Citizen Soldier Feat. Icon For Hire & Halocene | Thank You For Hating Me US Tour | 10/6/24 | The Observatory Orange County | Photos + Review

Step into the world of group therapy, where music becomes the vessel to help you connect with your pain and emerge stronger together. Citizen Soldier orchestrates this transformative experience through their concerts, providing a safe haven to unleash emotions, find solace, and revel in the moment. During their Thank You For Hating Me Tour, they united with one of my beloved bands, Icon For Hire, and Halocene, to curate an unforgettable night brimming with raw emotions and breakthrough moments that will leave you feeling truly alive.

Halocene, an extraordinary band hailing from Phoenix, AZ, set the stage on fire as the opening act. They launched their performance with the electrifying “Just Won’t Die”, a mesmerizing fusion of progressive metalcore, pop punk, and synth-infused radio rock. Despite guitarist and co-vocalist Bradley Amick being under the weather and unable to perform, vocalist Addie Amick delivered a breathtaking performance, effortlessly taking charge of both vocal parts. The live lineup, featuring guitarist Ben McSherry and drummer Quinton Kufahl, exuded undeniable energy. With a repertoire of 7 songs, including captivating covers of “Unholy” by Sam Smith and “The Kill” by Thirty Seconds To Mars, the band left the audience spellbound. Their invigorating performance was an unforgettable start to the show, and I am eagerly anticipating the chance to capture their magnetic presence once again on their future tour.

SETLIST

  1. Just Won’t Die
  2. When Demons Come To Life
  3. Repent
  4. Unholy (Sam Smith cover)
  5. This Is Our War
  6. The Kill (Thirty Seconds To Mars cover)
  7. Maleficent

Up next, we were treated to the exceptional talents of Decatur, Illinois’ own Icon For Hire. This marked my seventh time catching the band live in the last decade, with the initial experience dating back to the 2014 Warped Tour. I cannot emphasize enough the profound impact their music has had on me.. The experience kicked off with the electrifying “Gatekeepers” from their latest album, The Reckoning. Vocalist Ariel Bloomer’s commanding presence immediately took center stage. They seamlessly transitioned into “Get Well” from their debut album “Scripted”, with guitarist Shawn Jump anchoring the band with a powerful, infectious groove. Icon For Hire’s music is an eclectic fusion, seamlessly blending alternative metal with elements of electronica, hip-hop, post-hardcore, and EDM. Their music spans across all the genres that hold a special place in my heart, and witnessing their ongoing sonic and visual evolution has been nothing short of breathtaking. They have never been afraid to be outspoken about mental health through their music, which is something I wholeheartedly commend and love. The band delivered an enthralling performance of 11 songs, showcasing the depth and breadth of their discography. I was particularly elated to see them play songs like “Venom” and “Ready For Combat” from their more recent releases. Without a doubt, Icon For Hire has solidified their status as THAT BAND.

SETLIST

  1. Gatekeepers
  2. Get Well
  3. Pulse
  4. Off With Her Head
  5. Last One Standing
  6. Iodine
  7. The Grey
  8. Bleed It Out (Linkin Park Cover)
  9. Venom
  10. Ready For Combat
  11. Make A Move

Citizen Soldier from Salt Lake City, UT delivered a powerful performance, taking the stage with their emotionally charged set opener “Save Your Story.” The band’s roots go back to 2016 when vocalist Jake Segura wrote the poignant lyrics to “Let It Burn” during a stay in a mental hospital. Now, as a practicing clinical therapist, Segura uses his emotionally intense lyrics to create a safe space for exploring feelings in a group therapy setting. Their sound is rich and multifaceted, combining a hard rock edge with heartfelt ballads. The band’s lineup includes vocalist Jake Segura, guitarists Matt Duffney and Kooper Hanosky, bassist and keyboardist Wonitta, and drummer Kyle Persell. Citizen Soldier pulled out all the stops for this tour, featuring an elaborate light show and a powerful sound that fully immersed the audience in emotion. Their 16-song set even included guest appearances from Addie of Halocine on “Wish I Could Cry” and Ariel of Icon For Hire on “Victim or Survivor.” Despite not being familiar with Citizen Soldier before the show, I was completely captivated by their performance. The tour, which also featured Icon For Hire and Halocene, felt like a deeply cathartic group therapy session.

