Thy Art Is Murder Brings the Decade of Hate to Ventura w/ Kublai Khan TX & more | 2/25/23 | Photos + Review

March 11, 2023 Leave a comment

Let me take you back 10 years. Thy Art Is Murder released their album “Hate” to the masses and captivated audiences worldwide. I’ve seen them many times throughout the years, so to hear them finally play this album in its entirety was an experience to say the least. To celebrate the album turning 10 years old, the band set out on a world tour. The North American lineup brought a mixture of hardcore punk, death metal, and of course, deathcore. Kublai Khan TX, Undeath, I Am, and Justice For The Damned came out to SLAY! This show was a banger from start to finish!

First up was first to the stage from Sydney, Australia. This was their debut tour hitting North America and they absolutely set things off strongly. They are that perfect blend between hardcore and deathcore, which is the perfect blend. This quintet consists of vocalist Bobak Raffiee, guitarists Kieran Molloy and Nic Adams, bassist Ben Mirfin, and drummer Chas Levi. The band played a 7-song set, most of which came from their 2020 album “Pain Is Power” which was released via Greyscale Records. The band absolutely set this show off CORRECTLY with high energy and headbangs.

SETLIST

  1. Final Cataclysm
  2. Dragged Through The Dirt
  3. The House You Built Is Burning
  4. Blister of the Plague
  5. Deep Rotting Fear
  6. Pain Is Power
  7. Guidance From The Pain

Up next was I Am from Dallas, TX. This was my third time seeing these guys and they absolutely get better and better each time I see them. With a blend of deathcore, hardcore, and death metal, I Am truly brings it. The lineup consists of vocalist Andrew Hileman, guitarists Chris Burgess and Tom Reyes, drummer Brandon Busa, and touring bassist Jayden Baker. The band played an 8-song set, 3 of which came from their newest album “Eternal Steel” which was released in 2022 via MNRK Records. It has been amazing to see the trajectory of this band since I first saw them back in 2017 and I seriously cannot wait to see and photograph them again the next time they hit the West Coast.

SETLIST

  1. Texas Death
  2. Surrender to the Blade
  3. Peel Back The Skin
  4. Sacred Cries
  5. Eternal Steel
  6. Vicious Instinct
  7. Paid In Sin
  8. Burn Slow

Next to the stage was Undeath from Rochester, NY. This was my second time seeing and photographing Undeath with the last being in September of 2021 and boy did they once again exceed my expectations. These guys are straight up brutal death metal meets hardcore, which is such a unique combo but works out so well. The band’s lineup consists of vocalist Alexander Jones, guitarists Jared Welch and Kyle Beam, drummer Matt Browning, and bassist Tommy Wall. The band played a 7-song set with songs spanning most of their discography up until this point. I am always thoroughly impressed with these guys and highly recommend checking them out!

SETLIST

  1. Lord of the Grave
  2. Necrobionics
  3. Rise From The Grave
  4. Grave Osmosis
  5. Brandish The Blade
  6. Chained to a Reeking Rotted Body
  7. Lesions of a Different Kind

Kublai Khan TX from Sherman, TX hit the stage next. This was my first time seeing the band in almost 4 years and boy did they come to DESTROY the stage. Opening with the song “The Hammer”, the band truly came out swinging. The band played a whopping 13-song set, spanning a majority of their discography including the entirety of their newest EP “Lowest Form Of Animal” which the band released in 2022 via Rise Records. The band’s lineup consists of vocalist Matt Honeycutt, bassist Eric English, drummer Isaac Lamb, and touring guitarist Nic Adams who was filling in for guitarist Nolan Ashley. I have seen this band many times, but after going so long without seeing them, it felt like that spark the band has is brighter than ever. They truly bring that metalcore and hardcore punk style to the nth degree. I highly recommend going to check them out live because the energy exuding from this band is indescribable.

