Hayley Mary just released a new video for the single "Like a Woman Should". Hayley Mary is the lead singer of the Australian "intensindie" outfit, The Jezabels. "Like a Woman Should" is the second single from her upcoming solo album The Piss, The Perfume (coming January 17th). Hayley is described on her website as: "a wee pocket rocket with the voice of a giant angel. A bona fide persona with no shortage of past achievements, but they are not why we are here. Superstars live in the future.".
"Like a Woman Should" is a think piece with a dance-able rock beat, sweet guitars and a great hook. Hayley Mary looks to the future, eschewing past accolades and enjoys the contrast of light and dark intertwined. All of this within this single and in her brand.
-J Gray
We're only a few awards seasons away from a Flat Earth believer refusing a Golden Globe award. That has nothing to do with the first Hunnypot Live of 2020. We dropped a doozy. Hot Tub kicked off the show with a booty shaking party set. Donna De Lory hit the jacuzzi jets to talk about her career and life highlights. La Machine De Rêve' featured Donna on vocals and a rich musical cast (including Bronson Wisconsin, Greg Ansin and Anthony Resta) to convey spiritual pop. Zeus Rebel Waters raged with positivty and pop hooks. h2the returned with eclectic electro organo rock, Sun In China blew the doors off with high power hard rock. Mike Millie & (DJ) Veggie Tron brought the hook laden rap and Hot Tub Johnnie finished the night with a world famous dance party set.
01/06/2020
Donna De Lory (singer, dancer, songwriter and producer). She grew up part of a musical family, Donna's father played piano, electronic organ, and harpsichord on The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album. He was a producer at Capitol Records and was responsible, among other things, for producing Glen Campbell's '"golden era". In addition, he co-wrote the 1960 Billboard Hot 100 #1 novelty hit for Larry Verne, "Mr. Custer". Her grandfather played upright bass and cello for the Warner Bros. Studios Orchestra, recording the scores of classic movies such as Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. Her mother was a singer and dancer. Donna's older brother Alan, known as A.D. DeLory, is also a singer and songwriter. De Lory's sister Jolene sang background vocals on the 1973 Carpenters single "Sing".
De Lory has been performing since a young age. Her voice can be heard on albums by Carly Simon, Ray Parker Jr., Kim Carnes, Santana, Martika, Laura Branigan, Belinda Carlisle, Selena, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow, Mylène Farmer, Alisha and Madonna.
De Lory accompanied Madonna as backing vocalist and dancer on every concert from the Who's That Girl Tour in 1987, up to the Confessions Tour in 2006. Her performance with Madonna at the Live Earth 2007 concert in London was their final professional collaboration to date.
Her self-titled debut album was released on MCA Records in late 1992, since then she's released 10 albums. Her newest project is La Machine De Rêve.
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La Machine De Rêve's mission is to make music that uplifts the mind, body and soul by using the best of the past, present and future.
Singer Donna De Lory brings her years of musical experience and her amazing voice to the group. Multi-talented Anthony J. Resta (Ajax) adds his sonic alchemy. While the mellow guitar of Greg Ansin creates a solid bond. Welcome to the Dream Machine.
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Zeus is an American Hip hop artist/songwriter with a distinct sound. Building his supporters which he calls “The Rebels” 1 fan at a time. Zeus starting off doing music in the 5th grade with his best friend and cousin, singing and dancing in talent shows. By the time Zeus got to middle school he formed his rap group P.O.G (Pimped Out Gangsters). The group had good success in the area winning talent shows , throwing their own concerts/parties and even doing shows out of state with their single “Wobble”. Eventually the group split apart and Zeus decided to go solo. At the time Zeus went by “Rukapuff”, once he dropped his first solo single “Angry” the street went crazy!! Angry immediately went in full rotation on Q 95.5(Radio one) in St Louis. Heavy club play all over, different stations started to pick up the song also and to add had and still has one of the best live shows ever seen!