SETLIST

  1. Save Your Story
  2. Face To Face
  3. Everybody Hates You
  4. Strong For Somebody Else
  5. Where Were You
  6. My Own Miracle
  7. You Are Enough
  8. Tattoos
  9. Wish I Could Cry (Feat. Addie Amick)
  10. Dead-End Life
  11. Wired For Worthless
  12. Victim or Survivor (Feat. Ariel Bloomer)
  13. Burden
  14. Afterlife
  15. Would Anyone Care (ENCORE)
  16. Thank You For Hating Me (ENCORE)

Citizen Solider | Icon For Hire | Halocene

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

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Leprous Featuring Earthside & Fight The Fight | Melodies of Atonement North American Tour | 9/27/24 | House of Blues, Anaheim, CA | Photos + Review

I recently stumbled upon the mesmerizing sounds of Leprous and was captivated by their extensive discography, especially their latest album “Melodies of Atonement.” When I found out about their North American tour, I knew I couldn’t miss the chance to witness their brilliance live. Due to a medical emergency, Monuments was unable to perform on the tour as initially planned. However, Earthside and the electrifying Fight The Fight performed as opening acts, promising an unforgettable evening.

Hailing from Oslo, Norway, Fight The Fight set the stage on fire with their performance of “Serpent of the Sand.” Bathed in striking red and blue lights, they delivered an intense 30-minute set, showcasing nine songs, including tracks from their new album “Shah Of Time.” Their fusion of groove-heavy influences and a perfect blend of melody and heaviness left a lasting impression. With a stellar lineup of vocalist Fredrik Teig Bergstrom, drummer Sander Lambrechts, guitarists Tord Larsen and Tobias Rekke, and bassist Hans-Magnus E. Hermansen, Fight The Fight’s performance was an exhilarating mix of diverse sounds that left me craving for more!

SETLIST

  1. Serpent of the Sand
  2. Ascent
  3. Monarch
  4. Shining
  5. Heart of Stone
  6. A.I.
  7. Alien
  8. 12800
  9. In Memory

Earthside from New Haven, Connecticut was the next band to hit the stage. The band can be best described as cinematic progressive metal. This four-piece is quite unique as it is an instrumental quartet consisting of guitarist Jamie van Dyck, keyboardist Frank Sacramone, bassist Ryan Griffin, and drummer Ben Shanbrom. The band opened with their song “We Who Lament,” for which they recently released a video. Throughout the set, vocals from the featured vocalists on the album echoed through the backing tracks, adding a full-rounded sound to songs such as “We Who Lament” and “Let The Truth Speak.” The lighting during their set was dynamic, with lots of moody backlighting to enhance the atmosphere. The band played a total of five songs, most of which came from their newest album “Let The Truth Speak,” released in 2023 via Mascot Label Group and Music Theories Recordings. It was really cool to finally see Earthside live, especially since I’ve been online friends with Jamie for quite some time. They were truly incredible and really moved me.

SETLIST

  1. We Who Lament
  2. Pattern of Rebirth
  3. Watching the Earth Sink
  4. Let The Truth Speak
  5. The Closest I’ve Become

The all-mighty Leprous from Notodden, Norway hit the stage next. The band put on an amazing hour and 40-minute show with a fantastic light display. They started with the opening track “Silently Walking Alone” from their new album “Melodies of Atonement”, showcasing Einar Solberg’s incredible vocal range. Throughout the set, they performed a total of 15 songs. The band’s lineup includes guitarists Tor Oddmund Suhrke and Robin Ognedal, bassist Simen Børven, drummer Baard Kolstad, and keyboardist Harrison White. During the song “Faceless”, they invited local fans onto the stage to sing with them as their choir, which was a really cool moment. They closed with my personal favorite song “Atonement” and then came back for an encore, letting the fans choose between three songs. The crowd chose “Illuminate”, which was an amazing way to end the show. It was an incredible performance that left me speechless. They prepared an amazing tour, and with Earthside and Fight The Fight alongside them, they brought a progressive metal show that was to die for.

