The Hip-Hop Reggae fused band from the Netherlands known as Postmen recently released a 7-track album, Royals. I came across them reading the review on World A Reggae, so I had to check them out. They formed back in 1993 by Anonymous Mis and G-Boah and were influenced by Kool G Rap, Eric B & Rakim, Burning Spear and Bob Marley. They adapted their name from Burning Spear’s song “African Postmen.” Their debut single “Cocktail” entered the Dutch Top 20 charts and they have been popular there and throughout Europe ever since. Both Jamaican music and rap had established itself as dominate in youth culture in the Netherlands in the early and mid-90’s. As Anonymous Mis explained in an interview; “What I like about reggae is the positive vibe. It’s more peaceful and far less fashion-conscious than Hip-Hop. So our raps should radiate a sense of peace and unity. At the end of the day, we like to provide entertainment and education.”
I popped in Royals on and I have to say, I really like their groove and flow. Some good stuff, I am a little surprised I have never heard anything from them before since they have been around for such a long time. The album starts off with the title track, “Royals.” This song grabbed me right away, good beat and a good chorus. Made me want to keep listening, the style in this makes me think of another artist, but I just can’t put my finger on it. Next is “Headscratcher” another solid tune, with a nice rap flow and beat. My head starting to bob up and down. “This Is It” is next and has a little different flow than the first two, but another solid tune. A little more Hip-Hop/R&B flow to this one. We get a reggae vibe next with “Leaving,” with a sweet reggae beat and flow but a real nice rap. I keep thinking, who do they remind me of, I just can’t figure it out. Next is “Rob N Steal,” a more Hip-Hop rhythm and lyrical flow. I like how they mix this up, getting a sweet reggae feel and a little harder Hip-Hop vibration. They bring us to “Denied King,” a little more of an R&B feel with a skilled rap throughout, but with a slight reggae vibe going on in the background. They finish this off with “Without A Plan,” a song that takes me back to the 90’s with the flow of the lyrics and the hard beat. It then hit me, I get a Spearhead vibe from them, the 1997 Spearhead album Chocolate Supa Highway, the beats, the lyrics, the flow of the rap and the reggae vibe. I can also get their influences of Rakim, Burning Spear, Bob Marley and Kool G Rap, you can see where that all came together, but to me I really get that 90’s Spearhead vibe. This is an album worth a listen to if you are a Hip-Hop and reggae fan, especially those 90’s grooves. A nice production, sweet rhythms and beats and a nice mix between the rapping and singing.
One Love - Todd
A fun music history fact that I love to think about, is that if it wasn’t for Pink Floyd concerts would not be the spectacle that they are today. Before Pink Floyd, bands were mostly just people performing with instruments on a stage. They were the band that took the idea of concert lighting and making it an aspect of the show. Bringing in stage dressing, themes, productions and truly making it a show. What they started all those years ago, other bands have latched onto that idea and implemented it to create their own unique stage shows. One band that is doing this better than most is Starset. Starset is a high concept band that isn’t just writing music but creating a story, lore, and a universe around the band. Because of this, they want to elevate their live shows to a full on production that takes fans out of a concert setting and brings them on a journey to the alternate world inhabited by Starset. Selling out the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA on the Immersion: The Final Chapter tour with no opener.
Starset likes to call their live shows Demonstrations, as they are revealing the truths behind their world. Stepping into the venue fans were greeted by a welcome screen sitting in the lobby of the House of Blues. This welcome screen projected a woman welcoming you to the facility on behalf of the New East. The New East being one of the mega corporations in Starset's world that is working to control the public. Before the band even went on stage, we were indoctrinated into a new world outside of our own.
Stepping into the actual concert space a white curtain draped across the stage. It was as if the revolutionaries were hiding their agenda before they finally had a moment to preach to the crowd. When the curtain finally dropped, we were faced with a double tier LCD wall screen. This screen was used to play short movie interludes between songs. These short movies helped to tell the story of the world. Talking about a biometric device implanted into the minds of the citizens called BMI. How tampering with the BMI or saying anything against the regime of the New East can land you in jail. And going on to show the first people that find a way to disable their BMI that leads to the potential freedom to come.
One of the most surreal aspects of this show was a giant LCD Fan apparatus setup right at the front of the stage. This apparatus held eight LCD fans, that when spinning at the appropriate RPM speed they will be able to display images just like a normal LCD screen across all eight fans. These fans also allowed for images to have more depth and a 3D aspect to them in a 2D plane. These fans were specifically displaying information from the resistance fighting against the New East. These were our James Bond/M5 moments of how we can help take down the establishment. With all of this stage dressing and production, this show could fill the stage of an arena, and Starset manages to pack it into a House of Blues stage. The only real downside to these fans was that the band was performing behind them. Though this is purposeful, as the band wants to become second to the overall show they are presenting. But if you are a person like me, who enjoys seeing the performers playing their instruments as well, it was difficult to see the band members.
