ORIGIN Gets a Major Splash in the New York Times

You gotta love this - how often do you see a death metal band receiving this kind of ink in a publication such as the New York Times? The Monday, June 4 edition featured a lengthy review of the Scion Rock Fest held this past Saturday, June 2 in Tampa, Florida on the front page of the Arts sections (page C1), including a sweet, page-spanning picture of Origin. The second page of the review (page C7) also features another large live shot of Origin. These, and other photos of the event, can be viewed in the accompanying slide show. (Note: Registration or subscription may be required to view links). The review ("Metalheads of All Alloys, Swirling Into the Night") by Ben Ratliff, focuses on the stoner/doom acts on the bill (Down, Saint Vitus, Sleep) and the unusual sponsorship by Toyota's Scion brand.

I don't usually read the New York Times, so it seemed weird to then see a positive review of the latest album, Childhood's End, by Norwegian black metal experimentalists Ulver in the June 5 edition. Keep up the great work, Mr. Ratliff!


Origin returns to Station 4 in St. Paul on Saturday, August 25 as direct support to Kataklysm with additional support from Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vital Remains, and Rose Funeral.

Slipknot And Knotfest To Invade Twin Cities and Omaha Areas August 17 and 18

There's been a slew of new concert announcements this week (more on these tomorrow), but one bit of news can't wait and that's the long overdue return of Slipknot to the Twin Cities on Saturday, August 18 at the recently renovated Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, Wisconsin. To make it even more special, this is one of only two dates for Knotfest, an apparently new annual festival-style touring event—the other being Friday, August 17 in Pacific Junction, Iowa (just outside the Omaha, Nebraska metro area). The band lineup differs slightly on each day, but the Somerset date has a more extensive bill, so far being:


Main Stage:
Slipknot
Deftones
Serj Tankian
The Dillinger Escape Plan


Second Stage:
Dethklok
Lamb Of God
Cannibal Corpse
Prong
Gojira


More bands should be added to the bill. I'm just hoping that a long-time favorite live band of mine, The Urge, who is slated to play the Pacific Junction date, will be added to the Somerset show. From the initial press release, it sounds like there will be vendors and a variety of activities including carnival rides. One cool feature will be a "Slipknot museum" with information and memorabellia from the band's archives. I'll have more information about the event as I learn it!


Tickets for both dates of Knotfest go on sale this Friday, June 8 at 10:00 am CDT through Ticketmaster. The event is all ages and tickets for the Somerset date are only $23 plus fees. The Ticketmaster event page states that "A limited number of tickets will be made available at 'early bird' discounted prices." It's unclear whether $23 is the early bird price or whether this is the standard price.

Weekly Concert Update and Announcements

Now that things have settled back to some semblance of normalcy post-Google suspension (more about the reason for this to come, haha), here's some shows of note coming up during the next week as well a crush of recent announcements. I'll be out of town this next week, and it's always frustrating when some killer shows happen during these times (arg!).


Yes vocalist Jon Anderson hits the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis tonight, Friday, June 1 for an evening that promises many Yes classics as only he can sing them.


Bret Michaels tours much more frequently as a solo act than with Poison these days, and he's back again with locals Scarlet Haze this Saturday, June 2 at the Medina Entertainment Center in Medina.


The much-ballyhooed The Queen Extravaganza also plays Saturday, June 2 at The Brick in Minneapolis. This is the official Queen tribute tour, and it features Jeff Scott Soto as one of the vocalists. Jeff has sung with numerous bands, including Journey. I've seen him sing with Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force, Soul Sirkus, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra—check out some of his Queen audition videos to see how awesome a singer he is.


Roger Waters returns to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Sunday, June 3 to play The Wall in its entirety. I'm really bummed because I had to sell my tickets to this. This is probably the most elaborate production you'll ever see. I caught this tour on the previous run about 2 years ago, and it's a spectacle worth every dollar. Tickets were still available last time I checked.


Power metal fans will not want to miss Italy's Rhapsody Of Fire with locals Hollowstone on Wednesday, June 6 at Station 4 in St. Paul. This is the first US tour for these over the top fantasy buffs. This is the Fabio Lione-fronted version of the band with original guitarist Alex Staropoli on board. I'd rather see the (other original guitarist) Luca Turilli's version, now back to original moniker Rhapsody, but this show should not disappoint.

On to the recently announced shows:


The reunited Spineshank will be coming to Station 4 in St. Paul on June 20 with support from The Agonist, 9 Electric, and Mureau for a 16+ show.


