Concert Announcements - September 20, 2013

The concert calendar (on your right) has undergone some massive updates, and here's the highlights of some of those recently announced. In the interest of getting this posted as quickly as possible, I've forgone the usual posting of relevant concert flyers and pictures here.

English progressive metal band Tesseract hits the Skyway Theater Studio B on Wednesday, October 16 with support from Scale The Summit and Anciients. This is a 15+ show, and you can get tickets through Ticketfly.

Sweden's black metal horde Watain plays Minneapolis at the Triple Rock Social Club on Wednesday, October 16 with In Solitude and Tribulation. It's an 18+ show, and tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.

English doom band Orange Goblin brings with them thrashers Holy Grail, Lazer/Wulf, and Vulgaari to the Triple Rock Social Club on Monday, October 21; tickets for this 18+ show are available now through Ticketmaster.

Attila returns to town to play the Skyway Theater Studio B in Minneapolis on Friday, October 25 with Upon A Burning Body, The Plot In You, Fit For A King, and Countermeasure. Get tickets for this 15+ show through Ticketfly.

Metalcore band The Chariot announced last month their intention to disband following a U.S. tour that brings them to the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on Sunday, October 27 with Glass Cloud, Birds In Row, To The Wind, and Rebuker. It's an early all ages show, and you can get tickets through etix.

Another metalcore band doing a farewell tour is Bleeding Through, who play the Skyway Theater Studio B in Minneapolis with Winds Of Plague, Oceano, Gideon, and Sworn In on Sunday, November 3. Tickets are available through Ticketfly, and it's a 15+ show.

Sepultura tops an impressive bill with Unearth, Kataklysm, Scar The Martyr, Anciients, and Dark Sermon on Thursday, November 7 at the Skyway Theater in Minneapolis. Get your tickets now through Ticketfly for this 15+ show.

The one and only Slayer plays Myth in St. Paul on Friday, November 8 with Gojira and 4Arm. This is an all ages show; tickets are on sale now through etix.

Friday, November 8 also has progressive metal band Periphery playing the Skyway Theater in Minneapolis with Born Of Osiris, Dead Letter Circus, Twelve Foot Ninja, and Thira. This is another 15+ show with tickets available through Ticketfly.

Monster Magnet hasn't been heard from much recently, but they play Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Sunday, November 17 with Royal Thunder and Zodiac. This is an 18+ show, and tickets are on sale now through AXS.

August Burns Red comes to Mill City Nights in Minneapolis on Thursday, November 21, along with Blessthefall, Defeater, and Beartooth. Tickets for this 15+ show are on sale now through AXS.

The mighty High On Fire returns to First Avenue in Minneapolis on Saturday, November 30 with support from Kvelertak and Windhand. This is an 18+ show, and tickets are on sale now through etix.

Relapse recording artist Red Fang plays the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis with support from The Shrine and Radkey on Tuesday, December 17. It's an 18+ show, and tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.

Viking rulers Amon Amarth step up to the larger room at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis with impressive support from Enslaved and Skeletonwitch on Saturday, February 8. Tickets go on sale today, Friday, September 20 at 10:00 am through AXS.

SLAYER Guitarist Jeff Hanneman Dead at 49

Jeff Hanneman performing with Slayer on August 18, 1998 at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, Kansas.

It was with absolute shock to read the report on Blabbermouth that Jeff Hanneman, guitarist for legendary thrash band Slayer, died early today, Thursday, May 2, of liver failure. Prayers and condolences go out to his family and friends. My own strength requires that this post be short, but some brief thoughts are in order.

I never met Jeff - the only Slayer members I've met are Kerry King and Dave Lombardo - but his contributions to extreme music cannot be overemphasized. I first gave Slayer a chance when South Of Heaven was released in 1988 to the shock of rock critics - Slayer was playing slow songs! I intrigued enough to pick up the album, and it one that changed my views of what extreme metal could sound like. In the mid-80s Slayer was still regarded as somewhat of a joke. Their silly, ghoulish ads in the back of Circus and other glossy magazines of the day were hard to take seriously and I remember the shock when they were signed to a major label. South Of Heaven convinced me they were a force to be taken very seriously, and their longevity is a testament to their talent.

I've haven't counted the number of times I've seen Slayer, but it's probably about 10. Like many others, I expected to Jeff to eventually return to Slayer following recovery from his health troubles that started with complications from a spider bite in 2011 but sadly this never came to be. RIP, Jeff.