Even though they can be hard to see at times, the band members are dressed in costumes. Almost as if the post-apocalyptic stylings of Mad Max had taken place in space. Cloaking the band members in armor and hiding their faces so they could not be tracked by the New East. Starset does encores differently as well, instead going into an Intermission. During this time, the LCD Fans were finally removed from the stage, and when the band came back to finish the show, they went through a costume change now looking more like a civilian. Blending into public to try and help us escape.
Walking into a Starset show is beyond anything you will experience at almost any other live event. The band carries lore behind them and story. They don’t exist to record an album, tour it, write new music, record a new album, rinse/repeat. They are trying to say something about society with their entire catalogue of music, and their stage show is the visual guide to what the meaning behind the music is. If we’re not careful, we can lose our autonomy as people and give too much of ourselves to technology. The human race has an innate freedom, and we should not give that up for anything. Take the time to enjoy life and be who you want to be. Though this tour is called Immersion: The Final Chapter, Starset is not done with their live Demonstrations, and they plan on going back into the studio soon. Will you help take up the charge against the New East next time they come to your town?
On a blustery San Francisco evening Metal, J-pop and animation fans alike were all treated to an immersive experience full of thunderous metal, cosplay ,choreography and sheer hilarity. I can only be talking about the Mutilation On A Spring Night tour featuring the uproarious fictional band Dethklok, J-Pop darlings ,Babymetal and the comical ensemble, Nekrogoblikon. The evening was filled with fantasy, innovation, and infectious enthusiasm topped off with pure theatrical mayhem. This spring tour kicked off April 7th in the west Coast running through may 3rd ending in Portland. Let's dig in!
First up was Santa Barbra’s Goblin-Metal band Nekrogoblikon, a gang of pure absurdity and foolishness that leads you to a goblinesque realm of fantasy the moment the band takes the stage. Nekrogoblikon is a band of goblins that all seem to feed off of each others high energy and have the stage antics and camaraderie that remind me of the “everyone in the pool” mentality. The front man and hype Goblin is mascot, John Goblikon who shares vocal duties with Dickie Allen (a Goblin in Human form). Amazing keys and vocals are handled by Aaron “Raptor” Minich. Guitar shreds from Alex “Goldberg” Alereza are melodic and face melting at the same time. Drums are keeping the time perfectly with Eric.W.Brown behind the kit. This melodic Death Metal outfit evoke fist pumping and head banging which is impressive and entertaining and a perfect way to begin the evening.
Next up is the mega popular, genre bending Babymetal, with their precise choreography, dance moves, enthusiasm and catchy pop melodies. They are accompanied by the bone crushing metal of the “Kami” band. Babymetal lives up to the hype with their electrifying stage presence, theatrical passion and overall dynamic performance. Led by the powerful vocals of Su-Metal, Moametal and Momometal, they transcend musical boundaries by blending Japanese pop with Heavy Metal, accompanied by visually stunning dance moves and incredible stage antics. Babymetal treated fans to a set of their biggest hits beginning with “BABYMETAL DEATH” as they approached the stage shrouded in dark red lights the choreography was a sight to behold, and the fans were all singing along to favorite tracks from all their biggest hits ‘PA PA YA”!! and “Gimme Chocolate”. These tracks rang through the theatre as the” Kami” Band exploded liquid metal behind the dancing Queens of J-Pop. Their set was stunning with top notch production, elaborate visuals and of course an amazing set design. After a 10 song set, we were treated to an encore “Road Of Resistance”. This one blasted through the arena as fans were in a head banging, dancing frenzy, a perfect state to leave the crowd in for what mayhem lies ahead this evening .
Next up, the headliner of the evening, Dethklok, the fictional Death Metal band born From Adult Swim's hugely popular animated series, Metalocalypse. Dethklok exploded on the stage beginning with a large LED screen to usher fans into a world of humor, gore and face melting metal. First the animation took center stage but as soon as Dethklok started to play, a whole world of debauchery began. This wasn't now just visually, but now all senses were engaged. Over the top videos accompanying Dethklok's biggest hits were on display in full color, gore and astonishing mayhem. From the genius mind of Brendon Small, Metalocalypse was born with all from the animated series including the characters, voices the songs and all instruments (are masterfully handled by Small.) When touring, Small is joined by Death Metal Legend, Gene Hoglan on drums, Nili Brosh on guitar, Bryan Beller on Bass, with Small handling lead guitar and vocals. Overall, its a stunning ensemble of sheer talent and genius. According to Dethklok, “All the fans hold the power”. Even though the fans can only see a silhouette of the band, they show through crystal clear with the brutal onslaught and sheer intensity of songs they perform. The overall setlist is vast, bringing Metalocalypse to life with flawless, satirical humor with songs like “I Ejaculate Fire”, “Aortic Desecration” and “Thunderhorse” - all with accompanying videos. The crowd was in a metal induced frenzy and (of course) laughter. Head banging and crowd surfing was happening all over the arena. A three-song encore was the climax of the night as Dethklok bid goodbye to San Francisco. Selling out 2 nights in a fairly large arena is proof that Dethklok has (and will) continue to have a stronghold on the metal fans of the Bay Area for years to come. I know I will surely be in line to witness the debauchery, humor and sheer talent and genius of Brendon Smalls and gang again. Catch the Mutilation On A Spring Night tour in a city near you, you won’t be disappointed.