A big night of 80's metal hits Neisen's in Savage on June 22 with Jack Russell's Great White, Faster Pussycat, Pretty Boy Floyd, BulletBoys, and Lillian Axe. Look for Lillian Axe to steal the show.


Metal legends Dokken also added a St. Paul date at Station 4 on June 29. This 21+ show also features support bands Hoodlum Johnny, The Grand Machine, and Next To Nothing. This show will probably sell out in advance.

Sludge/stoner rock band Black Cobra will crush the Turf Club in St. Paul with Gaza on July 1.


Venerable rockers Sevendust return to town on July 19 at First Avenue in Minneapolis.


Hair metal joke band Steel Panther will play The Brick in Minneapolis on July 27. My unpublished review of their first album Feel The Steel rated a big fat 0 (really, it's not funny when you grew up listening to the Mentors), but nevertheless this show will be a riot. Ralph Saenz is the most entertaining frontman you'll see—I've seen him countless times with guitarist Russ Parrish (ex-Fight) in Atomic Punks. Legend has it that Ralph jumped a heckler mid-song in the Twin Cities while he briefly fronted L.A. Guns. 


The death/extreme metal package tour dubbed The Slaughter Survivors Tour lands at Station 4 in St. Paul on July 29. Featuring Pathology, Enfold Darkness, Fallujah, Fit For An Autopsy, and Aegaeon, this one will be brutal.

Rock radio staple Theory Of A Deadman comes to The Brick in Minneapolis on July 29 with Aranda and Charm City Devils in tow. Tickets for this 18+ show go on sale today at 10:00 am.


Powerglove returns as support to MC Chris on August 9 at the Varsity Theatre in Minneapolis.


Long-running punk stalwarts Strung Out should pack in the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on August 12 with Handguns and The Darlings.


Legendary but underrated guitarist Pat Travers will play the Gaslight Bar in Ellsworth, Wisconsin on September 8.


Progressive rock icons Kansas return, this time to Myth in St. Paul on September 24 with the criminally overlooked King's X. This is an 18+ show, and tickets go on sale June 15 at 10:00 am.


Lastly, looking far into the future, the Heathen Crusade 4 tour will be coming to Station 4 in St. Paul on March 9, 2013. Mark this one down Viking metal fans - Einherjer will be headlining a bill rounded out with Ashaena, Vanir, Hammer Horde, Trelleborg, Bolero, and Rochester's Minos. More bands will be announced.

MESHUGGAH Album Review

Alright there's been a slew of shows recently and unfortunately I haven't been able to post some album reviews by bands who've played in the Twin Cities in the last month or so. I'll get a few of these album reviews posted. First up is the latest from Meshuggah, who played in Minneapolis at First Avenue on May 13 with Baroness and Decapitated.

Meshuggah – Koloss

Nuclear Blast, March 2012

6/10

Back with studio album number seven, Sweden’s Meshuggah continue along a path similar to their more recent output. If you’re a fan of this technical death metal institution chances are you won’t be disappointed. I’ve generally not been a fan of Meshuggah; their stop/start-staccato riffing style makes my head hurt. Even a non-fan, though, can appreciate the complex, heavy riffs of “Marrow” and “Swarm”. I can’t cant get past, though, the boring drone of slow numbers such as “Behind The Sun” and “Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion”. Many of the songs fall somewhere between the extremes my opinion, and overall I’m lukewarm to Koloss. It’s not a terrible album, but the weak points outweigh its strengths. Meshuggah fans are going like Koloss, but I don’t think new listeners will be brought on board.

Concert Calendar Woes

It's been frustrating to notice that some changes to the Concert Calendar listing on the right are not reflected here. The calendar is a Google Calendar that is synced to iCal, which I use to enter information. Lately, I've been observing that some updates made in iCal are not syncing properly - hence, some new and updated information may be missing. I've noticed this with other, personal calendars that I maintain. I'll make sure that all information listed is correct, but right now I have little confidence in Google Calendar's syncing function.

VAN HALEN Plays St. Paul Tonight, Tickets Still Available

Legendary hard rock/metal band Van Halen returns to the area tonight at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul. Yes, the concert is still on and tickets can still be had. Music and entertainment websites everywhere reported two days ago the postponement of three months' worth of dates beginning July 7, but St. Paul will go on as scheduled. TMZ reported yesterday that the band is just "burned out" and simply wants a break. Road burnout is understandable, but what I don't understand is why the affected dates (31 shows) should take 3 months to complete. Sure, routing a mammoth US tour is challenging and a big production is a lot of work, but taking at least 2-4 days between every show is a good way to foster a burnout.