SETLIST

  1. Silently Walking Alone
  2. The Price
  3. Mirage
  4. I Hear The Sirens
  5. Like A Sunken Ship
  6. Slave
  7. Distant Bells
  8. Unfree My Soul
  9. Below
  10. Faceless
  11. Castaway Angels
  12. From The Flame
  13. Atonement
  14. The Sky Is Red (Outro)
  15. Illuminate (ENCORE)

Leprous | Earthside | Fight The Fight

Photos + Review Courtesy of Jamie Kaufman | Instagram | Facebook | X

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Incubus w/ special guest Coheed and Cambria | PHOTOS & REVIEW

September 6, 2024 | The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

What a way to start a show with the Hardrock Legends, Coheed and Cambria. They begin the night with their album title song, “ In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3,” to get the crowd in the mood for what is to come and I can say personally, it was the best way to kick it off, Claudio never disappoints with his energy. 

It was a beautiful, cool Friday night at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, in Irving Texas. Coheed and Cambria played all their hits ranging from. “ Ten Speed (Of God’s Blood and Burial)”, “A Favor House Atlantic,” too, “A Disappearing Act,” “Shoulders,” and “The Liars Club,” from their 2022 album, Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind. 

It wouldn’t be a Coheed and Cambria show if they didn’t end it with their most popular track, “Welcome Home,” from their 2005 album Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV, Vol. 1 – From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness. Wow, what a mouthful! It was a great way to end their set cause it get the crowd pumped for the headliners… Incubus.

The stage has been set, lights have been cut and the sounds from the first song “Nice to know you,” kicks on and you can just feel that it was going to be some Morning Views indeed.

The energy the band put on the entire night of the set was just calming, relaxing, putting you in a state of pure bliss. Playing the album in its entirety was phenomenal, the crowd was grooving along with the band playing the songs, “Wish you were here,” “Just a phase,” “11 am,” and then the acoustic version of, “Blood on the Ground.’ Just beautiful.

As the night progressed it just got better and better, Brandon singing his heart and soul out with such passion shows how much he loves this music so much, Nicole Row playing an incredible bass line with such accuracy you just had to see it to believe it. Just wow! Mike with the iconic guitar riffs and a surprise at the end that I will fill you in on in just a bit. Gavin with such technical sounds from his turntable brought so much to the band. Last but not least, we cannot forget about Jose Pasillas and his cool smooth drum technique, one more time WOW!!

Incubus was nearing the end of the album Morning Views, with their songs, “Have you Ever,” “Are you in,” but then they mixed in Phil Colins popular song, “In The Air Tonight,” which brought the crowd alive once again, but it didn’t stop there, just for a little bit of a kick they played a Rhianna cover!!! It was awesome to see them play, “Umbrella”

Aqueous Transmisson, which got you locked in on Mike playing the Chinese instrument the Pipa and it was everything just everything. Such a beautiful song you can listen to it so many times that you will never tire of it, ever. As the album came to a close they stayed on stage and gave the crowd what they wanted, the hits from all the albums, from “Anna Molly,” “Karma,” Pardon Me,” too, “The Warmth,” “Vitamin,” “Dig,” and the classic, “Drive.” What a way to end the night Incubus giving it all and playing their hearts, it was a great evening, with some Morning Views.