The AP's obituary for Jeff can be read here.

Megadeth, Slayer, And Testament Concert Review

Slayer, Megadeth, Testament

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul, MN

I noted my initial reaction to the much-hyped Slayer/Megadeth pairing earlier, and I’ll expand up those thoughts here. This show was originally scheduled for February but was postponed due to Slayer frontman Tom Araya having to undergo back surgery. It wouldn’t have surprised me if this tour was scrapped altogether, but thankfully everything went on as planned. Testament took the stage a few minutes early to the sold-out house (nearly 5,000 strong) that greeted them with huge applause as they launched into “More Than Meets The Eye”. Drummer Paul Bostaph was phenomenal behind the kit, and the entire band seemed to be having fun. “Dog-Faced Gods” from Low was the biggest surprise, along with the fact that “Trial By Fire” and “The New Order” were the only early songs played. Their eight-song set also included “The Persecuted Won’t Forget” and “The Formation Of Damnation” from the incredible The Formation Of Damnation album. At just over 40 minutes, this show wasn’t much shorter than Testament’s disappointing headline set at Epic a couple years ago. This was an impressive night for Testament and hopefully it opened the eyes of the younger fans.

*A note about the videos below: Yes, the video quality is worthless since I was perched in the upper reaches of the auditorium. The sound quality of the recording is decent, and these are intended to give you an idea of how each of the bands sounded this night.

 

Click to hear Testament play “The New Order”.

 

Click to hear Testament play “Trial By Fire”.

As Megadeth immediately tore into the entire Rust In Peace album from the start, it was immediately apparent that Testament’s poor sound wasn’t a case of the opening act getting shafted. This was the worst sound quality I’ve ever heard at Roy Wilkins, and it was inexcusable that Dave Mustaine’s microphone seemed to not be on as he started to sing “Holy Wars”. Listen to “Holy Wars” below to hear for yourself how Megadeth’s riffs were lost in the muddy sound. The intricacy of Megadeth’s songs unfortunately made their set the worst-sounding of the three bands, which was disappointing and unfortunate since this is the best lineup since Marty Friedman left and the band was obviously playing their hearts out. “Polaris” was the biggest high point of Rust In Peace, and it closed that part of the set in convincing fashion. The rest of the 70 minute set was rounded out with some of the band’s biggest hits including “Trust”, “A Tout Le Monde”, “Symphony Of Destruction”, and “Headcrusher” from 2009’s Endgame. As “Peace Sells” ended the set, Mustaine launched the band into a reprise of “Holy Wars” that brought the house down. It’s sad to say, though, that the horrible sound turned this into the least enjoyable Megadeth show I’ve seen.

 

Click to hear Megadeth play “Holy Wars”.

 

Click to hear Megadeth play “Trust”.

 

Click to hear Megadeth play “Peace Sells/Holy Wars (Reprise).

If Megadeth was greeted as conquering heroes, then Slayer was lauded like gods as they began their show with two songs from World Painted Blood, “World Painted Blood” and “Hate Worldwide”. The ground-breaking Seasons In The Abyss album was then offered up in its entirety with little break between the songs. It wasn’t a surprise, then, that the remaining time in the set was filled with “South Of Heaven”, “Raining Blood”, and “Angel Of Death”. I hadn’t seen Dave Lombardo play with Slayer since 1991, and I was pleasantly struck by his almost relaxed yet intense jazz-style approach to his drumming. Slayer benefited from their songs not collapsing under the bad sound like Megadeth’s did, so this alone made Slayer’s show the best of the night.

 

Click to hear Slayer play “World Painted Blood”.

 

Click to hear Slayer play “Hate Worldwide”.

 

Click to hear Slayer play “South Of Heaven”.

The show that should have been any metal’s fan highlight of the summer was unfortunately reduced to mild enjoyment due to the bad sound. Maybe there was a sweet spot in the center of the floor, but let’s face it – you can’t listen and absorb the nuances of a live performance in the middle of a mosh pit. Megadeth sounded phenomenal at the now-closed Myth a couple years back, and this show has me longing once again for that venue’s professional-quality acoustics.

Slayer - June 8, 1991, Cedar Rapids, IA

To finish my posts from the 1991 Clash Of The Titans tour, here is the audio recording of Slayer. Slayer heads back out soon for the second leg of the American Carnage tour with Megadeth and Anthrax. At the time of this recording, Slayer was out supporting one of their masterworks, Seasons In The Abyss. This particular recording has never been traded or circulated until now!

