Category: Gig Reviews

By Rosie Walker
(photos by Brian Wyner)

November 15th 2017, Marathon Music Works, Nashville TN: At the turn of the twentieth century, Marathon Motor Works opened its largest factory in Nashville, Tennessee. The car-making company only lasted a short time and their impressive, industrial complex was left to rot. Yet, the Music City came to the rescue, and these old, interesting brick buildings have become homes to various shops, studios, and even a music venue. Happily residing in this historic four-block art haven is Marathon Music Works. Going to a show here is always a treat. Rich in character and sound, this venue’s main perk is its aesthetics of exposed brick walls and tall steel beam ceilings. On Wednesday, Nashville was graced with the presence of The Convergence Tour. As eager devotees filled in the warehouse-sized venue, their faces beamed with anticipation for Animals As Leaders, Periphery, and Car Bomb. Continue reading “Convergence of Modern Prog Greats: Animals As Leaders & Periphery bring co-headline tour to Nashville”

Review by Erik E. Wrath
(Photos by Albert Licano)

November 11th 2017, Union, Los Angeles CA: Last Saturday, the Union nightclub in LA hosted a sold-out event featuring D.R.I., Excel, Hirax, Deathwish, Cryptic Slaughter and Witchaven. Our man Erik E. Wrath was in attendance, and here is a recap of the event from his perspective. Continue reading “Packed Like Sardines: D.R.I., Excel & Hirax play Sold-Out Show at Union”

Photos by Matt Nielson

October 21st 2017, Hi Hat, Los Angeles CA: Last month we put on our first event at the Hi Hat in the Highland Park area of Los Angeles, and it was more a family gathering than a concert, as the show was headlined by our friend Monte Pittman, with our best buds in Furiosa and Alien Satan as support acts, plus Orange County heavy trio Thunder Gut as the opener. Huntress singer Jill Janus also made appearances as guest vocalist with both Monte Pittman and Alien Satan. We had an unlimited amount of fun throughout the evening, as did all attendees, we hope. Our photographer Matt Nielson was in attendance to capture a whole bunch of great photos for us. Enjoy them below, follow all these bands, and catch our next show in town! Continue reading “Photo Gallery: Monte Pittman, Furiosa, Alien Satan & Thunder Gut @ Hi Hat”

Photos by C. Jones

October 12th 2017, Silverlake Lounge, Los Angeles CA: Last month, we had the pleasure of hosting four incredible bands, The Midnight Ghost Train on tour all the way from Topeka, Kansas, LA’s newest and finest supergroup All Souls, scintillating Washington DC power trio Caustic Casanova, and killer LA duo BigPig. It was an evening to remember, and honestly one of our favorite lineups that we’ve been able to put together ever since we started doing our own events earlier this year. Our photographer C. Jones was in attendance and captured some shots for us. Enjoy them below, follow these bands, and hope to see you at our next event! Continue reading “Photo Gallery: The Midnight Ghost Train, All Souls, Caustic Casanova & BigPig @ Silverlake Lounge”

Photos by Robert De Anda

November 9th 2017, Redwood Bar, Los Angeles CA: Last Thursday, Metal Assault ventured to downtown LA for its first event at one of the best intimate venues in the city, the Redwood Bar. The lineup featured the return of one of our Northern California favorites, the heavy trio Disastroid, along with local rock n’ roll stalwarts The Drama, plus two of LA’s finest new bands, ear-shattering duo BigPig (featuring Dino Von Lalli of Fatson Jetson) and instrumental stoner doom quartet Goliathan. It was a great night for all involved, and our man Robert De Anda was in attendance to capture some stills for us. Enjoy photos of The Drama, BigPig and Goliathan below (header image is of Disastroid), and keep tabs on the Metal Assault Events page for all of our upcoming activities! Continue reading “Photo Gallery: Disastroid, The Drama, BigPig & Goliathan @ Redwood Bar”