Zeus ended up meeting legendary west coast rapper Mack 10 thru a business partner, Mack loved Zeus music , energy and stage presents and signed him to “Hoo Bangin Records”. Mack 10 ended up picking a record to use off of Zeus (then Rukapuff) 1st album Escaped Off the Chains”, a song titled “Like this” featuring Nate Dogg. The song was used in tv commercials, NFL football games movies like “Waist deep”, tv shows like “Sopranos” and more. Zeus continued to tour after the Hoo bangin contract and kept building his fan base. Zeus felt like being in the music business and seeing where things were in the world he wanted to elevate his sound and style, from that the alter ego was created Zeus Rebel Waters Zeus considers his style “Gumbo” which is a mixture of all genere’s. Having a musical style like Gumbo Zeus plans to be the 1st hip-hop artist to have a #1 song on multiple different format charts.
Zeus has over 10 projects out to date, “Da new lou mixtape 1-3”, “Escaped off the chains”, Gunz and Rosesz”, “End of Dayz” , “Im a Starr”, “Personality Crisis”, “F##k the Internet” “Grind Or Die the movie” “Meet the Rebels” and many more collaborative mixtapes. Zeus understands the importance of branding starting his own indie label Born Ready Records, and also has a clothing line called the Rebel Waters Collection, a film company called Trinity Films, and helps run a non for profit organization for young inner city youth called Rock the Community.
Artist, single father of 4 daughters, Philanthropist, visionary, song writer, film writer, over 140 shows/tours per year basically just a dope a** dude. Zeus Rebel Waters is her.
“We are the Rebels are you a Rebel” –Zeus Rebel Waters
h2the is an LA based producer and artist who merges 80s synths and layered beats, brought to life through dynamic visuals and sound. The h2the live band brings the songs to life with some of h2the’s favorite musicians, including Buwi (bass), Kamran Mcadam (guitar), R E L (vox), and Natan Winkler (op1 & vox).
“Brilliantly blending 80’s synths with an new cutting edge sampling style, rising hip hop/experimental producer h2the released his debut single titled “Taste Of The“, a teaser/cut-up off his new beat tape exclusively available on cassette!” – UGHH URB Magazine wrote that “[h2the] is something else…in a profound kind of way,” calling his sound titillating and “juicy for the ears,” while The Village Voice described his productions as “adventurous and banging.”
2DOPEBOYZ and Vibe Magazine’s allhiphop.com have also noted h2the’s rap flips of 80?s inspired sonics. It’s the producer as auteur as every track takes you through the emotional space of the artist, like Kanye or Godard.
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SUN IN CHINA is the new musical brainchild of award winning sound designer, mixer and singer Dror Mohar. With film credits such as Quentin Tarantion’s Django, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Revenant, Peter Berg’s Lone Survivor and James Mangold’s Greatest Showman and musical acts like Patti Smith, Bjork, John Legend and Ryan Adams ; Dror started work with producer Sylvia Massy on music for SUN IN CHINA in 2019. Pulling from the sound design worlds and joined by collaborators Joseph E Shine, Dan Haggis (The Wombats), Raz Olsher (Bassically U.K) and composer Yariv Vaknin - SUN IN CHINA is set to release its E.P ‘2020’ in …
Mike Millie da Don is a recording artist out of Makin, GA who has adapted a sound that has an energetic vibe with a mixture of trap and r&b. He has opened up for artists such as Future and Lil Durk and will be touring East and West Coast early next year.
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For over two decades, the controversial and strongly opinionated, Extreme Metal act from San Diego, California, Cattle Decapitation, have been pummeling their way through cities throughout North America in promotion of their latest effort, Death Atlas. They brought their Geocidal Tendencies Tour to the city of Portland's illustrious Bossanova Ballroom.
Opening the night, local favorites Vitriol stormed the venue with their dual vocalist attack, setting the night ablaze with relentless, machine-gun, blastbeats and unrivaled aggression in promotion of their latest album, To Bathe From The Throat of Cowardice. This set was incredible and demonstrated to all in attendance Portland's dominance in the Extreme Metal scene.
