Tag Archives: New York

Music

The Melvins Wreck the Music Hall Of Williamsburg

Leave a comment

 

napalm-deathmelvins-melt-banana-97

When my friend Doug and I saw that The Melvins were coming to NY with a stacked bill including Napalm Death and Melt Banana, there was no way we wouldn’t be seeing this.

As a grunge head, Doug felt he needed to see The Melvins at least once and they were always a band I was curious about. The only date that was convenient for us was Saturday, April 15th in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, also known as the hipster capital of America.

Doug used this as the opportunity to overcome his fear of city driving. As we ventured through New York City’s lower east side slumps and narrow streets we finally got to “The ‘Burg.” Getting there was a weird experience as the area looked very run down and ghetto, yet artsy at the same time. Instead of scary looking people walking around it was mostly all hipsters and punks. We even found a supermarket that was 90 percent vegan and organic food. At 8:00 P.M. we walked into the venue and waited for the first band.

Melt Banana

The big opener was Japanese noise rock titans Melt Banana. I’ve seen them once before at Maryland DeathFest and while it was wacky there they somehow manged to make this set even wackier.

They started their set with wierd video game sounds being played on both the vocalists phone and the guitarist’s guitar. After this they transitioned to their grind and pop influenced noise rock.

Throughout the majority of their set the vocalist would move her arms up and down like a robot while flashing green and red lights on her white shirt. This all helped the bands signature sound of lazer beam guitar riffs and chirping vocals feel even wilder. Mid-set the band did a medley of about six of their shorter songs in one. This included “Dog Song” that was mostly clean vocals with a barking chorus (yes, a barking chorus). After what felt like an amazing drug trip it was time for The Melvins.

Melvins

At around 10:00 P.M. the duo of Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover got on stage with guest bassist Steve McDonald of the Los Angeles, Calif. alternative rock band Redd Kross.

They started out with The Melvins’ classics “Eyes Fly” and “Queen.” After these two songs the set list was mostly a mixture of later numbers like “Sesame Street Meat” and covers including the grunge classic “Leech” by Green River, “Halo of Flies” by Alice Cooper (which they closed with) and a song from Redd Kross which McDonald got on vocals for.

The band had a very loud and heavy live sound which fit perfectly with their slower droning tracks. While it was a very long set, it wasn’t boring for a minute as these guys are born performers.

After their set, Doug and his brother decided to leave. We wanted to see Napalm Death but we also didn’t want to be home so late plus we had all already seen them before (I’ve seen them twice and Doug’s seen them once). As we drove back, we instantly wanted to find an excuse to return to the city. Chelsea Wolfe is playing next month and director John Carpenter will be performing his iconic film soundtracks live  in July so hopefully my return will be sooner than later.

Music

Black Sabbath and “The End”of Madison Square Garden

1 Comment

black-sabbath-the-end-splash

After buying my tickets as early as October (thanks to how quick the show was selling out) I was counting down the days until I’d finally see Black Sabbath on their final tour.

My life goal was to see Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Sabbath before I (or more likely they) die. I had seen Judas Priest in 2011 and 2014 and Iron Maiden back in 2012.

To celebrate this event my friend Doug and I decided to get to NYC early and just do some random stuff. We went to various places and did random things such as me purchasing Killer Codom and Poultrygiest, him buying Elmo’s Letter Adventure of all things, eating suishi in a manga store, eating at Planet Hollywood and getting a picture of a wax Ozzy and trying to trick people on my Facebook into thinking I met him.

When it got closer to showtime, we walked to 34th street and entered Madison Square Garden.I always knew this venue was huge but was shocked about just how massive it was. We went to the very top floor (though Doug’s ticket wasn’t for that section) and waited for the show to start.

Rival Sons

The opening act was classic rock throwback Rival Sons. I hadn’t heard this band before, I just knew about them and that Doug really liked them (he had also seen them twice before). They came on stage and as soon as their first song “Electric Man” started I could instantly tell this would be a fun set. They were very bluesy, loud and the vocalist had great range. The sound was without a doubt Zeppelen influenced but they were able to give themselves a distinct sound and not sound like a cheap clone.

Black Sabbath

After Rival Sons explosive performance, it was time for the feature presentation. During Son’s set Doug was moved to his actual seat by security.

