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Monday, August 30, 2010

Upcoming Nightmare Records Releases

Nightmare Records, the progressive/power metal label and distribution company from St. Paul, has 5 new releases set for October 12 (as well as other new distribution releases), all of which are available for pre-order now through the Nightmare Records website. Looks like there's some great albums here! If you're not familiar with Nightmare Records, do yourself a favor a check out their diverse selection of artists. You cannot beat their prices for mp3 downloads of albums, and there's always great specials and discounts. I've included the trailer for one of the most promising of these upcoming releases, Altered State by Tetrafusion, and the full upcoming release schedule follows.
Nightmare Records Upcoming Release Schedule
All titles released on October 12:
Fracture - Simple Chaos
Halcyon Way - Building The Towers
Manticora - Safe
Tetrafusion - Altered State
Toxxic Toyz - Mutation


UPDATE: Tetrafusion has now added the full-length song "Last Chance" to their YouTube channel, so I thought I'd add it here for you to check out. Don't let the piano introduction fool you - this song really kicks in after the first minute and a half.

Ex-Warrant Singer Jani Lane To Sing For Great White; Great White And Warrant To Play Together November 12 In Medina

Blabbermouth is reporting this morning that former Warrant singer Jani Lane will step in as the replacement for Jack Russell on the remaining live dates of Great White’s 25th anniversary tour. Earlier this month Jack Russell underwent emergency surgery to repair a perforated bowl, and a six to eight week recovery is expected. XYZ vocalist Terry Ilous filled in for Russell earlier this month, but it had been unclear if he would be able to continue.

This will set up an interesting situation on November 12, when Great White and Warrant are scheduled to play together at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina, Minnesota. Warrant’s website does not list this tour date, but you can view the confirmed pairing of these two bands at the Medina Entertainment Center website.

Great White will perform Saturday, September 25 in Farmington at Rocktoberfest, and then will be back with Warrant on Friday, November 12 at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Dangerous Toys And Beatallica Concert Review

Dangerous Toys, Beatallica
Friday, July 30, 2010
G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park, Fridley, MN
I was initially torn about going to see this show since legendary technical death metal band Cynic was playing the same night at Station 4 in St. Paul. My decision came down to seeing an excellent band from the late 80s/early 90s that rarely plays shows outside of Texas, Dangerous Toys, with the comedic genius of Beatallica, who have never played in the Cities before, versus Cynic, who sounded horrendous their last time through with Meshuggah (I nearly walked out). Since I can live with the memory of seeing Cynic back on the Focus tour, Dangerous Toys won out and I don’t regret it. I had the chance to briefly chat with Dangerous Toys frontman Jason McMaster before the show, and he lit up when I asked him to sign my Watchtower Demonstrations In Chaos CD. He talked about searching for and finding the original cassette tapes that were used for the album, and seemed bummed that these recordings were now out of print. Jason was one of the most pleasant people to talk with.
I’m not sure the crowd really knew what to think of Beatallica, but they won the crowd over by the end of their 75 minute set. Something’s wrong if you can’t have the sense of humor to appreciate what Beatallica is all about. Decked out Sgt. Pepper’s-inspired uniforms, the guitarist mentioned the highlight of his day was meeting the guitarist from Impaler as they launched into “The Battery Of Jamyz and Yoko” and “Sandman”. Newer songs were mixed in with old favorites such as “I Want To Choke Your Band”, “Sgt. Hetfield’s Motorbreath Pub Band”, and “We Can Hit The Lites”. Amidst all the hilarity, it’s sometimes forgotten that Beatallica can deliver the goods. How Beatallica twists Metallica riffs into Beatles songs is pure genius, and the way Jamyz Lennfield apes Hetfield’s voice puts you in stitches. The band even dared to play “Please Please Me (Or I’ll Beat You)”, a play on an early Beatles track that Jamyz announced they weren’t allowed to release because of legal troubles. Beatallica puts on a fun show that is a pleasant diversion from the depressing mood of most metal bands these days. Look for them to hit the Cities again around Thanksgiving as their Masterful Mystery tour extends out late this Fall.
 Click picture for more photos of Beatallica (18).
 
Click to watch Beatallica play “The Battery Of Jamyz And Yoko”.
 
Click to watch The Beatallica play “Sgt. Hetfield’s Motorbreath Pub Band”.
 
