Skillet and Sevendust will be hitting the road on a co-headlining tour.
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Ohio’s Metalfest was a show that was very highly anticipated and I have to say that that anticipation was justified as well as delivered. This was my first Metalfest and I caught as many bands as I could between the two stages. Before I go on, I’ll list off the bands I saw because there were a lot of great artists there and only so much time to get around to everyone (some bands didn’t make it to the show so the times were a bit messed up as well)
I made a note to try and get around to the more notable acts but I definitely caught some of the smaller bands as well. My knowledge of each band ranges as some of them are my favorite but others I had only their reputation to go off of.
I saw:
I See Stars
The Word Alive
Periphery
Born of Osiris
Structures
Sworn In
Veil of Maya
Each band played for 30-45 minutes and in general, they were all great. Some were definitely better than others and the heavily reverberated ballroom at The Rave made a lot of the main-stage sets sound muddy and at some points, inaudible. But, I did my best to keep all of those things in mind and focus on the quality of the playing of each band as well as their presence on stage.
I See Stars started things off on the ballroom stage at around 2:00pm and they definitely got things going in the room. As they came on stage, the room was immediately filled with an energetic atmosphere and the floor quickly filled up. The crowd was anxious before they came on but the second they stepped foot on the stage everyone was excited. They played great and ranged from their more famous songs like “NTZ48” as well as playing some newer ones off of their new release. Despite some small technical difficulties, the set went pretty smoothly and the band played great. The singer was the most impressive part of their live show. He hit just about every part spot on and he didn’t cut corners around the higher notes.
Many singers in this genre will half-ass their parts and often times they won’t even sing some parts. I See Stars was different as both vocalists (synth/screams) were amazing and really made them stick out in my mind. Their stage presence as well was notable as the members were all moving around constantly and keeping the audience engaged. At one point a man in a full body chicken suit jumped into the crowd from the stage.
After I See Stars came The Word Alive on the ballroom stage. This band kept the energy up throughout the entire set and the crowd was able to keep up their excitement and movement high. This band was especially tight live. The guitar solos and intense vocals were near perfect onstage and this made everything more enjoyable and immersible during the show. The Word Alive played many crowd pleasers off of their newest release Life Cycles which was a good thing in this case as it kept everyone entertained as they could sing along to each track. The band ended their set with Telle (vocalist) repeating a memorable line from Life Cycles as well as a backflip.
The next band to take the stage was Veil of Maya. Although this band has a incredibly impressive recorded material, it didn’t hold up as well live. Overall, the set was good but I felt they were carried a bit by their excessive backtracking and lack of ability to really deliver their sound live. I had a lot of respect for their one and only guitar player as he was able to carry most of the weight of the guitar parts, but all synth parts and some guitars were played entirely through the speakers.
This was a bit of a buzzkill for me personally but I do understand the necessity. The band’s presence onstage was good as I especially enjoyed the fact that they didn’t talk too much in between songs. Many of the bands at the festival repeated the same generic crowd-addressing lines and it was nice to see a band get straight to the music!
The next band I saw was Sworn In down at the theater stage. I have to say that I had seen videos of their live show but it was still very…unique. As far as the quality of their performance goes, when the vocalist screamed, he was very good and was able to match what was on the recordings. He did unfortunately speak a lot of his parts and cut corners a bit. The drums were spot on but the guitars seemed a bit sloppy. Even through the unbearable sound quality, it seemed they were off a bit. Nonetheless, Sworn In put on an amazing live act, sucking the audience into their dark and awe inspiring atmosphere.
Each member was a part of the entertainment and the band really has created something new and original with their stage presence. It completely matches their music and their style of wearing their own matching merch live only adds more to the effect. If you haven’t seen this band yet, you are really missing out on something very creative. See them.
After Sworn In I was back upstairs to the ballroom stage to see Born of Osiris. Everything about this band’s live show was great except that they had a backing track guitar in the right speaker during the entire show. Samples I understand but it was just a bit too obvious at how perfect the other guitar was and it didn’t really match the whole style of playing that the band was showing. Other than that aspect, this was definitely one of the better shows of the day. They played a wide range of their material dating back to early tracks as well as staying current with songs off of their newest release. Each instrument was tight and the band packed the floor within minutes of them starting.
Following up Born of Osiris was what I thought, the best band of the day: Periphery. This band sets the bar extremely high with their recorded material but the fact that they met that expectation was astounding to me. The band has many busy parts on each instrument and I was worried that the sounds would clash too much only leaving a confusing muddy sound but the band pulled through. Keeping each note perfect and staying true to the tracks, the band had the samples through the speakers which gave the songs the identity they needed.
