Tonight - NINE INCHES NAILS in St. Paul, EARTHEN GRAVE, THE VIBRATORS in Minneapolis

The big concert in town tonight is the opening show of Nine Inch Nails' tour to promote their new album Hesitation Marks with special guest Explosions In The Sky at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. It starts at 8:00, and tickets are still available for $35.50–99.50.

Over in Minneapolis you can catch Chicago doom/thrash band Earthen Grave, which features former Trouble and Novembers Doom bassist Ron Holzner, at Club Underground. Also appearing on the bill is Indianapolis' Devil To Pay and two great local openers: Witchden and Cold Colours. This is a 21+ show that only $5 at the door, and it starts at 8:00.

Watch Earthen Grave perform "Beneath A Shovel Load" live in 2013.

If classic 70s punk is your thing, you'll want to be at Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis tonight for English punk band The Vibrators with Ripsnorter, L'Assassins, Virgin Whore, and Rebel City Rollers. This is a 21+ that starts at 9:00, and it's $10 at the door.

Watch live footage of The Vibrators playing "Troops Of Tomorrow" in Dallas in 2012.

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 - EMERY in St. Paul, WITCHDEN in Minneapolis

Post-hardcore/metalcore band Emery tops a bill of like-minded bands at Station 4 in St. Paul for an all ages show that starts at 5:15. Rounding out the bill are Wolves At The Gate, The Seeking, Peace Mercutio, and The Suit. Tickets are $15 at the door.

On a heavier note, local sludge band Witchden wraps up their month-long Wednesday night residency at Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis with United Teachers Of Music and Wicked Inquisition. Things get underway around 9:00 and there’s no cover charge (it’s free!). I recently reviewed Witchden’s debut album Consulting The Bones (8/10) here.

Check out this awesome new Witchden song "Red Handed".

Album Review - WITCHDEN

Witchden – Consulting The Bones

Zerobudget, 2012

8/10

This band from Minneapolis has escaped my notice until relatively recently so it’s high time that I review their debut full-length album that was released last year on Zerobudget Records. Consulting The Bones is filled with nine tracks of heavy, angry sludge metal delivered with density strong enough to melt your speakers. Crude, heavy riffs chug along at the speed of Crowbar while singer Jason Micah howls and screams with anguished intensity. There’s enough variation and twists on the riffs to keep things interesting and prevent each song from sounding redundant. Although Witchden falls outside of the stoner metal camp, there’s clearly some influences from bands like Melvins, Eyehategod, and Nebula. Not too many bands play this style of raw, uncompromising sludge and Witchden are well-poised to make an impact. Consulting The Bones may not be for everyone, but it’s a solid debut. This is a band to watch out for, so get out and catch one of the many local shows if you have the chance.

Witchden performs tonight, Wednesday, April 24 at Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis with support from United Teachers Of The World and Wicked Inquisition.    

In Concert This Week - April 19, 2013

Tonight, Friday, April 19 is a big lineup of 70s/80s megastars REO Speedwagon, Styx, and Ted Nugent at the Target Center in Minneapolis. That same night black metal descends upon Station 4 in St. Paul with Absu, Maledicere, False, and Nuklear Frost.

New York punk band The Casualties play the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on Saturday, April 20 with support from Rocksteady Breakfast and Devil Blues Band. Also on Saturday, Station 4 in St. Paul has Haunted Wisconsin, Deretia, Ghost Hook, Invidiosus, and Compassion Dies. Further south, you can catch Face Of Oblivion, Byleth, and The Vile Impurity at the What’s Up Lounge in Mankato.

Seattle-based Solid State recording artist Emery plays Station 4 in St. Paul on Wednesday, April 24 with support from Wolves At The Gate, The Seeking, Peace Mercutio, and The Suit. The same night local doom/sludge band Witchden plays the Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis with United Teachers Of Music and Wicked Inquisition.

Unpredictable rockers Mindless Self Indulgence play on Thursday, April 25 at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis with The Red Paintings.

Tonight - VOLBEAT in Minneapolis, CRASHDIET in Fridley

Tonight's a big night European metal as Denmark's Volbeat play a sold-out show at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis with support from Danko Jones and Spoken. Doors open at 7:30 and the show starts at 8:00.

Watch the video for "Cape Of Our Hero" from the new Volbeat album, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, that will be released in North America on April 9.

Sweden's sleeze rockers Crashdiet perform tonight with Crucified Barbara and Snakeskyn Whiskey at G.B. Leighton's Pickle Park in Fridley. Doors open at 7:00 and it's only $10 at the door. Read the review of the new Crashdiet album The Savage Playground (7/10) here.

Watch the video for "Cocaine Cowboys" from the new Crashdiet album The Savage Playground.

Lastly, Minneapolis-based sludge band Witchden starts tonight their Wednesday night residency for the month of April at Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis. Also on the bill are Vulgaari and Buzzard. This is a free 21+ show that gets underway at 9:00.