Click to watch Beatallica play “Hero Of The Day Tripper”.
 
Click to watch Beatallica play “Please Please Me (Or I’ll Beat You)”.
Dangerous Toys has reunited a few times over the last couple of years, so this was a rare opportunity to catch this hard rock/boogie outfit from Texas. I had seen Dangerous Toys twice way back in 1991 on a killer tour with Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Motorhead, and Metal Church, but I don’t remember them being as hard rocking and energetic as they were tonight. After kicking things off with “Outlaw”, they proceeded to hammer out nearly the entire debut album (minus “Feels Like A Hammer” and “Here Comes Trouble”) over the next 75 minutes. A great crowd turned had turned out and roared their approval at even the most obscure tracks played. Vocalist Jason McMaster was in good spirits, and he has a remarkable knack for remembering dates of old shows played in the Cities and he recounted stories about each. He rambles on between songs like Phil Anselmo, only McMaster is actually really funny and coherent. One of the funniest moments was during “Sport’n A Woody” when he implored the crowd to sing louder because “This song is about my dick!” A couple highlights from the Pissed (“Pissed”, “Paintrain”) and Hellacious Acres albums (“Gimme No Lip”, “Line ‘Em Up”, “Sugar, Leather & The Nail”) filled out the set. Although the show was heavy on the first album, everyone enjoyed it and had a great time. The other thing that struck me was the amazing guitar work of Scott Dalhoyer, whose Eddie Van Halen-inspired playing really sounds better than ever. Although the band members weren’t introduced, I believe this was the entire original lineup that played tonight except for long time guitarist Paul Lidel. Dangerous Toys never quite received the recognition they deserved, however, tonight’s show proved that there’s a place for their fun rock ‘n’ roll. Hopefully the band members continue to find the time between their other projects to keep Dangerous Toys alive.
 Click picture for more photos of Dangerous Toys (20).
 
Click to watch Dangerous Toys play “Gimme No Lip”.
 
Click to watch Dangerous Toys play “Bones In The Gutter”.
 
Click to watch Dangerous Toys play “Sport’n A Woody”.
 
Click to watch Dangerous Toys play “Scared”.

Nightmare Records Poll

St. Paul-based Nightmare Records would like your opinion about progressive metal band Morbid Theory from Sarnia, ON (just over the Michigan border). Morbid Theory has just self-released their debut album Harbinger through major online electronic retailers (iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby). Nightmare Records wants to know what you think about them! Here's what to do:


1. Listen to the song "Ruination" - I've embedded the player below, or you can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_javwijkH0k
Listen to the entire song (it's seven minutes long) to get a good feel for what Morbid Theory is capable of!


2. Go vote and add your comments on the Ultimate Metal forums (you must be registered to vote and leave comments):
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/nightmare-records/619995-your-vote-counts-do-you-like-band.html


3. If you're not registered with the Ultimate Metal forums, hit the Like/Dislike button on YouTube


Saturday, August 28, 2010

Combichrist Announces North American Tour

Industrial noise terrorists and Metropolis Records recording artist Combichrist have announced a string of North American dates in November to promote their fifth album, Making Monsters. Support acts for the tour are Aesthetic Perfection and iVardensphere. Combichrist returned from Europe earlier this year where they did a massive four-month tour opening for Rammstein. The band has made available a limited number V.F.I.M. passes (20 for each city) for $75 that include, in addition to a ticket to the show: early entry, exclusive meet and greet and photo session, autographed poster, exclusive T-shirt, and a personalized tour laminate. Go to to www.combichrist.com for additional details and to purchase the V.F.I.M. pass. The tour hits Minneapolis on Monday, November 15 at the Cabooze.


November 3  - New Orleans, LA, Howlin Wolf
November 4  - Austin, TX, Elysium
November 6  - Scottsdale, AZ, The Venue of Scottsdale
November 7  - Los Angeles, CA, Music Box Theater
November 8  - San Francisco, CA, Slim's
November 10 - Portland, OR, Hawthorne Theater
November 11 - Seattle, WA, El Corazon
November 13 - Denver, CO, Gothic Theater
November 15 - Minneapolis, MN, Cabooze
November 16 - Chicago, IL, Bottom Lounge
November 17 - Toronto, ON, Phoenix Concert Hall
November 18 - Montreal, QC, Le National
November 19 - Hartford, CT, Webster Theater
November 20 - New York, NY, Gramercy Theatre
November 21 - Philadelphia, PA, Polaris
November 22 - Washington, DC, Fur Nightclub
November 24 - Atlanta, GA, The Masquerade

Friday, August 27, 2010

Cage, Dawn Of Valor, The Angle Obscure Concert Review

Cage, Dawn Of Valor, The Angle Obscure
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis, MN
This was San Diego-based Cage’s second visit to the Twin Cities, and it was a great opportunity for me to catch up with old friends. There were some changes from the original bill, as first Avian and then Avalon dropped off. Regardless, I was pumped to finally see The Angle Obscure attempt their complex, technical, progressive hardcore/metal in a live setting. I’ve already raved about their debut self-released album (the review is here), and this night’s show cemented by opinion that The Angle Obscure is one of the most inventive and exciting new bands. An equipment failure prevented the band from playing with keyboards, but didn’t matter in the least. They played a good chunk of the songs off of their Silence Is Our Canvas album, and the jazzy, free-form parts lent themselves well to some improvisation that kept the songs fresh. Since people were lined up outside the door waiting to get in, most of the good-sized crowd was already here to witness this great band. Their new material is highly anticipated.
 Click picture for more photos of The Angle Obscure (18).
 
Click to watch The Angle Obscure play “Random Deforestation”.
 
Click to watch The Angle Obscure play “Point Of Transition”.
Traditional power metal band Dawn Of Valor was up next, and they really fired up the crowd with their intense style and presence. Vocalist Sean Iredale is a huge, imposing figure on stage, but he lightens up between songs with funny stage banter. The entire band has the intensity of machine gun fire that kept the audience on edge. Dawn Of Valor played all four songs from their self-released EP, as well as some new ones. Musically, they don’t stray far from Iron Maiden-style metal, but it’s hard not to get caught up with the fun that the band seems to have playing together.
 Click picture for more photos of Dawn Of Valor (19).
 
Click to watch Dawn Of Valor play “Devil Within”.
 
Click to watch Dawn Of Valor play “Duel Wield”.
Cage drew two to three times the crowd they did last time they played at Station 4, and they proceeded to level the Triple Rock with the best show I have seen them perform to date. Although this was one of the first shows with their new guitarist and bassist, Cage was tighter than ever. Vocalist Sean Peck isn’t joking when he refers to drummer Norm Leggio (ex-Psychotic Waltz) as “The Legend”. I’ve seen Norm drum many times with his former band Teabag, but never has he played with such intensity. The set relied heavily upon Cage’s most recent album, Science Of Annihilation. After opening with “Planet Crusher”, they ripped their way through “Black River Falls” (inspired by their last trip through the Midwest), “Speed Kills”, “Scarlet Witch”, and “Stranger In Black”. The first two albums were ignored as Cage focused on their recent heavier material from Hell Destroyer and Darker Than Black. We were treated with a couple surprises throughout the night, including the excellent “King Diamond”, the European bonus track to Hell Destroyer, and “War Of The Undead”, a vicious new track played here for the first time ever. Sean Peck pulled off every scream with terrifying precision, and guitarist Dave Garcia let solos fly off his guitar neck all night. The recent personnel changes within Cage would certainly cause doubts to arise about their sound, but the new guys were great on stage and the entire band sounded rejuvenated and ready to take on all comers. Cage has been an underground, DIY phenomenon since day one, but tonight’s show proved once again that they deserve to be ranked among the power metal elite. The band doesn’t tour the US as much as Europe, so get to one of their shows when you have the chance.
 Click picture for more photos of Cage (25).
 
Click to watch Cage play “Planet Crusher”.
 
Click to watch Cage play “War Of The Undead”.
 
Click to watch Cage play “King Diamond”.
 
Click to watch Cage play “Stranger In Black”.

Watain Announces North American Tour


As reported earlier this week, Behemoth was forced to pull out of their upcoming North American tour as a result of frontman Nergal being in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant. The remaining bands slated for that tour, Watain, Goatwhore, and Black Anvil, have decided to proceed ahead without Behemoth on a month-long North American tour that starts November 6. Rising Swedish black metal horde Watain will headline the jaunt, which storms through St. Paul at Station 4 on Monday, November 8. Locals Nailed Shut and Under Eden will open the St. Paul show. Watain's latest album, Lawless Darkness has been garnering heaps of praise from both fans and critics. The full tour schedule is listed below.

WATAIN: Lawless Darkness North American Tour 2010
w/ Goatwhore, Black Anvil
November 6  - Pittsburgh, PA, Mr. Smalls
November 7  - Chicago, IL, 
Reggie's
November 8  - St. Paul, MN, Station 4*
November 10 - Denver, CO, Marquis Theatre
November 11 - Salt Lake City, UT, Club Vegas
November 12 - Portland, OR, Branx
November 13 - Seattle, WA, Studio Seven
November 16 - Orangevale, CA, Boardwalk
November 17 - San Francisco, DNA Lounge
November 18 - San Diego, CA, The Ruby Room
November 19 - Hollywood, CA, The Whisky
November 20 - Tempe, AZ, Clubhouse
November 21 - El Paso, TX, Club 101
November 22 - Dallas, TX, The Loft
November 23 - Austin, TX, Emo’s
November 24 - Houston, TX, Numbers
November 27 - Orlando, FL, Back Booth
November 29 - Atlanta, GA, Masquerade
November 30 - Baltimore, MD, Sonar
December 1  - Cleveland, OH, Peabody’s
December 2  - New York, NY, Santo’s**
December 3  - Montreal, QC, Le Fou Founes**
December 4  - Toronto, ON, Opera House**
*Station 4's website incorrectly lists this on November 18
**No Goatwhore

Amphetamine Reptile Records 25th Anniversary Events This Weekend

Veterans of the Twin Cities music scene will remember Amphetamine Reptile Records, the ground-breaking label that was the one-time home to all styles of metal/alternative/noise bands such as Melvins, Helmet, Today Is The Day, Unsane, The Cows, and many, many others. Several label alumni went on to greater success or moved on to other successful bands such as Mudhoney. Amphetamine Reptile is celebrating their 25th anniversary this weekend with a series of cool events and concerts, including one-off shows from label alumni. A lot of Amphetamine Reptile bands used to come through Gabe's in Iowa City when I lived there from 1989-1994, and these were always great shows to attend. City Pages published an insightful interview with label founder Tom Hazelmyer here, and the article includes testimonials from bands describing the impact that Amphetamine Reptile had. Here is an overview of all the insanity happening this weekend to celebrate this innovative label:

Friday, August 28, Grumpy's Downtown, 7:00
- Concert: Unsane, Lollipop
- Guitar art show
- Photography exhibition

Saturday, August 29, Grumpy's Downtown, 1:00 - SOLD OUT
- Indoor art show
- Outdoor concert: Melvins, Boss Hog, Today Is The Day, God Bullies, Hammerhead, The Thrown Ups, Vaz, White Drugs, Gay Witch Abortion
Melvins go on first at 1:00 pm!

Sunday, August 30, Grumpy's NE, 1:00
- Concert: Janitor Joe, Calvin Krime, Freedom Fighters, Jet Lag
- BBQ Party

Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson To Join Black Flood Diesel At Meet And Greet This Sunday

Reactivated Minneapolis metal band Black Flood Diesel announced on their Facebook site that they will be conducting a meet and greet session at the Minneapolis Hard Rock Cafe from 2:00–3:30 pm this Sunday, August 29 prior to their CD release show the same night at First Avenue. In addition to free ticket giveaways to the show and photograph and autograph opportunities, Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson will be appearing together with Black Flood Diesel and the meet and greet. The Hard Rock Cafe is located at 600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55403-1820, directly across the street from First Avenue.


Sunday's show will be both to celebrate the release of Black Flood Diesel's new EP Baptism and pay tribute to former Black Flood Diesel and American Head Charge guitarist Brian Ottoson who passed away in April 2005 in the midst of an AHC tour with Mudvayne. You can listen to one new track, "Medication", and samples of two others, "Baptism By Fire" and "Big Black", at Black Food Diesel's Myspace page. Black Flood Diesel has previously toured nationally with Motograter and Mushroomhead.




Black Flood Diesel will perform an early all ages show this Sunday, August 29 at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Support will come from Blue Felix, Nuisance, Screaming Mechanical Brain, and Whither The Tide.

Megadeth, Slayer, And Testament Concert Review

Slayer, Megadeth, Testament
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul, MN

I noted my initial reaction to the much-hyped Slayer/Megadeth pairing earlier, and I’ll expand up those thoughts here. This show was originally scheduled for February but was postponed due to Slayer frontman Tom Araya having to undergo back surgery. It wouldn’t have surprised me if this tour was scrapped altogether, but thankfully everything went on as planned. Testament took the stage a few minutes early to the sold-out house (nearly 5,000 strong) that greeted them with huge applause as they launched into “More Than Meets The Eye”. Drummer Paul Bostaph was phenomenal behind the kit, and the entire band seemed to be having fun. “Dog-Faced Gods” from Low was the biggest surprise, along with the fact that “Trial By Fire” and “The New Order” were the only early songs played. Their eight-song set also included “The Persecuted Won’t Forget” and “The Formation Of Damnation” from the incredible The Formation Of Damnation album. At just over 40 minutes, this show wasn’t much shorter than Testament’s disappointing headline set at Epic a couple years ago. This was an impressive night for Testament and hopefully it opened the eyes of the younger fans.

*A note about the videos below: Yes, the video quality is worthless since I was perched in the upper reaches of the auditorium. The sound quality of the recording is decent, and these are intended to give you an idea of how each of the bands sounded this night.
 
Click to hear Testament play “The New Order”.
 
Click to hear Testament play “Trial By Fire”.

As Megadeth immediately tore into the entire Rust In Peace album from the start, it was immediately apparent that Testament’s poor sound wasn’t a case of the opening act getting shafted. This was the worst sound quality I’ve ever heard at Roy Wilkins, and it was inexcusable that Dave Mustaine’s microphone seemed to not be on as he started to sing “Holy Wars”. Listen to “Holy Wars” below to hear for yourself how Megadeth’s riffs were lost in the muddy sound. The intricacy of Megadeth’s songs unfortunately made their set the worst-sounding of the three bands, which was disappointing and unfortunate since this is the best lineup since Marty Friedman left and the band was obviously playing their hearts out. “Polaris” was the biggest high point of Rust In Peace, and it closed that part of the set in convincing fashion. The rest of the 70 minute set was rounded out with some of the band’s biggest hits including “Trust”, “A Tout Le Monde”, “Symphony Of Destruction”, and “Headcrusher” from 2009’s Endgame. As “Peace Sells” ended the set, Mustaine launched the band into a reprise of “Holy Wars” that brought the house down. It’s sad to say, though, that the horrible sound turned this into the least enjoyable Megadeth show I’ve seen.
 
Click to hear Megadeth play “Holy Wars”.
 
Click to hear Megadeth play “Trust”.
 
Click to hear Megadeth play “Peace Sells/Holy Wars (Reprise).

If Megadeth was greeted as conquering heroes, then Slayer was lauded like gods as they began their show with two songs from World Painted Blood, “World Painted Blood” and “Hate Worldwide”. The ground-breaking Seasons In The Abyss album was then offered up in its entirety with little break between the songs. It wasn’t a surprise, then, that the remaining time in the set was filled with “South Of Heaven”, “Raining Blood”, and “Angel Of Death”. I hadn’t seen Dave Lombardo play with Slayer since 1991, and I was pleasantly struck by his almost relaxed yet intense jazz-style approach to his drumming. Slayer benefited from their songs not collapsing under the bad sound like Megadeth’s did, so this alone made Slayer’s show the best of the night.

 
Click to hear Slayer play “World Painted Blood”.
 
Click to hear Slayer play “Hate Worldwide”.
 
Click to hear Slayer play “South Of Heaven”.

The show that should have been any metal’s fan highlight of the summer was unfortunately reduced to mild enjoyment due to the bad sound. Maybe there was a sweet spot in the center of the floor, but let’s face it – you can’t listen and absorb the nuances of a live performance in the middle of a mosh pit. Megadeth sounded phenomenal at the now-closed Myth a couple years back, and this show has me longing once again for that venue’s professional-quality acoustics.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Alation Demo Review Update

I recently reviewed the excellent 2010 demo from Minneapolis metal band Alation; I rated it as a 9, and you should read the reviews of the demo and a recent show. The band have now released an expanded version of the demo that includes a fifth song, “Aflame”. I previously posted a video of this song from a performance in May (you can view it below), so it’s great to see this amazing song included. Clocking in at over seven minutes, “Aflame” is the band’s most ambitious song to date. It begins with simple vocal melody, then shifts into some brutal screaming from Angel accompanied by a buzzsaw riff. Drummer Curt really steps it up on this song and adds some interesting fills throughout. The song then leads into an acoustic vocal interlude led by bassist Paul that rebuilds with a guitar solo back into a fast ending. “Aflame” could well be Alation’s best song, and if it’s an indication of the direction of future tracks then things can only get better for this exceptional band. All five demo tracks can be purchased through the band's Myspace page.
 
Click to watch a live performance of “Aflame” from May 21, 2010 at the 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis
 Click photo to see more pictures of Alation (23).

Alation will be playing at the Northern Wisconsin Metalfest 7 Pre-Bash in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin this Saturday, August 28. Their next two Twin Cities-area shows will be September 24 at the Star Bar in Columbia Heights and November 5 at Crypticon 2010 in Bloomington.

Concert Updates - Behemoth, Broken Teeth, Papa Roach, Alation

Some concert news has come to light recently, so here's a quick update to the calendar.
First, Polish black metal band Behemoth has cancelled their upcoming North American tour due to frontman Nergal being in need of a bone marrow transplant to treat recently diagnosed leukemia. The band's official announcement about Nergal's medical condition can be found on their Myspace blog. Watain, Withtering, and Black Anvil were also to be part of this tour, which was to hit Station 4 in St. Paul on Monday, November 8.


Having recently played here with Dangerous Toys, singer Jason McMaster returns to the area with his other main band, Broken Teeth, on Monday, October 25 at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis. The supports acts will be Matrekis and 32 Headshots. A review of the Dangerous Toys and Beatallica show with videos and photos will be posted soon!


Papa Roach will be playing an all ages show at Epic in Minneapolis on Tuesday, September 28. Support will come from Trapt, Wrecking Day, and more bands to be announced.


Lastly, locals Alation will team up with Ugly Beauty and Bloodtrust for a show at the Star Bar in Columbia Heights on Friday, September 24.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Slayer - June 8, 1991, Cedar Rapids, IA

To finish my posts from the 1991 Clash Of The Titans tour, here is the audio recording of Slayer. Slayer heads back out soon for the second leg of the American Carnage tour with Megadeth and Anthrax. At the time of this recording, Slayer was out supporting one of their masterworks, Seasons In The Abyss. This particular recording has never been traded or circulated until now!
Slayer - 1991-06-08, Cedar Rapids, IA, Five Seasons Center, Clash Of The Titans
50 minutes, audience recording, mp3@128 kbps
1. Hell Awaits
2. The Antichrist
3. War Ensemble
4. South Of Heaven
5. Raining Blood
6. Altar Of Sacrifice
7. Jesus Saves
8. Dead Skin Mask
9. Seasons In The Abyss
10. Mandatory Suicide
11. Angel Of Death
This was recorded from the center-front seats with a Sony WM-D6 and external stereo shotgun microphones, and each song was individually mastered. The sound is good for an audience recording and is very listenable, probably a generous B grade. This is definitely worth downloading if you're a fan. Sorry, a higher bit rate version is not available. The download link is in the text file:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F2NT7U67
As always, I encourage sharing, but please share the link to this post rather than the text file or the download links. Thanks and enjoy!

Megadeth - June 8, 1991, Cedar Rapids, IA

Now here is an audio recording of Megadeth from the 1991 Clash Of The Titans tour. Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax will be out on the second leg of the American Carnage tour soon. Megadeth was on fire for this show, and includes some gems that aren't played much anymore such as "Hook In Mouth" and "The Conjuring". The band was still out in support of Rust In Peace at the time. This particular recording has never been traded or circulated until now!
Megadeth - 1991-06-08, Cedar Rapids, IA, Five Seasons Center, Clash Of The Titans
50 minutes, audience recording, mp3@128 kbps
1. Intro/Wake Up Dead
2. Hook In Mouth
3. Hangar 18
4. The Conjuring
5. In My Darkest Hour
6. Dawn Patrol/Tornado Of Souls
7. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due
8. Peace Sells
9. Anarchy In The U.K.
This was recorded from the center-front seats with a Sony WM-D6 and external stereo shotgun microphones, and each song was individually mastered. The sound is good for an audience recording and is very listenable, probably a generous B grade. This is definitely worth downloading if you're a fan. Sorry, a higher bit rate version is not available. The download link is in the text file:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N1EY4QIJ
As always, I encourage sharing, but please share the link to this post rather than the text file or the download links. Thanks and enjoy!

Anthrax - June 8, 1991, Cedar Rapids, IA

Next up from the 1991 Clash Of The Titans tour is an audio recording of Anthrax. Anthrax will be touring with Slayer and Megadeth on the second leg of the American Carnage tour. Although the band was supporting my favorite Anthrax album at the time, Persistence Of Time, half of this set is from Among The LivingThis particular recording has never been traded or circulated until now!
Anthrax - 1991-06-08, Cedar Rapids, IA, Five Seasons Center, Clash Of The Titans
50 minutes, audience recording, mp3@128 kbps
1. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
2. Got The Time
3. Caught In A Mosh
4. Keep It In The Family
5. Indians
6. Antisocial
7. I'm The Man
8. I Am The Law
This was recorded from the center-front seats with a Sony WM-D6 and external stereo shotgun microphones, and each song was individually mastered. The sound is good for an audience recording and is very listenable, probably a generous B grade. This is definitely worth downloading if you're a fan. Sorry, a higher bit rate version is not available. The download link is in the text file:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DEISYXSU
As always, I encourage sharing, but please share the link to this post rather than the text file or the download links. Thanks and enjoy!

Alice In Chains - June 8, 1991, Cedar Rapids, IA

While I'm waiting for footage of Slayer, Megadeth, and Testament from Saturday night's concert in St. Paul to finish uploading before I post my full review of the show, I thought I would share an audio recording of the full Clash Of The Titans concert from 1991 featuring Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Alice In Chains. The first leg of the Slayer/Megadeth American Carnage tour is winding up, and Anthrax will take Testament's place on the second leg. Unfortunately the second leg of the tour won't be coming through the Twin Cities.
First up from the Clash Of The Titans tour is Alice In Chains. At the time of this show Alice In Chains was still a band on the rise as they supported Facelift. The curious thing about this show is that they opened with "Would?", an unreleased song at the time. Alice In Chains played at Rockfest in Cadott, Wisconsin last month, and they are about to embark on another leg to support Black Gives Way To Blue with Deftones and Mastodon. Black Gives Way To Blue is an amazing record that I reviewed here, and my review of their March 2010 concert in St. Paul is here. This particular recording has never been traded or circulated until now!
Alice In Chains - 1991-06-08, Cedar Rapids, IA, Five Seasons Center, Clash Of The Titans
27 minutes, audience recording, mp3@128 kbps
1. Would?
2. Real Thing
3. Put You Down
4. We Die Young
5. Bleed The Freak
6. It Ain't Like That
7. Man In The Box
This was recorded from the center-front seats with a Sony WM-D6 and external stereo shotgun microphones, and each song was individually mastered. The sound is good for an audience recording and is very listenable, probably a generous B grade. This is definitely worth downloading if you're a fan. Sorry, a higher bit rate version is not available. The download link is in the text file:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HEHGR45S
As always, I encourage sharing, but please share the link to this post rather than the text file or the download links. Thanks and enjoy!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Massive Concert Updates

I've made some major additions to the concert calendar over the last couple of weeks, and it is now fully up to date. Here's a summary of the additions, and I've grouped them into musical styles. This isn't all-inclusive (check out the calendar on the right), but these are the most recent things I've added. There will be a lot of different things posted in the near future. To whet your appetite, I'm nearly finished remastering a complete audio recording of the 1991 Clash Of The Titans tour featuring Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Alice In Chains, as well as a Kiss concert from 1990. These are bootlegs I recorded myself and both are completely uncirculated! On to the upcoming shows:


Local:
Dawn Of Valor, Minos, Eternal Voyager - August 25, St. Paul, MN, Minnesota Music Cafe, free!
Black Flood Diesel, Blue Felix, Nuisance, Screaming Mechanical Brain, Whither The Tide - August 29, Minneapolis, MN, First Ave.
Impaler, Death Row Martyr, Reaping Asmodia, Bury The Martyr, Debbie Does Malice - September 18, Mounds View, MN, Robert's
Epicurean, Dying Euphoria, A Moment Without, Iron Thrones, North Sky - September 25, Mounds View, MN, Robert's
The Magnolias - October 23, Minneapolis, MN, 7th St. Entry


Metal:
Devildriver, Kittie, Kataklysm, Misery, Hostility - September 8, Mounds View, MN, Robert's
Fu Manchu, Black Tusk, It's Casual - September 12, Minneapolis, MN, Triple Rock
Despised Icon, Misery Index, Revocation - September 16, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Katatonia, Swallow The Sun, Orphaned Land, Cold Colours - September 18, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Scum Of The Earth, Wrecking Day, Pinwheel, Gabriel And The Apocalypse, Solution 13 - September 21, Mounds View, MN, Robert's
Kamelot, Leaves' Eyes, Blackguard, Dawn Of Valor - September 25, Minneapolis, MN, First Ave.
Black Label Society, Clutch, Children Of Bodom, 2Cents - October 3, St. Paul, MN, Roy Wilkins
High On Fire, Torche, Kylesa - October 5, Minneapolis, MN, Varsity Theater
Immolation, Vader, Abigail Williams, Pathology, Lecherous Nocturne - October 8, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Triptykon, 1349, Yakuza, Enshrined - October 17, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Nevermore, Warbringer, Mutiny Within, Hatesphere - October 31, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Nile, Ex Deo, Psycroptic, Keep Of Kalessin, Pathology - November 9, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Forbidden, Evile, Gama Bomb, Bonded By Blood - November 29, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Finntroll, Ensiferum, Barren Earth, Rotten Sound - February 18, St. Paul, MN, Station 4


Classic rock:
Rush - August 27, St. Paul, MN, Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
Kiss - September 4, St. Paul, MN, Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
Steelheart - September 17, Fridley, MN, G.B. Leighton's Pickle Park
Slash, Taddy Porter - September 23, Medina, MN, Medina Entertainment Center
Winger, Blackfoot - October 8, Medina, MN, Medina Entertainment Center
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience - October 19, Minneapolis, MN, State Theatre
Uriah Heep, Crow - November 5, Medina, MN, Medina Entertainment Center
Great White, Warrant, TNT - November 12, Medina, MN, Medina Entertainment Center
Little River Band, Kurt Jorgensen - November 13, Medina, MN, Medina Entertainment Center


Other/alternative metal:
Melvins, Today Is The Day - August 28, Minneapolis, MN, Grumpy's
Tub Ring - August 29, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Seether, Hinder, Black Stone Cherry - August 30, St. Paul, MN, Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
Apocalyptica, Dir En Grey - September 2, Minneapolis, MN, First Ave.
Karnivool, Tides Of Man - September 3, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Tantric, Adema, Burn Halo, Pinwheel - September 15, Mounds View, MN, Robert's
30 Seconds To Mars, Violent Soho - September 16, Minneapolis, MN, First Ave.
Kottonmouth Kings - September 22, Minneapolis, MN, Cabooze
Toadies, Gringo Star - September 23, Minneapolis, MN, Cabooze
Nonpoint, Egypt Central, Abused Romance - September 26, Mounds View, MN, Robert's
Primus, Portugal The Man, Split Lip Rayfield - October 1, Minneapolis, MN, Orpheum Theatre
Silent Civilian, The Autumn Offering, Hate Inc. - October 1, St. Paul, MN, Station 4
Valient Thorr, Junius, Howl, Bitch City - October 2, Minneapolis, MN, Triple Rock
Nomeansno, Ford Pier - October 17, Minneapolis, MN, Triple Rock
36 Crazyfists, Straight Line Stitch, Taking Dawn - October 17, Mounds View, MN, Robert's
Sevendust, 10 Years, Aranda, Anew Revolution - November 5, TBA
cKy, Hour Cast - November 6, Minneapolis, MN, Triple Rock
Soil, The Last Vegas - November 6, Mounds View, MN, Robert's
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - December 27, Minneapolis, MN, Target Center


Punk/hardcore:
Kevin Seconds, Mike Midwestern, Nato Coles - August 25, Minneapolis, MN, Triple Rock
Agnostic Front, Mother Of Mercy, Product Of Waste - October 8, Minneapolis, MN, Triple Rock
Social Distortion, Lucero, Frank Turner - October 19, Minneapolis, MN, First Ave.
D.R.I - November 22, Medina, MN, Medina Entertainment Center