The final merge of man and machine was upon us as Tristan Shone, the mechanical genius behind Author & Punisher, became one with his devastating inventions. These “drone machines” were self-fabricated and designed with the sole purpose of systematically pummeling his audience to complete obliteration. Like a technological demigod speaking in a lost tongue, Shone was promoting his latest offering, Beastland, his eighth studio album, as shades of violet and blue pulsated violently to down-tempo beats controlled by the tech-god himself.
Like a chainsaw to the brain, Primitive Man, the sludge-infused, Doom Metal three-piece from Denver, Colorado, provided enough brain-rattling volume that the entire front row took a calculated step back before their limbs spastically lost all control. They unleashed their primal attack while promoting their latest album, Caustic, only stopping their auditory assault when pure auditory annihilation was complete. Unbelievable.
As the godfathers of technical Death Metal, Atheist, began sound checking on stage, their manic vocalist and sole-remaining original member, Kelly Shaffer, announced it has been 30 years since they stepped on a stage in Portland. And addressing the elephant in the room, looked at his band members in disbelief stating these guys probably weren’t born yet. Surrounded himself with new blood, Schaffer’s latest incarnation of the band played with as much technical ferocity as their predecessors. They revisited such iconic classics as “Unquestionable Presence,” and “Second to Sun” as well as tracks off their debut album, Piece of Time, even pausing to dedicate “I Deny” to the late Chuck Schuldiner of Death. They played with a renewed energy baptizing a new generation of fans from the local Extreme Metal scene with every dizzying array of unmatched complexity.
With nine studio albums to their credit, Extreme Metal pioneers, Cattle Decapitation, played a monumental set, unleashing a barrage of pummeling blastbeats while shoving unmatched technicality to the forefront. The forward-thinking, metal ensemble has never been one to shy away from addressing global issues in their music. Guitarist, Josh Elmore, bassist, Olivier Pinard and drummer, David McCraw, opened with the ferocious first track off their latest album, The Geocide, and ventured into such morbidly-titled, fan-favorites, the vicious “A Living, Breathing Piece of Defecating Meat,” “Bring Back the Plague” and “Manufactured Extinct”. The band was swallowed in the darkness of the stage for the entire set with only blinding rays of light furiously illuminating the audience as the venue floor became a destructive, swirling mass of bodies with vocalist, Travis Ryan, towered authoritatively above them.
Cattle Decapitation’s Geocidal Tendencies tour is not for the faint of heart or the close-minded. Take a bite of your veggie burger and arm yourself with the knowledge that you’ll not just be leaving bruised and half-deaf, but also awakened to a whole new way of looking at the world through the eyes of one of the greatest Extreme Metal bands of this decade.
You’ve probably heard this song all over TikTok and if not, you’ve probably seen the memes! This song was originally posted on the internet in July 2019 by Jedwill and then the Peter Kuli remix was posted on Soundcloud in October of 2019. Since then the official music video has reached over 340K views and has even sparked controversy that NBC News and The New York Times wrote an article on it.
Although many take the term “OK Boomer” as a joke, many other people have considered it to be slander towards the Boomer generation. The Music video opens up with short clips of the “Boomer” Generation such as Seniors walking down the street to vintage footage of the Boomer generation when they were younger. The way the video is set up it almost seems to be a response to what Boomers have been saying about the Millennials and Gen Z, while also giving a bit of an inside look at what that Boomer generation achieved and created. One of the clips touches the subject of consumerism and war. This isn’t your typical music video and although some say its satirical, it may also just be hitting the nail on the head with everything that is going on today.