I’m not going to get into the “beef” between J. Cole and Kendrick and these other “beefs” because these aren’t real, they aren’t good, they really don’t know what a true Hip-Hop beef is all about. These current beefs have no teeth, they just don’t push the needle, but then again today’s Hip Hop doesn’t have the teeth, the same meaning and talent that Hip Hop used to have. I grew up listening REAL beefs, from KRS-One and MC Shan, LL Cool J and Kool Moe Dee, Dr. Dre and Luke, 50 Cent and Jah Rule, N.W.A. and Ice Cube, Roxanne Shante and The Real Roxanne, as well as Nas and Jay-Z. These were true battles, you couldn’t wait to hear the next album to find out the best diss tracks and lyrics. These battles weren’t won by record sales or awards, they were won by the fans choosing the winner, being celebrated by the masses. It took Hip Hop to another level. It is safe to say, for the most part, I don’t care for todays Hip-Hop or artists. But there are a few I can listen to, a few that have a good flow and style. J. Cole is one of them, and he’s a rapper that could work at different times throughout the history of Hip-Hop.
Might Delete Later is a solid album, or maybe it’s more of a mixtape, not that it matters what you want to call it, but we get that mixtape feel with how it comes together, or I guess doesn’t flow together. But it kind of has the J. Cole album feel where some songs are so strong and hit you in the face with his lyrics and beats, but others just kind of fall a little flat. He starts of with “Pricey” featuring Young Dro & Gucci Mane, with a slow soul beat, some great lyrics and a nice hook. Young Dro and Gucci Mane hit it pretty good in this as well. “Crocodile Tearz” a somber sonic tune with some of Coles most direct bars. The mixtape vibe flows to “Ready ‘24” with Cam’ron joining for a brief cameo. Cole sounds very energized on this muscular, pulse-bumping production with a sample of “I’m Ready.” Cole takes us to the almost cartoonist “Huntin’ Wabbitz.” This trap flow just never takes off, it has a few moments, but you keep waiting for it to take off. We move to “H.Y.B.” by J. Cole, Bas and Central Cee with a nice dose of energy thanks to Bas’ dizzy but catchy hook, giving the track a lot of personality with some sweet chill guitar licks. UK Rapper Central Cee’s appearance is dope, it takes this song to another level.
“Fever” is a catchy tune, it feels like it doesn’t fit in this project, and may not be one of the stronger songs, it is really about J. Cole's crooning. Does it completely work, no, but it is fun. We move to “Stickz N Stonez” with its clever harmonies and beat. Cole spitting like Cole spits, changing up his tempo from time to time. We are hit with what would be one of my favorite tracks “Pi” featuring Ab-Soul & Daylyt. Daylyt tag teams with Ab-Soul over this soulful groovy tune. But Cole hits us with a transphobic lyric which really effects how I am looking at him now. No need to go there. “Stealth Mode” by J.Cole and Bas is next and honestly I am not sure why people went crazy over this diss track about Kendrick. It is pretty mild like a store-bought Indian dinner. If you want to go after another rapper, make it real, make them feel it and think about it. Its not a bad song, I was just expecting more. “3001” is up next where Cole unleashes a sonic assault, displaying his lyrical competence and dominance at this point of his career. This track has a menacing, bass-heavy beat that thumps rather than simmers, heightened by layers of unsettling synths. We move onto “Trae The Truth In Ibiza,” a song that kinda falls flat, not much too it musically or lyrically. The album or mixtape is finished off with “7 Minute Drill” a simple song with some good lyrics, he let’s us know several times he has much respect for Kendrick. Which makes this whole “beef” seem silly. Some fans may think it’s great, but really it just makes it all fall short.
As a release, Might Delete Later is good but it does feel at times like it was a bit rushed. There is some excellent J. Cole going on throughout, but some areas that it just doesn’t hit right. It is a good set up to his upcoming album, The Fall Off. An album where Cole can prove he is one of the best of his generation.
One Love - Todd
Friday night April 26 was a special night in Pomona, CA as the electro-industrial masters Lords of Acid kicked off their highly anticipated 2024 North American tour at The Glasshouse with Lords of Acid mastermind Praga Khan playing a solo set for a 1-2 punch of in-your-face EDM. The band has been promoting the six-week tour on social media and it is quickly selling out as it heads East then circles back out West ending in Los Angeles on June 7.
