Metal Assault: Gig Reviews

By Lisa Burke

November 5th 2016, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: Lately I’ve been exposing myself to quite a few different flavors of thrash metal bands that bring their brand of chaos together in a multitude of different ways, and they’ve started to compete for first prize in my head. I have to say the Bay area has excellent taste in thrash with the likes of Death Angel, Exodus and Hatchet being top examples. While old-school straight thrash is utterly appealing, there is something to be said about mixing it with other genres of metal, however subtlety, to create the perfect outcome. On Saturday November 5th 2016, I visited the Whisky for thrash maniacs Flotsam And Jetsam who came through on a US headline tour with Hatchet (Helstar slated to join the tour from the next show onwards), and local openers for this particular gig by Sweet Eve and Circle Of Punishment, among others. Continue reading “Thrashing The Nation: Flotsam And Jetsam, Hatchet Visit The Whisky On U.S. Tour”

Review by Andrew Bansal, photos by Matt Nielson

November 5th 2016, The Belasco, Los Angeles CA: Whether it be as a solo artist, under the Porcupine Tree name, collaborations with other musicians, or producing, engineering, mixing or mastering other bands, progressive rock luminary Steven Wilson has carved an illustrious and prolific career for himself spanning the past three decades and more, and continues to create and release new music with greater frequency than almost all of his contemporaries. Porcupine Tree was put on hold after the touring cycle for the band’s 2009 album ‘The Incident’, and Wilson has since focussed on his solo career. His most recent full-length effort ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’ was released in February 2015, and was followed by the ‘4½’ EP less than a year later. In November 2016, he embarked on a US headline tour to play shows in an ‘evening with’ format, performing two full sets, the complete ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’ album as well as an assortment of solo and Porcupine Tree material, and some special surprises. What’s more, there would be no opening act. Wilson and his band arrived in downtown Los Angeles for a gig at the Belasco on Saturday November 5th, and spellbound the capacity crowd with an unparalleled live concert experience. Continue reading “Prog Perfection: Steven Wilson Spends An Evening With Los Angeles”

By Andrew Bansal

November 4th 2016, The Regent, Los Angeles CA: After playing with a diverse range of bands and opening themselves to newer audiences through their travels with the likes of Melvins, Melt Banana and Faith No More during the last year or two, British grindmasters Napalm Death are back touring North America, this time co-headlining a full-on metal package tour with The Black Dahlia Murder, featuring Abnormality as opening act, and Misery Index, Pig Destroyer and Power Trip joining the tour on select dates. In its first week, the tour arrived in Los Angeles for a well-attended affair at the Regent, and metalheads from all over town turned up to let their ears bleed with pummeling, grinding heaviness. Continue reading “Metal Predators: Napalm Death & The Black Dahlia Murder Co-Headline The Regent”

By Andrew Bansal

November 3rd 2016, Fonda Theatre, Hollywood CA: Originating in Derbyshire, England in 2009 and relocating to Los Angeles in 2015, The Struts are an old-school glam/arena rock band that has already gained widespread attention with their honest, wholehearted musicianship and bombastic live performances. Sharing the stage with the likes of Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses and making high-profile television show appearances, and mostly touring extensively throughout the States since the release of their 2014 debut full-length ‘Everybody Wants’, The Struts have accrued enough of a fan-base of their own to sell out theaters nationwide on their current North American headline tour, which began on November 1st and soon made its way to the band’s adopted hometown for a sold-out gig at the Fonda Theatre in central Hollywood. Pre-show excitement was high, but nothing compared to that during the band’s eventual performance, as The Struts proved to be a breath of fresh air for those longing for good classic arena rock done right. Continue reading “Electrifying Arena Rock: The Struts Play Sold-Out Los Angeles Show”

By Andrew Bansal

November 2nd 2016, Complex, Glendale CA: Hailing all the way from Auckland, New Zealand, technical death metal trio Ulcerate released their stellar fifth full-length studio album ‘Shrines Of Paralysis’ via Relapse Records on October 28th 2016, and on November 2nd, embarked on a North American headline tour with support acts Zhrine and Phobocosm, starting with the first show in the Los Angeles area at Glendale’s go-to underground metal haven, Complex. Presented as always by Church Of The 8th Day, this show solely featured the touring lineup and no local openers, and even on a Wednesday, Complex was filled with ever-starving death metal enthusiasts in anticipation of a skull-crushing evening of their favorite kind. Continue reading “Three-Pronged Extreme Metal Onslaught: Ulcerate, Zhrine & Phobocosm Begin North American Tour”

By Andrew Bansal

November 1st 2016, Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles CA: A little over a year after the release of their fourth full-length album ‘Dust And Disquiet’, Beverly, Massachusetts progressive rock group Caspian embarked on their biggest North American headline tour till date, with support from The Appleseed Cast, and arrived in Los Angeles for a gig at the Teragram Ballroom, along with Strawberry Girls as the local opener. Fans of prog/post/experimental heavy music gathered in good numbers, and were treated to a splendid show of smoothly flowing musicianship from three distinct bands that each stood out yet formed the perfect lineup together. Continue reading “Instrumental Bliss: Caspian Headlines Teragram Ballroom”