Metal Assault: Gig Reviews

By Andrew Bansal

November 18th 2015, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: After taking a year off from touring due to frontman David Sanchez’ wrist injury, Denver, Colorado thrashers Havok are back in the fold, currently on a US headline tour with a variety of support acts throughout the run. Two weeks into the tour, they arrived at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in West Hollywood last Wednesday November 18th 2015. This is where they played a nearly sold-out show a little over two years ago, and this time they brought with them Black Breath and Witchaven to make for a potentially deadly dosage of violence for those in attendance. An entire year in obscurity is a large amount of time in the modern-day industry, and it remained to be seen whether Havok’s Los Angeles-based fans still remembered the band and cared enough to turn up for this comeback gig. Continue reading “Havok, Black Breath & Witchaven Perform At The Whisky”

Review & photos by Andrew Bansal

November 17th 2015, Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles CA: Reunited with guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan to resume their four-piece incarnation, Raleigh NC metal giants Corrosion Of Conformity have been marching on with as much power and purpose during the year of 2015 as any band on this planet, touring Europe extensively, almost sinking Motörhead’s Motörboat with the sheer massiveness of their sonic output, then jumping off it and straight onto a US tour with Clutch and The Shrine, and signing a deal with Nuclear Blast to release new material next year. After participating in the Housecore Horror Festival, C.O.C. embarked on a US headline tour of their own in mid-November, with support acts Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band, Saviours and Mothership, and arrived in downtown Los Angeles last Tuesday November 17th for an event at the Teragram Ballroom that had all the potential to institutionalize attendees in heavy worship. Continue reading “Corrosion Of Conformity Headlines Teragram Ballroom In Los Angeles”

By Andrew Bansal

November 15th 2015, The Roxy, West Hollywood CA: Horror punk icons Misfits are currently on their ‘Static Age Revisited’ North American headline tour, performing the ‘Static Age’ album in its entirety along with fan-favorites and new songs, and in New York and Los Angeles, playing two nights wherein on the second night they would perform both the ‘Walk Among Us’ and ‘Earth A.D.’ albums in their entirety, along with other material. Besides, they are presenting the band She Demons as the sole support act at these shows. Despite severe discouragement from “true Misfits fans”, I was in attendance for night #2 of Misfits’ weekend at the Roxy in West Hollywood, on Sunday November 15th, for my very first experience of any version of the Misfits. Continue reading “Misfits & She Demons Perform At The Roxy”

Review & photos by Andrew Bansal

November 14th 2015, M15, Corona CA: Los Angeles classic metal veterans Armored Saint have been more active in 2015 than ever before, with the Metal Blade Records release of their stellar seventh full-length studio album ‘Win Hands Down’, a string of nationwide tour dates supporting Saxon, and a couple of European festival appearances. Saint played their last US show of the year, a rare headline gig, and an even rarer appearance last Saturday November 14th at M15 in Corona, California, and of course, never to miss an Armored Saint headline show anywhere near Los Angeles, I made the trip from LA to Corona to attend this event. Continue reading “Armored Saint Plays Headline Show In Corona”

By Lisa Burke

November 14th 2015, Complex, Glendale CA: Last Saturday night I chose to complete my heavy metal mission with some quality death metal bands of various styles, and of course what better location would you expect to find your favorite death metal band playing a live show other than Complex in Glendale? On this night, headliners Hate Eternal performed with the tour package titled ‘The Infernus Tour’ including Misery Index, Beyond Creation and Rivers Of Nihil, along with the local opener Servile Conceptions, for an event put together as always by Church Of The 8th Day. Continue reading “Hate Eternal & Misery Index Lead Extreme Metal Onslaught In Glendale”

By Lisa Burke

November 13th 2015, Brick By Brick, San Diego CA: Black metal as a genre is definitely one of my all-time favorites for many reasons including its span of variety within itself. On Friday the thirteenth, I found a perfect solution to my evening metal show dilemma as well as the problem of two great shows clashing against each other the next night, which was of course to attend the second edition of the ‘Black Metal Warfare’ tour featuring co-headliners Watain and Mayhem, along with Rotting Christ as openers. While I had to travel to San Diego to accomplish this and undergo an unexpected last-minute venue change, fortunately with only a seven-minute distance between the two, it was well worth my prominent attendance. Continue reading “Mayhem, Watain & Rotting Christ Bring ‘Black Metal Warfare 2’ To San Diego”