SoCal Punk Rockers Ominous Duck, a band of angst driven youngsters opened the show with a 40-minute set mixed with original rockers and a few covers by System of A Down, Nirvana and Slipknot. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for this band – the crowd quickly warmed up to them and they succeeded at pumping them up for the epic night ahead.
Praga Khan is a legend in the electro-industrial / EDM world and at 65 years young he quickly turned the Glasshouse into an EDM rave as he and his band – his wife, Inja Van Gastel on keyboards/synth and longtime collaborator Olivier Adams on drums put on a high energy 45-minute set that had everyone in the venue dancing and waving their arms. Khan’s liveliness onstage was impressive as he was constantly moving and had the crowd mesmerized with his classic beats. Songs played included the show opener “Love”, “Breakfast in Vegas”, “The Power of the Flower” and the night ended with the two hits from Mortal Kombat, “Sub-Zero” and “Techno Syndrome”.
The fans had a 15-minute break to re-fill their beers before the lights turned red and Lords of Acid hit the stage opening with “Sex Bomb”. With Praga Khan now on keyboards/Synth and DieTrich Thrall on bass along with his rhythm partner Galen Waling hitting the drums and the sinister Creighton Emrick on guitars, they gave Pomona their first taste of Lords of Acid 2024 before the lovely new vocalist Gigi Ricci appeared for the second song “Scrood Bi U” and then party really kicked off. Ricci is a perfect fit for LoA and plays the role perfectly as she holds true to the original vocals while adding her own flair both sonically and visually.
The crowd was into the show every minute the band was on stage and somehow Praga Khan after just delivering a 45-minute solo set maintained his energy on stage for another 75 minutes as the fans “Praised the Lords” as they delivered their usual kinky, sex laced songs. Ricci had a smile from ear-to-ear the entire time onstage and repeatedly thanked the crowd for their support.
As expected, the ladies in the house were invited on stage for “Spank My Booty” and the tongue-in-cheek fan favorite “Pussy”. Ricci was enjoying interacting with the fans onstage as well as having fun with her band-mates. Of course, the blow-up dolls made an appearance during “Rubber Doll” as Inja Van Gastel joined the band onstage and also flashed a large sign with one side reading “Praise the Lords” on one side and the other side reading “Fuck the Rest” during the anthemic “Worship the Lords”.
The night ended with a bang as the band played “The Crablouse” followed by “Drink My Honey” and ended with the super sexy/hypnotic “I Sit On Acid”. The 2024 version of Lords of Acid is a show not to be missed and coupled with the sounds of Praga Khan, this is a night of epic music from a legend that played a critical role in defining the industrial/electronic music arena and has been an influence to many in all genres of music.
Praga Khan Set List:
Love | My Mind Is My Enemy | Remove the Armour | Breakfast in Vegas | Lonely | The Moon | The Power of the Flower | Luv U Still | Sub-Zero (The Immortals song) | Techno Syndrome (The Immortals song)
Lords of Acid Set List:
Sex Bomb | Scrood Bi U | Lover | The Most Wonderful Girl | Mr. Machoman | Out Comes the Evil | Marijuana in Your Brain | You Belong to Me | Spank My Booty | (A Treatise on the Practical Methods Whereby One Can) Worship the Lords | Rough Sex/Take Control | Rubber Doll | Voodoo-U | Pussy | Let's | Get High | LSD = Truth | The Crablouse | Drink My Honey| I Sit On Acid
In Southern California we have a lot of concert venues, many of which are famous smaller venues that bands play when coming up on their journey to notoriety. One specific venue is Chain Reaction in Anaheim California. My first time at this venue was in 2017 to see a band called Wage War. This show had one of the heaviest pits and craziest crowds I have ever been in. The mosh got so heavy that at one point a fan got pushed into the corner of the band’s stage riser, and sadly got busted open. The band stopped the show, personally pulled the fan out of the crowd, and made sure he was ok and safe before coming back on stage to finish the set. Ever since that moment, I’ve considered Wage War a band of upstanding people. A few years later now, they have evolved and are on a co-headlining tour with Nothing More, coming to the Riverside Municipal Auditorium in Riverside, CA. Opening the tour was Sleep Theory and Veil of Maya. Fans packed the auditorium for a night of moshing and crowd surfing.
