Rock My Monkey was at El Corazon last night for Hatchet, Bonded By Blood, Jeff Loomis, and Soilwork. It was a fun show, good crowd with a non stop circle pit and every band sounded great. Most everyone was there for Loomis and Soilwork but it's safe to say Hatchet and Bonded By Blood made some new fans.

Soilworks singer,Bjorn, has this thing he does in between songs where he puts his hand on the head of someone in the crowd while he talks to everyone, I don't know why he does it but I liked the connection he made. Seems whoever he did it to didn't mind either, they'd just stand there and let him do his thing. They were a lot of fun, loud and tight, they sounded great.

What Jeff Loomis does on a guitar is amazing, his entire set is a lead almost, burning fast leads. There's no vocals in his band but it doesn't lack a thing, he too was fun to watch and hear. I'm still blown away after watching what he can do, he's extremely talented.

The show was great, the guys in Hatchet told me Seattle has been the best show so far on their tour, I don't think it was sold out but it had to be close,there wasn't a lot of room to move around anywhere in El Corazon. I'm going to follow all these bands and I look forward to seeing them again, if you get a chance check the tour out, you'll have fun.

Michael Arms is the guitarist for the band Tatarus and is a guest writer for Rock My Monkey. CLICK HERE for info on his band.

Easter Sunday for most is a nice evening spent with the family, enjoying each others company and a warm home cooked meal. For us at RMM it was pretty far from the normal family tradition... In fact, I think this may work out to be a new tradition! For us Sunday (or Sinday as we'll call it) was an evening (all day spectacle rather) full of Metal Alliance! Take thrashers Holy Grail and Municipal Waste while throwing in the sludgy, yet faster than fuck fury that is High on Fire, and getting back to the thrash-tastic roots of  Exodus and Anthrax, and you have what was possibly the best Metal Alliance line-up yet! They rolled through Seattle (9th stop of the tour) and delivered what seemed to be a well regimented night of... Well, THRASH!

Holy Grail opened the show. Their set was quick and to the point. They made sure that the audience knew who was there to deliver the 80's Priest-influenced metal of the night. The double guitar driven band were spot on with each other. Each guitarist traded off solos that sounded like one cohesive unit! All whilst vocalist James Paul Luna soared through his intense vocal range, hitting notes that paralleled the guitar squeals. Next up was Municipal Waste... One word, PARTY-THRASH!! Okay, technically two words, but anywho, they were the kind of band I could picture playing a friend's rager full of a bunch of pissed off kids that would end up burning the house down. They were great!

Now those two bands alone could have easily played a show on their own in Seattle on a weeknight and delivered a memorable set (which I hope happens soon), but this concert was just getting warmed up.

Now what you may or may not know about seeing a live band is they typically have a wall of full stack amps. Here's the catch.... They're not all on! Usually one or two cabs per guitarist is turned on. That being said, High on Fire was the next on the roster, smack dab in the middle of a five band bill. Matt Pike frontman of HoF does however turn on every amp he's plugged into. He had three cabs and two heads that were visual, and I've got to say they were one of the loudest bands I've ever seen. They also rocked The Showbox and put us heavy metal heathens in a trance of sorts while still having us maintain the urge to slam into one another in the pit!

After High on Fire's set came the one, the only... Bay Area Thrash Veterans EXODUS!!! I had never seen them live, and holy shit they brought it like only they do! Heavy, fierce, fast and in your face just about sums it up. Bassist Jack Gibson seemed to have a laid back southern swagger to him. Kind of like he could jump down in the pit any second and drag you through the dirt, but he was more a gentlemen it seemed. Gary Holt had the intensity that you could tell had been added to his already ferocious stage performance from playing in Slayer this past year. Tom Hunting was almost invisible behind his monster sized drum kit but believe me, you knew who was playing those drums once the set started. As for Altus and Dukes.. Let's just say they fucking killed it! Great performance by a great band.

