Metal Assault: Gig Reviews

By Andrew Bansal

January 28th 2014, Hollywood CA: After 33 years of rock n’ roll debauchery, Los Angeles hard rock veterans Mötley Crüe announced their retirement and final tour at a press conference in their hometown on Tuesday January 28th. Spanning more than 75 million album sales, the Crüe has been one of America’s most popular rock bands over these past three decades with seminal albums such as ‘Too Fast For Love’, ‘Shout At The Devil’, ‘Theater Of Pain’ and ‘Dr. Feelgood’ and bombastic live performances. Now, they’ve finally decided it’s time to call it quits and pass on the baton to the next generation, but not before a final swan song. Continue reading “Mötley Crüe Plays Free Mini-Concert At ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’”

By Andrew Bansal

January 27 2014, The Constellation Room (inside The Observatory), Santa Ana CA: After the October 2013 release of their fifth studio album ‘Chemistry Of Consciousness’, Portland, Oregon’s crossover thrash stalwarts Toxic Holocaust embarked on a touring cycle that took them through the US East Coast, among other places. Now, they’re on a West Coast run with an utterly bone-crunching support cast featuring Exhumed, Mammoth Grinder and Ramming Speed. A few shows into the tour, they visited the Observatory in Santa Ana to play in the Constellation Room. Even on a Monday night, Orange County thrash heads had turned up in good numbers to support this show, and all was in readiness for what promised to be a great show. Continue reading “Toxic Holocaust, Exhumed, Mammoth Grinder & Ramming Speed Play The Constellation Room”

By Andrew Bansal

January 25 2014, The Grove, Anaheim CA: The NAMM convention in Anaheim entered its busiest day of activity on Saturday January 25th, and after a plethora of events, product launches, artist signings and press conferences at the Convention Center itself, the day was capped off with various shows and parties at venues around it. The Grove was host to the Schecter Guitars NAMM Party, featuring the live debut of a new powerhouse in the world of metal, Conquering Dystopia. Continue reading “Jeff Loomis & Alex Webster’s New Band Conquering Dystopia Makes Live Debut”

By Andrew Bansal

January 24 2014, The Grove, Anaheim CA: After some great curtain-raising events on Wednesday and opening day festivities on Thursday, the NAMM week rolled into Friday, which brought forth another potentially enjoyable showcase event, the Heineken NAMM Jam sponsored by Jackson, Charvel and Monster Energy with an extremely diverse artist lineup featuring Jake E. Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel as the headline act, modern prog giants Periphery as main support, Guthrie Govan & The Aristocrats, and Jake Allen. This was an invite-only event and entry was granted on a first-come-first-serve basis. Doors opened at 6, and following the activities at the Anaheim Convention Center throughout a very busy Friday, pass holders for the Heineken NAMM Jam shifted their focus to the Grove, in anticipation of an intriguing evening of live music. Continue reading “Red Dragon Cartel, Periphery & The Aristocrats Perform At Heineken NAMM Jam”

By Andrew Bansal

January 23 2014, The Observatory, Santa Ana CA: Created and curated by drummer Brian Tichy, Bonzo Bash is a drum-centric tribute to Led Zeppelin’s John Henry Bonham which takes place on the US West and East Coast, and over the past three years it has become an annual event. Last year’s West Coast edition was made to coincide with NAMM which naturally took it to a whole new level, and the same was done for Bonzo Bash 2014 as it took place at the Observatory in Santa Ana and this year the Bonzo Bash returned bigger and better than ever before. It compiled a huge array of greatly talented, renowned and respected drummers who would go on to play one song each with Brian Tichy’s Led Zeppelin tribute band The Moby Dicks handling the other instruments alongside a few guest guitarists, bassists and vocalists who graced the stage during the course of this Zeptastic evening. Continue reading “‘Bonzo Bash’ Treats Orange County To All-Star Zeppelin Marathon”

By Andrew Bansal

January 22 2014, House Of Blues, Anaheim CA: As a precursor to the largest gathering of musicians and music industry professionals in America, i.e. NAMM, a group of heavy metal luminaries united to play the ‘Metal Masters’ show at a sold-out House Of Blues Anaheim. The Metal Masters event started out as a pre-dominantly East Coast thing, but making its debut on the West Coast in 2012 and returning to these parts for its fifth edition this year. It promised to treat metalheads with a jam-oriented show featuring some of the most popular and loved musicians of the genre, in various permutations and combinations that one doesn’t get to see normally, and an aspect very much unique to this event. There was a long queue of people waiting outside the venue before doors opened, in eager anticipation of a memorable night. Continue reading “Metal Heavyweights Gather For ‘Metal Masters 5’ At House Of Blues Anaheim”