Sylar w/ Cane Hill, Varials, and Bloodline | Seasons Tour 2019 | Photos + Review

June 8, 2019 Leave a comment

Sylar Changes the Seasons at Chain Reaction

Venue: Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA | 5/26/19

Sylar has been a very important band to me since I got into them in 2016. Their distinct sound that mixes together nu-metal, metalcore, post-hardcore, and rap metal has helped them stand out in a music scene that can sometimes be filled to the brim with soundalike bands. With their newest release “Seasons”, Sylar hit new ground, going a bit more personal, which received critical acclaim.  After several years of touring as the supporting act for many tours, Sylar finally embarked on a full 2-month U.S. Tour, with supporting acts Cane Hill, Varials, and Bloodline. With a stacked lineup at one of my all-time favorite venues, I knew this would be a fun show.

The first band up was Bloodline from Dallas, Texas. Bloodline has been on my radar for quite some time. This fourpiece band is a perfect mix of metalcore and hardcore, with some sweet melodies and slamming breakdowns. The members of the band consist of vocalist Joseph Todd, drummer and backup vocalist Matt Dierkes, bassist Jake Jones, and guitarist and clean vocalist Titus Kirby. They had very high energy from the start of their set to the end, and truly kicked the show off with a force. I was thoroughly blown away. Their newest release “Better View” came out in March of 2019 via Stay Sick Recordings and truly shows off the band’s wide range and variety from song to song! I cannot wait to see them next time they come out to California!

 

Next up came Varials from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’ve wanted to see Varials for quite some time but scheduling just never worked out for me to make it out to one of their shows until now. Varials is good ole fashioned hardcore mixed with metalcore. They had such a high level of energy that had the crowd going absolutely bonkers. In fact, a guy cartwheeled off the stage onto the crowd at one point. This five piece consists of vocalist Travis Tabron, guitarists Mitchell Rogers and James Hohenwarter, drummer Sean Rauchut, and bassist Mike Foley. The band played a 6-song set, 5 of which came from their 2017 release “Pain Again” which was their debut LP on Fearless Records. I was thoroughly impressed by their stage presence and their ability to control the crowd at the snap of their fingers.

SETLIST

  1. God Talk
  2. Anything to Numb
  3. D.A.
  4. Stigmata
  5. Pain Again
  6. Empire of Dirt

The biggest supporting act was up next, that being Cane Hill from New Orleans, Louisiana. I remember seeing Cane Hill as the opening act for Attila, New Years Day, and Bad Omens at Chain Reaction in 2017, so seeing how far they’ve come has been impressive. The band is the perfect mixture of Nu Metal and Metalcore. The band played a whopping 11-song set with songs from each of their releases: 7 off their 2018 album “Too Far Gone”, 3 from their 2016 album “Smile”, and 1 from their self-titled 2015 EP. The band was on fire and truly showcased their full range in sound. This four piece consists of vocalist Elijah Witt, guitarist James Barnett, bassist Ryan Henriquez, and drummer Devin Clark. Cane Hill has been a band I have been listening to consistently since Warped Tour 2016 and they continue to blow me away each time I see them!

SETLIST

  1. (The New) Jesus
  2. Lord of Flies
  3. 10 Cents
  4. Ugly Model Mannequin
  5. Fountain of Youth
  6. It Follows
  7. Hateful
  8. Why?
  9. Gemini
  10. Singing in The Swamp
  11. Too Far Gone

The almighty Sylar from Queens, New York came out on stage last to finally bring a headlining set. After being a supporting act for many tours throughout the years, they finally got the opportunity to headline their own tour, which was so cool to see. The band opened up their set with fan favorite song “Assume”, which is such a banger. The band truly went all out for their headliner and prepared a jampacked 15-song set, which consisted of 9 songs from their 2018 release “Seasons”, 4 from their 2014 release “To Whom It May Concern”, and 3 from their 2016 release “Help!”. It was surreal to see them play such a widespread set, with songs from each release. The band has evolved their sound with each release and they proved just how far they’ve come with their headlining set. This five piece consists of vocalist Jayden Panesso, guitarist and clean vocalist Miguel Cardona, guitarist Dustin Jennings, bassist Travis Hufton, and drummer Cody Ash. The band is super tight and together on stage, with high energy that had the crowd jumping and moshing like crazy. Sylar is growing more and more as a band as the months go by, and I’m so happy they’re finally headlining.

