photos by Adam Murray and Genie Sanchez, words by BBG

Morbid Angel

Two outdoor tents, a club, and a theater hosted 26 bands. Perhaps by design, the premises lacked alcohol (except for the theater). So bad behavior was scarce. Fans happily bounced from venue to venue, queuing for some bands (Wormrot, Floor, Atheist, Obituary, Morbid Angel), and eating burgers from the Grill 'Em All trucks. To order the Witte Burger (beef, bun, cream cheese, deep-fried bacon, beer-and-Sriracha-soaked onions, malt vinegar aioli), my friend Robert merely pointed several feet away, where Dave Witte himself was standing.
-[Invisible Oranges]

Saturday (3/5) was the left coast's turn for Scion Rock Fest 2011. The one day, multiple venue festival relocated to Pomona, CA this year, and housed legendary names like Morbid Angel, Obituary, Integrity, Agalloch, and many more alongside names of tomorrow and underground favorites like Bastard Noise, Anaal Nathrakh, Floor, Wormrot, and many more.

Kvelertak were supposed to play too. but their passports and visas were stolen at the airport moments before they boarded the plane to the US. As a result, they'll also miss some days of the Weedeater/Zoroaster tour, but should "be in the states by Friday" (3/11). That means they should have no trouble making it to SXSW where they're on board to play Full Metal Texas. The band was replaced in Pomona by Black Cobra.

More pictures and some videos from Scion Rock Fest 2011, below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest 2011 in pics & video (Morbid Angel, Obituary, Integrity, Agalloch & more) (but not Kvelertak)"

photos by Tim Griffin, words by BBG

Nearing 30 years in the industry, D.R.I. took the stage shortly before midnight and played till 1:37 a.m., setting off a flurry of bodysurfing from the pent-up teenage-and 20-somethings in the crowd seconds before the first song even began... No matter the viewing point, songs such as "The Application" and "Slumlord" were enjoyed by the youngsters with a fury of moshing angst, and by the older crowd with relaxed appreciation. After original singer Kurt Brecht pointed out that D.R.I. played its first show in 1982, he and original guitarist Spike Cassidy, longtime drummer Rob Rampy and bassist Harald Oimoen also delivered the goods on "Suit and Tie Guy" and closers "The Five-Year Plan" and "Violent Pacification" -[Examiner]

That review comes from D.R.I.'s San Antonio date at White Rabbit, the day after they got all romantic with an Austin crowd at Emo's (on 2/14 aka Valentine's Day). With the lights dimmed and turned red, the Austin crowd swayed to the sexy sounds of the Houston crossover legends alongside Death Angel, Lazarus A.D. & Bonded By Blood, and with Before Dishonor & Southern Front adding a little hometown sensuality.

Austin & San Antonio were rare dates that converged two tours, D.R.I. and Death Angel/Lazarus A.D./Bonded By Blood. The D.R.I. tour continues on and the band will play Starland Ballroom on 2/27 with Mucky Pup before looping back afer European and South American tours to play Gramercy on 5/13 with Apathy & Horrifier. Death Angel's tour does not include an NYC date, but it does include a show at Scion Rock Fest (no BbB or LAD).

All tour dates and more pictures from Austin are below.

Continue reading "D.R.I., Death Angel, Lazarus A.D., Bonded By Blood, Before Dishonor & Southern Front played Emo's, touring (pics & dates)"

by BBG

Yob at Scion Rock Fest 2010 (more)

Scion has confirmed exclusively to LA Weekly that they will be bringing their metaltastic Rock Fest this year to Southern California.

"Scion's major event of the year," confirms their publicist, "is a huge metal festival with four stages and 30 bands. We did the first in Atlanta and the second in Columbus [check out part one and and two of our pics & review]. It's always a mix of legendary bands, important bands and up-and-coming bands, representing all the areas of underground metal. And like all the stuff we do it's all ages and free."

"What no one knows yet," he continues "is the next one will be on March 5, 2011 in Pomona. We're taking over the Fox Theater and the Glass House and building two more stages nearby."

Headlining the Scion Rock Fest in the LA area will be death metal royalty Morbid Angel with their first US show in six years (and as of now, the only scheduled US date in 2011)

...Founding member guitarist Trey Azagthoth, regarded by many as the greatest death metal guitarist of all time, will be at the helm along with bassist David Vincent (member 1986-1996 & 2004 - present) and Destructhor (member since 2008).

The Scion Rock Fest will include 26 bands on four stages (including The Fox Theater, The Glass House and two outdoor stages). -[LA Weekly]

Rumors circulated right around the announcement of Scion Rock Fest 2010 that Morbid Angel would play that year's show. Glad to hear that those were (somewhat) true. Hopefully Morbid Angel schedule some shows outside of California too.