Written by Elsie Hernandez
Born in Los Angeles, California, the Industrial Metal project, Static-X, led by the incomparable, Wayne Static, became the forefront of the Nu-Metal boom during the late 90’s. Due to the mainstream success of their debut album, Wisconsin Death Trip, the band quickly emerged as a bridge for other crossover metal acts to follow. With six studio albums to their credit, Wayne Static eventually became the one consistent driving force for the band. In 2014, his life was tragically cut short, causing a wave of sympathy throughout the Metalsphere. With the aim of celebrating the legacy of their friend on the 20 year anniversary of the band’s debut, Static-X’s original line-up reunited. Armed with a new vocalist/guitarist, known only as Xer0, who donned the appearance of the late singer, they performed a series of anniversary shows across North America with Horror-inspired theatrical rock act, Wednesday 13, Portland’s own, Davey Suicide, and Society 1 in support.
Unfortunately, Society 1, the industrial metal act out of Los Angeles, who were first to start the night, began their set at the same time the doors were due to open, confusing not only the audience but the venue staff as well. They sounded great, but I never got a chance to really dig into their set or capture photos under the circumstances presented. In contrast, Davey Suicide, the eccentric Metal ensemble out of Portland, had quite a show of support from the local scene, while creating an eccentric stage show with musical chops to match.
Wednesday 13 was like a schizophrenic soundtrack to a carnival gone terribly wrong. The band’s mastermind, of the same name, morphed into a physical manifestation of psychosis; knife-wielding and devilish, his eyes staring through the small holes through a mask that could have been created in a madman’s house of horrors. They churned out monstrous and savage songs from their latest album, Necrophaze and a few others from their history.
There was no escaping the media controversy surrounding the reformation of Static-X and the identity of their new mask-wearing, guitarist/vocalist, Xer0. As a loyal fan of the original line-up, I was also torn, having experienced the phenomenon of Static-X in the past and even shaking Wayne Static’s hand in Hawaii over two decades ago. As the dissonant atmosphere of “December” began to emanate throughout the venue and images of Wayne’s face glowed from massive screens above the band, it was clear that this was a celebration of Wayne Static’s louder-than-life personality and the legacy he left behind.
Bassist, Tony Campos, guitarist, Koichi Fukuda and drummer, Ken Jay, played their acclaimed album, Wisconsin Death Trip in its entirety while sprinkling in their most industrious fan-favorites from Machine, “Get to the Gone,” “Black and White” and “This is Not.” Before introducing their next song, Xer0 explained how grateful he was to be onstage paying tribute to his friend and asked the audience to raise their arms in the air during their heartfelt performance of “Cold” for the late Wayne Static. They ended the night with the two tracks that started it all for them, the floor-bouncing, “I’m With Stupid” and their most-applauded crowd favorite, “Push It.”
Remember that music has the ability to transform lives, not only for those who create it but those touched by it as well. Static-X is not just a legacy act trying to relive their glory days, they’re forging a future by celebrating the path they’ve walked. So, forget the naysayers and live life how Wayne Static intended: by keeping disco evil and partying like it’s 1999 all over again.
Living in Southern California, there is never a shortage of things to do on a Friday night. Given the chaos of the "silly season," I decided to take a break from it all and slide on down to The Observatory in Santa Ana to check out one of the most intriguing acts on the road today, The World's First and Only Heavy Metal Mariachi Band, Metalachi. Opening the festivities was Las Vegas's favorite son, Elviss Simmons and The Memphis Strutters. Given the reputation of these two bands, the utter entertainment value should surely be off the charts tonight.
Parking was scarce as I approached the theater, signaling a packed house with fans inching along in their vehicles and on foot to get inside. After being greeted by the familiar and friendly staff at the Observatory, I waded through the antsy fans and made my way upfront. After a brief delay, the curtain finally dropped, and there he was. The imposing and commanding figure of Elviss Simmons stood before us. He and his band's calling card are mashups of Elvis Presley and KISS tunes. The rockers reinterpreted into big-band creations, and the Elvis classics were, in swing style. One of the smartest and engaging things I've ever seen. Imagine Elvis with Gene Simmons makeup, demon boots, and iconic axe guitar, (with backup singers each with their KISS makeup as well). Also, a full horn section, all belting out their unique take on these classics, and you find yourself fully engaged. What an absolute kick-in-the-pants good time they were.