Slayer - 1991-06-08, Cedar Rapids, IA, Five Seasons Center, Clash Of The Titans

50 minutes, audience recording, mp3@128 kbps

1. Hell Awaits

2. The Antichrist

3. War Ensemble

4. South Of Heaven

5. Raining Blood

6. Altar Of Sacrifice

7. Jesus Saves

8. Dead Skin Mask

9. Seasons In The Abyss

10. Mandatory Suicide

11. Angel Of Death

This was recorded from the center-front seats with a Sony WM-D6 and external stereo shotgun microphones, and each song was individually mastered. The sound is good for an audience recording and is very listenable, probably a generous B grade. This is definitely worth downloading if you're a fan. Sorry, a higher bit rate version is not available. The download link is in the text file:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=F2NT7U67

As always, I encourage sharing, but please share the link to this post rather than the text file or the download links. Thanks and enjoy!

Initial Slayer, Megadeth, And Testament Thoughts

I just got back from tonight's Slayer, Megadeth, and Testament concert at Roy Wilkins in St. Paul and thought I'd offer some of my initial reaction from the show. Testament started a few minutes early but was on fire. They ran through 40 minutes of material, and the most surprising selection was "Dog-Faced Gods". It was really cool that the other bands showed some respect for Testament. Forty minutes for the first band on a three band bill was quite generous, and they were given half of the massive stage and allowed to use a huge drum riser with stairs. Megadeth opened with "Holy Wars" and launched right into playing Rust In Peace in its entirety, followed by a greatest hits selection. For all of the breathless news on other sites about Vic Rattlehead now appearing in Megadeth's set you would think this is a ten foot high mechanical robot. It's really just one of their roadies walking out on stage with a costume mask. Slayer played a couple new songs prior to all of Seasons In The Abyss. The obligatory standards followed. It was a good night, although the sound for all three bands was terrible at best. I've got some footage of all the bands so you can hear it for yourself, and Dave Mustaine's microphone couldn't even be heard when he started singing "Holy Wars". Isn't that what soundcheck is for? This wasn't the best show from any of these bands that I've seen, but keep in mind I've seen each of them around ten times apiece. I'll have a full review posted in the next day or two.

Slayer, Megadeth, Testament Ticket Sale?

Jam Productions sent out an email with the graphic below, stating that a special package deal for tickets to Slayer, Megadeth, and Testament on Saturday, August 21 at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul will occur from today, June 4 through Sunday, June 6. The picture links to the Ticketmaster page for the show, but there's no mention of this sale. Two tickets can be had for $66.60 during the sale, but it's not stated if this is good for floor seats ($57 each) or reserved balcony seats ($37 each). I've also linked the picture to the Ticketmaster page so you check it out to see when this deal appears.

The Big Four Simulcast From Sonisphere Festival

To allow fans worldwide to experience The Big Four (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax) European festival dates this summer, portions of all four bands' sets from the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria will be broadcast by satellite to movie theaters across North America, Europe, and Latin America on June 22. Broadcast times and ticket charges vary by region. For more details, including a list of participating theaters and how to buy tickets, check out The Big Four website. Here a list of Twin Cities area theaters that will be broadcasting the event:

Block E, Minneapolis

Showplace Theatre, Minneapolis

Eagan 16, Eagan

AMC Rosedale 14, Roseville

AMC Eden Prairie 18, Eden Prairie

Brooklyn Center 20, Minneapolis

Oakdale Cinema, St. Paul

Movies 8, Mankato

Parkwood 18 Theatre, Waite Park

Throwback Night On American Carnage Tour

Slayer and Megadeth issued a joint press release today announcing that each band will be performing the Seasons In The Abyss and Rust In Peace albums, respectively, in their entirely on their joint American Carnage co-headlining tour. Support band for the trek, Testament, previously stated their intention to play their debut album The Legacy in full on this tour as well.

I generally think this is a poor idea for all three bands, and I'm quite disappointed at this news. If anything, it makes the most sense for Testament since their most recent album, The Formation Of Damnation is nearly two years old. Both Slayer and Megadeth have new albums out and have not played in The Cities to support them yet. Why should these bands dedicate most of their sets to old albums? I've seen Slayer, Megadeth, and Testament probably close to ten times each and would much rather have them play new music that I haven't seen them perform yet. You'd think that having Slayer, Megadeth, and Testament on the same bill wouldn't require any gimmicks like this to bring fans through the door. I'm actually less excited for this show than I was before.