Only one band was left to play... That's right, ANTHRAX!! 1/4 of the big 4. They played the entire Among The Living album plus some more special diddys I won't mention in case you're reading this before going to the show! They were a spectacle! Scott Ian with his co-frontman approach to the band was on fire as usual. Joey Belladonna ripped through the set, the strongest I've ever heard these tunes! Frank Bello delivered his always consistent bass line and Steve Harris inspired "singing along" by mouthing every lyric to each tune. Jon Donais filled the guitar spot left empty earlier this year and blazed through the solos, adding a little of his own flavor. They had a fill-in drummer whoses name I did not catch, but he sounded like he had written those drum parts himself!! They were excellent!! If you're considering going to this year's Metal Alliance, think no further.  Just GO!!!

For more on the Metal Alliance tour go to
facebook.com/MetalAllianceTour

For more on Tatarus go to
facebook.com/TatarusBand

(The folowing is a collection of live blogging comments Terry posted throughout the day)

Mark and I showed up at the White River Amphitheater about an hour before the first band started on the smaller stages,the line to get in was already six people wide and a quarter mile long,growing by the second.  When we first got in we walked around checking out the bands merchandise setups and the various sponsor booths and tents.  Once they opened the gates the place filled up fast and continued to for hours with all the fun people that fill rock/metal shows.

The first band to play was Drown Mary, super heavy Pantera-ish style and the crowd congregated at their stage.  There was two stages setup side by side, both were semi trailers that literally folded out to make stages, it was pretty cool.  Once one band got done it was seconds later and another band would start on the other stage.   All of this while the roadies tore down and set up for the next band on whatever stage was just finished.  Non stop rockin for roughly six hours on kickin P.A.s that were powerful enough that it felt like I had a second heartbeat at times from the kick drums.  That was great!  Those setups were so clear and powerful sounding you could drop a guitar and it would sound good.

After the bands on the smaller stages were done everyone started to make their way to the main stage for the opener there.  The main stage is outdoors but still under a canopy that resembles the Mariners Safeco Field, the place is huge.  There's two giant screens.  One on either side of the stage about 150 feet away from the stage each for the people way in back.  I didn't get the attendance but it's safe to say there's thousands.  The crowd is huge, loud, and roudy.  As I write this Godsmack is playing "Voodoo."  There's three people I can see crowd surfing and two great big pits mangling bodies.  I love Metal.

Remember in the old days when a ballad would get played and there would be 5,000 lighters go up?  I'm sitting in the 200 section and I can see a sea of cell phones.  Times have changed.
We had a great time at 2012 Uproar.  Every band was kick ass and the music was non stop all day and night.

We have tons of photos from all the Rock bands (none from the Rap acts) from that day on the way. Keep your eyes glued to our Facebook at http://facebook.com/rockmymonkey for updates or just keep checking RockMyMonkey.com/photos

Interviews with Candlelight Red and Atica 7 will be posted soon at RockMyMonkey.com/tv

The night kicked off with an unmemorable, local opener and less than impressive crowd, who seemed more interested in frequenting the packed bar than they did to see a local opener slog through sloppy dissonant metal. The Devil's Blood hit the stage to a more filled out crowd to much excitement and enthusiasm from the crowd. The band, which features a female lead vocalist, all sauntered onstage covered in fake blood and playing a slew of guitar riffs that seemed to be more at home within a bad 1978 acid trip than a heavy metal show. I must say however, that the band ended up winning me over with the vocalist's impressive range to a fifteen minute jam session in the middle of the set. This was a band that truly knew how to get a crowd warmed up and ready for a night of metal. If you have a couple of bucks I highly suggest picking up the band’s latest release "The Thousandfold Epicenter".