SETLIST

  1. The Hammer
  2. Eyes Up
  3. True Fear
  4. Us & Them
  5. Dynasty
  6. Swan Song
  7. Taipan
  8. Resentment
  9. The Truest Love
  10. Loyal To None
  11. Boomslang
  12. Self-Destruct
  13. Antpile

Thy Art Is Murder from Blacktown, Sydney, Australia finally hit the stage next. Opening with “Reign of Darkness”, Thy Art Is Murder showed just how hard they went on this tour. With syncopated lighting and props, the band truly set themselves up for success. The band’s lineup consists of vocalist CJ McMahon, guitarists Sean Delander and Andy Marsh, bassist Kevin Butler, and drummer Jesse Beahler. Along with playing 10-songs from “Hate”, the band also played a song from each of their other albums released on Nuclear Blast, totaling out to a 13-song set. I am truly always blown away from the sheer presence from this band live and I truly cannot wait to see and photograph them again soon! This show was so much fun and I am truly glad it was my first for the year for The Camera Affect!

SETLIST

  1. Reign of Darkness
  2. Purest Strain Of Hate
  3. Vile Creations
  4. Shadow of Eternal Sin
  5. Immolation
  6. Infinite Forms
  7. Dead Sun
  8. Gates of Misery
  9. Defective Breed
  10. Doomed From Earth

ENCORE

  1. Death Squad Anthem
  2. Holy War
  3. Puppet Master

Thy Art Is Murder | Kublai Khan | Undeath | I Am | Justice For The Damned

Photos + Review courtesy of Jamie Kaufman | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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“RUN” by Rival Town | Song Review

January 20, 2023 Leave a comment

Rival Town is a heavy pop punk band from Ontario, Canada 

They are gearing up for a new album and their first single “RUN” was just released! The song starts off strong with a theme- like intro. The lyrics feel very relatable to anyone struggling with mental health. The music video has very interesting lighting that matches the vibe of the song and band. It’s a good song to release as their first single due to how easily you’ll be able to dance and sing to it. Some really cool timestamps include 1:24 they switch it up and highlight the piano for a solid moment and at 1:37 the bridge slows down the song and the band does a really good job building up to the chorus again. The ending hits hard with a scream that really solidifies what I think the song is trying to represent. All in all, I cannot wait for what else they have in store! 

Review by Quinn Hall

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Jake Scott’s Lavender Tour hits Denver, CO

November 29, 2022 Leave a comment

Jake Scott @ Gothic Theater – Denver, CO- 11/17/2022

On a cold snowy night, Jake Scott brought his Lavender Tour to one of my favorite venues in Denver – Gothic Theater on November 17th. 

Kicking it off with “Last Night’s Mascara,” Brynn sang and captivated the crowd with her voice and just her guitar, piano, infectious energy and emotional relatability. Many knew the words and sang along. Her voice was strong and clear and you could hear every word throughout the venue. Before playing “Gemini,” she made jokes and apologized to the Gemini men in the crowd and I couldn’t help but laugh as well. 

I’ve never heard of ROSIE before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. You could tell that she was happy and honored to be there. Her songs dug deep into emotions and encouraged the fans to experience every one of them. The lighting was still intimate yet contrasted by bright blue and pink lights that set the mood for both of their sets. It was a beautiful and emotional set and people sang along with her and the biggest smile was on her face throughout the entire set. 

The lights went up and down before Jake Scott finished off the night. The crowd was excited and screaming for him to come out and kicked it off with “CWJBHN.” He was so full of energy that didn’t stop during the entire set. He was constantly running back and forth across the stage. He would go to different areas of the stage and sing to the crowd in front of him. Fans went wild when he started singing the song that he wrote with Russel Dickerson called, “She Likes It.”

He played a few “sad songs” in a row but he mentioned how these songs are usually inspired with the thought of his wife breaking up with him because most of his other songs are inspired by her. He finished off the night with songs like “Working For You,” “Good Day,” and even a cover of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well.”

The Lavender Tour brought a night full of joy, talent and wonderful music to Gothic. Everyone was having a great time and there was never a dull moment, not even freezing temperatures and snow falling.