One of the bigger names at Scion Rock Fest in 2010 was Shrinebuilder. Don't forget that half of Shrinebuilder, Scott Kelly and Wino, are going on a solo tour in February. Tickets are still on sale for the February 12th Mercury Lounge show which now looks like this:

Scott Kelly (of Neurosis) 11:30
Wino (of Saint Vitus) 10:30
Man's Gin (of Cobalt) 9:30
Hunter Hunt-Henrix (of Liturgy) 8:30

You can also catch all of Liturgy (who played Scion Rock Fest 2010) on January 14th At Silent Barn with Controlled Bleeding, Cellular Chaos, PAK, and Diablo, January 27th at Union Pool with Naam, Yr Youth, and Arms, February 10th at Glasslands with Extra Life, Lichens, and Chaos Majik, and February 25th At Monster Island Basement with Talk Normal and Nat Baldwin. More local metal shows are listed in the latest edition of Evillive.

The PRP is also reporting a rumored list of other artists playing Scion Rock Fest 2011. I can confirm that at least half of a dozen of those are true. That list is reprinted below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest 2011 will be in California, Morbid Angel confirmed (and more artists rumored) ++ more Liturgy dates"

by BBG

Wormrot

Singapore grind trio Wormrot, who released one of my favorite LPs of 2009 (which has since been reissued by Earache this year), will play Santos Party House on September 2nd alongside Order of Ennead (members of Deicide, also Earache), Mobile Deathcamp (which features Beefcake of GWAR) and Skull Crusher. Tickets are on sale.

Cannibal Corpse will play Santos on Nov 19th with Dying Fetus, Vital Remains, and Devourment. Tickets are on sale. The show is one of two at Santos for Devourment, as the band will also support Cattle Decapitation a month prior (10/18, tickets).

Merauder has been added to the previously discussed Inside Out show at Santos on August 14th (tickets).

Early Man will headline Europa on 10/10 with an assist from a pair of other Earache bands, Evile and Bonded by Blood. Tickets are on sale. The band is on the run promoting their new LP Death Potion, out now via The End.

Revocation and Misery Index will support Despised Icon at their last ever NYC show alongside The Judas Syndrome and Everything's Ruined at Europa on 9/11. Tickets are on sale. Misery Index released Heirs to Thievery earlier this year via Relapse. Full tour dates for the whole trek is below.

Howl was just in NYC with Black Cobra, and now the Rhode Island band will loop back to NYC to play Southpaw with Valient Thorr and Junius on September 24th. Tickets are on sale. Full Valient Thorr dates are below....

NYC's Hallux will celebrate the release of their debut LP alongside Malkuth and Bad Girlfriend at Union Pool on September 9th.

Tour dates and some video is below....

Continue reading "Wormrot, Early Man, Evile, Bonded by Blood, Cannibal Corpse, Merauder, Revocation, Misery Index, Valient Thorr & other upcoming shows & tour dates"

by BBG

Nominon

Nominon will bring a dose of icy Swedish death metal to a sizzling Bowery Electric on July 6th as part of a tour with Infinitum Obscure and Quinta Essentia. The bill will be rounded out by the dark blackened doom forces of Evoken (who cancelled their Roadburn appearance due to volcanic ash) and thrashers Mutant Supremacy. Tickets are on sale. The show marks Nominon's first foray into the US since the release of their new album Monumentomb, out now on Ibex Moon.

It's not the only show that Mutant Supremacy has laid out, as the band is also scheduled to play Europa twice in the coming months. First, look for the Brooklyn team on June 20th with At War, Midnight, Crucifist, and others as part of a post-Punk Island show (tickets). After that, make sure and catch them when the band opens for Floridian dark lords Malevolent Creation and Gigan on July 29th as part of a larger tour for the duo. Tickets are on sale.

Mutilation Rites are also scheduled to play that June 20th show before hitting the road through early July, eventually playing Union Pool on July 17th with The Funeral Pyre and Early Graves. In addition, the band will play Lit Lounge with Valdur on July 19th and Europa TWO more times: with Belgian black metallers Enthroned (their first show since 2001) and Destroyer 666 (!) on August 4th (tickets) and then with Hellbastard and Atakke on Oct 8th (tickets). The Enthroned date at Europa is part of a larger US tour with D666, and a world tour for Enthroned.

Malevolent Creation is also scheduled to play NYC again, this time supporting Exodus alongside Holy Grail and Bonded By Blood at Gramercy Theater on August 28th. Tickets are on sale.

Full tour dates for all bands and some videos, including the new video from Hellbastard are below...

Continue reading "Nominion, Mutant Supremacy, Mutilation Rites, Hellbastard, Enthroned, Gigan & Exodus - playing shows & touring (dates)"