Author: admin

By Avinash Mittur

December 12th 2012, El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA: Though traditional metal and thrash have been my usual standbys when it comes to daily listening, I’ve always had a fondness for doom and stoner metal. Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality is probably one of the heaviest pieces of music I have listened to, and a whole genre of metal music dedicated to furthering the sounds pioneered by that record is something that will always be welcome in my library. It’s my love of the Almighty Riff that made me want to go see The Sword play a headline date in Los Angeles and the band delivered in that regard, but perhaps a little too much so. More than capable support from local favorites Gypsyhawk and fellow Texans American Sharks made for a more than fun night of loud, in-your-face old school stoner metal. Continue reading “The Sword Bring Apocryphon Tour To Los Angeles”

By Aniruddh ‘Andrew’ Bansal

December 9th 2012, MMRDA Grounds, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai, India: Having performed in Bangalore a couple of days ago, Guns N’ Roses brought their first ever India tour to the city of Mumbai. Their Los Angeles gig last year was, in my absolute honest opinion, one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen, so I had high expectations from them this time, and waited eagerly for this show ever since the time it was announced. The day finally arrived, and I got to the venue at around 5.30. The line of people was extremely long for both the Silver and Gold ticket sections, but the organizing staff was handling things quite professionally, and it wasn’t long before we got inside, picked up our passes, and went to see the Mumbai-based opening band Goddess Gagged, who had just started their set. Continue reading “Guns N’ Roses Plays Marathon Gig In Mumbai”

By Aniruddh ‘Andrew’ Bansal

December 7th 2012, Furtados Music Store, Juhu (Mumbai), India: For the first time after a gap of eight months, horror metal band Albatross played a Mumbai gig, and it was quite a unique one at that, one that I enjoyed as much as any of the four previous times I’ve seen them this year, if not even more so. They played this show in the basement of the Furtados store, and while there was no ‘stage’, the small size of this basement along with the space taken up by the band’s stage set-up left room for very few people, which was not a bad thing at all. I’d rather be part of a small show that’s packed, as opposed to a half-empty club or an almost empty arena. Even though I was seeing them for the fifth time within a period of 10 months, it’s been a different venue each time, so that’s kept things interesting for me. But the venue change aside, this particular show was a lot different, and as a result, a lot more enjoyable. Continue reading “Albatross Performs In-Store Gig At Furtados Juhu”

By Avinash Mittur

November 30th 2012, House of Blues, Hollywood CA: Since 1982, Brian Slagel’s Metal Blade Records have been one of the most important champions for heavy metal music. The label was the first to release music from the likes of Metallica, Armored Saint, and Overkill through its Metal Massacre compilations and was the home for the first three albums by Slayer. Thirty years after Brian started the label out of his parents’ garage, Metal Blade now has a wide variety of acts on its roster and it remains one of the largest forces in the heavy metal record industry. Last Friday night at the House of Blues, Armored Saint, Sacred Reich and Gypsyhawk joined forces to celebrate Metal Blade Records and the result was a rousing night of music and a thousand thoroughly banged heads.

Continue reading “Armored Saint And Friends Commemorate Thirty Years Of Metal Blade”

By Avinash Mittur

November 29th 2012, Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles CA: The last time Alice Cooper was in this part of California, he played an intimate club show at the Whisky-a-Go-Go in Hollywood. Before that he brought his over the top “Theatre of Death” tour to the Nokia Theater in 2009. This “Raise the Dead” tour stop at the Orpheum Theater was one that truly did justice to his vast catalog, and it ended up being a masterful set by one of the architects of the trade. More than so many other “shock rock” acts, Alice Cooper has the amazing music to match the performance and this show was the direct evidence of that. This was my first time seeing the man live, and I couldn’t have picked a better show to catch.  Continue reading “Alice Cooper Explores Forty Years Of Rock History In Los Angeles”

By Avinash Mittur

November 24th 2012, House of Blues, Hollywood CA: Only less than a year ago, Queensrÿche were a lost cause for me and so many other metalheads. The idea of making a sequel to one of progressive metal’s greatest treasures, Operation: Mindcrime, was ludicrous enough. The Cabaret Tour was an abomination (there was no ‘raison d’etre’ as a certain singer once declared) and the awful Dedicated to Chaos was the final nail in the coffin for what was one of the greatest progressive metal bands ever. It’s amazing then that I just witnessed the total resurrection of that band in Hollywood last Saturday night. Sure I saw Queensryche rise like a phoenix from the ashes, but more importantly I saw 90 minutes of genuine heavy metal from a band that actually looked like they loved what they do. Continue reading “Queensrÿche Shows Off New Lineup And Old Classics In Hollywood”