EP Review - IRON REAGAN

Iron Reagan – Worse Than Dead

A389, 2013

8/10

If you long for the glory days of crossover, when the fusing of metal and hardcore gave us bands like Excel, Wehrmacht, Gang Green, you might as well go purchase this debut EP from Iron Reagan right now. Fast thrash riffs combine with breakneck-speed drumming and shouted vocals to deliver non-nonsense songs that get right to the point. There’s no screwing around – nothing is over 2 minutes long, and a whopping 19 songs clocks in at just 25 minutes. Crossover was pretty well beat to death in the 80s so don’t except a brilliant new take on the style; enjoy Iron Reagan for what it is – fun, short blasts of thrash that delivers a punch to the gut. Iron Reagan is also notable for featuring members of Municipal Waste, Darkest Hour, and Cannabis Corpse. If you missed out on the original crossover craze, Worse Than Dead is also a great starting point for discovery.

Iron Reagan performs tonight, Saturday, October 5 at First Avenue in Minneapolis as support to Gwar with Whitechapel and A Band Of Orcs.

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.

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 - November 2012

November is another huge month for great metal shows. Here's the recent additions, and don't forget about the other concerts already listed on the calendar for the month.

Metalcore band Do As The Romans Do make the trip from St. Cloud to headline Station 4 in St. Paul on Saturday, November 3 with Vessels For Our Ghost, Daytripper, Hold The Throne, and Sick Of Talking About It.

Former Queensrÿche vocalist Geoff Tate plays Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Sunday, November 4.

Get ready for a brutal night of death metal with Municipal Waste, the legendary Napalm Death, gore merchants Exhumed, Diagoro, and Mördwolf on Sunday, November 4 at Station 4 in St. Paul.

Straight from Texas, stoner-doom band The Sword plays First Avenue in Minneapolis with Gypsyhawk and Eagle Claw. The Sword has come far since they played the 7th Street Entry a few years ago.

Returning to the area on Wednesday, November 7 at Station 4 in St. Paul is Straight Line Stitch with support from Defiler and Dead By Wednesday for an all ages show.

Station 4 in St. Paul has a night of all ages local metal on Thursday, November 8 with Burn Fetish, Whistle Kid, Splimit, and Maniacal.

Day one of the two-day Fall in Metal Festival in St. Paul at Station 4 on Friday, November 9 brings together Venus On Fire, Fifth Hour, and Mad Future.

Day two of the Fall in Metal Festival on Saturday, November 10 at Station 4 in St. Paul features underground metal legends Aska alongside a strong local billing of Dawn Of Valor, Mousai, Hollowstone, Minos, and Noble Beast.

Also on Saturday, November 10, death metal band Attila storms The Garage in Burnsville for an early all ages show with Make Me Famous, Issues, Ice Nine Kills, Adestria, and We Are The Blog!

The Pierce The Veil show on Saturday, November 10 at The Cabooze in Minneapolis is now sold out. Also performing will be Sleeping With Sirens, Tonight Alive, and Hands Like Houses.

Punk-pop band Unwritten Law plays St. Paul at Station 4 on Sunday, November 11 with Versus The World.

Rockers Hinder play an acoustic show at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis on Sunday, November 11.

Monday, November 12 has the legendary death metal band Six Feet Under at Station 4 in St. Paul with Cattle Decapitation, Wretched, Agitate, and Ghost Hook.

Costumed rockers Green Jellÿ (formerly Green Jellö) of “Three Little Pigs” video fame bring their show to Station 4 in St. Paul on Tuesday, November 13 with Jamie Cooper’s Band From Hell.

RNDM, featuring Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, embark on their first tour this November, which brings them to First Avenue in Minneapolis on Thursday, November 15. No support bands have been announced at this time.

Chicago’s experimental black metal outfit Nachtmystium invade St. Paul at Station 4 on Friday, November 16 with Jarboe, Weapon, Atrum Inritus, and Conniption.

Also on Friday, November 16, P.O.D. and Nonpoint play First Avenue in Minneapolis.

Local heroes Throw The Fight headline Station 4 in St. Paul on Wednesday, November 21 with support from Emergent, Vaudeville, and Aeous.

Local shock-rock troupe Apocalypse Theatre brings their Revolution Circus show to Station 4 in St. Paul on Thursday, November 22. Also appearing will be Mercury Mad.

Staind frontman Aaron Lewis brings his solo show back to town on Saturday, November 24 to Mill City Nights in Minneapolis.

That same night, Saturday, November 24, Saliva will be appearing at Pov’s 65 (Povlitzki’s) in Spring Lake Park.

Atlanta metalcore band Woe, Is Me headlines a bill with Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, Our Last Night, Secrets, Capture The Crown, and The Seeking on Tuesday, November 27 at Station 4 in St. Paul.