Metal Assault: Gig Reviews

By Lisa Burke

June 2nd 2016, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: When attending live heavy metal shows, unpredictability can become a common occurrence, and not only is there potential to suffer injury or death in the mosh pit, or witness an atrocity of a heavy metal band, but also sometimes the headliner of the show turns out to be not-so-much your favorite band. On Thursday June 2nd 2016, at my second Whisky-A-Go-Go appearance of the week, I arrived to see Voivod with touring support acts King Parrot and Child Bite, along with local openers Erode. Continue reading “Voivod Visits Los Angeles On ‘Post Society’ Tour With King Parrot & Child Bite”

By Lisa Burke

June 1st 2016, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: Last week on my usual adventures in metal I spent three nights at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, the first of which happened to be for the latest Anvil tour in promotion of their 16th LP ‘Anvil Is Anvil’, featuring touring support acts Night Demon, Unleash The Archers and Graveshadow. Continue reading “Anvil, Night Demon & Unleash The Archers Rock The Whisky”

By Lisa Burke

May 31st 2016, Complex, Glendale CA: Underground heavy metal bands are there at your fingertips waiting for you to discover, if you know where to find them. One place you can always count on discovering a new band or three is at Complex in Glendale. It’s the perfect size of intimacy for discovering and hosting newer bands while also keeping up to the needs of long time well-known acts. On Tuesday May 31st 2016, I introduced myself to a couple of new bands and got a taste of some great blackened death metal. The three bands on the lineup for this night were Grave Miasma, Old Coven, and Funeral Smoke. If you’re bored, you can totally take it upon yourself to mix any of the above band names together and still end up with a cool band name such as Funeral Coven or Smoke Miasma. Promoters Church Of The 8th Day and The Elegy Ensemble have a knack for finding themed lineups such as this one and has yet to disappoint. Continue reading “UK Extreme Metal Band Grave Miasma Performs Without Vocalist”

Review by Andrew Bansal

May 29th 2016, Complex, Glendale CA: Based out of the Pacific North West and formed in 2014, Sumac is a power trio/supergroup featuring the talents of Aaron Turner (Mamiffer, Old Man Gloom, Isis) on guitar and vocals, Brian Cook (Russian Circles, Botch, These Arms Are Snakes) on bass and Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists) on drums. Sumac recently concluded a short U.S. West Coast headlining run in the lead-up to the June 10 2016 release of their sophomore LP ‘What One Becomes’ via Thrill Jockey Records, and visited the Los Angeles area to play in front of a packed house at Complex in Glendale on Sunday May 29th, with opening acts Jaye Jayle and Sad Vicious, for a gig put together by Church Of The 8th Day. Continue reading “Sumac, Jaye Jayle & Sad Vicious Perform At Complex”

By Andrew Bansal

May 27th 2016, Fonda Theatre, Hollywood CA: Swedish hardcore/experimental/art/post punk group Refused announced their second reunion in 2014 and released their fourth full-length studio album ‘Freedom’ in 2015 via Epitaph Records, their first LP since ‘The Shape Of Punk To Come’ (1998), and a set of tunes that prove to be worth the 17-year wait. Refused embarked on a U.S. headline tour in May 2016 with support acts The Coathangers and Plague Vendor, and arrived to a packed house at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood CA last Friday May 27th 2016. Hardcore, dedicated fans of the band turned up in large numbers, as expected, but as a result of Goldenvoice’ constant, unending efforts to make their shows successful by promoting as much as they can through various ticket giveaways and promotional activities of similar nature, this show also brought in a fair number of first-timers and casual fans. One thing is for sure, by the time the show was done, none of them left the building as casual Refused fans. Continue reading “Refused Rock Fonda Theatre”

By Andrew Bansal

May 25th 2016, Complex, Glendale CA: UK hardcore punk/crossover thrash veterans English Dogs returned to the States for a short headline run this month, and as part of the tour, played a show at Complex in Glendale last Wednesday May 25th 2016. Black Cobra, Witchaven and Temple Of Dagon served as support acts and the event was put together by Church Of The 8th Day. With English Dogs’ unabated old-school crossover thrash, Black Cobra’s sheer devastation, Witchaven’s relentless black thrash and Temple Of Dagon’s extreme metal, this promised to be an all-killer, no-filler show from beginning to end. Continue reading “English Dogs, Black Cobra, Witchaven & Temple Of Dagon Perform At Complex”