Black Sabbath started off with their self-titled song and as soon as that first note hit I was blown away. The sound was so spot on it was unbelievable. They then went into many classics such as “After Forever,” “Hand Of Doom” (which hasn’t been played since the 70’s),”War Pigs,” “Snowblind,” “N.I.B” and several more.

After “Rat Salad,” their touring drummer Tommy Clufetos did a long drum solo with flashing lights everywhere. Though this was a good solo it went on a little too long and made no sense to do as he’s not original drummer Bill Ward. After that solo they played “Iron Man,””Children of the Grave” and “Paranoid.” They also played “Dirty Women” which was an odd choice.

Although Sabbath played an hour and 20 minute set, it went by fast. My only problem was that other than “Dirty Women,” they didn’t play anything past “Volume 4.” It would have been nice to hear something from “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” or “Sabotage.” After the show, I met up with Doug who was hanging with our friends Jason and Rob and we left the venue after witnessing one of the best concerts any of us may ever see.

Music

Cannibal Corpse Tear Down Irving Plaza

1 Comment

photo-02

After Killing Joke canceled their North American tour, I decided to look for another show to fill the void – and what better to fill it with than a lineup of Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Cryptopsy and Abysmal Dawn? I had school until 3:45 p.m. last Tuesday and once it was over I raced from Newburgh to Middletown, got Wendy’s, picked up my friend Jay and then took the bus to New York City. We got there around 7:30 p.m. and made our way to Irving Plaza for a night of death metal.

Cryptopsy

Due to the bus dropping us off later than expected, we would not be able to catch Abysmal Dawn. Neither of us were fans so we chalked it up as an “oh well.” We got to the venue at around 8:15  p.m. – just in time for Cryptopsy. Due to the crowded audience I went up to the balcony and looked for a spot to watch the band. Out of the three bands we saw that night they were the only one I hadn’t seen before and was most anxious to see. Sure, the band doesn’t have Lord Worm anymore but they still sounded sick when playing classics like “Slit Your Guts” and “Phobophile.”

Obituary

After Cryptopsy finished I met up with my friend Branden at the merch table. We went to the top floor where Jay was and watched Obituary’s set from the screen. This was my second time seeing them, the first being at last years Maryland Deathfest. Like MDF, they didn’t play much classic material but still sounded great. Definitely a band that sounds better live than on the albums.

Cannibal Corpse

Last but not least were death metal heavyweights Cannibal Corpse. This was my fourth time seeing them and they never fail to impress. The band played a 13 song set covering all eras.” Scourge of Iron,” “I Cum Blood,” “Hammer Smashed Face,” “Devoured By Vermin” and many more classics were played. Oddly enough, they didn’t play “Fucked With A Knife” but after hearing it live three times it didn’t bother me. Like always, Corpsegrinder and company showed great energy and a sense of humor. After the show Branden, Jay and I left and took the bus back to Middletown.

Music

A Labor of L’Amour: DJ Alex Kayne On His Upcoming Book & Bensonhurst In Its Heavy Metal Heyday

Leave a comment
Lamourmarquee1988
The legendary L’Amour marquee, circa 1988 (image courtesy of Alex Kayne).

Often hailed by its following as “The Rock Capital of Brooklyn,” L’Amour was a staple of hard rock/heavy metal acts of the 1980s and 1990s.

Some of the genres most legendary bands (such as the “big four” of Thrash Metal: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax) got their break in the tiny club that oftentimes felt like an arena. Memories, bonds, and acts of debauchery occurred on a nightly basis in the Bensonhurst venue. The club’s promoters were also notoriously fair when it came to booking, giving any band a chance to play on Brooklyn’s biggest stage – which made it so prominent for keeping the scene alive and a staple for establishing the developing New York Hardcore scene in the early 90’s.

L’Amour first opened as a disco club on a rather desolate stretch of 63rd Street in 1978 and transformed into a rock venue in 1981. Over the next two decades, its popularity skyrocketed and three somewhat short-lived sister locations were spawned in Queens, Long Island, and Staten Island. Throughout the 1990s and into the early aughts the original club would remain active before finally closing its doors in 2004. Usually at the helm of the Bensonhurst club, was DJ Alex Kayne, who is widely considered New York’s first-ever heavy metal DJ.

To read the full story on Bensonhurst Bean, click here.

Graphic Novels, Movies, Podcast

F*ck Mondays! Episode 11: Whole Lotta Deadpool

Leave a comment

real fmondaysImmediately after a late-night showing of Deadpool, Chris and Jon break the smash-hit down and reflect on what it’s like to go to the movies in Brooklyn, NY.