Photos courtesy of Jess Kelly | Instagram | Twitter

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All 4 Nothing Tour 2022 | Photo Gallery + Review

September 17, 2022 Leave a comment

9/6/2022

Lauv’s popularity has been on an upward trajectory over the past few years. He had a few hit singles in the late 2010s before releasing his debut LP in spring of 2020. Two years on from that release, he has dropped his sophomore LP, “All 4 Nothing.” The summer and fall of this year brought a tour in support of those two releases. It was his first tour in over two years, as well as the first concert I’d photographed in that time, and what a phenomenal comeback it was in both aspects.

Up first was Chicago-based musician David Kushner. The musician rose in popularity over the last several months after snippets from two of his songs went viral on TikTok. The set started with “Burn,” followed by one of the two aforementioned viral songs, “Miserable Man.” For his third song, he switched things up a bit by playing a more recent track, “Look Back & Laugh.” At the time, the track was unreleased, giving the concertgoers a taste of his debut EP, “Footprints I Found.” He closed the set out strongly with what is arguably his most popular song, “Mr. Forgettable.” Kushner is a very talented vocalist and musician who writes very poignant music, and his performance moved the crowd.

On this particular night, he also happened to be celebrating his 22nd birthday. In the middle of the set, people came out on stage with a sign alerting the crowd that they should sing “Happy Birthday” to him, although the crowd had already gotten a jump start on that just a moment prior.

Next up was Hayley Kiyoko, who brought tons of energy to the stage right from the get-go. She was constantly moving and jumping around, especially in the first few songs of her set, and the many fans in the crowd sang along to previous hits and tracks from her newly-released album “Panorama.” The setlist was primarily comprised of more recent tracks, with six out of the eight songs being from that album. The other two were some earlier hits of hers – “Curious,” from her first full-length album, and “Girls Like Girls,” which she concluded the set with, and at which point she waved pride flags handed to her by fans in the audience.

Finally, at 9:30 P.M., the lights once again dimmed and Lauv’s set began. As fog filled the stage, Lauv began playing “26,” the opening track to his new album. About halfway through the song, the spotlight turned towards him. He continued with another single from that album, “Kids Are Born Stars,” before deciding to turn back in time and play a couple of much older tracks of his, “Paris In The Rain” and “Chasing Fire.”

Lauv has always been open about his experiences with mental health, and he took a moment to tell his story to the crowd and promote his new guided meditation before playing “Modern Loneliness,” one of my favorite songs of his. Another highlight of the set was when he played the reflective “Hey Ari,” a song that shows him checking in with himself and looking back on the progress he’s made. Part of what made this part of the set particularly special is that, during the chorus, the crowd asked the question that becomes the main hook of the song: “Hey Ari, are you happy?”

Since this tour was in support of two albums, the majority of his set consisted of those songs and contained a pretty even split of tracks from “All 4 Nothing” (such as “Molly In Mexico,” “Bad Trip,” “Stranger,” and “Stay Together”) and tracks from “how i’m feeling” (including “Tattoos Together,” “Who,” “Lonely Eyes,” “i’m so tired,” and “Drugs & The Internet”). The 23-song set concluded with one of the songs that jumpstarted his career in the first place, “I Like Me Better.”

Each artist on the lineup put on an engaging live show, and it was a great night all around.