Next up was the reason everyone was clamoring to get in; Metalachi. The all-ages crowd was brimming with anticipation, and tension was filling the air. I witnessed toddlers clamoring for position and on one occasion, and rampant little one crashing into a patron with a walker! Accidentally, of course. I was convinced this band is for everyone before they even played a note. When the group finally made its way onstage, The crowd responded with a loud, sustained roar of approval. They wasted no time satisfying each and everyone in attendance. Their covers range from Black Sabbath to Guns n Roses to Metallica and everything in between. The neat thing is you do not only hear music when you see Metalachi, but you're getting a complete show. The band, Vega de la Rockha (vocals), El Cucuy (trumpet), Paco Halen (guitars), Kiko Cane (guitarrón), and fan-favorite Queen Kyla Vera (violin), were on point from note #1.
Vega, in between songs, injected some comedic banter with the crowd and with El Cucuy (when he was not tossing around his trademark codpiece) and was wildly entertaining. Even with Paco throwing his hair around on guitar, and Kiko banging away on the guitarrón keeping the back end secure, everyone's attention seemed to center around the dynamic Queen Kyla. The violinist extraordinaire who bounced between the classic guitar melodies and solos for all the famous songs. She had the crowd eating from her hand all evening, and indeed her mastery of the violin knows no bounds. I caught myself multiple times, looking for a traditional guitar hiding somewhere during some of the solos. Surely those sounds weren't coming from a violin, were they?
Towards the end of the show, they surprised all of us by unveiling a drum set. Surprise special guest Art Cruz from Lamb of God would be joining them on drums for their rendition of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades". What a great way to end the night. Having had such a great time at this show, I realized that it wouldn't matter if you were a Heavy Metal fan introduced to Mariachi music or a mariachi fan introduced to Heavy Metal, the entertainment level would be the same. As the fans were spilling out to the parking lot on the way out, I tried to figure out which category each smiling face fell into. In the end, though it didn't matter, the one thing they did have in common was everyone had a blast!
Happy Holidays everyone, and have an excellent 2020! Be well and rock on!
I’ve never been a huge Hellyeah fan, but walked away from Tuesday’s show at the House of Blues loving this band more than ever. Chad Gray and company crushed their 14-song set in celebration of the late great Vinnie Paul and failed to disappoint even the pickiest of fans. Cover to cover, this show kicked some serious ass!
With Christmas quickly approaching, I took it upon myself to take a drive down to San Diego to see a rock and roll show. It was not just ANY show, but a Celebration of Life Tour featuring Hellyeah, Nonpoint, and Deepfall. On the surface one might expect this to be like any other metal gig including crazed fans, headbanging, and super loud music. However, it was different in the sense that it truly was a celebration celebrating the life and legacy of drummer Vinnie Paul. Friends and family from all over Southern California made their way down to the gas lamp district in San Diego for what turned out to be a show to end all shows.
First up were Michigan natives, Deepfall. I’m definitely NOT a Wolverine fan but can unequivocally tell you that I am a fan of this band and will be following much more closely down the road. This 6-piece juggernaut fronted by Rich Hopkins killed and set the tone for the remainder of the celebration that followed. My favorite of the evening was “Wasted” off of their recent release, Broken. This song is wicked in the truest sense of the word and one I have already added to my workout playlist going forward. I can’t get those insane guitar riffs out of my head!
Next up was Nonpoint. I first tripped into this band when the opened for Disturbed back in 2016 and have been a diehard fan ever since. Pound for pound this band just continues to get better and their live shows are like no other. Frontman Elias Soriano took control of the madness on Tuesday night with a brilliant 13-song set that had fans running for cover at the House of Blues. Fans were treated to a full set of classics including “Breaking Skin” and “That Day” along with their famous cover of Phil Collins, “In the Air Tonight”. Best song of the night for me was “Chaos and Earthquakes” off of their 2018 album X. Dreads were spinning, fans were screaming, and mosh pits were in full effect as these Florida natives killed it from start to finish. One of the best live bands I have ever seen and even greater guys. Incredible.