Opening the night was Sleep Theory. These guys were ready to get the house jumping and rocking with their music. Opening the night with “Fallout,” and the first thing I noticed about this band is how powerful lead singer Cullen Moore vocals are. The man carries so much seductive passion in his voice you can’t help but fall for his singing. Paired with guitarist Daniel Pruitt who also handles the harsh vocals, Pruitt allows us to unleash our pent up anger. Drummer Ben Pruitt manages the mixing tempos of the music with ease, and a striking snare shot that sends shivers down the spine. While bassist Paolo Vergara sync’s up with Ben to elevate the rhythm section. Playing songs like “Enough,” “Paralyzed,” “Gone or Staying?,” “Stuck in my Head,” and ending with “Numb,” Sleep Theory made the most of their short set time to give the crowd the best of what they have, and the crowd fed that passion right back to them.
Up next was Veil of Maya. I first saw this band when they performed on the Summer Slaughter festival back in 2017. I was blown away by their stage presence and they continue to entertain me any chance I get to see them. Guitarist Marc Okubo almost steals the whole show himself with how animated he is on stage. Riffing on some of the tastiest of djent licks, and weaving them into his melodies, all the while either headbanging or circle pitting constantly. Bassist Danny Hauser finger picks away at his seven string headless bass. Making the most of all the strings he has at his disposal, his fingers appear to waltz across the neck of the instrument. Drummer Sam Applebaum sounds like a machine gun firing off his double bass kick patterns with a furious blitz. Singer Lukas Magyar is a dynamic vocalist able to hit the clean high notes, and then drop into nasty harsh screams. Veil of Maya kept the energy high throughout their set with songs like “Tokyo Chainsaw,” “Artificial Dose,” “Godhead,” “Viscera,” “Outrun,” “Outsider,” “Red Fur,” and ending with “Mikasa.” Veil of Maya continues to be a stellar support act. However, Summer Slaughter 2024 was just announced with Veil of Maya as one of the headliners. This tour hasn’t been around for a few years, and to see Veil with a full headlining set shouldn’t be missed.
With the next band, I make it a mission to try and not miss any of their live shows when they come to town. Nothing More has become such a frequent band I listen to daily with their infectious melodies and Jonny’s piercing voice. No matter how good they sound on the album, it can’t hold a candle to their live show. Vocalist Jonny Hawkins is a fire that can’t be controlled on stage. Performing barefoot, shirtless, and dripping in paint he is a soldier going to war with his music. But a soldier is only as strong as his brethren, and Nothing More is more than just their frontman. Guitarist Mark Vollelunga was feeling his playing so much, he snapped a string at the beginning of the second song. Ever the professional, his playing couldn’t be halted by missing a string. Vollelunga even jumped into the crowd at one point, shredding right in the fans’ faces. Bassist Daniel Oliver was dressed as the coolest guy on stage with a puffy jacket and shades indoors. He has one of the most expressive faces, and it’s a pleasure to watch as he contorts his expressions through the show. Drummer Ben Anderson isn’t one to be lost in the back, playing with big movements and even bigger sounds to send the soldiers of Nothing More charging. Armed with songs like “If It Doesn’t Hurt,” “Let ‘Em Burn,” “Don’t Stop,” “Angels,” “Go to War,” “Tired of Winning,” “House on Sand,” “Jenny,” “Fadein/Fadeout,” and ending with “This is the Time (Ballast)” the crowd was happily recruited into this army. During the final moments of the show, Hawkins, Vollelunga, and Oliver all jumped into the front row of the crowd, Hawkins specifically armed with two drum heads, as the band went into a finally instrumental finish to the show. Nothing More plays with intense passion and energy that still connects on an emotional and human level.
Finally, it was time to see the band that I always knew could bring one of the craziest mosh pits. I was excited to see Wage War do it again at a bigger venue, and they did not disappoint. Opening their set with “Stitch,” as soon as the beat came in you could feel the auditorium physically moving with how much the crowd was jumping and ready to go crazy. As vocalist Briton Bond came in with his unclean vocals, the crowd surfers did not waste any time to start coming over the barricade. The thing I love about Wage War is how Bond’s unclean vocals layer with rhythm guitarist Cody Quistad’s clean vocals. Their dichotomy of melodic and harsh vocals is some of the best in the metalcore scene. The way the clean vocals are used to emphasize the harmonies to rock and headbang to vs the harsh vocals layered over the beat down style beats that let fans mosh and go crazy is just…chef’s kiss. Quistad’s rhythm section allows for lead guitarist Seth Blake to just go wild with the lead riffs. I also love watching bassist Chris Gaylord, as he’s not one to get forgotten at the back of the stage. He wants you to feel the grooves he’s laying down as he blasts his beats in the faces of the fans. Drummer Stephen Kluesener knows when he needs to let the beat build and raise the tension in the song, before going off on the kit and driving the song forward. Wage War played a solid set with songs like “Low,” “Gravity,” “High Horse,” “Godspeed,” “Magnetic,” “Prison,” “Teeth,” “The River,” “Alive,” “True Colors,” “Death Roll,” “Nail5,” “Circle the Drain,” and ending with “Manic.” The entire time the moshers and the crowd surfers could not be stopped.