Coverage courtesy of Angel Castillo

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Boyz II Men at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

St. Louis | August 3, 2024

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Rajchart

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Summer Slaughter Tour 2024, Featuring Veil of Maya, Brand of Sacrifice, Gideon, Left To Suffer, Ten56, Tallah, Cabal, Brat, & Filth | 7/31/24 | The Regent Theater, Los Angeles, CA

Filth

BRAT

Cabal

Tallah

Ten56

Left To Suffer

Gideon

Brand of Sacrifice

Veil Of Maya

Veil Of Maya | Brand Of Sacrifice | Gideon | Left To Suffer | Ten56 | Tallah | Cabal | BRAT | Filth

Photos courtesy of Jamie Kaufman | Instagram | Facebook | X

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Northlane with Invent Animate, Thornhill, and Windwaker | Mirror’s Edge North American Tour | 7/26/24 | House of Blues in Anaheim, CA

Windwaker

Thornhill

Invent, Animate

Northlane

Northlane | Invent Animate | Thornhill | Windwaker

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Exodus & Fit For An Autopsy w/ Darkest Hour & Undeath | Fall North American Tour | 11/24/23 | Photos + Review

Exodus & Fit For An Autopsy Obliterate The Stage in Anaheim

Venue: House of Blues in Anaheim, CA

Date: 11/24/23

Over the past several years, I have been lucky to check off many bands from my bucket list in terms of both seeing and photographing. I first saw Fit For An Autopsy back in 2017 and finally got them in front of my lens in January of 2022. This US tour is their biggest to date, and they co-headlined with the thrash metal legends in Exodus, who I finally got to check off my bucket list. The icons in Darkest Hour and the death metal boys in Undeath provided support for this tour. Coming through my favorite venue, the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA, this was a show I simply could not pass up.

Undeath from Rochester, NY opened the show up with a bang. This was my third time seeing and photographing these boys and they seem to get better and better each time. Vocalist Alexander Jones is a force to be reckoned with as he commands the stage. Guitarists Kyle Beam and Jared Welch brought the riffage and the headbangs galore. Bassist Tommy Wall is an absolute beast, strumming and creating those deep tones. Finishing out the band’s lineup is drummer Matt Browning, who’s clean and precise drumming holds the foundation down. The band played a mixed setlist of 7 songs, 3 of which came from their 2020 album “Lesions of a Different Kind” and 2 of which came from their 2022 album “Rise From The Grave”, both released via Prosthetic Records. The band even played two new songs, titled “Brandish The Blade” and “Cramped Caskets”, both of which continue the band’s sound of brutal death metal meets hardcore, which is truly a unique sound. I’ve loved seeing this band three times now, and I cannot wait to see and photograph them again!

SETLIST

  1. Rise From The Grave
  2. Necrobionics
  3. Brandish The Blade
  4. Cramped Caskets
  5. Acidic Twilight Visions
  6. Chained to a Reeking Rotted Body
  7. Lesions of a Different Kind

Darkest Hour from Washington D.C. was up next as direct support for the co-headlining tour. This is a band that has been on my bucket list for quite some time with their melodic death metal verging on metalcore sound that also has some inspiration from thrash metal. From the moment I saw guitarist Mike Schleibaum and vocalist John Henry walk out, I knew this was about to be iconic. Drummer Travis Orbin immediately blew me away with his intricate drum patterns that are truly showcased throughout the band’s nine song set. Bassist Aaron Deal was truly energetic, giving me the windmills and headbangs. Finishing out the band’s lineup is guitarist Nico Santora, who I previously photographed with one of his’ other bands Fallujah. He fits perfectly into Darkest Hour’s sound and is always so fun to capture. The band played a well-mixed set of songs spanning many of their albums, but primarily from their 2017 record “Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora”, and a couple from their upcoming 2024 release “Perpetual | Terminal”. This was truly an incredible set with high energy that really set the stage for the co-headliners. I’m so glad I finally got to see and photograph these guys! I own all of their records on CD, so it was cool to finally check them off my list!

