Metal Assault: Gig Reviews

Review & photos by Andrew Bansal

March 12th 2016, City National Grove Of Anaheim, Anaheim CA: Over the past few years, the re-emergence of Finnish symphonic metal group Nightwish has been a success story in every sense of the term. Ever since they recruited Floor Jansen as the new frontwoman, they’ve been unstoppable, playing the biggest shows of their career. Following the release of their eighth full-length studio album ‘Endless Forms Most Beautiful’ in 2015, the band did a North American headline tour wherein they performed at the prestigious Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and they returned for a second leg with support acts Sonata Arctica and Delain, to play a sold-out show at the Grove Of Anaheim last Saturday March 12th 2016. Continue reading “Nightwish Plays Sold-Out Show At Grove Of Anaheim”

By Lisa Burke

March 12th 2016, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: Last Saturday March 12, 2016 I attended the Ultimate Guitar Experience Tour with my favorite Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth as the headlining act. Continue reading “Uli Jon Roth Brings ‘Ultimate Guitar Experience’ To The Whisky”

By Andrew Bansal

March 10th 2016, The Viper Room, West Hollywood CA: Madison, Wisconsin stoner metal band Bongzilla began in 1995 and released four studio albums in the next ten years, three of them put out by Relapse Records. Bongzilla disbanded in 2009, but decided to make a comeback in 2015. The new generation of stoner rock fanatics who never got a chance to see Bongzilla in their heyday started packing venues in large numbers and as a result, the band was playing sold-out shows everywhere. This has catapulted Bongzilla back into active prominence, and currently, they are on a North American headline tour with support acts Black Cobra and Lo-Pan, and Against The Grain and Kings Destroy taking the opening slot for the first and second halves of the tour, respectively. With all the ingredients for what promised to be the show of the month, the tour arrived in Los Angeles for a gig at the Viper Room in West Hollywood last Thursday March 10th 2016. Continue reading “Bongzilla, Black Cobra, Lo-Pan & Against The Grain Perform At Viper Room”

By Andrew Bansal

March 9th 2016, The Roxy, West Hollywood CA: Since their 2006 inception, Los Angeles-based record label Sumerian Records have played an active part in discovering and spotlighting the talents of heavy metal bands from the U.S. and beyond, mainly in the modern progressive metal, hardcore and deathcore categories. To celebrate their 10-year anniversary, they announced a five-band all-Sumerian North American tour featuring Born Of Osiris, Veil Of Maya, After The Burial, Erra and Bad Omens. The ’10 Year Tour’ visited the label’s hometown for a well-attended gig at the Roxy in West Hollywood last Wednesday March 9th 2016. Continue reading “Sumerian Records’ ’10 Year Tour’ Packs The Roxy”

By Andrew Bansal

March 8th 2016, The Mayan, Los Angeles CA: While extreme metal is very prominent on the heavy music touring circuit as a whole, it is not often that fans get treated to a lineup completely devoted to the sub-genre. Death metal giants Cannibal Corpse are currently doing the rounds through North America headlining one such tour, with main support coming from Obituary, and opening acts Cryptopsy and Abysmal Dawn. The Los Angeles extreme metal legions purchased tickets to last Tuesday’s show at the Mayan Theatre in downtown LA well in advance, and the show was officially announced as sold out a few hours before the doors opened. All was in readiness for a skull-crushing, horn-raising, invisible orange-squeezing evening. Continue reading “Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Cryptopsy & Abysmal Dawn Play Sold-Out Los Angeles Show”

By Lisa Burke

March 7th 2016, The Viper Room, West Hollywood CA: Portland, Oregon, I hear is a place where you can find many eclectic people, places and bands, more specifically you can find a band called Black Pussy. Sometimes this band travels to foreign lands such as Los Angeles and headlines the Viper Room. Monday March 7th, 2016 they accomplished just that with flying colors, colors you could only believe were real if you were on psychedelics. If you hadn’t figured it out yet, Black Pussy is a psychedelic stoner rock quintet and they come in peace despite whatever connotations some close minded idiots draw from their name. In case you weren’t aware, there have also been or still are bands called Harry Pussy and Perfect Pussy as well because why the hell not? I mean you could name your band Stale Bread or you could name your band Black Pussy, but which one do you suppose will bring you a higher success rate? Anyway, back to the live show, they shared the stage on this night with doom metal band Sisters Ov The Blackmoon and with opening rock ‘n roll trio The Brothers Collective. Continue reading “Black Pussy & Sisters Ov The Blackmoon Perform At Viper Room”