have noticed that eating American food, that if I eat on military base where everything is coming from America my stomach hates it. I also love how everyone is super courteous, and polite. Everything is clean, and that things are relatively cheap except for the train. The hardest thing must be when the sun comes up, by about 3:15 am the sun is rising. The sky is blue, and the streetlights are still on, and the sun is coming up, it’s nuts. So, if you wake up at 4 am it’s bright as fuck out. You think it must be 7 am, then look at your phone and see 4:30 am and it’s like what the fuck. The world is awake, and it’s insane. That must be the hardest part for me.  

GA: You just announced that Crystal Lake is dropping a new music on June 23rd ‘Denial // Rebirth.’ What was it like working YD and crew on new material? 

JC: It’s awesome! It’s like working with myself, we are all on the same page with the ideas we have. They are all very open to discussing every little bit. It has been rare for me to be in a bandand pitching an idea and be like let’s try it. As opposed to you tell someone, and their first reaction is nah I don’t like it, but in CL I can be like I have an idea, and I’ll tell them about it, and they tell me to show them. They want to hear what it would sound like. Sometimes they will be like that’s good, but I don’t know if I like that for this part here, and other times they are like that’s great, I love it. Writing with them has been very smooth, stress free and a lot of fun, because we are all on the same page. We also record a lot of our own stuff so (when presented to the group) we know what we are going to do, and when we are going to do it. That process has helped quite a bit. Also, Denial// Rebirth is two songs, Denial is a short intro song which feeds into the longer Rebirth. 

GA: What can listeners expect from the Butcher era of Crystal Lake? Any new tricks in the bag we haven’t seen on previous recordings? 

JC: More clean singing, and more of the highs that I used to do in My Bitter End. I brought back more of my metal screams. It’s less focus on gutturals and more on aggressive catchiness, while being epic as fuck. I’m singing like me over Crystal Lake, its not as thuggish as per say when I was with Last 10, it’s a bit more calculated. The lyrics have more meaning this time around. Denial//Rebirth is about me denying how angry I was as a human and realizing that I need to get over this and around it. When you act like a piece of shit, you deserve all the bad shit that happens to you. There’s a line in the song,’ I deserve pain, I deserve nothing. I deserve the blame on me. ‘It’s about when you are being an asshole, you deserve for asshole things to go down. If you can turn that around, you will have good things happen to you. I accepted the fact that the universe has more power in it than what I give it credit for. If you open yourself up to the fact that there is more power beyond your physical realm, and you understand that it has peace and power for you; you talk to it and live for it, things happen. I literally asked the universe for this. I was watching all the celebrities at home, and they are constantly, ‘I thank God, I thank God.’ But none of these people are religious. They aren’t talking about God; they are talking about the universe. I was like listen to me: I want this, I need this, I need you to help me do this with me. Let’s fucking do this. It gave me such peace and energy, and it allowed me to feel like I could get on top of it and make it a reality. The new era of me in Crystal Lake is me using my anger as a positive weapon. I’m not angry needlessly. I’m like George Carlin. I’m angry because I’m fucking disappointed in how we act as humans. I see so much more potential in us as a species than what we give ourselves credit for. We treat each other like absolute shit. So, I am trying to tap into that part of my personality now, but not in such a malicious way. I don’t look for a reason to be pissed off anymore, I let it come find me. 

GA: What is something you’d want Crystal Lake fans to know about you? 

JC: I don’t know… maybe that I am not trying to replace Ryo, and not trying to be Ryo, and I don’t say that in any way of disrespect. I have so much respect for that dude, not only as a performer but as a vocalist and as a person. I want people to understand that when they hear Crystal Lake; This is not me trying to put on someone else’s shoes, I came to the game with my own set of cleats. I’m going to play the game, the way I play the game. I’m here to be me, that is why I am in the band. 

GA: What do you look forward to with your future in Crystal Lake? Any shows or goals you all are trying to achieve? 

JC: We want to win a Grammy. We are constantly thinking about that, we want to win a Grammy. Our aim is to write music that makes everyone say, oh shit this is the best band ever. We are looking forward to writing more catchy songs, writing more heavy riffs, playing as awesome as possible, making as many people happy as we possibly can with what we are doing, and we want it all. Give us the gold. That’s what you can expect. 

GA: What’s next for you? I seen that My Bitter End is reforming for a show, what brought that to light?