SETLIST

  1. Assume
  2. SHOOK!
  3. Same Dance
  4. Wait For You
  5. Sickminded
  6. Open Wounds
  7. No Way
  8. Seasons
  9. To Whom It May Concern
  10. Prescription Medication
  11. Live / Breathe
  12. All or Nothing
  13. Soul Addiction

ENCORE

  1. Dark Daze
  2. Golden Retreat

Sylar’s Seasons tour was filled with moshing, crowdsurfing, nu metal, metalcore, hardcore, and a lot of fun. I’m so honored to have been able to see this band grow over the years and see them many times in that time.

Sylar | Cane Hill | Varials | Bloodline

Photos and Review courtesy of Jamie Kaufman | Instagram

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Chelsea Grin w/ Slaughter to Prevail, Traitors, and Bodysnatcher | Eternal Nightmare Tour Photos + Review

May 31, 2019 Leave a comment

Chelsea Grin Unleashes The Eternal Nightmare on Pomona

The Glass House in Pomona, CA | 5/19/19

Chelsea Grin has been one of the leading bands in deathcore for quite some time. With their newest album “Eternal Nightmare” being released in 2018 via Rise Records, the band hit new highs, and showed more variety. This is partly thanks to the addition of new vocalist Tom Barber, who previously fronted the Blackened Deathcore band Lorna Shore. With the first North American leg of their Eternal Nightmare Tour, the band brought Slaughter to Prevail, Traitors, and Bodysnatcher. Enterprise Earth is also a part of the tour but were finishing up another tour at the time of my date, so they were not able to perform. The show slayed from start to finish.

The first band up was Bodysnatcher from Melbourne, Florida. Bodysnatcher has been on my radar for a while. Their 2016 EP titled “Abandonment” put them on the map and truly helped them create a name for themselves, which led to their signing with Stay Sick Recordings. Since then, they released their debut full length album “Death of Me”, which was originally released in 2017 via Stay Sick Recordings but then re-released as a deluxe edition in 2018. The band is a good mixture of deathcore, hardcore, and beatdown. The band played an 8-song set, all of which came from “Death of Me”. This 4-piece consists of vocalist Kyle Medina, drummer Chris Whited, bassist Kyle Shope, and guitarist Kyle Carter. The band was truly on fire and I couldn’t help but bob my head and headbang a bit while shooting their set. They were such a kickass way to start out the show and had such power and slamming grooves to their sound. I will definitely be seeing them again.

SETLIST

  1. Show Stopper
  2. Exterminate
  3. Rancid
  4. Ego Killer
  5. Open Wounds
  6. Bone Casket
  7. Consequence
  8. Closer to Hell

Up next was Traitors, who are also from Florida. This was my 4th time seeing these guys and they slayed like they always do. They are a perfect mix of alternative metalcore, hardcore, deathcore, and beatdown. I have always enjoyed their stage presence and their ability to get the crowd going nuts from the moment the intro notes hit to the moment they walk off stage. The 4-piece band consists of vocalist Tyler Shelton, drummer Stephen Arango, guitarist Alan De La Torre, and bassist Cameron Perry. One thing I admire about Traitors is that they have remained independent throughout their entire career, releasing 3 full length albums and 3 EPs during their time as a band. The band played a 7-song set, which encompassed songs from 4 of their releases, the newest being their 2019 album “Repent”. I always enjoy seeing these guys and recommend you all check them out!

SETLIST

  1. Short Fused
  2. RIP
  3. Disappoint
  4. Lashing Out
  5. Left To Rot
  6. Arrogance
  7. Ruthless Hate

Up next came Slaughter To Prevail, who came all the way from Yekaterinburg, Russia. This was my third time seeing these guys and they surely did not disappoint. In fact, this was the best set I’ve seen them put on to date. They started their set out by all wearing their iconic Slaughter masks. The only member that took the mask off really was vocalist Sasha “Alex Terrible” Shikolai. Other members of the band include guitarist Robert Brown, bassist Mike Petrov, and drummer Evengy Novikov. The band played a 7-song set, which consisted of 3 songs from their debut 2016 EP “Chapters of Misery”, 3 songs from their 2017 album “Misery Sermon”, which were both released via Sumerian Records, and also debuted a brand-new song titled “Agony”, which absolutely slapped. The band just had a tightness and cohesiveness that is stronger than ever. If you like deathcore that is mixed with slam and good ole fashioned death metal, I definitely recommend Slaughter to Prevail.

