Tag Archives: Overkill

Overkill, Nile, Amorphis, Swallow the Sun at Starland Ballroom

When trying to get free tickets to Monster Mania Con failed, I decided the next best thing was see this awesome New Jersey bill. I had only been to the Starland Ballroom two other times, once in 2010 (the first time I saw Overkill with Forbidden and Bonded by Blood) and again in 2013 for Goblin and Zombi. Both were some of my favorite shows out of the many I’ve been to. The day came, I got my hair cut,  did some errands then went to my buddy Jay’s house where our friend Ray picked us up and we left for the venue. When we  got to the venue at around 8 p.m., it was during a random intermission between the last local opener and Swallow The Sun.

Swallow The Sun

Being the only main band on the bill I had never seen, Swallow the Sun was the one I wanted to see the most. After taking what felt like forever to set up, the band only got to play three songs. While I was disappointed that the set was so short, they sounded great for the amount of time they were able to play.

Amorphis 

Next up was another Finnish band, Amorphis. I had seen these guys once before at Maryland Deathfest 2015, where they played Tales from One Thousand Lakes in its entirety. This time they had a set of mostly new material, which as a fan of I was kind of excited to hear.

Our friend Steve who was also at the show went mostly for Amorphis, while Ray and Jay didn’t care for them. As with Swallow the Sun, the sound guy took forever to get their sound right, cutting the band’s set time to about five songs. The songs were mostly later era such as “House of Sleep,” but we did get two older classics “Into Hiding” and “Oh Rich and Poor.” Similar to Swallow the Sun, they sounded great but deserved a longer set – especially since it wasn’t their fault that it was cut short.

Nile

Nile was Jason’s main reason to go and I was curious to see how they would do without longtime and iconic singer Dallas Toiler Wade, who surprisingly left the band just before the tour. I had seen them two other times and his stage presence was part of what made those shows so good. Unfortunately, their sound check again took too long and they only got to play five songs, though they sounded great and still had great presence (not to mention considering their length, five Nile songs is still a decent amount of set time).

Overkill

At around 11:30 came the main event. When I first saw them in 2010, I was blown away by how insane the energy and sound was from these Jersey locals in their home state. Just like last time, acclaimed heavy metal DJ Eddie Trunk introduced the band as they are one of his favorites and close friends. Overkill’s set consisted of mostly later work, from the 2010 album Ironbound and onward as well as some old school classics such as “Feel the Fire,” “Hello from the Gutter,” and “Rotten to the Core” as well as some great covers such as Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald” and, of course, the Subhuman’s  “Fuck You.” This was a pretty cool selection as it showed that Overkill is a band that continues to write great songs 30 years into their career.

 

Lemmy: The Man, The Myth, The Legend

One of Rock’s mightiest Gods has returned home.

Motörhead’s brash frontman Ian Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister died unexpectedly Monday, just two days after being diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer.

“We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren’t words,” surviving band members (Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee) said in their official Facebook post that confirmed the news.

Born on Christmas Day 1945, the legendary growler began his music career playing in local bands like “The Rockin’ Vicars” and doing odd jobs as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix, a gig Lemmy spoke fondly of in many interviews.

Soon after, Lemmy would join Hawkwind, a psychadelic rock outfit that dabbled in space, time and frequent drug use. Lemmy would record four albums (“Doremi Fasol Latido,” “Space Ritual,” “Hall of the Mountain Grill” and “Warrior on the Edge of Time”) with Hawkwind until being fired upon being arrested for drug possession crossing the Canadian boarder.

The firing would turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Lemmy.

Taking the name from a Hawkwind song, our hero would forge a legacy in 1975 with Motörhead. While the band was originally called “Bastard,” no major marketing or promotion would touch a band with that name at the time. The original name would take a back seat until 1993 when Motörhead would release “Bastards,” their 11th studio album.

22 Studio albums later, Motörhead would become a household name, leaving a trail of lineup changes, debauchery and bleeding eardrums in their wake. They would rise to superstardom with 1980’s “Ace of Spades” and ride off into the sunset with 2015’s “Bad Magic.”

During his long music career, Lemmy would lend his voice and talents to a number of artists, most famously writing the Ozzy Osbourne hit “Mama I’m Coming Home” off of 1991’s “No More Tears.” Later he would lend his voice to game developer Double Fine’s heavy metal video game “Brutal Legend” as “The Killmaster,” a sorcerer who aids you in your quest. He would also exclusively use Marshall amplifiers and Rickenbacker basses to not only compliment his playing but to generate his pick-heavy, aggressive sound.

Lemmy was infamously known (and often criticized by the media) for collecting World War II Nazi memorabilia. In his 2004 autobiography “White Line Fever” (and a plethora of interviews) he said, “I’ve had three black girlfriends, so I’m the worst racist you ever saw.”

Brash, bold and always on, Lemmy was beloved by all. Whether you were a fan of his or not, you respected him and supported his ultimate quest for the riff. The 2010 documentary “Lemmy” gives us an intimate look as his life on and off the road.

A great number of Lemmy’s peers in the industry as well as saddened fans gave their condolences via social media.

Living by the mantra “born to lose, live to win,” Lemmy was the embodiment of rebellion and he carried it with him for his entire life, sticking to his guns until the end. His dedicated fanbase hanging on his every word, adorning their bodies with tattoos of Motörhead artwork, lyrics, and of the man himself. The man built a reputation on being as bad-ass as his music and his legacy will live on.

 

Bonesaw Podcast – Episode 7: Midnite Hellion’s Drew Rizzo

Episode 7 features Heavy Metal maniac Drew Rizzo who plays drums in New Jersey’s Midnite Hellion. We chat about crowdfunding, Midnite Hellion’s history in preparation for the recording of their debut album, and some high points in their career – such as opening for the legendary Overkill at the Starland Ballroom. Goings on in the metal community is also discussed in vivid detail so sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Check out Midnite Hellion: www.facebook.com/midnitehellion?fref=ts

Donate to Thrash Bash BBQ IV:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/206782…ash-bash-bbq-iv