JC: Unfortunately, what happened was, our original guitarist Stretch passed away. It was really shot for all of us. Some of us were closer to him than others in the band, Stretch was our family. There have been tons of members in MBE, but we are a team. We are a family. All the members talk to one and other. We all hang out, we all are friends, there is not this separation of generations of the band. When we play a show, the whole band is there regardless of if the members are playing or not. When Stretch died, it was terrible for the original guys. It’s been a couple of years since we played, let’s do a reunion. Let’s have a reunion for Stretch. We hit up Mike Ranne, who is kind of the main organizer of MBE. He’s basically the boss. He’s a very good boss and welcomes all our opinions. He got everyone together to do this for Stretch. We are all so excited for this show that we have been talking about possibly writing new material. It is an idea we have been toying around with, maybe we will, maybe we won’t. 

GA: Anything else you’d like to say? 

JC: I’m so excited that everyone is so hyped on what we are doing with Crystal Lake. I can’t wait for these new songs to come out. I am confident people are going to go crazy over it. CL is going to keep writing, besides these two songs there is a handful of other ones we are playing with and working on. Expect new music from us. We are pushing to get back on tour full time. 

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Jpegmafia and Danny Brown Pittsburgh Show Review

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The crowd packed into the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks for The Scaring the Hoes Tour, featuring the hip-hop duo of Jpegmafia and Danny Brown. The pair released an album by the same name a few months ago, and we prepared to perform several songs tonight from said album. Joining the two was opener Starberry, an act I was unfamiliar with but brought an energy to the stage that was on par with the main event for the evening.

Starberry took the stage first, adorned in a brown robe, and DJ on stage. Starberry broke into a few songs while dancing on stage and playing to the crowd. Unfortunately, during the set, Starberry attempted to play guitar for several songs but was having technical difficulties with his equipment. Regardless of the issues, Starberry pushed on and continued to entertain the crowd while closing out his set.

Closing out the night in grand fashion were Jpegmafia and Danny Brown hitting the stage. A Street Fighter backdrop lit the dark theater as the two came out rocking MSCHF boots and throwing water at the crowd as their high-energy set kicked off. The pair traded verses on several songs before performing various hits from their solo catalogs. Hits like “Jesus Forgive Me”, “I am a Thot”, and “Bald” were standouts for Jpegmafia, as were “Really Doe”, and “Ain’t it Funny”, which were crowd favorites for Danny Brown. Where the duo really shined was when they were performing together on Lean Beef Patty, Steppa Pig, and closing out the show with Scaring the Hoes. The duo paced the stage relentlessly while high-fiving crowd members and throwing water out throughout the set.

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Gojira/Mastodon/Lorna Shore: Pittsburgh Review

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Metal would be the soundtrack for the night on the North Shore, as many gathered around General Robinson St. for the festivities. The smell of beer and tailgate BBQ filled the air this evening at Stage AE as the crowd packed in for the Mega Monsters Tour featuring Mastodon, Gojira, and Lorna Shore. Sharing the Allegheny River shore, the Pittsburgh Pirates were also home at PNC Park.

Lorna Shore took the stage first in front of a packed crowd. The surfers started early as the band kicked off with “Sun//Eater” and followed along with “Into the Earth” and the “Pain Remains” trilogy. Will Ramos ramped the crowd up with his vicious growls and screams, paired with the solo stylings of Adam Demicco on guitars, the band sounded full and monstrous while Acrisure Stadium glistened in the setting sunlight.

The stage started to emit heavy fog before Gojira took the stage,starting off with “Ocean Planet”. Following up such an energetic entrance, the band immediately went into “Backbone” and “Flying Whales”. Inflatable whales of all shapes and sizes joined the crowd surfers coming over the front rail as frontman Joe Duplantier and bassist Michel Labadie ran across the stage and jumped on the front stage monitors to get a little closer to the action. Circle pits erupted for “The Art of Dying” and “Silveria” before closing out with “The Gift of Guilt”. 

Before the rain could wash out the crowd, Mastodon took to the stage. A psychedelic light show shone on as the band started with “The Wolf is Loose”. The stage was dark and dreary for the beginning of the set. Playing through “Megalodon” and Divinations,” the band really amped off of the crowd’s energy as lightning flashes could be seen in the distance slowly closing in. Mastodon performed several other hits, including “Mother Puncher”, “Iron Tusk”, and “Crusher Destroyer”, before playing their esteemed “Blood and Thunder” before the skies broke and the rain came forth to finish out the night.

