Metal Assault: Gig Reviews

By Andrew Bansal

September 25th 2013, The Satellite, Los Angeles CA: In August, Scion A/V returned with a new series of free rock events called the Scion Rock Show, and the first of these events featured Fu Manchu and Moab at the Satellite, a largely successful outing for all involved. This month’s rock show took place at the same venue and this time the lineup featured Lecherous Gaze from Oakland and Hot Lunch from San Francisco. I had heard of these bands but honestly wasn’t too familiar with the music. Despite that, I realized that Scion always books great bands for their shows so I placed my trust in them and decided to check out this show. The queue of people waiting to get in when doors opened at 9 PM wasn’t long by any means, but by the time the show was ready to start at 10, the venue was reasonably packed. Continue reading “Lecherous Gaze & Hot Lunch Play Scion Rock Show At The Satellite”

By Andrew Bansal

September 24th 2013, The Roxy, West Hollywood CA: They were the surprise package and the odd band out on this year’s Mayhem Festival, and now, Austin TX-based hard rock outfit Scorpion Child are back touring North America on their own headline run, along with a fantastic lineup of bands that includes German stoner rock trio Kadavar, Los Angeles’ very own party rock stalwarts Gypsyhawk, Wilson from Detriot, and Mothership from Dallas TX. These are five of the most promising bands in our genre today, with great new studio albums out, and I’ve been looking forward to this show ever since the tour was announced. This is the kind of show that’s all about having a good time, and I feel that Los Angeles needed a show like this, as it promised to be one hell of a rock n’ roll party. Continue reading “Scorpion Child Brings Rock N’ Roll Touring Party To Hollywood”

By Andrew Bansal

September 22nd 2013, The Complex, Glendale CA: No matter how jaded the average Los Angeles concert goer might feel due to the plethora of live music on offer on a daily basis, in my opinion there’s something new to be experienced every night in LA, the land of live music. Most often you get to see a new band you’ve never heard of, provided you turn up to a show early enough, but it’s rarer to experience a new venue as most shows take place at the usual spots on the Sunset Strip, Silver Lake, Orange County, Pomona and the likes. Last night was an exception, even for someone like me, as I got to attend a show in Glendale of all areas, at a place called the Complex. Not only for me but for a majority of the crowd this was their first ever visit to this venue, and with bands like Windhand, Pendulous and A’rk on the lineup for this show presented by local underground promoters EarSplitters, an intriguing evening beckoned us all. Continue reading “Windhand, Pendulous & A’rk Bring Doom To The Complex”

By Andrew Bansal
[photos by Chad Alexander] 

September 21st 2013, The Grove, Anaheim CA

Following a successful outing as support act to Nightwish last year, symphonic power metal band Kamelot are back on another North American run as part of the touring cycle in promotion of their latest album ‘Silverthorn’, this time as headliners and with Delain and Eklipse as the openers. Last night they visited the Grove of Anaheim for a gig that promised to showcase the full capacity of their production and live performance, thanks to the sufficiently big size of the stage and venue. This being a Saturday, fans started gathering in line quite early in the evening, and the Grove looked all set for this event. Continue reading “Kamelot Performs At Grove Of Anaheim”

By Andrew Bansal

September 17th 2013, The Roxy, West Hollywood CA: Since the release of their sixth studio album ‘Our Own Masters’, North Carolina rockers Valient Thorr have been on a headline tour, first with Gypsyhawk and Ramming Speed and then kicking off a second leg with Lord Dying and Ramming Speed earlier this month. Through previous visits as opening act to bands like Motörhead and Mastodon, Valient Thorr has been one of those bands that instantly catches your attention at first sight, and as a result the band has always enjoyed a cult following. These followers, better known as Thorriors, gathered at West Hollywood’s Roxy Theatre to witness a hefty dose of live Valient Thorr, along with some great support acts. The new Valient Thorr album is as good, and arguably better than anything they’ve ever released, and I was most looking forward to hearing some of those tunes in the live setting. Continue reading “Valient Thorr Headlines The Roxy”

By Jason Williams

September 15th 2013, The Echoplex, Los Angeles CA: For nearly 18 years, the masters of atmospheric folk/doom metal Agalloch have given us some truly amazing records with beautiful passages, poetic, dark and hopeful lyrics. Up until 2010, they had hardly ever toured the States. A few select East Coast Shows on occasion and in their hometown of Portland, Oregon were all we were able to appreciate.  Since then, they’ve sold out many shows, toured much more often and have now made their way into the Southern California area for the fourth time. Last night’s show took place at the Echoplex, a Los Angeles venue known for hosting all varieties of music genres and underground bands. This was my fourth Agalloch show, and for a band who has never disappointed in any shape or form, I was ready to soak in another memorable performance. Continue reading “Agalloch Gives Memorable Performance At Echoplex”