And now for the grand finale of the evening’s celebration, Hellyeah! I’d never seen this band live and was not the biggest fan of their work going in (just wasn’t my cup of tea so it seemed). But live music has the tendency to bring out differing opinions and this was just such a case. As lights dimmed into a ghoulish red haze, front man Chad Grey took center stage and immediately launched himself into the crowd during opening song, “X”. My first thought was, ‘WTF?” It’s like he was using the crowd’s energy to build upon his own and the show literally erupted from that point forward. Bad-fucking ass.
Highlights of Hellyeah’ s set included “Moth” and “Cross to Bier (Cradle of Bones)” along with Pantera classics “Broken” and “Walk” (with Elias Soriano of Nonpoint). The show came crashing to a close with “Waging War” and “HELLYEAH” off of their 2007 self-titled album and their renditions were straight FIRE. Holy shit this set was tight! Again, I wasn’t the biggest fan going in but walking away I was definitely hooked. Better yet, I appreciated the energy and love that the band had for Vinnie Paul and it poured out throughout their entire set and into the fans who came out in droves. Music is life, life is music, and this band epitomized what that meant on Tuesday night at the House of Blues. Definitely a fan for life!
To simply call Khemmis Doom Metal would be a severe understatement. The quartet from Denver, Colorado have carved a special home for themselves within Extreme Metal with technical virtuosity, groove-heavy riffs and extremely catchy melodic vocal delivery. Their critically acclaimed 2016 release, Hunted, was as ground-breaking as it was masterful, and was one of the few albums I’ve given multiple listens to in succession while discovering something entirely new every time. Their latest offering, Desolation, finds the band doubling-down on their unique ability to strap their fans into an emotional upheaval while weaving cavernous riffs into infectious vocal peaks, meanwhile never losing grasp of their unrivaled musicianship.
As a band with a multitude of educational accomplishments off-the-stage, Khemmis have kept their alter-egos, painstakingly intact. With both band founders, guitarists/vocalists, Phil Pendergast and Ben Hutcherson creating the band while rigorously working on their PhD’s, drummer, Zach Coleman heading a microbrewery, while bassist, Daniel Beiers running small businesses while also skilled as a structural engineer. Taking time out of their busy lives to create a life of music is no easy feat and even more challenging to hit the road.
Khemmis’ West Coast Desolation tour took place in Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge, which for the most part, rarely hosts Metal music. By the time Portland’s own black metal act, Drouth, took the stage, the crowd stood stunned and captivated by the abrasive onslaught, barely moving a muscle in the thick cloud of smoke that swallowed all light. Abrasive and violent, the Black Metal quartet were out promoting their latest release, Knives, Laybrinths, Mirrors. As time went on, the walls seemed to expand and contract as UN, the menacing Aetherical Doom act out of Seattle, WA, forged an impenetrable wall of anguish that seemed to emanate from the shadows itself. In the darkness, every body was unmoving, not for lack of enthusiasm, but rather a place of collective catharsis. Their newfound disciples swayed side-to-side in a trance to the ominous crucible from the Porlandian’s latest release, Sentiment.
With their logo on a banner overhead, the only identifying factor that a metal show was even going down at the humble downstairs venue, the prolific Doom-inspired quartet, Khemmis, sliced through the silence with the first of many momentous riffs with the intro to “Above the Water,” the first track off their celebrated album, Hunted. Pendergast stalked the stage like an unchained animal occasionally roaring right into the face of his closest prey while guitarist/vocalist, Hutcherson added a layer of aggression and fire to his counterpart’s melodies. The dual guitarists created a fusion of impressive melodies with technical dexterity on epics “Bloodletting” and “Isolation,” from their latest release, Desolation, with both bassist, Daniel Beiers and drummer, Zach Coleman laying the foundation for the captivating groundwork throughout the night.
