By Andrew Bansal
April 2nd 2016, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: Known for their off-the-chains entertaining live shows, Los Angeles-based ‘goblin metal’ group Nekrogoblikon have embarked on a North American headline tour with Tempe, Arizona ‘comedy metal’ band Psychostick as main support to make it a combination of bands that promises to deliver boundless fun to the paying audiences. Ft Worth TX based Urizen serves as the opening act on this tour. In the first week of the run, Nekrogoblikon played a hometown gig at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in West Hollywood last Saturday April 2nd 2016, with Psychostick, and LA melodic metal band Sirion as main local support. Fans turned up for a good time, and were certainly treated to what they expected.
At 9:30, Sirion hit the stage with their signature blend of symphonic/power/melodic death metal. This was not the first time they opened for Nekrogoblikon at the Whisky and won’t be the last, because they present just the perfect balance of musical skill and humor to fit in with the Nekrogoblikon crowd, but more than anything, they come across as a compelling band in a sub-genre wherein it’s extremely difficult to create anything out of the ordinary and stand out above others pursuing a similar style. Sirion burst onto the scene and gained recognition with a stellar self-titled debut EP in 2014. As they prove with the live renditions of newer material, the next release promises to be an even better and more accurate representation of their musical talents, and will hopefully see the light of day soon enough.
Next up was Psychostick, a band that clearly brought their own fans to the gig, but for the rest of the audience they were an unknown commodity, and by the time they were done they had expanded their Los Angeles fan-base, thanks to a set of non-stop entertainment. In their brand of ‘humorcore’, the music and humor goes hand in hand, and one would be incomplete and most likely boring without the other. Wearing ridiculous headgear and singing even more ridiculous lyrics, these guys really raised the roof off this place, and one cannot imagine a better support act for a band like Nekrogoblikon. Psychostick as a live band is hard to justifiably describe in words but is just as easy to appreciate.
And lastly, the humans and goblin in Nekrogoblikon stepped onto the stage to take the evening to its peak, as goblin John Goblikon ran amok all over the stage in quintessential manner, diving into the crowd and jumping in the mosh pit on several occasions. It is incredible to compare this incarnation of the band to the goblin-less Nekrogoblikon that opened for Holy Grail, Cauldron and Gypsyhawk one block down the street at the Viper Room on April 15th 2011. Even though the band has undeniably grown musically in the last five years, the goblin is now such an integral part of their live show that it’s unthinkable for them to play without his participation. John Goblikon takes center stage and interacts with the band members while they focus on laying down their parts right, which makes for a great live show.
Nekrogoblikon continue to assert their authority as one of the most enjoyable live bands going around at present, and for first-timers and fans alike, this tour of theirs with Psychostick is an absolute guaranteed good time.
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Nekrogoblikon, Psychostick & Urizen remaining tour dates:
4/12 – New Orleans, LA @ Southport Hall
4/13 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
4/14 – Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
4/15 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
4/16 – Clarksville, TN @ The Warehouse
4/17 – Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse
4/18 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
4/19 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
4/20 – New York City, NY @ St. Vitus
4/21 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
4/22 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
4/23 – Montreal, QC @ Katacombs
4/24 – Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dees
4/26 – Kent, OH @ The Outpost
4/27 – Flint, MI @ Machine Shop
4/28 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar **
4/29 – Dayton, OH @ Rockstar Pro Arena
4/30 – Crest Hill, IL @ Bada Brew
5/01 – Chippewa Falls, WI @ Every Buddy’s Bar
5/02 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze
5/03 – Des Moines, IA @ Lefty’s
5/04 – Denver, CO @ Marquis
5/06 – Boise, ID @ The Shredder
5/07 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
5/08 – Portland, OR @ Panic Room
5/09 – Chico, CA @ Lost on Main
5/10 – Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
5/11 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
** No Psychostick