Tonight - WHITE EMPRESS in Spring Lake Park

As usual there's a lot of updating and posting of content that needs to be done here. I should have helped spread the word about this show earlier, but if you aren't aware already, get out to Pov's 65 in Spring Lake Park tonight, Saturday, May 9, to see the one and only White Empress. This is the Twin Cities-based band led by former Cradle Of Filth guitarist Paul Allender and rounded out with an experienced group of musicians, including fantastic vocals by Mary Zimmer (ex-Luna Mortis).

Support for the show will come from We Are Legion, Faith Hills Have Eyes, and Black Box Warning. This is an 18+ show; doors open at 8:00 and tickets are only $10 at the door.

If you missed the band's debut performance in Minneapolis in October you won't want to miss tonight's show. Their first show was thrown off kilter with the drummer bailing one week before the show. This forced the band to find an LA-based drummer available immediately who was flown to the Cities for some intense rehearsals. White Empress pulled off a great, albeit shortened set under the most dire of circumstances. In this context tonight's show should be tight and polished. Tonight is also the last night of a short Midwest run before White Empress heads to Japan.

I'll have much more to post about White Empress in due course (including a ton of live photos), but for now here are a few photoshoot-style photos of the band that were shot immediately after their first performance in October. Despite the pressures of that night, the band was in high spirits and was gracious to gather around for these shots after meeting with fans.

Concert Announcements - October 11, 2013

The What’s Up Lounge in continues to bring brutal death metal to Mankato – on Saturday, November 9 they’ve organized what is being billed as Human Feast Fest. Suffer The Wrath from Springfield, Illinois, Tyranny Enthroned from St. Louis, Minneapolis’ We Are Legion, Mankato’s Compulsive Mutilation, Aborning from Georgia, and Human Bashing from Mankato are all on the bill for this night of insanity.

As announced here acouple days ago, Kill Devil Hill makes their first area appearance at the Skyway Theater Studio B in Minneapolis on Tuesday, November 19 with Eyes Set To Kill, Girl On Fire, and Pandemic. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketfly.

Rockers The Last Vegas will appear at G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park in Fridley on Friday, November 22 with Dory Drive and Smiling Politely. Advance tickets are only $8 through Vitalculture.

Tesla returns to Myth in St. Paul for a concert on Friday, January 24. Support acts have yet to be announced, and tickets go on sale tomorrow, Saturday, October 12 at 10:00 am.

Darkness Descends – POWERMAD to Perform at Surly Brewing’s Darkness Day 2012

It’s that time of year for Darkness Day, the annual party to celebrate the release of Darkness, the worldwide-celebrated Russian imperial stout beer produced in limited quantities by Surly Brewing. It’s held outside at the brewery (4811 Dusharme Dr., Brooklyn Center, MN 55429) and, of course, is generally the only place to purchase bottles of this highly sought-after beer. Other Surly beers (including limited releases and cask beers) will be available to purchase and drink on-site, and a number of local food trucks will also be there. Full details about the event, including the procedure for purchasing Darkness, are available at the Surly website. The event is free and open to those under 21 accompanied with a parent or guardian, but you will want to bring cash for food and beer.

There’s also a fantastic lineup of local metal bands playing in the afternoon, and headlining will be Powermad, the sorely overlooked speed/thrash metal band that released an EP through Combat Records and an outstanding EP and album, Absolute Power, through Reprise in the late 80s. What I did not know is that Surly’s head brewer and mastermind, Todd Haug, is the guitarist of Powermad.

Watch the video for "Nice Dreams" from Absolute Power.

I recently spoke with Todd to get all the details about the bands playing at Darkness Day. It was a wide-ranging interview that also covered details of the new Powermad album that is currently being mastered for release next year and his incredible journey from metal to brewing beer. Look for the full interview to be published here soon – Todd’s story and his rise to the upper echelons of the craft brewing business are remarkable! Along with the expected older material, Powermad will also be performing two new songs, “Souls Descending” and “Hypocrite”, from the upcoming album. One of the songs, “Souls Descending”, was released through the Powermad website last year and is still available for free download. Have a listen and check out the video for “Souls Descending”:

The other bands playing at Darkness Day are Profound Lore recording artist Wolvhammer, We Are Legion, and God Came From Space. Each band will be playing an hour-long set with God Came From Space starting at 11:00 am, We Are Legion at 1:00 pm, Wolvhammer at 3:00 pm, and Powermad wrapping up the day at 5:00 pm. The bands will be playing outside this year, as there’s no more room inside the brewery to accommodate a stage.

If you’re a Surly devotee, you know that you should arrive early before the grounds open at 11:00 am. Be sure, though, to stick around in the afternoon for a great day of metal bands.