Slayer and Megadeth will be performing as co-headliners on Tuesday, August 10 at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. Support will come from Testament.

Slayer/Megadeth Tour Rescheduled

The Slayer/Megadeth/Testament tour has now been rescheduled, and fortunately St. Paul is on list of new dates. The concert will now take place on Saturday, August 21, still at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. All tickets sold for the initial date will be honored.

Slayer/Megadeth Tour Postponed

It was recently announced that the upcoming Slayer and Megadeth co-headling tour has been postponed. The full press statement released by the band can be read here. Slayer bassist and vocalist Tom Araya has been treated for a back injury recently, but his condition now necessitates surgery. Tour plans for Slayer have been canceled through April. Ticket holders for the February 4 concert at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul are being advised to hold on to their tickets. The Slayer/Megadeth tour will likely be rescheduled for this summer.

Slayer Album Review

Slayer – World Painted Blood

Sony, 2009

8/10

Seems like the latest, long-overdue album from Slayer has been endlessly promoted for months so it’s a relief that it is finally out. Slayer’s legendary status unfortunately means that every album of theirs will be over-analyzed and judged more critically than most bands, so the pressure under which the band records has got to be suffocating. I’ll just state upfront that I didn’t find much to like about World Painted Blood upon first listen, but it has quickly grown on me. My initial thoughts ran something like this – too much of a punk-rock feel to the songs, not much direction to the album, and a thin, weak production. I still don’t like the production, but multiple listens have made me a fan of the album. The title track, a mid-paced rocker, opens the album before “Unit 731” kicks in with a buzzsaw riff. Another fast track, “Snuff”, leads off with a lengthy guitar solo, followed by one of the slowest songs, “Beauty Through Order”. Most of the album alternates between fast and slow- or mid-tempo songs. The only song that sounds out of place is “Americon”, with its fist-pounding rhythm and distorted guitars. “Psychopathy” and “Playing With Dolls” are excellent tracks to wind down the album, but things fall flat with the down-tuned sludge of closer “Not Of This God”. World Painted Blood is easy to listen to all the way through, despite the weakness of just two tracks, “Americon” and “Not Of This God”. Once my shock from the production went away, I found myself really enjoying World Painted Blood and I feel a little silly for dismissing the album on the first play. Now, about the production. My main problem with the album’s sound is that the bass is buried in the mix. The guitars, snare drum, and vocals are way upfront while the bass is relegated to a nearly indistinct background rumble. This sound is just not heavy, and I feel like I’m listening to the album on a boom box. Aside from the production, World Painted Blood is a fine addition to the Slayer catalog. The band has written an album that really doesn’t sound like their previous efforts, but strangely doesn’t stray far from that Slayer sound. If comparisons must be made, the closest I can draw is South Of Heaven. World Painted Blood isn’t as heavy, but the pace of the album and the ways in which the bands is stretching their sound make these two albums sonic cousins. Give this one two or three listens before pronouncing judgment, I think there’s a lot here to make Slayer fans happy.

Slayer will be performing at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul on Thursday, February 4 with co-headliner Megadeth. Support will come from Testament.

Major Concert Announcements: Slayer, Megadeth, Testament, Behemoth, Septicflesh, Shining, Hypocrisy

There's been a lot of concert announcements in the last couple of days, so here's the latest news.

First, the big one - Slayer and Megadeth have announced the American Carnage co-headlining tour that will bring them to Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul on Thursday, February 4. Support will come from none other than Testament. A special ticket presale starts at 10:00 am on Wednesday, November 18 through Ticketmaster. The internet presale password is "carnage".

Second, Polish legends Behemoth will rip up Station 4 in St. Paul on Monday, January 25 with support from Greece's Septicflesh and Sweden's Shining. Septicflesh's latest album, Communion, was one of my top records of 2008 so be sure to check out this show!

Lastly, unfortunate news. Hypocrisy has pulled the plug on their entire North American tour supporting Ensiferum due to delays in one member obtaining a work visa. The band initially planned to join the tour (which is already underway) as soon as possible. Hypocrisy was scheduled to play at Station 4 in St. Paul on Saturday, November 28. More news about this show will be posted shortly.