Following The Devils Blood, Insolitude took the stage.  To me this band felt too tired and played out, and sort of an off fit for the tour. The band again had the whole mid to late 70's swagger going on, but in no way did they fit this tour. The lyrics they were singing and the imagery of the band itself all felt overworked, and like they just didn't know quite what they were all about. I really feel like they were added to fill space on this lineup, and not due to the fact that they really had a draw for the tour.

Watain took the stage at around 9 at night.  I must preface the performance review by divulging that I had found out earlier in the day that the band would not be able to use the real dead animal heads that they normally take on the road with them because EL Corazon had deemed it as too much of a health risk to have a rotting animal carcass onstage. I was sort of thinking that this band was going to be a shock and awe campaign of laughable imagery and stage props. However, the band took the stage to thunderous applause looking like they had just crawled up from the deepest pit of hell and planned to bring everyone inside the venue back down with them. This band had burning candles and oil lamps onstage and they ripped through a setlist mostly heavy on songs from their 2010 release "Lawless Darkness". When the band launched into "Reaping Death" the crowd broke out into a decent sized mosh pit and seemed amped as all hell for Behemoth to finally hit the stage. Being that open flames are not allowed in such a small venue, it was a bit laughable when midway through the set a roadie came out and snuffed out the oil lamps, which prompted the band to stop the set, grab a lighter from the crowd, relight them and play on. The band sounded great, but would have been a bit more well received if they would have toned down the theatrics and focused more on the music itself.

Finally around 10:30, the mighty Behemoth took the stage to a now packed house, to chants of "BAH HE MOTH". I confess I was a bit nervous to see how this band would carry a live performance.  Lead singer Adam "Nergal" Darski was diagnosed with severely advanced leukemia and was not expected to survive after a successful bone marrow transplant. The singer has since gone on to regain his strength, and resume a full touring schedule. I wasn't sure going into this show what level he would be playing to so shortly after enduring such a massive illness.

The band came onstage and immediately launched into their biggest single, "Ov Fire And The Void," from their most current studio album "Evangelion". The crowd went absolutely apeshit and the band themselves exploded with a passion I rarely see within the genre of metal. This was a band that not only is back, but is back with a vengeance and stronger than they have ever been before. To my astonishment each song somehow got better through the hour and a half set. While working through the setlist, the band was sure to include its most popular songs such as "Demigod", and my personal favorite "Slaves Shall Serve". Midway through the set Nergal thanked the crowd for coming out and loudly proclaimed "Tonight is a night we celebrate freedom". Not once within the band's set did the intensity ever slow down.  The band was perfect, lock and pin tight, and had some of the best sound quality I've ever heard within a small venue setting. The encore was a visual feast.  As if the black and white corpse paint wasn't enough, all the members quickly covered themselves in fake blood, and Nergal donned a steampunk inspired crown of thowns.

The band announced it had one final song.  They dropped the lights, and upon bringing them back up slowly lurched into "Lucifer" with Nergal now wearing the trademark mask he has worn in numerous videos and onstage performances. The nine minute song was a more than welcome way to end one of the most flawless metal sets I have ever seen. Behemoth is back, and more focused than ever.  Anyone that has ever thought that they are not one of the top contenders in the metal genre is sadly and hopelessly mistaken.

Fight To Unite Tour Seattle, WA.

The Fight to Unite Tour paraded its way through Seattle this past Wednesday. The parade metaphor is in no way an understatement, with 8 bands ranging from spazmatic death core, the often mentioned and always made fun of "Crunk Core", dance beat Vampires, and scene kids complete with light sabers and a foam machine, along with a band who's two principle members wear a Bunny, and Bear mask during their live show, Studio 7 looked more the macabre funhouse covered in cotton candy and bass beats than an actual venue. 