SETLIST

  1. Perpetual Terminal
  2. The Sadist Nation
  3. Stand and Receive Your Judgement
  4. Knife In A Safe Room
  5. Those Who Survived
  6. The Flesh & The Flowers of Death
  7. Rapture in Exile
  8. With a Thousand Words to Say but One
  9. Amor Fati

Fit For An Autopsy from Jersey City, NJ came up next as the first of the co-headlining bands to perform. I was beyond excited to see and them again as their 2019 album “The Sea Of Tragic Beasts” tied for first in my top albums of 2019 with Jinjer’s “Macro”. Their 2022 album “Oh What The Future Holds” had just dropped when I photographed them last year, and it’s been truly incredible to see their growth as a band in the span of the past year. The band opened with the title track “Oh What The Future Holds”, which set the stage for the set to come. With an incredible light show, the band came prepared with the theatrics. Vocalist Joe Badolato is front and center, and performed the best I’ve seen him, and that says a lot because he’s always pretty powerful on the mic. The band then went into the next track on the album “Pandora”, which is a very riff heavy song that showcases the talents of guitarists Pat Sheridan and Tim Howley, as well as the rhythmic bass coming from Peter “Blue” Spinazola. The breakdown in this song especially goes hard live, and the light show was on POINT here. The band then went into one of their new songs titled “Hellions”, which can be heard on the new split EP released in 2023 via Nuclear Blast titled “The Aggression Sessions” with Thy Art Is Murder and Malevolence, which is a heavy aggressive deathcore sounding song. The drums are especially booming in from Josean Orta. The band played some of my favorite songs, like “The Sea Of Tragic Beasts”, “Warfare”, and “Two Towers”, which were all absolutely incredible to see them play live. They had the crowd truly going nuts with crowd surfers and moshing galore.  The band played a total of eleven songs with songs from every album from 2017 on. This is truly Fit For An Autopsy at their best I’ve seen them thus far. I cannot wait to see and photograph them again and to continue seeing their growth.

SETLIST

  1. Oh What The Future Holds
  2. Pandora
  3. Hellions
  4. Warfare
  5. Hydra
  6. Iron Moon
  7. A Higher Level Of Hate
  8. The Sea Of Tragic Beasts
  9. Your Pain Is Mine
  10. Far From Heaven
  11. Two Towers

The all mighty Exodus from San Francisco, CA came to the stage next. I was very excited to finally see these guys after listening to their music for quite some time, and they surely did not disappoint. From the moment they walked out on the stage, they were insanely high energy. Opening with the song “Impact Is Imminent”, vocalist Steve Souza truly had control over the stage and the crowd. Guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Atlus were in total sync, riffing those thrash riffs that get the crowd going wild. Going into R.E.M.F. from their newest album “Persona Non Grata”, I was hooked in on that drum beat from Tom Hunting the moment the song started. The dude is an absolute machine and as the sole founding member of the band, he is truly the foundation. Alongside Hunting in the rhythm section is bassist Jack Gibson, who’s headbangs and rhythmic strumming truly adds that edge to the band. The band in total played ten songs that spanned over five of their twelve albums. With an expansive discography and history dating back to 1979, Exodus remains strong and prominent in the metal scene. I am so glad I finally got to see and photograph these guys. They were truly so much fun to capture with their high energy. I highly recommend seeing them when they hit a city near you!

SETLIST

  1. Impact Is Imminent
  2. R.E.M.F.
  3. Blacklist
  4. Fabulous Disaster
  5. Prescribing Horror
  6. The Beating Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
  7. A Lesson In Violence
  8. Bonded By Blood
  9. The Toxic Waltz
  10. Strike of the Beast

This tour was truly one for the books to capture. With so many different styles of metal, it was a night that felt like a mixture of nostalgia and eclecticism. You have the thrash from Exodus, the deathcore and post-metal from Fit For An Autopsy, the melodic death metal and metalcore from Darkest Hour, and the brutal death metal and hardcore from Undeath. This was truly an incredible show that I cannot say enough was a night to remember. I am so thankful any time I get to do a show like this.