Judging from what I saw at the 2007 Minneapolis Van Halen show, the band still puts on a good show. In all honesty, though, I've had more fun seeing the Ralph Saenz-fronted version of Van Halen tribute band The Atomic Punks over the years.


One of my pet peeves about Van Halen tours is their defiant, insulting choice of support bands. Tonight you will get to see disco washouts Kool & The Gang. On the 2007-2008 tour it was Ky-Mani Marley or Ryan Shaw. Anyone remember previous openers Baby Animals? The only support band of substance I can remember is Bachman-Turner Overdrive way back on the 5150 tour in 1986. A band with the stature of Van Halen can take anyone out on the road with them. I'm all for giving unknown bands a chance, and allowing legacy bands to revisit former arena glory. But Van Halen's history of touring with bands that the vast majority of their audience has no interest in seeing is a big middle finger to loyal fans who pay a lot of money for an arena concert.

VAN HALEN Album Review

Van Halen – A Different Kind Of Truth

Interscope, February 2012

7/10

I wasn’t too excited about the first Van Halen album with David Lee Roth in almost 20 years given the hit-or-miss output of the band and doubts about whether personality conflicts and generally bizarre recent behavior of the band members could be overcome. A Different Kind Of Truth surprised me with its overall quality, but I’ll say it again: shorter albums make for better albums. Save the subpar songs for B-sides, and release a 30–40 minute album that’s stripped of excesses and lame songs. Here, the best 8 or 9 songs would have make for a much better album. Things get off to a slow start with the incredibly weak lead single “Tattoo” (complete with its dated keyboards), and aside from “She’s The Woman”, the first five songs had me ready to write off the album. “Bullethead” rekindled my interest, and I was pleasantly surprised as my interest held for the rest of the album. There aren’t any great deviations from the classic Van Halen sound from the late 70s and early 80s, and credit must be given for some quality songs such as “As Is”, “Outta Space”, “Honeybabysweetiedoll”, and “The Trouble With Never”. Sure, the same fire that you heard upon initial listens of the first four albums isn’t there, but Eddie’s guitar work remains impressive and Roth puts in a decent effort. Roth’s vocals are layered in places to mimic the background vocals usually supplied by Michael Anthony to nice effect. I was most pleased that Eddie still does not layer rhythm guitar tracks under his solos, creating a loose, improvisational vibe that lends the songs an air of sounding live. Van Halen have succeeded in crafting an album that while not tops in their extensive catalog, holds its own and that is worthy of respect.

Van Halen performs tonight, Saturday, May 19 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul with support from Kool & The Gang.

ORIGIN: New Album Should Arrive in 2013

Last night I had the chance to see technical death metal titans Origin at Station 4 in St. Paul, and catch up a little bit with guitarist Paul Ryan. I'll get a full show review with pictures posted, but in the meantime I thought I'd highlight a few things from my conversation with Paul. I originally met Paul way back in 1998 after a show in Kansas City. I was telling Paul about my plans to start up a metal magazine, and we eventually walked over to his car so he could give a copy of Origin's first demo, A Coming Into Existence, for review. Not long after, Origin was opening some big death metal shows in the Eastern Kansas area and got signed to Relapse. I used to catch Origin whenever they toured in Southern California around 1999-2001, but I hadn't seen Paul or the band in many years.

"Can you believe we're still doing this?" Paul laughed with me after a crushing hour-long set. A death metal band from Topeka, of all places, surviving and carving out a career during the worst slump in the history of the recording industry.


"I just knew that all I wanted to do was play guitar when I was 13," Paul continued, as he reflected that he knew he'd have to pay his dues and work hard to bring Origin up to their current standing atop the death metal scene. Paul is still one of the nicest guys and it was great to get reacquainted with an old friend. Our chat was short and not recorded as an interview, but here a few points that are worth sharing:


- Paul has a lot of riffs and music already written, and a new album should hopefully be released next year
- Origin's current contract with Nuclear Blast was only for one album, but Nuclear Blast has already expressed interest in continuing their work with the band
- Paul has been very happy working with Nuclear Blast
- The band should begin working on songs for the next record following their August North American tour with Kataklysm


Before the Kataklysm tour, Origin heads back over to Europe for a month-long tour in July with Suffocation. Origin's current headlining tour winds up tonight in Lawrence, Kansas with a show at the Granada Theater.


Origin returns to Station 4 in St. Paul on Saturday, August 25 as main support to Kataklysm with Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vital Remains, and Rose Funeral.