One of the best feelings in the world is seeing a band you love grow from playing smaller venues to headlining their own tours at multiple thousand capacity venues. Wage War has been working hard to make their presence known, and it is great seeing them grow, and watching as the fans still rip the roof off any joint they play in. Nothing More continues to speak to me on a personal and emotional level that can imbue hope at almost any time of my life. Veil of Maya shouldn’t be missed on the upcoming Summer Slaughter Festival. But most of all, I can’t wait to see where Sleep Theory goes from here. I will be watching them grow and look forward to seeing them headline bigger venues just like Wage War is doing now.
Knox's headlining show at the Echoplex was one of those shows where you'd ask yourself: 'Wait, did this actually happen?' Not only did we have Knox for this mesmerizing show, but we also had Maryjo opening the night. The energy throughout the night was intense, and the crowd was ready for it.
Even before Maryjo’s set, she came onstage briefly and greeted the audience. Just from that experience, you could tell how down-to-earth she is. When she came on stage, Maryjo brought her eccentric personality with her. Her energy and charisma as she jumped around the stage was a sight to see. Her set list that night included: "Curious", "Drunk Tattoo", "Traffic", "Still Into You", "Cleveland", "Simple", "Should Be Us", "Don’t Call Me", and "I Woke Up". At a certain point during the set beach balls flew out from nowhere, but it still complimented the energy. Maryjo is that kind of artist who you can tell loves interacting with the crowd. She’s not afraid to make eye contact, and at some point, she even jumped into the crowd and got everyone dancing. She would also interact with her bandmates onstage, performing alongside her guitarist, making the performance much more exciting. You could tell everyone enjoyed being up on stage.
You can also tell that Maryjo is someone who doesn’t let anyone push her around. This is demonstrated in "Don’t Call Me", and it shows how much she knows her worth. I’d say she’s a good artist to look up to for that reason. The amount of emotion she put into her performance of "Should Be Us" was captivating, such as when she pointed toward her heart and the way she moved while being by the drums. It was also refreshing to see audience members cheer on the guitarist and his smile while playing. Having a band with you really does make a difference performance-wise."
Right before Knox’s set, the audience sang along to the music, creating a touching moment. We were all excited for Knox, and when he took the stage, he entered running. He kicked off with his song "Love Letter," prompting everyone to clap and sing along. Knox receives an immense reaction from his fans, surpassing even technically bigger artists. Alongside "Love Letter," Knox performed "Man Down," "Sneakers," "Hate My Guts," "Nevermind," "Porch Lights," "Dumpster Fire," "I Don’t Wanna Know," "Time Machine," "We’re Not In Love Anymore," "Change Your Mind," "Me, Myself and Your Eyes," "NYC," "I’m So Good At Being Alone," "Girl On The Internet," "Here’s To Us," and "Not The 1975." He also had a moment reminiscent of Ed Sheeran with the songs "Invisible" and "Whatever Else You’re Feeling Baby."
During "Man Down," the audience jumped with hands in the air. For "Nevermind," Knox engaged the audience in a competition to see who could be the loudest. While performing "Porch Lights," Knox’s movements matched the lyrics, adding an electrifying spin on stage. "Dumpster Fire" was visually captivating with quick movements and warm colored lights. "We’re Not In Love Anymore" evoked nostalgia, especially when Maryjo joined Knox on stage for a surprise performance.
Knox’s drummer and guitarist infused energy into the performance, with memorable moments on stage. The guitarist even made a heart sign to the audience. Knox’s tour, named after the song "I’m So Good At Being Alone," showcased his stage presence. "Girl on The Internet" highlighted social media addiction and the facade of happiness online. Knox concluded the night with "Not The 1975," adding a special touch with another guitarist joining on stage.
Knox and Maryjo’s stage presence is palpable, with Knox's fast movements drawing comparison to a roadrunner. Photographers seeking shutter drag practice would find Knox’s dynamic movements ideal. The audience knew every song by heart, singing along enthusiastically even during Knox’s acoustic performances. If you seek a blend of heartfelt melodies and high energy, don’t miss out on these talented artists.
Back in 2006, when high school Matt was just discovering the world of metal, Cartoon Network started airing advertisements for a new animated show on Adult Swim called Metalocalypse. This show centered around the fictional biggest metal band in the world known as Dethklok. The show was created by Brendon Small, who I had known from another adult swim cartoon, Home Movies. Being a big fan of that show, and starting to discover the world of metal, I was incredibly intrigued to see what Metalocalypse was going to be. The show aired, and it took the metal world by storm, and helped catapult me deeper into the metal world. Not only was the show hilarious, but it had genuinely amazing music. This fictional band put out a real world album called The Dethalbum and it was discovered that Brendon Small had personally wrote and recorded all of the music. He has since put out four albums in total under Dethklok and has been touring the music playing it live on stage himself with the help of a backing band. I finally had the chance to see them when the Mutilation on a Spring Night Tour 2024 came to Riverside, CA and brought DragonForce and Nekrogoblikon with them. It was a night for goblins, dragons, and animation!
