YUNGBLUD w/ SAINT PHNX | Don’t Wanna Be A Loner Tour | Photos + Review

July 30, 2019 Leave a comment

One of the most talked about artists in music right now is YUNGBLUD. Over the past few years, he’s released his debut EP and LP, as well as a live album, went on a large amount of dates on the Vans Warped Tour (as well as making an appearance at the Mountain View show for their 25th anniversary event), and did a few national tours supporting not only those releases, but also the singles he’s released so far this year, with this particular tour being in support of his song Loner. I discovered YUNGBLUD’s music about a year ago, after hearing so many good things about his songs and live performances, and quickly became a fan. I discovered SAINT PHNX (who would be supporting him for these shows) more recently, and really enjoyed the music from first listen. All of this made me even more excited about attending the Don’t Wanna Be A Loner Tour.

Opening up the night was SAINT PHNX. The Glasgow, Scotland based act kicked off their set with their debut single “Reload” and my personal favorite song of theirs, “Death Of Me.” In addition to incorporating many of their other songs in their discography (“Rise,” “Nunchuck,” and “Dead Man,”) they also fit in a new song in the middle of the set. The trio (vocalist Stevie Jukes, drummer Alan Jukes, and touring guitarist John Cargill) had a ton of energy and did a great job of engaging the crowd, especially during their more energetic songs.

Not long after SAINT PHNX finished, YUNGBLUD took the stage, opening with the title track to his debut LP “21st Century Liability,” followed by the fun and energetic “I Love You, Will You Marry Me” and “King Charles” off of his debut EP. As the set progressed, he continued to play more songs from that EP (“Anarchist”) as well as a handful of songs from his debut album as well (“Medication,” “Die For The Hype,” “Machine Gun”). Some of the highlights of his set were some of his slower songs – “Polygraph Eyes,” where there was so much emotion shown in that performance and everyone in the crowd was singing along, and “Kill Somebody,” where everyone made their cell phone flashlights pink to match the color scheme of the album. As well as playing songs from his past releases, he also played two of his newest hits – “Parents” and “Loner,” and included an unreleased song earlier on in the set. Frontman Dominic Harrison also brings so much energy, moving and jumping around on stage constantly, and the crowd of nearly a thousand people did the same throughout his set.

This was my first time seeing both acts live, and I was very impressed. I absolutely loved the energy and passion found during both live sets, I think it definitely makes both of their performances really stand out, and as a whole, it was a great show.

YUNGBLUD | SAINT PHNX

Photos + Review courtesy of Megan Langley | Instagram

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Architects w/ Thy Art Is Murder and While She Sleeps | Holy Hell Tour | Photos + Review | 5/20/19

June 13, 2019 Leave a comment

On May 20th as I made my way past the line of fans literally wrapping around the punk-rock and heavy metal temple that is the Palladium in Worcester, MA, there was no doubt in my mind that the Architects show that night was going to be one for the books. Days later while the UK based metalcore band wrapped up the North American portion of their “Holy Hell” Tour in Chicago, I was still reeling from the show they put on. Whether it was the excitement buzzing through the venue, to the opening acts While She Sleeps and Thy Art Is Murder, to the granddaddy of them all Architects, the passion and energy felt that night was something I’ll truly always remember.

First up on the bill was While She Sleeps, hailing from Sheffield, UK. The metalcore band oozed energy and excitement and the crowd absolutely ate it up from beginning to end. From the very first song of the set “You Are We” the band came out packing a punch. Lead singer Lawrence Taylor delivered the highest quality of vocals and was backed by talented musicians Sean Long and Matt Welsh on guitars, Aaran McKenzie on bass and Adam Savage on drums. Seeing the crowd interaction with the band was one of the highlights of the night and you could certainly tell that each musician in While She Sleeps truly loved what they were doing. After this, I definitely put While She Sleeps on my list of bands I need to see again.

Next up was Thy Art is Murder. The Australian deathcore band came out swinging and absolutely delivered with every drop, strum and bang that they served us. Filling in for lead singer CJ McMahon was Nick Arthur from Molotov Solution and in my opinion, they couldn’t have picked a better vocalist. Nick’s vocal range, projection and energy was killer from beginning to end. For my first time seeing Thy Art is Murder, I was thoroughly impressed with the musical technicality the band brought and I can’t wait to see them again in the future.

Finally Architects graced the stage with not only amazing vocals and stage presence but a pretty kick ass light show, if I may say. The band never let up once during their sixteen song set, delivering hit after hit. Lead singer Sam Carter performed with such emotion and power that it was hard not to rock out with the crowd and scream all the words along with him. Architects never fails to put on a show that sends you on an adventure from beginning to end and if there’s any adventure I want to be on, it’s that one. The show simply was one of the best that I’ve ever been too and if you ever get the chance to see Architects in person in the future, don’t hesitate to buy your tickets because you won’t be disappointed!