INCUBUS - Kansas City, Missouri, April 2, 1998

Here's a not-quite-so-metal gem from one of my many boxes of video archives that has never seen the light of day until now. Back in their early days, Incubus was quite a different band than what your likely impressions of them are. Their first major label album, S.C.I.E.N.C.E., released in 1997, was an exciting and fresh mix of metal, funk, and hip-hop that drew favorable comparisons to Faith No More. On subsequent albums Incubus adopted a mellower approach that resulted in massive sales and superstardom. They just played a show at Myth in St. Paul earlier this week in support of their latest album If Not Now, When?


This live recording captures Incubus on the S.C.I.E.N.C.E. tour in 1998 when they were still a baby band, touring clubs, trying to make it like everyone else. This post just contains the show audio - I do have video of the entire show that I hope to post at a later time. Alas, my YouTube account is in suspension limbo still, so the video will have to wait.


DJ Kilgore had joined Incubus immediately prior to this tour, and I also interviewed him and vocalist Brandon Boyd before the show. Opening the show was Far and Ultraspank; I've previously posted the Far show, and Ultraspank will be coming soon. Incubus were clearly having fun on the road, and the energy of this show reflects that. This nearly hour-long set contains performances of nearly the entire S.C.I.E.N.C.E. album, as well as two songs from their Enjoy Incubus EP. One funny moment occurs when Far vocalist Jonah Matranga jumps on stage to sing "Eye Of The Tiger" with Brandon, and the band even plays a bit a Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" before launching into "Calgone".


My interview with Brandon later proved valuable in establishing an amazing working relationship with Atlantic Records. One of the PR staff (whose name I'll leave out) at Atlantic happened to be high school friends with Brandon. My interview with him was one of the first in a national publication that she had seen. In appreciation of me giving exposure to her friend, she went far above and beyond the normal call of duty to help me with access to the biggest metal bands and events in the world - Metallica, AC/DC, Pantera, Ozzfest, a private event at the Viper Room hosted by Lars Ulrich - I could go on and on about this. It felt surreal to be the only person allowed to shoot photos at an AC/DC concert alongside the Los Angeles Times. On a last minute lark one week before a major Metallica concert in Los Angeles, I thought I'd see if there was a long-shot chance of being able to shoot some photos. I called my friend to sheepishly ask, and she cheerfully said she'd work on it but she couldn't guarantee anything because all photographers had to be approved by their managers. Amazingly, she called me a couple days before the show to tell me I was cleared - only about one of ten or so people allowed to shoot this show. I'll never forget the loyalty, friendship, and immense help of this individual. You hear a lot about the worst of people in the recording and entertainment industry, but this person was proof that there are genuine, caring people in the industry willing to do anything to help others out.


Enough of my misty-eyed reflections, here's the Incubus set:

Incubus - We Drive Around In A Little Van (mp3 @ 192 kbps)
April 2, 1998
Kansas City, Missouri, Hurricane


1. Redefine
2. Magic Medicine/A Certain Shade Of Green
3. Hilikus
4. Vitamin
5. Idiot Box
6. Eye Of The Tiger/Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)
7. Favorite Things
8. Glass
9. Calgone
10. You Will Be A Hot Dancer
11. New Skin


The download link (to a zip file containing artwork) is here. As always, share, but please share this blog post link rather than the file link.

Back Up and Running (Almost)!

What the heck's been going on here? I hope to have things back to some semblance of order soon. Everything disappeared for a while, and it's had me confused, too. It seems that my entire Google account got caught up in a suspend-and-purge frenzy that's been going on this year at Google. This not only affected this blog, but all of the Google products that are associated with it: YouTube, Calendar, Picassa, Gmail...you get the picture. Just one day everything was gone - poof!


No explanation was given to me when some of the services were restored, but I can't help wondering if having links to the file storage site Megaupload (which was forcibly shut down under dubious circumstances early this year) tripped an automatic suspension of service. Of course, I've never uploaded any copyrighted videos, music, or photos, and only post album artwork under legitimate fair use. So it's a mystery as to why this blog (as well as all of the other services) were targeted. I'm still waiting for my YouTube account to be reactivated.


Please bear with me as I try to continue to get all of this resolved. As you can imagine, there's a lot of things I have been unable to update during this time and some things that are still not fully functional on this site, and it won't all get done overnight. In the meantime, expect a complete update to the Concert Calendar as well as some miscellaneous posts until everything is completely functional. I appreciate your patience and loyalty! Please keep checking back regularly for many more fun things to come.