Although it was disappointing at times to see how much was actually being put through on a recorded track, the band more than made up for it with their perfect playing abilities. The highlight of the day was watching Spencer (vocalist) hit every note onstage. One of the most talented vocalists in the genre, he absolutely amazed the crowd live with his ability to recreate his parts onstage. He blew away every other vocalist and the bands humor and relaxing vibes made everyone like them.
Last but most certainly not least was Structures. I had heard amazing things about their album “Divided By” and was told I was in for a treat to see them live. I had heard some of their music before but never got around to really focusing on listening to it. Despite that, I headed back downstairs to catch their set. Structures is definitely near the top for the day as they had one of the most energetic performances I had seen all day. With a smaller group they were able to work the stage and the crowd with their music throughout the whole set. Each member was entertaining and even though I didn’t know any of the songs I very much enjoyed them.
Metalfest was a show to remember and even though I did catch more than the bands above, I wasn’t able to watch their entire sets so I didn’t feel I could write accurately about their performances. My experience was great and it was a dream come true to see so many of my favorite bands in one day as well as delve into some newer ones! If you ever get a chance to go to a festival like this one, I highly recommend it as they are easy to navigate and you can save a ton of money seeing your favorite bands all in one night!
Rating: 9/10
-Nic
Still hot off this summer’s Rockstar Mayhem Festival, EMMURE plan to enter the studio later this year. Their sixth full length album for VICTORY RECORDS will be released Spring 2014. EMMURE will be closing out 2013 by headlining the Never Say Die Tour in Europe (October 4th to 26th) and then a full US tour (October 29th to November 22nd) alongside ASKING ALEXANDRIA, SEVENDUST, ALL THAT REMAINS, and FOR TODAY.
Razor & Tie announces the addition of the Southern California, rock trio KYNG to its worldwide label and publishing rosters. The band is currently well into the writing and recording of their forthcoming new studio album with a single expected later this year. KYNG will be hitting the road in late August with Sevendust, 10 Years, Monster Truck and American Fangs and will join the Hellpop Tour with In This Moment, Motionless In White and All Hail The Yeti beginning October 24th (tour dates below).
KYNG Tour Dates
August 28 - Riverton, WY – Freemont Country Fairground – Heritage
August 31 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Harris Pavilion (Festival)
September 1 – Madison, WI – Taste of Madison (Festival)
September 4 – Chattanooga, TN - Rhythm & Brews>
September 5 – Nashville, TN – Exit/IN>
September 6 -Knoxville, TN – Knoxville’s Historic Old City Main (w/ 10 Years Only)
September 7 – Birmingham, AL – High Note Lounge
September 8 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box (w/ 10 Years Only)
September 10 – Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theatre (w/ 10 Years Only)
September 12 – Pharr, TX – Pharr Entertainment Center+
September 13 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live+
September 14 – Lafayette, LA – The District (w/ 10 Years Only)
September 15 – Dallas, TX – Trees+
+w/10 Years and Sevendust and American Fangs
>w/10 Years and Monster Truck
Hellpop Tour Dates
w/ In This Moment, Motionless In White and All Hail The Yeti
October 24 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee
October 25 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
October 26 – Lubbock, TX – Lonestar Amphitheater
October 27 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live
October 29 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
October 30 – Abilene, The Luck Mule
October 31 – Bryan, TX – Grand Stafford Theater (w/ 10 Years and All Hail the Yeti only)
November 1 – Tampa, FL – Cuban Club
November 3 – Orlando, FL – Club of Firestone
November 5 – Jacksonville, FL – Brewsters Megaplex
November 6 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
November 8 – Stroudsburg, PA – Sherman Theater
November 9 – Clifton Park, NY – Upstate Concert Hall
November 10 – New York, NY – Best Buy Theater
November 11 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
November 13 – Niagara Falls, NY – Rapids Theatre
November 18 – Joliet, IL – Mojoes
November 20 – Omaha, NE – Sokol Auditorium
November 22 – Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
November 23 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
November 24 – Reno, NV – Knitting Factory
November 26 – San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom
November 27 – Los Angeles, CA – Club Nokia LA
STOLEN BABIES are about to kick off the second and third portions of their already busy year! The band will join Coal Chamber, Sevendust, and Lacuna Coil on their upcoming North American tour for select east coast dates. STOLEN BABIES will join the tour on April 13th in Toronto, ON. Before that, the band will perform select dates with WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY. See below for all confirmed tour dates.