Architects | Thy Art Is Murder | While She Sleeps

Photos + Review courtesy of Linette Ray

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PHOTOS – Movements USA Tour 2019

May 16, 2019 Leave a comment

Drug Church

Trashboat

Boston Manor

Movements

Photos & Review by Megan Langley | Facebook | Twitter

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REVIEW – Movements USA Tour 2019

May 16, 2019 Leave a comment

         Movements is a band I’ve been a fan of for quite some time. I’ve been following the band since their signing to Fearless Records and the release of their debut EP, “Outgrown Things,” back in 2016. I saw them live for the first time at Vans Warped Tour the following summer, and was really looking forward to seeing them again on this tour, as well as the other incredible bands that supported them.

          Kicking off the night was New York based hardcore punk band Drug Church. The five-piece instantly brought a ton of energy, and kept that energy going throughout their entire half-hour set. Their music has quite a bit of aggression as well, and this was easily the heaviest band of the night. The band primarily performed songs off of their new album “Cheer,” including singles “Weed Pin,” “Avoidarama” and “Strong References,” and they even fit in a couple of old favorites as well: “Drunk Tank,” “Banco Popular” and “But Does It Work?.” Every member of the band was constantly moving around the stage the entire time, and their set got the crowd moving as well.

        Second on the bill were Trash Boat, a pop punk band from the UK. Their music leans towards the heavier side of pop punk, and it shows even more through their live performance. Similarly to Drug Church, Trash Boat also brought a little bit of aggression and plenty of energy throughout their set, filling the setlist with a lot of their faster paced songs, such as “Strangers,” “How Selfish I Seem,” and “Tring Quarry” from their debut LP “Nothing I Write You Can Change What You’ve Been Through” and “Inside Out,” “Nothing New,” and a few others from their sophomore effort “Crown Shyness.” As well as aggression, this band puts a lot of passion into their performance, and it truly showed through the performances from every member during every song.

         Next up was another band from the UK, Boston Manor. This is a band whose sound has evolved over the years, and their set really showed that evolution, as they played songs such as “Laika,” “Burn You Up,” and “Lead Feet” from their more pop punk leaning debut record “Be Nothing,” as well as several songs from their more experimental second album “Welcome To The Neighbourhood,” including “Flowers In Your Dustbin,” “Halo,” and “England’s Dreaming.” This band has an incredible stage presence and did a really good job of engaging the crowd, with plenty of moshing and crowdsurfing going on throughout the set.

      Closing out the night was California based band Movements, a band whose popularity has grown tremendously in the past couple of years. The band’s music combines various influences from pop punk, emo and alternative rock, and their unique sound really makes them stand out. One notable thing about their performance is that they put so much emotion into every single song, from their more upbeat ones such as “Kept,” “Full Circle,” and set opener “The Grey,” all of which had the crowd moving, while slower ones like “Submerge” and fan favorite “Daylily” had every person in the room singing along. Each band on the bill was a little bit different, and from the variety and diversity found on the lineup to all the energy, passion and emotion that each band provided in their individual sets, it was a great show overall.

Photos & Review by Megan Langley | Facebook | Twitter

** Full gallery of photos of each band to follow **

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Knocked Loose w/ The Acacia Strain, Harm’s Way, Higher Power, and Sanction | Spring U.S. Tour | 4/30/19 |

May 12, 2019 Leave a comment

Knocked Loose 2-Steps Their Way Through The Majestic Ventura Theater

Date: 4/30/19

Venue: The Majestic Ventura Theater

Knocked Loose has accumulated quite the large and dedicated fan base in the Metalcore and Hardcore communities over the last several years. With only 1 EP, 1 Split EP, and 1 Album under their belts, the band set out on their first US Headlining tour, with supporting acts The Acacia Strain, Harm’s Way, Higher Power, and Sanction. This tour was a blast, filled with a variety of genres from metalcore, deathcore, hardcore, beatdown, and nu-metal.

The first band up was Sanction from Long Island, NY. Sanction is a good ole fashioned Metalcore and Hardcore mashup. Vocalist David Blom truly brings the energy to the bands’ performances. The band played 9 songs, 5 of which came from their 2018 EP “The Infringement of God’s Plan” that was released via Pure Noise Records. The band also debuted 2 brand new songs, which are most likely from an upcoming release. The band put on a solid performance. Was a good way to start the show.