Photo gallery + review by Megan Langley

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Knotfest Roadshow 2022

May 30, 2022 Leave a comment

Providence, RI

Saturday 21 May 2022

Slipknot announced taking their notorious show out on the road again in 2022 to bring complete chaos to the US with the legendary Cypress Hill and a punk, rap, metal three piece who has taken the nu-metal scene by storm, Ho99o9. This show was ran a little differently than what photographers are usually used to. We always are being rushed to the correct place of the venue to go over the rules of covering the show and such but on that night we had to rush take an on site covid test, meet up with the rest of the photographers once cleared, go over the rules and appropriate bands to photograph, which was only Slipknot at the DCU Center in Providence, RI. It was interesting to say the least but none of us had an issue with this given a heads up in the email on how this show was being ran. It was just a little different than the usual heart beating anxiety entering the venue. Once that was cleared, it was time to enjoy the rest of Ho99o9 set! The DCU Center holds up to 15,000 people and this arena was starting to fill in, from the floor to the top seats! The guys in the band were going off on the stage as I walked down the steps onto the sticky concrete floor. Ho99o9 was originally a duo, theOGM and Eaddy, who started in New Jersey and moved to L.A, gaining drummer Brandon Pertzborn. Ho99o9 is leetspeak for horror if you were wondering by the way. Their live show consists of lots of head banging, jumping around energy, and you could see the crowd was warming up for what was next to come. theOGM, Eaddy, and Brandon definitely bring a mix of punk, rap, and metal! Ho99o9 fits the Slipknot Roadshow bill for sure!

Setlist: Master of Pain. The World, The Flesh, The Devil. Mega City Nine. Protect My Bitch PT 2. Firefly Family. Bite My Face.

As the openers set comes to a close, people started to move to the refreshment stands and merch tables, while parents started rushing children to the front of the stage to be enlightened on who Cypress Hill was. I have always noticed the youth on the Slipknot Road Show shows and have always enjoyed knowing that amazing music will live on forever because of this!

DJ Muggs hit the stage first stating “There goes the neighborhood” and starts playing some mega mash up bangers such as Wu Tang, Ozzy, Run DMC, and Metallica. He would skip in and out of the mixes so the crowd could carry the rest of the lyrics and they did just that! Drummer, Eric Bobo, starts hitting his weed decorated kit and MC B-Real joins the stage. Unfortunately, Sen Dogg was absent for this one but will reconnect with the tour for future dates. The now, even more packed venue, started filling up with the sweet smell of Mary Jane as well as the stage and the area for what usually is the ‘pit’ is now a giant grooving dance party until they played “Superstar” that is. Then the area did break out into a small pit. B-Real was hyping up the crowd all set, asking if they are awake and “feeling insane” as they go into another top hit, “Insane in the membrane”. Cypress Hill has been around since 1988, becoming legends to the music scene. With multiple top hits, awards, and all around respect, it was an honor to see them live and on the roadshow!

Setlist: When the Shit Goes Down. Real Estate. Hand on the Pump. Sound of the Police. Roll It Up, Light It Up, Smoke It Up. Throw Your Set in the Air. Illusions. I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That. How I Could Just Kill a Man. (Rock) Superstar. Insane in the Brain. Jump Around.

The almost sold out DCU Center was packed and the fans in their positions were getting antsy starring at the Slipknot banner in front of the massive stage as the crew men built up the set for Slipknot. The playlist for everyone to get amped up was a solid mix of rock music but we all knew once ‘ACDC’s “For Those About To Rock” played it was time for them to take the stage. Slipknot has not played in Rhode Island for over 20 years and Corey Taylor was stoked to be back. The stage was about 11 feet high, so trying to snap all nine members was indeed a challenge for us photographers but we were ready. The ‘ACDC’ song finally plays after waiting a little bit and then, BANG, it is on!

Playing over an hour and a half set, Corey Taylor, lead singer, mentions that his voice isn’t 100 percent but no one could tell at all. His notes were flawless and his screams were gritty as always. Jay Weinberg, one of the greatest drummers of all time, was wacking his massive kit, while Clown and Tortilla Man were smashing kettle drums, and more precision drums, that were placed about 15 feet high on two separate towers. The stage presence of Slipknot is unmatched. It seriously is a must see live show, even if you have check it out on YouTube. Alex, the bass player at one point even had a flame thrower attached to his bass! While shooting the set, the pyros did go off on the second song and I was surprised to be leaving with eyebrows, however, even moving to the back of the massive crowd, I could still feel the heat from the fire! Corey Taylor is always showing his gratitude to the loyal and even new fans. He mentioned that he could see kids mixed in with older adults and that makes them continue what they have been doing for over 23 years now. Playing hits such as, “Before I Forget”, “The Devil In I”, which always gives me chills live, and “The Heretic Anthem”, to name a few, the Slipknot Roadshow once again blew minds.

