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.

Album Review - CRASHDIET

Crashdiet – The Savage Playground

Frontiers, 2013

7/10

Sweden’s Crashdiet are most commonly described as a glam rock band but they’re nothing of the sort. These guys are just straight-ahead, no-frills rock that doesn’t try to impress with technical flourishes or sheer heaviness. Because of their glam/sleeze image Crashdiet will always draw comparisons to 80s bands, however, musically they have more to do with Sleeze Beez and Sea Hags than Poison and Warrant. The Savage Playground is the band’s fourth album and first for Frontiers. This had the potential to be a great album, but I found myself losing interest about midway through. One surprising strong point is the use of layered background vocals on songs like “Change The World” and “Anarchy”, which are reminiscent of the techniques employed by the sadly forgotten T-Ride. The boogie rock single “Cocaine Cowboys” is a great song that would sit well on rock radio and is one of the highlights. “California”, the second single from the album, has a nifty groove that leads into a melodic chorus that slows down a bit before picking up again. “Circus” and “Sin City” round out the first half in a pleasant way, but then things begin to turn a little stale. “Got A Reason” and “Drinkin’ Without You” chug along uneventfully and regretfully suck some of the life from the album. Things never fully recover, and I found myself wishing the album had eight songs instead of 14. The Savage Playground is a convincing album with flashes of brilliance, but not all of the songs stand up to the standard set during the first half. With a little more focus Crashdiet stands poised to make major headway here in the U.S.

Crashdiet performs Wednesday, April 3 at G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park in Fridley with support from Crucified Barbara and Snakeskyn Whiskey.

In Concert This Week - March 29, 2013

The crush of concerts continues over the next week, so pick and choose wisely!

Tomorrow, Friday, March 29, industrial/dance band I:Scintilla plays Ground Zero in Minneapolis with Gabriel And The Apocalypse, Go Fight, and Goodnight Criminals.

Saturday, March 30 is a big night starting with As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada, For Today, and The Chariot at First Avenue in Minneapolis. The same night pop-punk band Sum 41 plays Mill City Nights in Minneapolis with Hollerado. Also on Saturday, Station 4 in St. Paul has local shock masters Impaler with Mordwolf, Mastiff, and Compassion Dies.

Sunday, March 31 may be Easter, but there’s still some great live music to be heard. Rapcore crew (hed)p.e. returns to Station 4 in St. Paul with Nuisance, Strate-Jak-It, and Angry Room. Local industrial metal band Screaming Mechanical Brain plays the What’s Up Lounge in Mankato with Milwaukee’s Candy Machine Guns and Evasive Maneuver. Also on Easter Sunday, you can catch Apocalypse Theatre and their Revolution Circus show at G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park in Fridley.

Candy Machine Guns stick around the area for another show on Tuesday, April 2 at G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park in Fridley.

Candy Machine Guns performing March 24, 2013 at Station 4 in St. Paul.

Denmark’s Volbeat return for another sold-out show, this time at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Wednesday, April 3 with support from Danko Jones and Spoken. Swedish sleeze rockers Crashdiet play the same night at G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park in Fridley with Crucified Barbara and Snakeskyn Whiskey. Wednesday is also the start of the weekly, month-long residency for sludge band Witchden at Cause Spirits & Soundbar in Minneapolis with openers Vulgaari and Buzzard.

If that isn’t enough, then Thursday, April 4 has one what should be one of the biggest thrash shows of the year with Anthrax, Exodus, High On Fire, Municipal Waste, and Holy Grail at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

Concert Announcements - March 9, 2013

 Station 4 in St. Paul has lined up a night of local metal on Thursday, March 14 with Prophets Of Aether, Solar Slaughter, Odin, Compassion Dies, Pandemic, and Monster Of Creation all slated to play.

Danny Spitz, former Anthrax guitarist, brings his new band Red Lamb to Station 4 in St. Paul on Sunday, March 24 with support from Candy Machine Guns, Prophets Of Aether, Monster Of Creation, and Pandemic.

Swedish sleaze/glam band Crashdiet invade G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park in Fridley on Wednesday, April 3 with Crucified Barbara and Snakeskyn Whiskey.

Blabbermouthrecently reported that Dying Fetus vocalist John Gallagher will be filling in for Suffocation’s Frank Mullen on concert dates from April 6–12. This will, of course, include the Monday, April 8 show at Station 4 in St. Paul with Exhumed, Jungle Rot, Rings Of Saturn, and Adimiron.

Otep makes a stop on what is to be her final tour at Pov’s 65 in Spring Lake Park on Friday, April 12 with One-Eyed Doll and Picture Me Broken.

Support bands for the Saturday, May 11 Pain Of Salvation show at Station 4 in St. Paul have been announced, and they are Kingcrow, Imminent Sonic Destruction, and Violet Fade.

Thankfully, not many metal shows happen at Epic in Minneapolis, but on Sunday, May 12 Asking Alexandria brings along a big bill with Motionless In White, Whitechapel, Chimaira, and I Killed The Prom Queen.

Australia’s Sick Puppies return to town on Monday, May 13 at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis.

For those up north, Sevendust and Pop Evil play Clyde Iron Works in Duluth on Wednesday, May 15.

Following a hiatus, the North Star Room in Mounds View has started booking show again. The first one of note is Christian metalcore band Those Who Fear with A Hill To Die Upon, Normandy, Climactic, Correlations, At Mourning’s End, and The Number Seven on Saturday, May 18.

Hard rockers Bobaflex play Station 4 in St. Paul on Thursday, May 23.

Locals Throw The Fight will be appearing at Bamboo Betty’s in Circle Pines on Friday, May 31.

Following their recent show in October as Classic Petra (with original vocalist Greg X. Volz), Petra (with long-time vocalist John Schiltt) return to the Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park as part of their 40th Anniversary Tour on Friday, June 7 with special guest Bread Of Stone.

Bloodline Severed, Wake The Sleeper, Eyes Like Tides, Valor Tracks, and more locals bands to be announced will be the North Star Room in Mounds View on Saturday, June 8.

Bands are beginning to be announced for this year’s Moondance Jam in Walker, Minnesota from Wednesday, July 17 to Saturday, July 20. So far, Mötley Crüe and Cheap Trick will play on July 18 and The Offspring and Theory Of A Deadman perform on July 20. Tickets and camping site are on sale now, and prices go up starting March 16.

Most of the line up for this year’s Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin taking place over four days, Thursday, July 18 to Sunday, July 21, has been announced. July 18 will feature a headliner to be announced, Seether, Halestorm, All That Remains, and Aranda. July 19 has Korn, The Offspring, Theory Of A Deadman, Pop Evil, Nonpoint, 4th Floor, and Bumblefist. Kiss headlines July 20 with Megadeth, Stone Sour, Hellyeah, Warrant, Vaudeville, and 7 Sins. The final night, July 20, has Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake, Skillet, Device, Otherwise, and Dirtee Circus. Tickets and camping sites are on sale now.

More Christian metalcore comes to the North Star Room in Mounds View when War Of Ages, Our Judgment, Every Knee Shall Bow, Reaping Asmodeia, Climactic, and Revival play on Saturday, July 27.