Exodus | Fit For An Autopsy | Darkest Hour | Undeath

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

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Xikers | Tricky House First Encounter In The USA | 11/1/23 | Photos

Xikers

Photos courtesy of Jamie Kaufman | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Wrecking Ball Metal Madness 2023 | Photos + Review

October 27 & 28 |  Dallas,TX

A night of chaos, death metal and metalcore, mosh pits, crowd surfing, stage dives, and non stop metal.

Creeping Death a local death metal group from Denton, Texas brought the madness to the stage. They sure do not disappoint when they come to town. They played some heavy hitting songs like, Bloodlust Contamination, Intestinal Wrap, The edge of Existence, and the last song called The Common Breed from the latest album Boundless Domain.

The next group that hit the stage was The Acacia Strain, Albany New York’s best deathcore band. They brought there best out to Dallas and fired it up like it was no one’s business with there songs, Carbomb, The Hills Have Eyes, Dr.Doom, Beast, and Skynet. This set was accompanied many stage divers and a giant most pit! The energy was intense, even after they got off the stage.

It’s been 4 years, FOUR YEARS, since Montreal, Quebec’s finest deathcore band, Despised Icon tore up the dance floor, and the stage. Being a fan of this band, I was just as amped up as the rest of the crowd. They came in with there best tracks, Snake In The Grass, The Aftermath, Beast, MVP, and a real banger of a song called Purgatory.

The headlining act. came all the way from Marlboro, Maryland, a technical death metal band, better known as Dying Fetus. They are a force to be reckoned with coming with some deep heavy hard drums, vocals and ear melting guitar riffs. From there old school tracks to the new bangers. The setlist included: Fixated On Devastation, Subjected To A Beating, Unbridled Fury, Grotesque Impalement, but let’s not forget these last two that got the crowd losing their minds, From Womb To Waste and Wrong One To Fuck With.

Overall it was a crazy night, with incredible performances from all the bands that played tonight.

Coverage courtesy of Angel Castillo

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Spending Halloween night with Buc-ee… I mean Polaris

October 31st, 2024

Polaris’ The Fatalism Tour plowed through town on Halloween night, at the amazing Echo Lounge & Music Hall. Can you say they delivered with an amazing set? You bet your sweet Halloween candy they did. In true Texas fashion, they came to the stage wearing Buc-ee the Beaver onesies, form the world famous store Buc-ees. From that point forward it was on!!

        They opened with their first song from there new album Fatalism entitled, Harbinger. Starting with a smooth intro and onto a face punching riff to get this Dallas crowd going. Making the mosh pits go hard and the crows jump go harder. It didn’t stop there, next they played Nightmare, and from there the energy went sky high and blew the roof right off. Jamie Hails vocal energy that had the fans literally stretching passed the barricade screaming and singing the lyrics with him.

        After they played their fourth song of the set they took a little breather. Asking if the crowd wants more, they happily obliged and dug deep too their 2017 debut album The Mortal Coil, with the first song off that album, called Lucid. It was just pure energy from the back to the front, including the second level of the venue. You can feel the passion as Polaris performs.

        Two more songs in Polaris dedicated their next song Martyr to the memory of there guitarist Ryan Slew. He passed away June 19, 2023, the crowd clapped and cheered loud with the load roar of chants of Ryan’s name. Emotions took over and they delivered a powerful performance.

        Filled with emotion and passion they played song after song, but they weren’t done yet! Beginning the close out, with the first encore song being Pray for Rain, from their album The Death of Me. Crowd surfers flying over a fast paced mosh pit, fans head banging and singing along with the band that it was like they were just getting started all over again. However, they were not leaving Dallas without giving it the last blow from down under with the song The Remedy. WOOO!!!!! It’s all I can say cause holy hell this band was giving it all and left it all on that stage. Freaking amazing way to close out Halloween night in Dallas Texas.

Coverage courtesy of Angel Castillo

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