There was actually two wild mosh pits that broke out until it turned into one huge one. Fans were helping each other up in the dark chaos if they got knocked down though and even Corey was looking out for his fans as a girl got pushed down, he stopped the show to make sure she was okay and to remind us to take care of one another. “This family lives and dies together”, he said, “as long as you’re on our side, we will give you 23 more years!”

Setlist: Disasterpiece. Wait and Bleed. Sulfur. Before I Forget. The Chapeltown Rag. Dead Memories. Unsainted. The Heretic Anthem. Psychosocial. The Devil in I. Solway Firth. All Out Life. Snuff. Vermilion. Duality. Custer. Spit It Out. Encore: People=Shit. (sic). Surfacing.

The Slipknot Road Show came and went but definitely did not disappoint in the least. I’ve attended the show twice now and I can’t wait to see what they bring us in 2023!

Review and Photos courtesy of Ashley Grace of aGrace Photography

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August Burns Red featuring Fit For A King, ERRA, and Like Moths To Flames | Leveler 10 Year Anniversary Tour | 12/8/21 | Photos + Review

February 1, 2022 Leave a comment

August Burns Red Brings The Belasco To A New Level On Their Leveler Anniversary Tour

Venue: The Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, CA

Date: 12/8/21

August Burns Red has been a leading band in the metalcore genre for quite some time. The band solidified themselves with their sophomore album “Messengers.” They garnered a large following from then on, constantly innovating in their song structure and musicality. For the tenth anniversary of their fourth album, “Leveler,” the band re-recorded the album in its entirety, bringing on special guests and changing the tunings of the songs from then on. In celebration of this, they embarked on a 10th-anniversary tour supporting the album, which they played in its entirety. Unfortunately, a few of the crew and band members caught COVID-19 on the run of dates in October due to the pandemic, forcing the band to postpone about a week’s worth of dates to December. Regardless, I am beyond stoked I got to cover this date for August Burns Red, along with the incredible lineup of Fit For A King, ERRA, and Like Moths To Flames. 

Up first was Like Moths To Flames from Columbus, Ohio. This is a band that I first got into in 2012 when I saw them on the “Scream It Like You Mean It Tour” alongside bands like Attack Attack!, We Came As Romans, and more. The band is the perfect middle ground between metalcore and post-hardcore. Since the last time I photographed and saw them back in 2018, the band found their new label at UNFD, where they dropped their fifth album “No Eternity In Gold” in 2020, along with their new EP “Pure Like Porcelain” in 2021. The band really strengthened their sound on these new releases. Chris Roetter’s vocals were showcased to the highest power on these releases, truly showing off his vocal prowess. Their single “Habitual Decline” in particular pops off like no other, both live and on record, showing off Chris’ cleans and screaming. Guitarists Zach Pishney and Jeremy Smith flourish on these releases as well, really bringing the instrumentals to new levels. I started feeling the band incorporating some elements of progressive metal on some songs, which, as many will tell you, is my favorite subgenre of metal personally. Unfortunately, bassist Aaron Evans was unable to make the rescheduled dates for whatever reason, which was my first time seeing the band without him. He has an entertaining stage presence that was sorely missed for me, but Chris Roetter was on top of that crowd, really getting people hyped like no other. Roman Garcia closed out the band’s live lineup on drums, who absolutely smashed through those drum parts with precision. The band played six songs that night, playing songs from their first album to the newest EP. Like Moths To Flames is always an incredible band to see live, and I cannot wait to hopefully see and photograph them on their upcoming co-headliner with Polaris in March – April! 

SETLIST

  1. The Worst In Me
  2. Habitual Decline
  3. I Solemnly Swear
  4. Preservation Of Hate
  5. The Anatomy Of Evil
  6. Bury Your Pain