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BABYKLOK TOUR:UPMC Review

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​UPMC Events Center on the Robert Morris University campus was host to the Babyklok Tour 2023 featuring Dethklok, Baby Metal, and Jason Richardson on September 8th. A strange mix for a show, but oddly, it works. Pairing the guitar virtuoso stylings of Jason Richardson with the metal pop mix of Baby Metal and the cartoon chaos of Dethklok, this audience was in for a broad spectrum of what is metal for the night. This vast appreciation of metal could be seen in the crowd tonight, as there was a mass diversification of merchandise and costumes worn by the crowd, from anime to death metal band shirts and everything in between. It seemed like a lot of the elements of these genres were represented tonight.

Jason Richardson warmed the crowd up this evening, and with some backlights, a front platform at his disposal, and a guitar in hand, this crowd was in for something special. Richardson is a very accomplished and well esteemed guitarist in the scene, having worked with All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, Chelsea Grin, All That Remains, and many other projects. I think a showcase of the performance was seeing the different variations of Jason’s signature Ernie Ball guitar as he would change guitars between songs. Some of the standouts were “Retrograde”, which had a backing track of Periphery’s Spencer Sotelo singing on the track, and also “Upside Down” which was co-written with the band Polyphia, before wrapping things up with “Ho’s Down”, a genre-blending amalgamation combining metal, jazz, and bluegrass.

​Baby Metal took the stage next, engaging the crowd right off the bat with chants of B. A. B. Y. Metal! The front women of this band came out with high energy; from crowd work to choreographed dance moves, these women continued to smile ear to ear throughout the performance. Each song performance had vivid backdrops and lots of flashing lights to pair with the performance. There were times when there was so much going on that I didn’t know what to focus on first. The band was very tight and shined during their solo sections, holding down the rhythm for the night. Some of the standout performances were “Distortion,” featuring Alissa White Gluz of Arch Enemy and “Metali” which features Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine.

As the last band was getting set up, on the backdrop was a QR code for the latest Dethklok album, Dethalbum IV, so that attendees could listen to the album before the band would take the stage, something I have not seen before from a band. Closing the night out under the veil of darkness, Brendon Small and company took the stage to bring to life the audio stylings of “Nathan Explosion”, “Skwisgaar Skwigelf”, “Pickles”, “Toki Wartooth”, and “William Murderface to Life”. The crowd cheered as the Cartoon Network show was cast on the back screen and the band started off with the “Deththeme”. Dethklok played through several fan favorites, including “Murmaider” the “Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle”, and “Thunderhorse”, before closing out with “Bloodlines” and “Go Into the Water”. 

If you are looking for a fun metal show to take in for the evening, make sure to check out the Babyklok tour 2023, which goes through October. This tour covers a wide array of metal and its subgenres, so there is a little something for everyone here.

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Cannibal Corpse: 2023 Pittsburgh Show Review

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Black and death metal heads of Pittsburgh united tonight to see this unholy union of Cannibal Corpse, Mayhem, Gorguts, and Blood Incantation perform at Stage AE in Pittsburgh this night. The smell of leather, and corpse paint was high walking into the venue as the masses packed in. Tonight would be filled with blast beats and buzzsaw guitar riffs galore. 

Blood Incantation took the stage first, under the veil of darkness this band brandished its own brand of death metal. A slow burner  band, BI was a great warm up for the night engaging the crowd early on with their own cosmic atrocities. Each song was a journey through the abyss, each verse like a wave crashing on to the crowd. 

Gorguts whipped this crowd into a frenzy kicking things off with Rottenatomy. The sonic cacophony paired with Luc Lemay’s vocals echoed throughout the venue as crowd surfing and moshing ensued. The band played on, building the energywith Disincarnated. Other standout performances wereInoculated Life, and Nostalgia. 

The infamous Mayhem took to the stage next with their black metal asthetic. Vocalist Attila Csihar came out adorned in black and red robes brandishing a makeshift cross of bones, almost casting spells as performing in the darkness. The crowd was eating it up as the band kicked into Crystalized Pain in Deconstruction, crowd surfer after surfer came over the barricades as the bands black parade continued to play on. Other notable performances were Freezing Moon and De MysteriisDom Sathanas before closing out with Pure Fucking Armageddon.

Death metal titans Cannibal Corpse closed out the night. The band just recently released Chaos Horrific on September 22nd. Kicking things off with The Scourge of Iron, vocalist George Corpsegrinder Fisher’s vocals were heavy and low, coming at a ferocious cadence. CC immediately went into Blood Blind andDisfigured next. The tag team of Rutan and Barrett continued tofuel the chaos as surfers continued to cascade over the front barricade, as the sound of fast paced chainsaw like riffs rang through the venue. CC carved out 14 songs from their vast catalogue for the night including Walking Dead Terror,Summoned for Sacrifice, and Stripped, Raped and Strangled. 