SETLIST

  1. Chronic Slaughter
  2. Russian Hate
  3. Death
  4. Agony (New Song)
  5. Beast
  6. King
  7. Hell

The final band up was the one and only Chelsea Grin hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah. Chelsea Grin truly went all out for their headlining tour, bringing a large lighting setup with them, as well as preparing a monstrous 16-song setlist. The band played their newest album “Eternal Nightmare” in its entirety, along with mixing 5 other songs from their discography into the set. This was my second time seeing the band in a period of 3 months and they absolutely killed it. This 4-piece consists of vocalist Tom Barber, bassist David Flinn, drummer and backup vocalist Pablo Viveros, and guitarist Stephen Rutishauser. The crowd was going nuts, with circle pits, slam pits, and crowdsurfers galore. It was so cool to see the crowd getting so excited. The band also did their song “Recreant” as an encore, which is a fan favorite and got the crowd going nuts like never before. The entire crowd turned into a mosh pit at that point. It was amazing seeing Chelsea Grin play a headlining set, as they truly deserve it.

SETLIST

  1. Dead Rose
  2. The Wolf
  3. Across The Earth
  4. Playing With Fire
  5. See You Soon
  6. My Damnation
  7. 9:30am
  8. Limbs
  9. Scent of Evil
  10. Lilith
  11. Clickbait
  12. Nobody Listened
  13. Outliers
  14. Eternal Nightmare
  15. Hostage

ENCORE

  1. Recreant

The Eternal Nightmare tour was an amazing filled with slams, moshing, fight riffs, and good ole fashioned deathcore. I am so thankful to have been in attendance and to kick it with everyone afterwards. This was truly a show to remember.

Chelsea Grin | Slaughter to Prevail | Traitors | Bodysnatcher 

Photos and Review courtesy of Jamie Kaufman | Instagram

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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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Knocked Loose w/ The Acacia Strain, Harms Way, Sanction, and Higher Power | Spring North American Tour |Photos + Review | 4/12/19 | Lancaster, PA

April 29, 2019 Leave a comment

In Old Ham County, Kentucky, something truly special was born. With a genre full of bands, what sets Knocked Loose apart? Their shows. Tonight I finally experienced what all the fuss was about.

Higher Power, Sanction and Harms Way kicked the night off with a punch, giving us a little taste of what was to come. All 3 bands were heavy and gave the crowd that energy we needed. Despite not being known by everyone, those 3 openers left the building, but didn’t leave everyone’s mind. The Acacia Strain was the evenings heaviest treat. The crowd seemed to transform into a pit of chaos. Crowdsurfers, stage divers, and moshers, the Massachusetts band brought the temperature in the room up about 15 degrees. 

The main act we all waited for. Knocked Loose came out swinging, quite literally. Before the first note was played, the crowd was moving. Frontman Bryan Garris encouraged the crowd to keep moving, to take the mic, and have a good time. Playing older tracks like The Gospel and All My Friends, their new single Mistakes Like Fractures, and most of their most recent album Laugh Tracks, the 5-piece was a security guards worst nightmare. Crowdsurfers didn’t stop coming. The pit never closed. Garris knew the mic was ours, not his.

This tour was extraordinary. It’s hard to have bands continue to compliment each other’s energy and vibe. This spring tour was nearly perfect in every way, from the set lists to the stage presence, this is not the last we’ll be hearing from any of the 5 bands that played. 

Higher Power

Sanction

Harms Way

The Acacia Strain

Knocked Loose

 

Knocked Loose | The Acacia Strain | Harms Way | Sanction | Higher Power

Photos and review courtesy of Emily Sulkowski

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Bleeding Through | Welcome Back Show 2018

July 1, 2018 Leave a comment

 6/8/18 | The Observatory

Photos courtesy of : Jamie Kaufman 

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While She Sleeps Vans Warped Tour 2013 Interview

December 28, 2013 Leave a comment

Founder Christine & team member Victoria take on Vans Warped Tour 2013, while there they met up with Lawrence Taylor ( Loz ) Vocals of While She Sleeps. Loz tells us his best advice for someone just starting in the music industry as well as three must haves while on our and more.

**This was filmed July 13,2013**

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Official Website : http://www.wssofficial.com/

PS : Be sure to wish Loz a speedy recovery after his throat surgery. (December 2013)

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False Freedoms – While She Sleeps

December 28, 2013 Leave a comment

The new album ‘THIS IS THE SIX’ available NOW | order on http://wssofficial.com/

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