SETLIST

  1. Introduction
  2. (New song)
  3. The Prophet Who Saw Fire
  4. Untitled
  5. (New song)
  6. The Infringement of God’s Plan
  7. Fixated Upon A Figure
  8. Iris (Lens of Depression)
  9. Sixhundredthirtyone

The next band up was Higher Power from Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The band was very energetic from the start. They were a standout in terms of sound, with a mixture of Metalcore, Hardcore, and Nu-Metal. I was truly living for the band from the start of their set to the end. The band played an 8-song set, 7 of which came from their 2017 record “Soul Structure”, via Flatspot Records. I definitely recommend checking out Higher Power. They pack in a whole lot of energy both on record and live!

SETLIST

  1. World Gone Mad
  2. Can’t Relate
  3. Reflect (Intro Only)
  4. Looking Inward
  5. Balance
  6. Hole
  7. You Ain’t Much
  8. Burning

The third band up was Harm’s Way from Chicago, Illinois. This was a band I was VERY excited to see. I’ve been listening to them for almost 2 years now, but I had never seen this five-piece band live until this show. The band is good ole Hardcore and Beatdown. They have such an intense stage presence, which was truly amazing to witness. The band played an 8-song set, 5 of which came from their 2018 album “Posthuman”, which was released via Metal Blade Records, which happens to be one of my favorite record labels of all time. I had high expectations when seeing Harm’s Way live and they somehow blew those out of the water. I definitely recommend seeing them live.

SETLIST

  1. Temptation
  2. Human Carrying Capacity
  3. Last Man
  4. (Unknown)
  5. Infestation
  6. Call My Name
  7. Breeding Grounds
  8. Become A Machine

The biggest supporting act, The Acacia Strain, was up next. The band, hailing from Chicopee, Massachustts. The Acacia Strain was the most diverse and polished band on the lineup, with a musical style that mashes up Metalcore, Death Core, and Melodic Death Metal. Throughout the band’s career, they have released 8 Albums, 2 EPs, 1 Split EP, and a live DVD. The band played a 10-song set, which showcased 3 songs from 2004’s “3750”, 2 songs from 2006’s “The Dead Walk”, 2 songs from 2008’s “Continent”, 2010’s “Wormwood”, and 2012’s “Death Is The Only Mortal”. With such a widespread setlist, the band showcased all they have to offer, and slayed that stage from start to finish. If you want a diverse set, and to get soaked from vocalist Vincent Bennett splashing water on the crowd, then you need to check out The Acacia Strain live in a city near you.

SETLIST

  1. Whoa! Shut It Down
  2. 4×4
  3. Seaward
  4. Doom
  5. Carbomb
  6. Brown Noise
  7. 3750
  8. Beast
  9. Dust and the Helix
  10. The Hills Have Eyes

The final band up was the all mighty Knocked Loose from Oldham County, Kentucky. The band put on a wild set, which consisted of 14 songs, 9 of which coming from their debut album “Laughing Tracks”, which was released in 2016 via Pure Noise Records. The instrumentals were clean and slamming, with vocalist Bryan Garris driving their whole performance through with a lot of energy. Garris has one of the highest vocal tones in the scene, which is contrasted by guitarist and backup vocalist Isaac Hale’s lows and mids. The band had the crowd going wild, and while the crowd did do some hardcore dancing and crowdkilling, the band called for circle pits, walls of death, and other moshing types that are typical of the metalcore and metal genre as a whole. Stand out songs in their set for me were “No Thanks”, “Billy No Mates”, and “Mistakes Like Fractures”. I thoroughly enjoyed Knocked Loose’s set and will definitely be checking them out next time they come out to Southern California.

SETLIST

  1. By The Grave
  2. All My Friends
  3. Oblivion’s Peak
  4. Damned Earth
  5. Deadringer
  6. Blood Will Have Blood
  7. The Gospel
  8. Mistakes Like Fractures
  9. No Thanks
  10. A Fetish
  11. The Rain
  12. Last Words
  13. Billy No Mates
  14. Counting Worms

All in all, the Spring US Tour was a blast to attend and each of the bands offered something to this spectacle of a night. I cannot wait to see each of them again! Check them all out and give them some love!

Knocked Loose | The Acacia Strain | Harm’s Way | Higher Power | Sanction

Photos and Review courtesy of Jamie Kaufman | Instagram

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Ice Nine Kills – The Silver Scream | album review

October 11, 2018 Leave a comment

ink-tss

Ice Nine Kills is a band that has flown under many people’s radar for over a decade now. A band known by name, but never receiving recognition they really deserves. They’ve always been doing things their own way, putting  themselves on the map with their last release, Every Trick In The Book, which was a huge hit in the scene of heavy music.