Khemmis’ short but monumental West Coast Desolation Tour may have come to rest but their music and tenacity will keep them ablaze even on the darkest nights. Desolation is an exploration of emotion made sound, a masterfully crafted epic worthy of more than a single journey.
Trudging through a muddy trail in Washington Park in Northwest Portland, the rain, a consistent and depressive downpour, soaked through my second-hand jacket and onto the layers beneath. The surrounding trees only a skeleton of their once-colorful foliage from the coming winter. Their vein-like branches, swallowing what light was left of the gray sky overhead. Recently relocating to Portland via Honolulu, Hawaii, I’ve only just begun to comprehend the true essence of Doom Metal and the environment that it is firmly rooted in. A genre which has always evaded my grasp from those sunny days with the warm sand under my toes.
The first time I stumbled on American Doom Metal titans, YOB, was in a small, dimly lit venue in West Hollywood. Even in that cramped room, the band seemed to expand and collapse the walls of the space at will. Vocalist, guitarist, and mastermind, Mike Scheidt had a unworldly aura about him; and the music he and his band created transcended reality and all convention. Their 2014 release, Clearing the Path to Ascend, was a monumental leap in production and songwriting, and playing that album quickly became a daily meditation for myself on long drives and even longer work days.
Now the band was coming home. Hailing from Eugene, Oregon, it would seem the entire local music scene came out for support. The concert sold out almost immediately and a cluster of fans stood long-faced but hopeful at the entrance to the Bossanova Ballroom praying that there would be a spare ticket to fight for amongst themselves.
Portland-based, Blackwater Holylight, the female-driven, Stoner Doom-inspired, Rock quintet started off the night by transporting the crowd into a dream-like trance of ominous riffs and angelic vocal harmony. Their atmospheric fusion of Doom and Psychedelic Rock, led by bassist and vocalist, Alison “Sunny” Faris, were on tour promoting their latest offering, Veils of Winter. Their haunting delivery and hypnotic soundscapes were only matched by the empowering sisterhood binding them together. As witness to this, guitarist, Laura Hopkins and synth player, Sarah McKenna, shared a unique bond on stage, leaned head-to-head swaying together during their performance. In a genre known to be predominantly male, it was inspiring to witness these five women band together as one and transcend gender stereotypes while playing the music they love with no remorse.
Before the instrumental, Psych-Rock powerhouse, Earthless, took the stage, an older gentleman, wide-eyed and clearly a child of the 60’s, grabbed me by the arm and gave me a warning about the night to come: “These guys don’t stop, so pace yourself!” Equally influenced by Krautrock and the six-string virtuosity of Page and Iommi; guitarist, Isaiah Mitchell, bassist, Mike Eginton, and drummer, Mario Rubalcaba have been creating an instrumental wall of sound for nearly two decades. With all of their songs clocking in anywhere from 5-20 minutes, the band created a tapestry of sound waves from their latest album, Black Heaven and beyond. Refusing to stop the train once it got rolling, their tenacious drummer, even kept the beat going with one hand while grabbing a drink of water and wiping off the sweat that ran down his face before flowing seamlessly into the next rock opus.
The lights went down on the venue and three solitary figures spread themselves out equally across the stage. With eyes closed and heads gazed downward, their fans stood shoulder-to-shoulder ready to immerse themselves in the thunderous soundscapes of their Oregonian Doom Metal heroes, YOB. A triumphant and monstrous riff from their song, “Ablaze” decimated the silence and the sheer vehement energy that radiated from Scheidt’s vocals shattered any possibility of thought. Like a pulverizing heartbeat, the band continued with “The Screen,” the second track off their latest album, Raw Heart. A divine spotlight from above broke the darkness as Scheidt joined his fists like an all-seeing eye above his head while drummer, Travis Foster, violently pounded his kit into submission with every crescendo in their tortured repertoire. Meanwhile, bassist, Aaron Rieseberg, closed his eyes, becoming nothing more than a vehicle for which their music flowed through.