Music

Moon Tooth: Chromaparagon

1 Comment

chromaparagon

Fancy metallers Moon Tooth have delivered their debut “Chromaparagon.” Quickly rising up the ranks in their three year tenure, the band has a lot of emotions that are conveyed throughout the record in a full-on aural assault.

Kicking off with their single “Queen Wolf,” Moon Tooth let loose on this rifftastic ripping opener. To get an idea of the chemistry this band has, everything blends from guitarist Nick Lee’s pull-offs to John Carbone’s flowing vocals to the swinging latin beats of drummer Ray Marte (who produced, engineered, mixed and mastered the album) carried by Vin Romanelli’s luscious bass lines that really tie the room together.

In short, “Queen Wolf” is Moon Tooth incarnate.

Next up we have “Offered Blood,” “Igneous” and “Little Witch.” The latter (which Lee sings) may be catchy, fun and bouncy and the middle is wild, but nothing sums up “Offered Blood” better than five simple words.

What the hell is going on?

“Offered Blood” is all over the place, making it one of the best tracks on the album. Carbone’s soothing melodies control the chaos of his bandmates as they jam over a trippy monologue. One of the monologue’s key lines that stick out is Carbone’s caravan calling, “All the silent tingles in the air pulse and the animals know you’re coming.”

“Bats in the Attic” is a thrashy, psychadelic instrumental that sets the tone for the remainder of the album and your imagination. “Bats” creates the aural sensation of said mammals fluttering their leathery wings, foreshadowing Moon Tooth’s sonic descent into madness.

As bizarre as its title suggests, “Forgive Me Snake Ryder”  is a mind-blowing cacophony of wonky atonal wankery. A litany of chromoparatastic riffs followed by brief pauses containing random samples of both speech and sophistication create this monsterpiece.

As we journey to the center of the album we’re greeted by some tag team turmoil in “Chroma Vesuvius I” and “Vesuvius II.” “Vesuvius I” is a gritty, chunky blues bit while “Vesuvius II” throws all that out the window, blanketing you in heavy ambiance while Carbone’s voice becomes the light guiding you out of the tunnel. “Vesuvius II” is an elaborate trap that has been slowly built for an aggressive, agitated breakdown.

“Vesuvius II” is the soundtrack of a man going completely insane.

Enter “Belt Squeezer” which is chock full of aggressive, thrashy fun. This also features Lee’s vocals and he makes them count with his 90’s punk/grunge combo that compliment Carbone’s clean, carrying hymns. “Belt Squeezer” features some of Chromaparagon’s best riffs and displays a brief moment of brevity before turmoil. For brevity, Moon Tooth slips in a blues moment around the four-minute mark before “Belt Squeezer’s” epic crescendo.

Wrapping up the album are “Death and the Vibrant Architechture of Rebirth” and “White Stag.” The tracks are solid, somber closers that feel like the end of a warriors long journey. Like Iron Maiden’s 12-minute epic “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner,” the former tells a story while the latter’s droning goodbyes slowly set the record down to a crawl.

Chromaparagon is a solid, complex debut from Moon Tooth. The intricate labor of love is a testament to the age old proverb “hard work pays off.” In a genre full of one-trick ponies, Chromaparagon is a much needed shot in the arm for the metal nation.

Music

Moon Tooth Wreak Havoc on St. Vitus at CD Release Show

2 Comments
chromaparagon.jpg
The cover for Moon Tooth’s debut album, “Chromaparagon” (via Bandcamp.com).

Last night was another Toothian trek for the boys and I.

An average Thursday was something one could only dream about. Whomever’s dream it was that came true must’ve been bored beyond belief.

I did may weekly freelance work (to attempt to try to make a buck), took a few matters into my own hands and waited around for some brute to install a washer/dryer combo. One who couldn’t wait, I passed the time by writing, listening to a combination of Cypress Hill, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains (in that very order) and playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on my Playstation 2 (rock the classics!) for the drones to come between two and five.

A quarter to seven was not exactly what I was expecting.

They couldn’t do what was needed due to negligence on the guy who ripped off my family faking his way into installing a washer/dryer combo into a basement the week before.

Long story short, I was pissed.