October 5th, 2018, marked a new era for the band. The latest album from the band, The Silver Scream, is something unlike many people have heard. Every song is based off a popular horror film, everything from Halloween to The Crow. Ice Nine Kills didn’t hold anything back on this album.

The first two singles, The American Nightmare (A Nightmare On Elm Street) and Thank God It’s Friday (Friday The 13th) let fans know that they weren’t going soft anytime soon. A catchy chorus mixed with heavier verses, and a breakdown everyone could love, people knew to catch Ice Nine Kills on Warped Tour 2018, and to keep an eye on the band until October.

I’ve listened to the entire album, and now I can’t stop myself from listening. Lighter tracks, like Love Bites (An American Werewolf In London) and A Grave Mistake (The Crow) offer incredible songwriting and gorgeous singing. On the opposite end of that spectrum, songs like Stabbing In The Dark (Halloween), Merry Axe-Mas (Silent Night, Deadly Night) and Rocking The Boat (Jaws) hit hard with fun guitar riffs, energetic drumming, and some unclean vocals we’ve rarely seen from Charnas. The references to classic lines from the movies give every song its own little flare of nostalgia.  Many songs come completely out of left field, It Is The End (It) sticking out to me the most. Creepy voice acting, leading into chaotic and heavy verses, the song features ska punk band, Less Than Jake, offering some backing tracks to elevate the heavy guitars to a new level. The song makes you wanna move in any way you can.

The album shows tons of growth from the small metal band. Their ability to create and not take themselves 100% serious is obvious. The use voice acting, other genres, wordplay, and fun movie references, The Silver Scream gives you the creeps in the best way. Nostalgia and love for horror films makes my love for this album so much more personal. Ice Nine Kills has come a very long way, I have a feeling they can only go up from here.

Review & Photography courtesy of Emily Sulkowski

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COUNTERFEIT. – together we are stronger | Review

March 23, 2018 Leave a comment

counterfeit.

Counterfeit is a U.K punk band that burst into the scene in 2015. Their most recent release, Together We Are Stronger, definitely gave them some well deserved attention. With dark lyrics, heavy guitar, and dirty, yet melodic vocals. This album is something many can enjoy. Their single, As Yet Untitled is a fast paced, energized and heavy track. Yet more mellow tracks like Letters to The Lost don’t disappoint with meaningful lyrics and beautiful singing, giving off some Nirvana vibes. This album gives you anything you want and more. Songs about rebellion, love, lust and loss, Together We Are Stronger is an album for anyone looking to find a new band that they can relate too. Punk in fact isn’t dead, Counterfeit is breathing a fresh breath of life into a scene that always needs something new.
Review courtesy of Emily Sulkowski.
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Cherry Pools, Flint Eastwood, & PVRIS | 2/28/18

March 10, 2018 Leave a comment

The second I walked into the venue for the PVRIS show, I knew it would be a wild one. Half of the stage was covered with a tarp, and instruments were pushed to the very front of the stage with a large, neon pink Cherry Pools sign. You can tell these boys are a bit new to the scene just by how happy they were to be playing. Along with playing their two released songs, they took plenty of time for some little secret, unreleased bops. Even with their lead singer Martin having crazy bright blue hair, I found myself watching their guitarist Matty most of the show. The kid literally did not stop smiling once. His happiness spread and most people I talked to all mentioned their love for just the pure joy coming from this band.

Not long after, Flint Eastwood came out and just completely destroyed the stage. Along with some killer dance moves throughout the entire show, she would call out specific people who weren’t joining in. There was a lot of audience reaction throughout her show as she held full conversations with some fans and even pointed out some adorable couples. She introduced her last song, Queen, in the most amazing way. Que one of the most motivational speeches I have ever heard, then one of the most intense dance parties I have ever seen. She left the stage completely inspiring everyone.

There was a long pause before PVRIS, and part of it was because they fully removed the tarp and showed the most beautiful back ground at a concert venue. I don’t want to spoil it, but just be very prepared if you get the chance to see it. Lynn amazed me as always by constantly picking up a different instrument to play while she was singing. They hit all the new music and some old jams, the crowd went crazy the second My House started. After slowing it down for some piano and acoustic songs, they picked it right back up to finish with a bang. This show was definitely one for the books.

 Review courtesy of Lexi Rodriguez, who owns Hope Through Headphones

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Vans Warped Tour – Summer 2018

March 10, 2018 Leave a comment

The last cross-country Vans Warped Tour takes place this summer from 6/21-8/5. The tour will start in California and end in Florida. Being that this is the last cross-country tour, fans expected the lineup to be nothing short of amazing. Kevin Lyman really delivered with this lineup. It is a fantastic way to end the tour with a bang.