Experiencing the crisp, chill in the air and the change of seasons for the first time in Portland has been both challenging and trans-formative. After witnessing the homecoming of the mighty Doom Metal phenomenon, I’ve finally grown to understand the Beauty in Falling Leaves within the thunderous, transcendental qualities of their music, and have come to the conclusion that above all else, YOB is love.
With their steel drawn and warpaint on full display, Ensiferum, the Melodic Folk Metal heroes from Helsinki, Finland took the stage at Bossanova Ballroom in Portland, Oregon ready to conquer. Their seventh full-length album, Two Paths, has been widely accepted as the epitome of modern Folk Metal while also being hailed as a return to a more organic sound for the band. With their Finnish Melodic Folk Metal brethren, Kalmah in support, their Path to Victory is paved in gold as well as the bones of all that stand in their path.
The Progressive, Extreme metal quartet, Aenimus, started off the night to a brutal start. Promoting their latest album Dreamcatcher, the Californian metal act played a crushing set that surely brought more than a few dedicated followers into their circle. And with their dynamic vocalist, Alex Green riling up the audience to their metallic onslaught at every turn, Aenimus are sure to be a band that will be bringing new blood into their inner circle for years to come.
Like walking through a forgotten cemetery on a dreary night, a haunting fog swallowed the stage. A hooded silhouette broke through the haze and lifted its bass in the air. Over time the extreme metal band, Abigail Williams, has gradually stripped themselves of their symphonic complexity during their live show and embraced their raw, bone grinding, black metal roots. Their latest album, Walk Beyond the Dark, is an amalgamation of 15 years of hard work and perseverance. Ken Sorceron, bandleader and songwriter, has been carving out his place in the foreboding corners of the metal spectrum. They were a brilliant contrast to the sunlit pastures of the coming Finnish Folk Metal storm.
The mood quickly steered towards the light as the fog cleared and Finnish Swamplords, Kalmah, stood proudly in front of their leather-clad, kilt wearing followers. The surprisingly, upbeat Finnish leader of Kalmah, Pekka Kokko, smiled at the audience, surprised at how full the venue was on a Tuesday night. Along with his brother, lead guitarist, Antti Kokko, they raised their guitars and launched through their single, “The Evil Kin,” off their latest release, Palo. They continued their trek through their soggy, moss-laden past with the introspective, “The Third, The Magical” and “Seventh Swamphony,” off their most-celebrated album, Swampsong. They ended the night with an epic journey into the everlasting dark with their song, “Hades” from their first studio-album, Swamplord.
The triumphant and battle-clad, Finnish Folk Metal masters, Ensiferum have been storming stages all across the world since their 2001 debut, the self-titled, Ensiferum, and have been sharpening their steel-laden brand of Folk Metal ever since. As the show began, lead vocalist and guitarist, Petri Lindroos, addressed the elephant in the room, thanking everyone in attendance for choosing to see them over King Diamond who was booked to play the same night in Portland. Ensiferum sang uplifting chants of victory and unsheathed a barrage of their favorite battle cries, “Blood is the Price of Glory,” “Way of the Warrior,” and “In My Sword I Trust,” as well as invoking their inner Manowar with their latest single, “For Those About to Fight for Metal.” The night ultimately led to the triumphant, “Victory Song” off their third studio album, Victory Songs. And with a fist brandishing the sign of metal raised to the gods, guitarist and sole remaining founder of the band, Markus Toivonen smiled in glory over his dedicated following.
Ensiferum’s tour may be coming to a close but their Path to Glory is anything but. Their latest album, Two Path’s sets a new precedent in the evolution of Melodic Folk Metal, and with their brothers-in-arms, Kalmah riding closely beside them, there’s no telling what surprises these two have in-store over the horizon.