My body yearned for sushi, but upon arrival to said sushi joint I realized not only had they recently changed the name but had adopted the inhabiting chain’s menu – raising prices and getting rid of the items I originally had intended to order.

I settled for pizza.

Half a block and a street away my cohorts Timmy and Kevin were parked at the Coney Island Avenue 7-11, grabbing a six-pack of Hoegarden. I walked over, got picked up and off we were like three 80’s headbangers on their way to a Judas Priest show.

When we finally got to St. Vitus, we found an awesome spot in front and dove into our brews while cranking some metal to get the blood flowing. After the beer ran out we headed into the surprisingly packed bar and grabbed some Lemmy’s (aka giant, overpriced Jack and Coke’s)

Unfortunately, we had missed Godmaker (which should not have opened based on the fact that they’ve been touring with Moon Tooth alone) and Meek is Murder. However, Netherlands was taking the stage.

Netherlands was a highly energetic mess of doom and ambiance flooded in visuals. I was a bit puzzled at first as the singer/guitarist had a wireless mic as opposed to using the club’s (makes more sense but doesn’t look as cool). Overall they had a good sound that was great to drink to. Unfortunately, a lot of the songs were very similar and at times they relied a little too much on said visuals and became a little one-dimensional. They did their job as far as getting the crowd pumped, but if they hone their craft and break that barrier, they can really be something special.

Afterwards came another round of drinks (changing things up with a Newcastle this time around) and some catching up with the Moon Tooth guys however I could. Their merch booth was covered in shirts, buttons and decorated in “Chromaparagon” (their debut album which came out today) paraphernalia. Eventually, it became “that time” and the mighty Tooth hit the lights.

If you don’t know Moon Tooth, you’ll have to claw your way out of the ditch, crush the rock and crawl out from wherever you came from as they’ve been all over the metal world lately (thanks to hard work, dedication and a crack marketing team). A sound full of classic, modern, aggressive and progressive influences – it’s hard to define what type of genre Moon Tooth actually is. Due to the strange sophistication of sounds, the term “Fancy Metal” immediately comes to mind (which I will sue over copyright!).

As per diem, Moon Tooth was all over the place. Frontman John Carbone could not sit still, whether he was having stationary seizures or bringing all of his energey directly into the face of the crowd (moshing around him or not). To describe the reaction of Moon Tooth’s fans (I’ll dub them “Toothians” or “Moonnites,” which I will also sue over copyright!) would be a sin, because we already have video evidence all over American Hardcore.

The Moonnites and Toothians were rampant, moshing and/or headbanging seemed to be fair game and the explosive attitude of the Tooth complimented their followers. Guitarist Nick Lee was loose and letting all his skills hang out on a Dean while keeping time and keeping up with drummer Ray Marte and Vin Romanelli’s Warwick/Precision attack. Make no bones about it, everyone was excited for “Chromaparagon” (my only complaints: No Reverend Sensei guitar and no backflips).They wrapped up their set with a longer, slower and predominantly instrumental number that according to Carbone they will allegedly “not play much.”

Allegedly.

At around 1:30 a.m., after having said my “good-byes” (and some hellos) we had another drink and rode on into the night, where I came home to a pleasant surprise:

A fully installed washer/dryer combo.

Music

Life of Agony to Release First Album in Over a Decade

Leave a comment
Life of Agony (left to right: guitarist Joey Z, bassist Alan Robert, singer Mina Caputo and drummer Sal Abruscato; courtesy of Google Images).
Life of Agony (left to right: guitarist Joseph “Joey Z” Zampella, bassist Alan Robert, singer Mina Caputo and drummer Sal Abruscato; courtesy of Google Images).

After 11 long years of sporadic live appearances, Brooklyn’s Life of Agony is back with a vengeance and plans on releasing a new album this year on a new label.

The former Roadrunner hardcore/alternative metal group’s new album will be titled “A Place Where There’s No More Pain” and will be available on Napalm Records.

“I think our fans know that our music comes from a very real place of suffering, from all of us in the band,” bassist and comic book writer Alan Robert said in a press release. “Many of our fans have told us over the years that sharing our personal struggles has been cathartic for them in healing the pain in their own lives. That uplifting energy we share at the shows, gives us hope that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And for us and hopefully our fans, that short time when we’re all together is a place where there’s no more pain.”

Shortly after the band announced the good news on their official website last month, they proceeded to go on a short string of German tour dates.