Upon Arriving a bit late to the show, William Control was about to hit the stage to the mostly packed house where you would be hard pressed to find a fan over the legs drinking age. William Control, The brainchild of Wil Franci (lead singer of Seattle's own"Aiden") hit the stage with an intensity, and passion that you rarely see for an opener. During his short, roughly 25 minute set, he was able to get the crowd to go unhinge Studio Seven. Laying down smooth goth vocals over hard house synth and a pounding bass beat, the crowd was pulsing like that of a London goth club. The set featured a well-rounded assortment of songs from his three full length albums including, his new single "Kiss Me Judas" of off his newest release " Silentium Amoris". The later album fully fulfills his three album deal with Victory Records so it will be sure what the future holds for his project. 

Following the full throttle set of William Control Baltimore's " Polka dot Cadaver" took the stage, an apparent amalgamation of System of A Down, and sporadic tech metal, the band lacked the necessary focus and edge to really capture the audience’s attention, being a virtually unknown band on a tour with some of the hottest acts in the current scene sort of put them in a position to have to win over fans, an act not easily accomplished in the ever trendy universe of the scene kid. 

The artist that was to come next was in and of himself a bit of a cliché, following his formation of Myspace powerhouse rap rock hybrid group "Hollywood Undead" rapper Producer "Deuce" took his solo act and made it his full time venture. When you take into account the band that he started was predicated on the success of a now defunct social network it was a bit hard to see him as more than a studio musician who has done nothing but release tracks and has never played live. To my absolute shock, Duce tore through a half hour set of aggressive rap rock hybrid material that seemed to be enough of a shock and awe for the kids that by the end of the set they were crowd surfing to get on stage a sight rarely seen for a rap artist. 

One of the most hated acts was up next, Brokencyde ran through an uninspired set of "Crunk Core" if they weren't rapping over sloppy rap lyrics they were screaming inaudible growls that sounded more akin to a poorly executed metal band. The worst part about it all was that last fall they sold out El Corazon and seemed extremely on point, somehow this set felt tired and labored as if they just really didn't care what was going on.

As the anticipation built for the Headliners, more staging was brought out; it’s not often for a small venue you see a confetti canon, foam machine, and enough LED lighting for a Vegas casino to be brought onto stage. Blood On The Dance Floor or BOTDF, are the collective brainchild of Dahvie Vanity and Jay Von Monroe. The pair were accompanied by a bass guitarist, violinist, female singer,and a live drummer, a nice touch being that they could have simply gotten away with tracking the instruments. During their hour long set, they ran through tracks such as "Looking Hot and Dangerous", "Bewitched", "Believe" and even gave fans a taste of the upcoming album "EVOLUTION" playing the track "Frankenstein". The set that at one point saw singer Dahvie riding an inflatable turtle across the fans was nothing short of a carnival. The band spoke a lot of unity, freedom, and empowering its fans who are known as the "Slash Gash Terror Crew" to be themselves and to cut out any negativity within their lives. No matter what you say about how "terrible" their music is, the plain hard fact is that this is a band who knows how to bring a live show that is visually and sonically interesting and really does go the extra mile when it comes to supporting their fans and giving them one hell of a live show.

]]>http://rockmymonkey.com/live-reviews/rss-comments-entry-15841922.xmlCarrie DonaldsonSun, 30 Jan 2011 23:10:25 +0000http://rockmymonkey.com/live-reviews/2011/1/30/carries-70000-tons-of-metal-review-and-photos.html657267:7661867:10297923 An adventure review from a fan’s perspective, or what it was like on the cruise!

by Carrie aka Metal Goddess

click to enlargeImagine the best vacation ever.   2,000 of my metal brothers and sisters from around the world and I just experienced the most amazing event in the history of metal festivals.  A heavy metal buffet served aboard a grand and glorious cruise ship!   In case you have been living under a rock for the last year and haven’t heard about it, let me tell you about 70,000 Tons of Metal.   