DT live images by Darko Boehringer
Words & marquee image by Andrew Bansal

October 31st 2017, Paramount Theatre, Denver CO: As soon as prog titans Dream Theater announced that they would be celebrating the 25-year anniversary of their seminal ’92 release ‘Images and Words’ by performing the album in its entirety this year, excitement among fans of the band and genre knew no bounds. After taking the tour to territories worldwide, DT finally returned to home base for the North American leg of the ‘Images, Words & Beyond’ tour, presenting the album and a whole lot more to sold-out venues across the continent. I missed the Los Angeles date due to other commitments, but the magnitude of this show was such that I was compelled to seek an alternative, and as it turned out, I found myself in Denver, Colorado on a chilly Halloween night. Continue reading “Prog Heaven in Mile-High City: Dream Theater brings ‘Images, Words & Beyond’ Tour to Denver”

Words by Andrew Bansal (Days 1 and 2) & Harry Walia (Day 3)
Images by Stephanie Cabral (Ozzy) & Chad Alexander (all other bands)

November 3-5 2017, Glen Helen Park, San Bernardino CA: In 2016, Slipknot’s ‘Knotfest’ and Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Ozzfest’ joined forces for a joint 2-day festival which took place in San Bernardino, California and was largely successful, not only reviving Ozzfest back from the dead for the first time since 2010 but also giving Knotfest more impetus. ‘Ozzfest meets Knotfest’ returned in 2017 to the same venue, and caught many pleasantly surprised by its diverse, eclectic lineup of bands big and small, and had everyone unanimously relieved that it was held in November as opposed to the summer time. Metalheads from Southern California and beyond turned up in large numbers, and were treated to an extravaganza of heavy music that offered big names, new discoveries, and the odd damp squib. Continue reading “Heavy Metal Overload: 2017 edition of ‘Ozzfest Meets Knotfest’ rocks San Bernardino with Eclectic Lineup”

By Rosie Walker
(photos by Brian Wyner)

November 1st 2017, Exit/In, Nashville TN: The Bloodletting North America tour is one of the most extreme metal tours of the year. Six insanely talented and unique bands from across the globe have come together to make one of the most lurid lineups that this side of the pond has ever seen. For the eleventh year in a row, the Bloodletting tour is making its mark across this great country. Starting out in Kansas City on October 20, these hardworking bands are making lasting impressions in the towns they play. On Wednesday November 1st, their vans and buses pulled up to Nashville’s legendary venue, Exit/In. Loved by local metalheads, Exit/In is one of the few places that cater to heavier music in this Southern city. The metal scene in Nashville is humble in size but has heart, and many loyal fans showed up to their favorite venue on this night. Continue reading “Unparalleled Extreme Metal: ‘Bloodletting Tour’ hits Nashville”

By Rosie Walker

October 28th 2017, The Masquerade, Atlanta GA: Deep in the Underground Atlanta, the city’s favorite entertainment district, rests The Masquerade. When you mention this venue’s name, most alternative artists will know exactly where you’re talking about. This iconic, massive building has three indoor venues that are cleverly called Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The largest room, Heaven, appropriately titled, opened its doors last Friday for Arch Enemy and Trivum’s co-headline show. Continue reading “Metal in Masquerade Heaven: Arch Enemy & Trivium bring co-headline tour to Atlanta”

By Rosie Walker
(photos by Brian Wyner)

October 25th 2017, Exit/In, Nashville TN: Nestled near the heart of Music City, Exit/In is a historic venue that caters to the alternative. Breaking out from Nashville’s country music stereotype, this legendary location has been the start for a lot incredible acts. Many Nashville locals who are less than keen on country music, consider this place a haven. Their loyalty and love have kept the venue’s doors open for over 40 years. As you enter the dark building, you can feel the magic and history it holds. The entire venue is painted black, their uniqueness in ascetics and sound resonates with the special bands that get to play there. On Wednesday October 25, the New England act Elder took Exit/In’s stage and proved how exceptional this venue can be when talent takes its stage. Continue reading “Purveyors of the Heavy: New England psych/prog group Elder rocks Nashville”