STOLEN BABIES
W/ WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY
3/21 – Miami, FL @ Churchill’s Pub
3/22 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
3/23 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
3/24 – Atlanta, GA @ Under the Coach – Georgia Tech
3/25 – Greensboro, NC @ Blind Tiger
3/26 – Richmond, VA @ The Camel
3/27 – Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
3/28 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes w/ 1ST OF 3
3/29 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza w/ RASPUTINA
3/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ RASPUTINA
W/ SEVENDUST, LACUNA COIL, COAL CHAMBER
4/13 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy – NO SEVENDUST
4/14 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
4/16 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
4/17 – New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
4/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
4/19 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
4/20 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony
4/22 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
4/23 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
4/24 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
4/26 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Ballroom
4/27 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater
4/28 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Ballroom
March 26, 2013 is going to be a very good day for SEVENDUST fans. That day brings the highly anticipated release of the band’s brand new album, their ninth studio effort, BLACK OUT THE SUN, on their 7Bros. Records label (through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group). The first single, “Decay,” will be released to radio and available for download at online retail outlets January 22, 2013.
Anxious to share the scorching new sounds, SEVENDUST will set out on a headlining tour with Lacuna Coil starting February 2, 2013 in Winston-Salem, NC at Ziggy’s. Tickets for the shows listed below will go on-sale Friday, November 30, 2012. Fans should check their local ticket outlets for purchase info. More shows for SEVENDUST are currently in the works and will be announced in the coming months.
In a recent interview with Revolver, guitarist John Connolly described the new music as having “a darker vibe…but there’s still plenty of melody. It fits right in with ANIMOSITY, ALPHA and our self-titled album. Lots of heavy stuff and some more mellow moody songs as well.” As guitarist Clint Lowery proclaims in Guitar World, “There’s a dark turn to the whole thing…in a lot of ways, it’s your typical SEVENDUST record.” The magazine goes on to declare that BLACK OUT THE SUN “will eclipse its predecessors with its southern-rock brutality and bursts of industrial and reggae.”
For BLACK OUT THE SUN, the band - Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Morgan Rose (drums/vocals), Clint Lowery (guitar/vocals), Vince Hornsby (bass/vocals) and John Connolly (guitar/vocals) - decided to self-produce and record the new album at The Architekt Studios in Butler, NJ with the help of mixer/engineer Mike Ferretti (who also worked with Lowery and Rose on CALL ME NO ONE's debut album, LAST PARADE, which was released June 5 on 7Bros Records).
BLACK OUT THE SUN is the follow-up to COLD DAY MEMORY, which was released April 20, 2010and debuted at #12 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, the highest debut of the bands’ storied 8 studio album, 15 year career. Along with it being SEVENDUST’s highest charting debut ever, the album’s first single, “Unraveling,” set a debut milestone as well. It entered the BDS Active Rock radio chart higher than any other SEVENDUST track. It surpassed 2003’s “Enemy,” which wound up peaking at #6 and is currently their highest charting song to date. At radio, “Unraveling” is the most well received SEVENDUST song ever.
Once the band’s two years of touring in support of COLD DAY MEMORY came to a close, the band decided to go on hiatus to recuperate, regroup, and spend time with their families. In typical SEVENDUST fashion, the resting period didn’t last long. It was time to get back to work. Lowery and Rose ventured out to The Architekt Studios to record their CALL ME NO ONE album, while guitarist Connolly and bassist Hornsby, along with Alter Bridge/Creed drummer Scott Phillips, and Tremonti Project/Creed guitarist Eric Friedman formed the band PROJECTED. Their debut album, HUMAN, was released September 18 on Connolly’s own Yaya Papu LLC. label.
As Lowery stated in Guitar World, “Playing in side projects was a way to kind of scratch an itch and then come back to SEVENDUST with full appreciation for what it is.” And as the magazine concluded, “Consider that itch scratched.”
Headlining shows with Lacuna Coil:
DATE CITY VENUE
02.02 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy’s
02.03 Jacksonville, NC Hooligans
02.05 Lancaster, PA Chameleon Club
02.06 Clifton Park, NY Upstate Concert Hall
02.07 Portland, ME The Asylum
02.08 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
02.09 Lynchburg, VA Phase 2
02.10 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works
02.12 Fayetteville, AR George’s Majestic Lounge
02.14 Biloxi, MS Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
02.15 Broussard, LA The Station
02.16 Beaumont, TX Dixie Dance Hall
02.17 Little Rock, AR Revolution! Music Room
02.19 Springfield, IL Boondocks
02.21 Bloomington, IL The Castle Theatre
02.22 South Bend, IN Club Fever
02.23 Cedar Rapids, IA Pepsi Pavilion