70,000 Tons of Metal was billed as the “World’s Largest Floating Heavy Metal Festival,” and it delivered.  42 metal bands of all metal genres played for four days aboard Royal Caribbean’s ship, “Her Majesty of the Seas.”  The cruise set sail in Miami then cruised onto Cozumel, Mexico and back over the course of four incredible days (January 24 to January 28, 2011).  A few thought it was unattainable, in fact, canceling their reservations because they didn’t think it would happen.   Poor saps, they missed out.  You can view the full lineup of bands here:  http://www.70000tons.com/artists.htm

click to enlargeMany of us flew into Miami early to enjoy the city before the cruise to enjoy the sunshine and meet up to party.  Walking up and down Miami beach, we ran into fellow cruisers as well as cruise bands all taking in the sites of Miami.  It was obvious that the international metal community had taken over Miami.

Thanks to the internet, many of us fellow cruisers had been chatting for months and had gotten to know each other.   It was so cool meeting people I had been chatting with from Australia, Germany, Canada, Ireland, England, Sweden, etc., and the local Florida peeps.  Our Florida friend, Captain Metal, coordinated a pre-party show Sunday, January 23, in downtown Miami with some great local metal bands.  

click to enlargeIt was a challenge for many of us to get to the Port of Miami on Monday, as there was a public memorial for two fallen officers at the huge arena close to the port.  Roads were closed and traffic was backed up.  Thank goodness the local Miami peeps gave us a heads up so we got an early start. 

We arrived at the Port of Miami to board this mammoth ship.  I’ve never been on a cruise, so I had no idea what to expect.  Not a lot of security on the outside, they must have been at the memorial across the street.  Getting onto the ship is similar to going through an airport.  Do you know how funny it is to watch hundreds of metalheads dressed in leather, studs and steel-toed shoes going through a metal detector?  Ha!  Everyone was way cool, and we all got through it just fine. 

click to enlargeAfter boarding the ship, we found our room, dropped off our stuff and headed to the top deck.  Around every corner was a Royal Caribbean crew member asking if we wanted a drink, so we bought a bucket of beer to begin our adventure.  All 2,000 of us, the bands, and the crews were all waiting for the ship to set sail. 

I had listened to all of the bands online over the last few months, as well as the metal channel on satellite radio (which I’m surprised was not a sponsor).  However, I did not look at pictures of the bands, so I did not recognize very many of them.  A lot of us fans are also in metal bands and look it.  One big happy metal family. 

click to enlargeAt 4:15 p.m., everyone, including the bands, had to go through the “Compulsory Guest Muster Drill.”  We broke up into our assigned “musters” and had to chug our drinks before drill.  It was great fun.  I was in Muster 7, along with my friends Evil Red and Hodgy from Seattle, as well as the Fear Factory guys!   Muster 1 was by far the loudest and most rowdy.  After we were done being shown how to use our life vests and where our assigned lifeboats were, we were back on to the deck to watch the departure.  We left dock at around 6:30 p.m. after a beautiful Miami sunset.

The bands played in three different venues, the Chorus Line Theater, the Spectrum Lounge and the Pool Deck.  They covered one of the two pools on the deck in front of the Pool Deck stage for more standing room.  The Chorus Line Theatre was a larger, elegant venue where they normally have Broadway-type shows on regular cruises, and the Spectrum Lounge, which was a smaller, more intimate venue. The sound in all three venues was very good once it was finally dialed in.  The running order of the bands was overlapping in many instances, which meant missing or running to the next show.  You can view the running order here:  http://www.70000tons.com/order.htm

click to enlargeThe first band to play was EXODUS at 7 p.m. Monday night in the Chorus Line Theatre.  They did not have much time to set up, do a sound check, etc., after boarding the boat, so the shows in that venue were about an hour behind schedule.   All 42 of the bands were scheduled to play at least two times, so we went for dinner, found our luggage and settled in our room. 

We ventured back out at 12:30 a.m. to find FEAR FACTORY rocking the pool deck.  It was the most amazing thing, to be on the deck of a cruise ship watching Fear Factory play in the warm Caribbean breeze with a remarkable sound and light show. 

click to enlargeI’m not going to go into play by play song analysis of any of the bands we saw.  I was a bit buzzed, and I was having a great time enjoying the bands, that’s all that really mattered to me.  