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UnEarth/Revocation/Entheos/High Comand Show Review

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The remnants of an old Pittsburgh church is the home to Preserving Underground, an homage to all things music; from being a record store, to a venue, and even a museum of hardcore history of sorts. From hard to find vinyl, and cds galore, to countless band t shirts for sale, its hard not to walk out with a few favorite pieces. Tonight Preserving Underground was hosts to Unearth, Revocation, and Entheos, the crowd would be in for some relentless thrash, deathcore and metalcore for the nightwith the blend of these bands.

The crowd began packing in as local Pittsburgh band Victims of Contagion kicked things off. The band has a tech death vibe while mixing in bits of melodic prog. Each song came quick and furious, getting members of the crowds nodding approval. 

High Command were up next, a blend of thrash, doom and hardcore the band kept the energy up in this nearly packed venue. Army gear, chains and even a broadsword being brandished were all apart of this bands onstage performance. Some of this bands music reminded me of the Schizophrenia days of Sepultura. Pit enticing thrash riffs with a vocal assault to match, High Command definitely are a force to watch live. 

Entheos came out like a fury, these tech death veterans kickedthings off with very high energy. This band hits like a truck live with an onslaught of technical proficiency, mixed with raw emotion. The band played through several singles from their latest album This Will Take Us All, including, Absolute Zero and In Purgatory. Vocalist Chaney Crabb stalks the stage while her roaring vocals rip through the crowd like a scalpel. 

Up next was the cosmic horror inspired Revocation who has been touring relentlessly over the few years. The band kicked off things with Godforsaken into Of Unworldly Origin. The crowd chanting for vocalist Dave Davidson, as he ripped through the solo on The Other Ones. Moshers really were amped up and running amok as the band played on through other hits from their latest album Netherheaven before finishing out their set.

Keeping the energy high till the end was Unearth. Metal Horns high in the air as the band kicked things off with Dawn of the Militant. The crowd really started throwing down as the band ripped through Giles. Between the duo guitar assault and the furious pace of the drums this crowd was getting a full audio assault. Unearth continued to entertain with The Great Dividers and My Will Be Done before closing things out for the night. 

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BARONESS: SWEET OBLIVION TOUR PITTSBURGH SHOW REVIEW

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As fans began to line up out front of the Roxian Theater in McKees Rocks, Pa., one could think that after the turkey festivities of Thanksgiving and the super-sale shopping of Black Friday, a rock show would be the best way to shake off the cold of fall and warm the body up on a Saturday evening. The Sweet Oblivion tour rolled into Pittsburgh, featuring Baroness, hot off their latest album release, Stone, which came out in September. Baroness, hailing from Georgia, have been touring and performing since 2003. These seasoned veterans are no strangers to the Steel City and are looking to put on another memorable show.

The opening band, Spotlights, was up first. This band is a mix of melodic rock and folk; it reminds me a lot of Russian Circles at first listen, with somber vocals. This band sets up the groove with drums and heavy bass and isn’t afraid to build an atmosphere out of the riff. At points during the set, the band felt primal, with chants and screams accompanied by a driving drum rhythm. The band’s stage performance is stripped down and minimal, placing the band in a shroud of darkness, with the only lighting coming from LEDs that are mounted to the band’s amplifiers.

Next up was punk rock outfit Soul Glo. This band comes with all the attitude of a high-energy hardcore punk band, with a bit of Lo Fi thrown in. Fast-paced and furious is the music, filled with rampant vocal lines that rip right through the crowd. Vocalist Pierce Jordan even jumped down into the photo pit to get closer to the crowd as their music played on. This quintet continued to push the envelope live while pacing the stage like a caged animal let free.

Baroness came out swinging right out of the gate with Isak. This Pittsburgh erupted into a sing-along, ripping through the lines as fast as vocalist John Baizley could belt them out. A fan favorite, the band really got the crowd going as they kicked into “A Horse Called Golgotha.” As heads in the crowd bobbed along to the music, the twin guitars of Baizley and Gina Gleason brought the shred. Other notable songs performed were “Tourniquet,” “Shock Me,” and “Chlorine and Wine,” before coming back to finish things out with an encore of “Take My Bones Away.”

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