Life of Agony also has three England shows scheduled in March for the “Agony in the U.K” dubbed mini tour.

“Life Of Agony is without a doubt one of the most exciting and energetic Rock bands of our times. It is an honor to work with such talent, we are excited to announce their signing to Napalm Records and release the band’s first album after over a decade,” said Thomas Caser, CEO of Napalm Records.

Shortly after their formation in 1989, Life of Agony landed a deal with Roadrunner Records and released four albums. Their highly acclaimed 1993 debut, “River Runs Red” (which they performed in its entirety in 2010) is their best-selling album and has been reissued several times through several different labels. Also released under Roadrunner were 1995’s “Ugly” and 1997’s “Soul Searching Sun.” Life of Agony’s last album, “Broken Valley” was released by Epic Records in 2005.

Official album art and promotion for Life of Agony’s new album, “A Place Where There’s No More Pain” (courtesy of Life of Agony’s official website).
Music

Nile Decimates NYC’s Gramercy Theatre

1 Comment

Egyptologist death metal legends Nile played to a raging group of metalheads Thursday night at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre. The band has been touring in support of their latest record “What Should Not Be Unearthed” with local openers at each show, showing support for every local scene they encounter.

This particular day I was finishing work for a recent freelancing gig I had picked up. It was a different topic than I had been used to writing about, so I took a bit longer than I expected – which caused me to inadvertently sabotage plans I had initially made – giving myself, Eric and Andrew (the party of new plans I followed through with) some unwanted afternoon drama. That didn’t stop us from drinking, grabbing burgers at the Union Square Friday’s (where en-route I was shocked and saddened by the death of actor Alan Rickman) and more drinking before merrily walking down to 23rd street’s Gramercy Theatre. For some reason my accomplices were wearing balaclavas, but that’s another story altogether.

Known to start and end shows early, we expected to miss one of the Gramercy’s openers because a) they were local and b) Andrew was not a fan of Day of Doom, whom he had seen before. Unfortunately for us, it was the one time the Gramercy Theatre decided to start the show late. We sat down in the bleacher seats and watched from afar, choosing to conserve our energy (and sober up) for Nile.

Day of Doom

When Andrew expressed his opinions of Day of Doom, he was putting it lightly.

This band was so bad that for the first (and hopefully last) time in my life I actually fell asleep at a concert. Not only that but this was moments after a) Eric also fell asleep and b) their singer compared showcasing their new material to his preferred style of intercourse. Day of Doom’s music consisted of generic old-school death metal that made you want to throw on your headphones and listen to the actual bands they were trying to imitate.

I legitimately felt sorry for their drummer, who while having the Gob Bluth “I’ve made a huge mistake” look in his eyes was also the only one of the trio with any stage presence. He was also clearly the most talented member of the band. After two songs I woke up just in time for their closer and more whiny banter from the singer, encouraging the crowd to “bring their mothers and sisters” next time because apparently there weren’t enough girls at the show.

Rule number one for aspiring musicians: Fake it until you make it (aka act like you’re the greatest thing in the world no matter what. People will like you better). Also do not beg for sex – especially when the center of attention is YOU.

Khiazma

While they sounded better and were much more energetic than Day of Doom, we were so bored that we didn’t want to risk sitting through another bad local act. Instead we wound up watching them from TV sets in the downstairs lounge, where we gathered to check out the merch and sober up on Gramercy´s tap water. We were also disappointed when we discovered that a chiasma is an exchange of genetic material in chromosome strands during meiosis and not a piece of furniture you can buy from Ikea.

Seton Hall University´s WSOU (Pirate Radio) station had a booth in the lobby as they were one of the sponsors for the show. The station’s representatives were very much into themselves and didn’t do any actual promotion other than stand next to their booth which contained a roulette wheel of prizes you could potentially win by spinning the wheel and landing on said prize. None of us cared since we weren’t intrigued or approached by the reps who consisted of college kids that were happy to get free tickets to a show.

Although Nile had some pretty cool merch – including limited edition vinyls of their Relapse catalog, a flag and shirts; they only had small and extra large sizes of their best t-shirt designs available. Being a medium, I was a sad panda until moments later when Khiazma wrapped up their set. We stumbled up the stairs knowing we’d finally be getting our money’s worth.