We stayed out on the deck because it was so lovely, the partially full moon in the sky, to see the next band, FINTROLL.  I had briefly listened to them online, but they definitely were better live!   We enjoyed their set immensely!   They are not a band I would have normally bought tickets to see, but that was the beauty of this lineup—all types of metal to give us a chance to experience all of them. 

click to enlargeWe then went to the Chorus Line Theatre to see a couple songs from the godfathers of death metal, MALEVOLENT CREATION.   We were exhausted, and went back to our room around 3:30 a.m.

Tuesday was a beautiful day.  We got up, had breakfast (bacon and mimosas), put on our swim suits and headed for the pool deck.  We jumped in one of the two hot tubs on the deck with our new international friends to watch CRIPPER at 10 a.m. (yes, that’s right).  I had listened to them and had them on my list to see, but I didn’t realize they were fronted by a powerhouse female singer.  Fucking excellent!

click to enlargeNext band to hit the Pool Deck was AGENT STEEL, who was high on my list of bands to see.   I got out of the hot tub to get closer to the stage to watch these guys and their classic style of heavy metal.  I was wondering why the singer was singing lyrics off paper.  After asking, I found out their singer Jon Cyriis could not make the trip, so Rick Mythiasin from STEEL PROPHET filled in.  Later, James Rivera of HELSTAR joined in for a couple of songs. They did a kickass cover of JUDAS PRIEST’s “Ripper” in their set.  Great band! 

We had another drink, then laid out in the sun while TYR played.  What an unusual, unique style of music—folk metal.  It was very cool to listen to! 

click to enlargeNeeding a little break from the sun, we headed indoors to the Chorus Line to watch SABATON.  Those Norwegian guys had mega-metal energy, and the crowd was amazing!    Power metal!  

After a lunch break, we headed back out to the Pool Deck to see FORBIDDEN.  I had never seen them and loved their music, so I pushed myself up to the front to headbang.  Fucking killer set from these Bay Area artists.  I’ll be damned if I didn’t meet Russ the singer when I first got on the boat, but didn’t know it was him.  He was probably wondering why I didn’t say something at that time.  I concentrate on listening to the music more that what a band looks like, as it should be. 

click to enlargeWe had a couple of drinks while waiting for OBITUARY to hit the Pool Deck.  One of my favorite bands!   I watched the first couple of songs from the top deck, then headed down to the floor to headbang along side my one of my best friends, Evil Red.  The sound was as good in front as it was in the back.  I’ve seen OBITUARY a few times and have never been disappointed.  The atmosphere was electric!! 

After OBITUARY we took a dinner break and ate a couple of tables away from them.  Wow.  How cool is that?  

We then headed to the Spectrum Lounge for an intimate set with click to enlargeSANCTUARY.  Wow, it was so cool seeing the band together again!   It was very crowded in there so we weren’t able to get too close since we were late getting there.  They sounded great and were definitely jazzed by the crowd!

Needing some fresh air, we headed outside to check out the last of EPICA.  They were not at the top of my list of bands to see, but their live performance was very cool.  Many of us metal fans are also scifi geeks, so when they broke out with Darth Vader’s theme ala metal, we were drawn in.    

click to enlargeThen we raced back inside to AMON AMARTH in the Chorus Line Theatre.  A great set from a truly epic metal band.  I had seen them years ago, but it was a joy to see them tearing it up again!

We wanted to see more bands, but knew we had to get up for our excursion to Cozumel the next morning, so we went to bed. 

After spending the day zip lining, shopping, and drinking margaritas in Cozumel, we went back on the ship to clean up, eat and get ready for some more metal shows.  The first show we hit was GAMMA RAY on the Pool Deck.  This was another band that I was not that familiar with, but the crowd sure was!   I walked over by the sound booth to check out the set up.  No wonder all the bands sounded so good.  World class sound by a world class crew!  

click to enlargeI then headed inside to see FEAR FACTORY bring it in the Chorus Line Theatre.  Another amazing set by these guys. 