Opening the night was the Los Angeles natives known as Nekrogolikon. I’ve heard a lot of about this band from friends and seen plenty of pictures of their hype man John Goblikon. So, I was very excited to finally see them live. Opening the night with “Powercore,” something I didn’t realize was that John Goblikon is the clean vocalist of the band as well. I always thought he was just the on-stage hype man getting the crowd pumped. But the goblin can fucking sing too! Carrying with him almost a power metal-esque vocal talent. Alongside co-vocalist Dickie Allen who handles the harsh vocals. Allen has some of the nastiest gutturals in the metal scene. The pairing of Goblikon and Allen creates a Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde aspect to the music. Guitarists Alex “Goldberg” Alereza and Joe “Diamond” Nelson rip blistering guitar licks that float between melodic interludes to speed metal. With drummer Eric W. Brown unleashing a blitzkrieg of double bass kicks to send the crowd into a frenzy. All the while keyboardist Aaron “Raptor” Minich is layering in a more whimsical sound to the chaos. With songs like “The Many Faces of Dr. Hubert Malbec,” “Darkness,” “Bones,” “Dressed as Goblins,” “No One Survives,” and “This Is It,” Nekrogolikon got the fury started in the venue that could only rage harder from here.
Up next was a band I was very familiar with, that being DragonForce. I’ve seen and covered them on multiple occasions, and they are one of the most consistently entertaining bands touring today. Guitarist Herman Li and Sam Totman have found a way to turn niche speed metal guitar playing into radio friendly music. Flavoring their insanely fast paced playing with easy to follow melodies, guitar sound effects, and stage antics, all while never missing a note. With vocalist Marc Hudson comes in with the power metal vocals that ascends you into the heavens of the fantasy realm DragonForce sings about. All the while bassist Alicia Vigil and drummer Gee Anzalone hold down the rhythm section that allow Li and Totman to go crazy on their axes. DragonForce likes to take speed metal and make it fun and accessible to everyone. One big way they have done this recently is their cover of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” You may think a guitar heavy version of the Titanic classic doesn’t work, but Marc channels the essence of Dion to provide this perfect metal sing along with the crowd. Even taking on Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” to which the moshers could not resist spinning the fastest pit to a T-Swift jam. Other songs played included “Fury of the Storm,” “Cry Thunder,” “Power of the Triforce,” “The Last Dragonborn,” “Doomsday Party,” and closing with the classic “Through the Fire and Flames.” This was my first time seeing DragonForce as not the headliner, and they brought an abridged version of their set that still pleased everyone.
It was finally time for the greatest animated metal band in all the world. As a quick trailer animation played to hype the crowd up, it transitioned into Rick Astley’s iconic “Never Gonna Give You Up” playing over the speakers instead. Yes, we were just Rickrolled by Dethklok. This created a moment of levity in the crowd and reminded us that the band barely takes themselves seriously, so why should we. And the entire crowd shared a collective laugh at being tricked so easily.
Shortly after this moment, the lights cut out and the crowd erupted for our headliners. It was time for Dethklok to truly take to the screen this time. With the live shows, Dethklok creator Brendon Small prefers the music and the videos to take center stage. So, though the music is played with a live band, the musicians all play shrouded in darkness to the point that you can only see their silhouettes against a jumbo sized LCD screen that plays the videos of the animated band behind them. Small is multi-talented, not only in creating an animated band that is beloved by millions. But seeing him play the music live really cements how talented he is. Handling both guitar duty and lead vocals, Small proves that he personally can stand toe to toe with the best musicians in the metal genre. Though Small writes and performs all the music in the studio, he does need to fill out the band to perform the music live. Bringing with him Nili Brosh on guitar, Bryan Bellar on bass, and long time fellow collaborator and friend Gene Hoglan to handle drumming duty. These four are the real stars that bring Nathan Explosion (voalist), Skwisgaar Skwigelf (lead guitarist), Toki Wartooth (rhythm guitarist), Pickles (drums), and William Murdrface (bass) to life.
Brendon Small really didn’t want to take away to much time from the music, instead rolling from one song into the next, to unleash a barrage of Dethklok classics like “Deththeme,” “Briefcase Full of Guts,” “Birthday Dethday,” “Mutilation on a Saturday Night,” “Bloodlines,” “Awaken,” “The Gears,” “Castratikron,” “Hatredcopter,” “Dethsupport,” “Duncan Hills Coffee Jingle,” “Aortic Desecration,” “I Ejaculate Fire,” “the Duel,” “Murmaider,” “Thunderhorse,” and ending with a three song encore of “Fansong,” “SOS,” “Go Into the Water.” Small did also grace us with a quick moment where they did turn on the lights so he could introduce the live musicians, and even gave us a quick impromptu Metalocalypse skit. As he voices most of the characters in the band, he had a conversation with the crowd from the perspective of the animated band members. It was a great way to give back to the fans.