The lineup features bands from across a wide range of genres within the scene. Some of my personal favorites will be making an appearance on the final run of the tour. There are a few bands on the lineup set to only play a few dates including my favorite band, All Time Low (A little bitter I won’t be able to see them).

Some are not a fan of the lineup saying most of the bands they want to see aren’t playing their date. Others such as, TCAP member Emily Sulkowski, said “I’m ready to have the sweatiest, rowdiest, best day ever.” She also went on to say, “I love the lineup so much and I think it’s gonna attract younger and older fans alike.” I totally agree with Emily but also agree that more bands should be playing the full tour.

You can see bands and artists all the way from pop punk band, State Champs all the way to the death metal band, Nekrogoblikon (trust me I never heard of them either, but I’m intrigued). Some warped tour staples such as Taking Back Sunday, Sum 41, Reel Big Fish, and Less than Jake will be making appearances on the tour which really takes the tour back to its roots. Less than Jake has been on the tour since 1997 and this summer will be their 10th time appearing on the tour! It’s exciting to see a mix of new bands and older bands all coming together to make this last tour one for the books.

Thank you, Kevin Lyman, for all that you have done to bring this scene together every summer. I am sad to see the tour go but I am happy that it happened. It was the first place I ever photographed a concert and it will forever hold a special place in my heart for that. Looking back on where I started to where I am now, without warped tour I never would’ve gotten here.

Rebecca McKay

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*REVIEW * New Politics | Lost in Translation Tour 2018

February 27, 2018 Leave a comment

I have only one word for the New Politics Lost in Translation Tour, wow. Just wow. This concert was quite possibly the most fun I have ever had at a concert.

Just getting there, it was one of the nicest crowds of a concert I’ve ever seen. Everybody was so happy and welcoming, it was about enjoying the music over getting to the barricade. Everywhere you went there were little pockets of people breaking out into dance throughout the whole concert and new friendships forming.

The first band to play was The Wrecks. I had listened to a few of their songs just so I was ready when they came on, but they absolutely blew me away. If there is any band that is even better live than over recording, it is The Wrecks. The vocals are simply amazing, Nick was singing such high notes nonstop. A girl next to me said that last time she saw him he was sick, yet he still came out and gave it his all on those hard songs. Towards the end they played a new song and the guitarists took turns absolutely tearing it up. Every instrument had a solo in this song, and every instrumentalist deserved that solo. The Wrecks very quickly became my favorite band, I even bought a hat for them to sign. I am just blown away with this band.

After The Wrecks, DREAMERS stepped up to the plate. After bringing the energy and hyping up the crowd, they decided to slow it down for a song. One fan jokingly protested it and these boys handled it like pros, saying they are just planning on depressing us for one song. The lead singer, Nick, told us a quick story behind it. (I feel like almost every guy on this tour is named Nick at this point.) Stating the fact that those who survive a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge regret jumping the second they do, he tells how this song is about being right on that edge of committing suicide. Right after, they brought the energy right back up when Nick made a toast to the audience. With the last few songs, Nick went from jumping up and down, to dancing around the stage, to jumping out over the crowd. It was a very large ending and really set the tone for the final act of the night, New Politics.

The crowd was ready, and they showed it the second the lights went down. New Politics brought more energy to the first few songs of their set than I’ve ever seen. I was down in the pit shooting and felt like I had to run everywhere just to keep up with them. I feared for my life at one point when David looked down at me, then stepped over me onto the barricade. The lights on this set were just gorgeous. I love the color choices for them and they worked it. David then made the announcement that he is a dad and his genuine excitement was the most adorable thing ever, that poor mother is never going to be the “fun parent.” After a few more songs and random handstands, the lights went down for a bit. They came up on Soren playing a beautiful melody on the piano that eventually turned into a very energetic Madeleine. More songs, then the whole crow helped sing Happy Birthday to one of New Politics oldest friends and coworkers. In between all the songs from their newest album they threw in a few classics like Dignity and West End Kids, and it made those of us that knew them ecstatic. I have to say my personal favorite was when they played Lifted, but I’ve just always dreamed of hearing that song live. It did not disappoint. The crazy energetic concert ended with a bang when the whole crowd went crazy for Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. With this friendly of a crowd, there was no way you couldn’t feel like One of Us (see what I did there?). This concert was without a doubt, one of the most fun concerts I’ve ever been to, I would gladly relive this night over and over again.

 Review courtesy of Lexi Rodriguez, who owns Hope Through Headphones

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