At 10 p.m. I headed back outside to see EXODUS since I missed them the first night.  I love the bay area thrash, and it was so cool to have so many of them on the ship!   Saw them last August at Ozzfest in California, but there was something even more magical about watching them play on the deck of a cruise ship!  

click to enlargeAfter EXODUS, I went back to the theatre to watch SAXON.  I was in awe that I was actually there seeing them perform “Strong Arm of the Law.”  Another of my favorite traditional style metal bands!  I was spent after that, and hit the cabin.  Many of my friends, however, joined the cruise bands at Boleros for some metal karaoke until like 7 a.m. in the morning.

Thursday morning for us started out bright and early at 10 a.m. with SWASHBUCKLE, a pirate metal band (yes, you heard me right).  Bunch of cool guys, and funny as hell!  They literally rocked the Cruise Ship Terror!!  

click to enlargeWe then went inside to see a band called ARSIS.  I have to say that they were my favorite band on this cruise that I had not really listened to before.  The music was traditional thrash with dual guitar leads, right up my alley.  They all made such great technical music look so easy, and it sounded so good.  So, four horns up for ARSIS!   If you haven’t heard them yet, do check them out. 

After lunch and waiting forever to buy merchandise, we went inside the Chorus Line Theatre to watch VOIVOD.  This is another band I really like that I had not seen in a while, but still performed an amazing set.    

click to enlargeThen back outside to the Pool Deck to see the legendary ULI JON ROTH.  He’s an astounding performer, had an incredible backing band, and also hosted the “Sky Academy” seminar on Thursday afternoon.  

We did not stay outside for the belly flop contest as it was a bit chilly outside on Thursday.  Not sure who won or if anyone entered.   We went back in to see another show by OBITUARY in the Chorus Line Theatre. 

After OBITUARY, we went back outside to see TWILIGHT OF THE GODS, a BATHORY tribute band.  Many online were bashing 70,000 Tons for scheduling a tribute band, but the large crowd did not seem to mind!   We enjoyed it as well!

click to enlargeWe took a drink and snack break, then headed to the Spectrum Lounge to see RAVEN.  That was most fun I had at any of the shows on the cruise.  They are amazing now as they were in the 80’s.  Crazy fuckers!  I love RAVEN!   I could kick myself for not seeing them when they were here in Seattle a few months ago.  I had the honor of talking to them at the bar later that night.  What cool guys!  

After RAVEN, we went back out to the Pool Deck again to watch the last few songs by DEATH ANGEL.  I had forgotten what a kickass thrash band they were.  I saw them with NEVERMORE here in Seattle years ago, definitely want to see them again! 

click to enlargeSABATON played the Pool Deck while we were eating dinner.  Rumor had it, and it is now officially confirmed and documented on YouTube, that one of the members of SABATON was thrown in the pool after their set for wearing a LADY GAGA shirt.  Hahaha!  My sweet friend Madda from Hollywood made him wear it.  Chaching!  Here’s a link to one of the videos:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5OfQ8JoHKc

After dinner, we went to see the great TESTAMENT in the Chorus Line Theater.   Words cannot describe how fucking cool that show was.  After TESTAMENT, we watched a couple of songs by folk metal band KOPRIKLAANI outside, a very different kind of metal, then followed my friends to see the end of the MALEVOLENT CREATION show in the Spectrum Lounge. 

click to enlargeI had never seen SODOM, so we went back to the very packed Chorus Line Theatre for them.  I can see why they were so popular—straight ahead headbanging metal! 