I’ve always heard what a Dethklok live show would be like, and that the musicians would be cast in shadow, and you’re basically watching animated music videos the whole time. And though that may sound unfulfilling, when you take the time to actually go to their show and take it in, you realize how far from the truth that is. Even if the musicians are barely visible, you still feel the presence of the live instruments and the energy of the crowd. A show like this helps remind us why we go to live music events in the first place. Seeing our favorite musicians is a big part of it. But hearing the music live and feeling connected with fellow fans next to you is what makes the experience truly rewarding. Dethklok isn’t any less of a real live show than any other band, and I dare you to go to their next show and tell me I’m wrong.
In the heart of Dallas, Texas, the vibrant energy of The Factory reached its peak as Hot Mulligan took center stage, headlining a night of unparalleled musical euphoria. With Free Throw by their side as direct support and Just Friends and Charmer setting the stage ablaze as openers, the crowd was in for an unforgettable journey through a spectrum of sounds.
Kicking off the evening, Just Friends and Charmer wasted no time in captivating the audience with their infectious energy and soul-stirring melodies. Their dynamic performances set the perfect tone for what was to come, priming the audience for an unforgettable night.
As the anticipation reached its zenith, Free Throw seized the stage, delivering a performance that resonated deeply with the audience. Their raw emotion and raw energy reverberated through the venue, igniting a fire within every soul present. Each chord struck a chord, each lyric struck a nerve, as Free Throw poured their heart and soul into every note.
Then, the moment everyone had been eagerly awaiting arrived as Hot Mulligan exploded onto the stage, greeted by thunderous applause and fervent cheers. With a masterful blend of old favorites and new gems, they took the audience on a sonic journey that transcended time and space.
Amidst the electrifying atmosphere, Tades, the lead singer of Hot Mulligan, paused to reflect on the journey that led them to this momentous occasion. He shared a heartfelt anecdote about listening to Free Throw in his car on the way to high school, never imagining that one day they would be sharing the stage together on a nationwide tour. It was a testament to the power of music to bring people together and forge lasting connections.
With each song, Hot Mulligan showcased their unparalleled musicianship and infectious passion, leaving no doubt as to why they've become a beloved staple in the alternative music scene. From the anthemic choruses to the intricate guitar riffs, every moment was infused with a palpable sense of authenticity and sincerity.
As the final notes faded into the night, the audience was left buzzing with euphoria, their spirits lifted and their hearts full. Hot Mulligan, Free Throw, Just Friends, and Charmer had delivered a concert experience that transcended mere entertainment, leaving an indelible mark on the souls of all who were fortunate enough to bear witness. In the hallowed halls of The Studio at The Factory, music had once again proven its ability to unite, inspire, and elevate.
To say that YG Marley’s first single, “Praise Jah in the Moonlight,” is a hit does not do it justice. Since the song was released on December 27th it has been streamed over 1 billion times. On TikTok it has soundtracked well over 300,000 times. YG and his mother Lauryn Hill co-wrote this song that samples YG’s grandfather Bob Marley’s “Crisis.” This is a fantastic song, well produced with some excellent lyrics. There is a real Bob Marley feel to YG’s flow and vocalization, but you also get a hint of Lauryn Hill in his style, makes for a very nice flow. I especially love his improvising in the song with his lyrics compared to the background singers, he is changing his rhythm throughout. This hits deep with powerful emotion. “These roads of flames and catching on fire,” expresses a deep sense of passion and unrest. The poignant line, “show you I loved you, you called me a liar,” captures the complex underlying forces of love and betrayal.
The recently released video for this song, directed by Cole Bennett, starts off with Bob Marley’s “Crisis” and quickly transitions over to YG. He is walking with a bag of flowers, handing them out to as the sepia toned video changes to color. This happening over and over, a nice artistic flair. He is seen driving with a woman (his love interest) driving in his car and with him on the steps to his home. As he hits the chorus we see a group of family and friends behind him, we see his brother Nico and cousin Yohan, along with Kabaka Pyramid and Jesse Royal….really too many to name them all. We have YG dancing with his mother and YG sitting in a field surrounded by women singing the background vocals. This is a scene that is repeated throughout. And what is a Marley video without a few shots of playing soccer? We have a lot of dancing, this is such a fun song, a song you want to dance to, a song that puts a huge smile on your face. This is a great artistic production; I love how it all comes together. So much texture throughout this video, it makes it all flow together so nicely. Texture is really what this video and song is all about, the texture of the music, the texture of the lyrics, the texture of all the scenes in the video. We have yet another Marley that is going to hit it big.
One love - Todd