Nile

It was both mine and Andrew’s first time seeing the Egypt obsessed Nile. Not only had the venue filled up dramatically by this point but the place exploded the minute the headliners took the stage. My partners in crime ventured into the pit (balaclavas and all) while I found a comfortable spot to bask in Nile’s glory (on a side note, guitarist Dallas-Toler Wade was wearing a Pit Bulls shirt. The Pit Bulls are a large fraternity of metalheads from Dallas, Texas which Insinnerator/Thy Antichrist bassist Benjamin Shanks, a friend of mine is a member of (and the person I’m willing to bet money on for giving Wade the shirt).

My time in said comfortable spot would not last long as my cronies grabbed my five-foot three, 165-pound frame and crowdsurfed it for the first time in almost a decade. This would repeat itself seven more times throughout Nile’s set to the point where various members of the front row were referring to me as “Rangers Guy” thanks to the hockey jersey I was wearing (they lost 3-1 that night to the bloody Islanders).  During this time, we met up with Jane (who was the earlier plan I had botched) and Kevin, who was so drunk it took me a good minute to recognize him.

Nile absolutely slayed and the crowd responded with their hyper-violent moshy roar of approval. Their set consisted of a little bit from each of their eight albums, including “Sarcophagus,” “Serpent Headed Mask” and “Ithyphallic” – satisfying everyone in attendance. Their latest material went over so well with the crowd (a rarity) that they added a third new track to the set on the spot which was also well received. They closed with “Black Seeds of Vengeance,” the title track from their second album (2000) and sent a bunch of headbanging New Yorkers home happy (also a rarity).

As for the five of us, we grabbed some grub at a nearby diner, headed over to the famed Coyote Ugly Saloon and had a few more spirits before taking a ride home on the subway.

 

Music

Venom Inc. & Nerophagia at Webster Hall

1 Comment

venom-inc-interview-with-abaddon-mantas-and-demolition-man

Venom offshoot Venom Inc. and death metal pioneers Necrophagia played New York City’s Webster Hall Jan. 9 as part of their first US circuit.

For the uninitiated, Venom Inc. is a new band that features ex-Venom members Mantas on guitar, Abaddon on drums and Demolition Man on vocals – making this band an unofficial reunion of Venom’s 1988 to 1992 lineup.

I was really excited for this as I had not been to a show since King Diamond and Necrophagia and Venom were bands I’ve wanted to see since high school. I was also confirmed for an interview with Necrophagia vocalist Killjoy. Although I took the bus to the city with my friend Jay to NYC, we split up as Jay didn’t want to be at the venue too early. I took the Subway to Union Square while Jay went to The Blue Ruin in Hell’s Kitchen. I got to the venue on East 11th street, ran into some friends and awaited the show.

Extinction A.D.

First up was Long Island’s Extinction A. D. The band played slightly melodic “tough guy” hardcore. This was not a style I was ever into, so their set bored me.Most of the crowd was bored as well as this band didn’t fit the bill.

Metalfier

After Exinction A. D. I interviewed Killjoy. Metalfier got on stage shortly after. The band was a traditional metal throwback and they were bad. Like the last band, everyone was bored and couldn’t wait for them to finish.

Necrophagia

After the bland local openers it was time for Necrophagia, which  was also when Jay showed up. Their set was mostly focused on recent material, as no songs before 1998 were played. Necrophagia performed several fan favorites such as “Embalmed Yet I Breathe” and “Blood Freak” – all while vocalist Killjoy practiced his horror theatrics. They ended their set with their most well known song “Cannibal Holocaust” (based on the horror classic of the same name).

Venom Inc

After Necrophagia’s killer performance, we got ready for Venom Inc. Audiences were curious due to the fact that while this version of Venom does not include classic vocalist Cronos, they do have two of the original three members.

The band started their set with “Prime Evil,” the title track from the 1988 Venom album. This was the only song they played from the era they were a throwback to. From that point on, their setlist mostly consisted of songs from the first two Venom albums, “Welcome to Hell” and “Black Metal.” This included many classics such as “Black Metal,” “1,000 Days in Sodom,” “Countess Bathory,” “Don’t Burn the Witch” and “Schizo.” They also played some of the non-album singles from that era such as “Warhead” and “Bloodlust.”

Venom Inc. had good energy and looked like they were having a lot of fun. With the exception of the two openers, the show was a lot better then expected. After the show Jay and I went to the Blue Ruin, met some cool, hot chicks and took the bus home disappointed that we had to return to reality.

Music, Movies, More

%d bloggers like this: