CAVALERA CONSPIRACY Announce U.S. Tour with DEATH ANGEL and COC - BLIND, Play Minneapolis April 27

Cavalera Conspiracy have announced a month-long tour of the U.S. in April and May (complete dates below) to support the Pandemonium album. Bay Area thrash band Death Angel, Corrosion Of Conformity - Blind, and Lody Kong (which includes Max Cavalera's sons) will serve as openers for the trek. The tour arrives at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Monday, April 27. Tickets for the Minneapolis show are on sale now through etix for $25 ($30 at the door), and it's an 18+ show.

Watch the video for "Babylonian Pandemonium" by Cavalera Conspiracy.

April 10 - El Paso, TX, Trick Falls
April 11 - Dallas, TX, Gas Monkey Live
April 12 - Austin, TX, Empire Control Room & Garage
April 13 - Houston, TX, Scout Bar
April 15 - Raleigh, NC, Lincoln Theatre
April 16 - Amityville, NY, Revolution
April 17 - Worcester, MA, Palladium
April 19 - New York, NY, Marlin Room at Webster Hall
April 20 - Baltimore, MD, Baltimore Soundstage
April 21 - Cleveland, OH, Agora Ballroom
April 22 - Pontiac, MI, The Crofoot
April 23 - Columbus, OH, Newport Music Hall
April 24 - Joliet, IL, Mojoes
April 25 - Milwaukee, WI, The Rave
April 27 - Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue
April 28 - Lawrence, KS, Granada Theater
April 29 - Denver, CO, Summit Music Hall
May 1 - Seattle, WA, Studio Seven
May 3 - San Francisco, CA, Regency Ballroom
May 4 - West Hollywood, CA, House of Blues
May 5 - Tempe, AZ, Marquee Theatre

Tours: CLUTCH Return to the Road in September, Play Minneapolis September 15

Clutch performing in 1998 at the Granada Theater in Lawrence, Kansas.

Everyone’s favorite stoner/grunge rockers Clutch have announced another round of U.S. tour dates to promote last year’s Earth Rocker album. Starting in Providence, Rhode Island on September 5, the routing takes them mostly through the Midwest before ending in Baltimore on September 27. Support on the tour will come from Lionize and American Sharks, and also includes appearances at the Riot Fests in Toronto, Chicago, and Denver. The tour hits First Avenue in Minneapolis on Monday, September 15, and tickets are on sale now through etix. The full list of dates follows.

September 5 – Providence, RI, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel

September 6 – Clifton Park, NY, Upstate Concert Hall

September 6-7 – Toronto, ON, Riot Fest

September 9 – Knoxville, TN, Bijou Theatre

September 10 – Lexington, KY, Buster’s Billiards & Backroom

September 11 – Toledo, OH, Headliners

September 12-14 – Chicago, IL, Riot Fest

September 13 – Grand Rapids, MI, The Orbit Room

September 15 – Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue

September 16 – Sioux Falls, SD, The District

September 18 – Kansas City, MO, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland

September 19 – Omaha, NE, Sokol Auditorium

September 19-21 – Denver, CO, Riot Fest

September 22 – Springfield, MO, Gillioz Theatre

September 23 – Indianapolis, IN, The Vogue

September 25 – Huntington, NY, The Paramount

September 26 – Norfolk, VA, The NorVa

September 27 – Baltimore, MD, The Shindig Music Festival

ALTER BRIDGE Release Select U.S. Tour Dates

Alter Bridge has recently announced the first batch of dates for a Spring 2014 U.S. tour, with many more to be announced in the near future. The band, of course, includes members of Creed with current Slash vocalist Myles Kennedy. Support on all dates comes from the excellent Monster Truck, and the initial dates include a stop at First Avenue in Minneapolis on Thursday, May 1. Tickets for the Minneapolis show go on sale today, Friday, December 13 at 12:00 noon through etix.

Monster Truck performing July 9, 2013 in St. Paul at Roy Wilkins Auditorium.

April 14 - Dallas, TX, House of Blues
April 15 - Houston, TX, House of Blues
April 19 - Atlanta, GA, Tabernacle
April 21 - Baltimore, MD, Ram's Head Live
April 22 - Boston, MA, Royale Boston
April 24 - New York, NY, Best Buy Theater
May 1 - Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue

Tonight - REFLECTIONS Album Release Show and Tour Kick-Off in Burnsville, NIK TURNER'S HAWKWIND in St. Paul

I recently had a post with updates on the activities of Reflections, the Twin Cities-based technical metalcore band that is set to explore with the release of their new album Exi(s)t, which is being released through eOne/Good Fight this Tuesday, October 22. The start of their co-headling tour with Erra happens right here in Burnsville tonight, October 19 at The Garage with local support from Don't Worry I'm A Doctor. This is the official album release show, so copies of Exi(s)t should be available tonight for purchase. It's an early (5:00 doors) all ages show, and tickets are $12 at the door.

Also tonight, Nik Turner of Hawkwind and Space Ritual fame, will be playing at the Turf Club in St. Paul. There's a strong argument to be made that Nik is one of the most influential pioneers of psychedelic space rock. Now over 70 years old, Nik is out promoting a new solo album called Space Gypsy. I've seen this show billed as Nik Turner's Hawkwind and Nik Turner's Space Ritual, but regardless of what it's called, I'm sure you can expect to hear a mix of material from those two bands alongside other selections from Nik's vast recorded catalog. This is a 21+ show that starts at 9:00 with support from Thunderbolt Pagoda and Hedersleben; tickets are $12 at the door. Interesting trivia: cult doom/stoner band Sleep supported Nik Turner's Hawkwind way back on the Holy Mountain tour!

Lastly, Soul Asylum plays First Avenue in Minneapolis tonight with Fountains Of Wayne and Evan Dando. This is an 18+ show that starts at 8:00; tickets are $30 at the door. Yeah, Soul Asylum is a far cry from metal, but they were instrumental in the early 80s hardcore scene in the Twin Cities and deserve respect for that.

STEEL PANTHER Announces Select U.S. Dates, Minneapolis December 17, Presale Ticket Password

Joke glam band Steel Panther has announced a few U.S. tour dates for the month of December, starting with a concert right here in Minneapolis on Tuesday, December 17 at First Avenue. These shows come in advance of the release of the band's fourth album (if you count Hole Patrol), All You Can Eat, set for release in the first quarter of 2014. The last two Steel Panther shows here sold out quick, so get tickets right away when they go on sale tomorrow, Friday, October 18 at 12:00 noon. You can buy presale tickets for the Minneapolis show right now through etix - the password is "ali".

Here's the current list of Steel Panther dates in December:

December 17 - Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue
December 20 - Chicago, IL, House Of Blues
December 21 - Royal Oak, MI, Royal Oak Music Theatre
December 22 - Cincinnati, OH, Bogart's
December 31 - Vancouver, BC, Commodore Ballroom

Tonight - TRIVIUM and DEVILDRIVER in Minneapolis, Great Local Shows

The big show happening tonight is a co-headliner with Trivium and Devildriver at First Avenue in Minneapolis with support from local Sumerian Records recording artist After The Burial and England's Sylosis. This one starts early, 5:25, and it's all ages and will cost $24 at the door.

There's also some great locals shows in the area tonight. First, you can catch Witchden, Outside The Murder, Blue Ox, and Trail Boss at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis. Show time is around 9:00, and it's an 18+ show that's only $6 at the door.

At the Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis tonight you can catch Blackthorne, Low Forms, and Disasteratti for just $5. This is a 21+ show that starts at 9:00.

Lastly, it's a night of death metal in Mankato at the What's Up Lounge with Invidiosus, California's Splattered, Prophets Of Aether, and Fetus Heist. It's an 18+ show at start at 10:00, and it's $8 at the door.

As previously announced, the Bret Michaels show scheduled for tonight at Myth in St. Paul has been moved to Friday, December 20.

Tonight - CLUTCH, WITCHDEN in Minneapolis; THE CONTORTIONIST and WITHIN THE RUINS in Duluth

Clutch live on October 28, 1998 at the Granada Theater in Lawrence, Kansas. Click on the photo to see more pictures from this show.

Get ready for some heavy rock tonight at First Avenue in Minneapolis as Clutch returns with support from awesome stoner rock band Orange Goblin, Lionize, and Scorpion Child. This promises to be a great bill from top to bottom, so get their early for the 6:30 start time. It's an 18+ show, and tickets are available for $25 at the door. Check out the review of the latest Clutch album Earth Rocker (7/10) as well as the recent From The Vault feature on Clutch with pictures and a variety of promotional items from tours for their first three albums from 1993 to 1998.

Local sludge band Witchden continues their Wednesday night residency for the the month at Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis with Gar and Morality Crisis. It's a free 21+ show that starts at 9:00.

The co-headlining tour of The Contortionist and Within The Ruins makes it up to Duluth at Clyde Iron Works with support from I Declare War, Reflections, and City In The Sea.   This is an all ages show with a 5:30 show time. Tickets are $15 at the door. Read the review of Intrinsic from The Contortionist (10/10) here. City In The Sea missed the show in St. Paul last night due to weather driving through South Dakota so don't be surprised if they can't make it to Duluth.

Album Review - CLUTCH

Clutch – Earth Rocker

Weathermaker, 2013

7/10

You never quite know what to expect from this zany bunch, and Earth Rocker continues the Clutch tradition of heavy grooves, quirky lyrics, and undeniable appeal. By nature this leads to some uneasy moments, but on the whole the band’s tenth album will please long-time fans. Clutch is at their best when they throw aside their more bizarre leanings and simply rock on songs like “Crucial Velocity” and the title track. There’s plenty here to keep things interesting, from the drum-driven “Mr. Freedom”, the 70s-era Aerosmith guitar sound of “Unto The Breach”, and the harmonica and explosive chorus of “D.C. Sound Attack!”. I’ve never liked singer Neil Fallon’s deep, bellowing voice he frequently employs instead his bark-like screams, so tunes like “The Face” and the bluesy “Gone Cole” fall flat for my tastes. Clutch is often lumped into the stoner rock category, but their albums are much more sonically diverse. Earth Rocker is no exception and there’s plenty here to like. The unpredictable vocal stylings of Neil, however, are an acquired taste and sometimes go too far. You gotta love, though, Clutch’s uncanny knack for delivering what you’d expect but somehow being capable able to throw in some interesting surprises. Clutch fans should consider Earth Rocker mandatory listening.

Clutch performs tonight, Wednesday, April 10 at First Avenue in Minneapolis with support from Orange Goblin, Lionize, and Scorpion Child.

RELATED CONTENT: Check out the Clutch's From The Vault feature that has lots of pictures and promotional items from 1993-1998.

Tonight - ANTHRAX, EXODUS, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, HOLY GRAIL in Minneapolis

Exodus performing January 30, 2010 at The Rock in Maplewood. Click to see more pictures from this show (14).

The only show happening tonight is a big one - the Metal Alliance Tour featuring thrash gods Anthrax and Exodus alongside High On Fire, Municipal Waste, and Holy Grail at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Tickets are still available for $30 at the door, and it's an 18+ show that starts early at 6:30 (according to the First Avenue website). Jon Donais of Shadows Fall is filling in on second guitar for Anthrax following the departure of Rob Caggiano for Volbeat in January.

High On Fire performing October 5, 2010 at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Click to see more pictures from this show (24).

RELATED CONTENT: I've posted a slew of recent material related to this concert: audio downloads of Anthrax in 1991 on the Clash Of The Titans tour, former Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz's new band Red Lamb in St. Paul on March 24, 2013, and Exodus (with Paul Baloff) on July 23, 1997, reviews of the new Anthrax, Holy Grail, and Red Lamb album and March 24 concert (with pictures), and, in the From The Vault series, Anthrax, S.O.D., and Armored Saint.

EXODUS - July 23, 1997

Thrash pioneers Exodus perform tonight, April 4 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, so to mark the occasion here's the audio recording of the band performing at The Hurricane in Kansas City in 1997 on their initial reunion tour with vocalist Paul Baloff, who passed away in 2002.

I first saw Exodus while promoting the Force Of Habit album in 1993 at the Adler Theater in Davenport, Iowa supporting Black Sabbath's Dehumanizer tour with Skew Siskin. The band's fortunes were in decline at the time and Exodus called it quits soon after.

After reforming with Paul Baloff, Exodus released the live album Another Lesson In Violence in 1997 and this show is from the tour to support it. The band was completely reenergized since I had previously seen them, and the show featured here completely rips with most songs from the debut album Bonded By Blood.

I had originally posted this show about three years ago, but this version has been completed remastered. The audio was taken from the digital transfer of the original VHS-C video tape. This version has a lot of the tape hiss removed, and the overall sound is much improved.

The download link is here. As always, please share, but share the link to this post rather than the direct Mediafire link. Enjoy!

Exodus
Rip This Place Up!!
July 23, 1997
Kansas City, Missouri, The Hurricane
mp3@192 kbps, 81.62 MB zip file (artwork included)

1. Bonded By Blood (4:48)
2. Exodus (4:28)
3. Pleasures Of The Flesh (7:27)
4. And Then There Were None (5:15)
5. Seeds Of Hate (5:53)
6. Piranha (4:58)
7. Deliver Us To Evil (7:50)
8. Brain Dead (5:18)
9. No Love (6:32)
10. A Lesson In Violence (4:18)
11. The Toxic Waltz (5:54)
Total time: 62:41

Exodus performs tonight, April 4 at First Avenue in Minneapolis as direct support to Anthrax with High On Fire, Municipal Waste, and Holy Grail.

Album Review - HOLY GRAIL

Holy Grail – Ride The Void

Prosthetic, 2013

6/10

Holy Grail has followed up their debut, Crisis In Utopia, with a highly technical, melodic, thrash-inspired album that aims high but ultimately fails to elicit much excitement. The instrumental “Archeus” leads off the album with a promising start before kicking into “Bestial Triumphans”. “Bestial Triumphans”, along with the next two songs, “Dark Passenger” and “Bleeding Stone”, really typify the whole album. Most songs are mid-tempo gallops or fast thrashers that have potential, but two aspects of Holy Grail’s approach dampen my enthusiasm. First, the technical guitar flourishes that populate Ride The Void like an album from old shred label Shrapnel, while impressive, are excessive and quite often seem out of place. Second, the clean melodic singing and a production with little bass suck all attempts at heaviness from the album. Quite simply, if this sounded like an honest-to-goodness metal album with balls and if the guitar noodling was toned down a bit, Ride The Void could be a great album. I lost interest after the first four songs, and it was a relief when the slow ballad “Rains Of Sorrow” closed the album. Give Holy Grail some credit for doing something different in a world of retro-thrash clones, but this style of melodic thrash-lite doesn’t cut it. I’d be willing to bet these songs sound better live, so it’s worth getting out to First Avenue early if you’re going to the Anthrax show tomorrow.

Holy Grail performs Thursday, April 4 at First Avenue in Minneapolis as support to Anthrax, Exodus, High On Fire, Municipal Waste.