After SODOM, we went outside to watch MOONSPELL for a while, then decided to go back to the room for a bit.  Unfortunately, we fell asleep and missed a few bands we wanted to see.  I woke up in time to go see the last band on the cruise, DUSK MACHINE.  I really enjoyed their set and it was so cool to see the very last band and the very last song on the cruise, ending at 3:15 a.m. on the dot. 

click to enlargeI then went to Boleros Lounge to watch the karaoke taking place, after hearing what fun everyone had on Wednesday night.  Many of my friends and many band members were there drinking and visiting.  I had the epic pleasure of singing JUDAS PRIEST’s “Turbo Lover” with WARREL DANE, along with my friends, Rhiannon and Hector.  It was so much fun partying with everyone, closing the bar down at 6 a.m.

Now for some of the other events on ship, that we did not have time to participate in.  Three workshops were scheduled Thursday afternoon.  One was a bass workshop with John Gallagher from RAVEN, another was a guitar workshop with Victor Smolski from RAGE, and the third was the ULI JON ROTH seminar. 

click to enlargeThere were meet and greets scheduled in the Boleros Lounge on Tuesday and Thursday, but I didn’t feel the need to miss live music in order to meet the bands in person.  Besides, they were at shows, eating in the dining room with us and drinking at the bars.  I didn’t bother bands, but I did a lot of smiling, nodding and winking at them.  They knew how I felt, because I think they felt the same. 

There were also some spa and exercise events, but who had time for that?  I was really hoping to exercise and get a massage, but I had to eat, sleep and watch bands!   The casino also had a poker tournament, which I think some participated in. 

click to enlargeWe debarked the ship starting at 7:30 a.m. Friday morning, which was hell for some of the metalheads, so many of us didn’t even go to bed Thursday night.  We went right to a hotel near the airport to rest, since our flight left very early Saturday Morning.

A post-party featuring TESTAMENT was held in Ft. Lauderdale last night (Saturday, January 29).  Hopefully, the rest of our friends were able to stay and enjoy!

I was a little bummed out that there were about 12 bands we didn’t get to see that we wanted to because of rest, eating, drinking, etc.  I know they had to at least break even in this venture, if not making a profit, because all the alcohol sold.  I heard a rumor that it was an all time alcohol sales record for the first day of a cruise!   I know they were out of merlot and Foster's beer late Wednesday.  Ah, what a party. 

click to enlargeIf they do it 70,000 Tons again next year (which is rumored to be on), I have the following suggestions:   Bigger ship.  At least another day.  A warmer time of year.  A little more time to rest & exercise to take care of ourselves without missing bands.  More time and a quicker way to sell merchandise—that was a failure, in my opinion. 

All hails to the sponsors, the promoters, the sound crew, Allison & Andy, and everyone who coordinated this amazing event.  My little metal world has now expanded into a big, wide universe.  It will take weeks if not months, to wipe the smile off my face.   \m/

Click To Enlarge Any Photo Below

click to enlargeI'd like to start this review by giving my wife's recipe for getting out Gwar blood.

1. Rinse 3 times in cold water

2. Wash in warm water with detergent and vinegar 3 times

3. One more wash with cold water and detergent

Yes, you go to a Gwar show and your friends die. It's as natural as rain on a goddamn Sunday morning. My old friend Bert played taxi driver as we had not attended a Gwar show in about ten years. This year it was at the Showbox SoDo. Yes, in the Seattle area we have two clubs named The Showbox. The other one is the nicer Showbox Market. Showbox SoDo is where all the metal bands play though. I'm thrilled to see more of the bands I like playing there instead of the tiny and dark El Corazone. Better lighting for photography. Plus the air quality is much better as well.


We missed the first band Mobile Death Camp, but got in just in time for the band Infernaeon. This band could have been really great if their vocalist didn't come off like a total douche. He was the Death Metal version of one of those Jersey Shore guys. He might as well have been fist pumping like a mad man. His stage presence could not have been more boring if he stood still. It was like he had a club foot or something. His vocal delivery was about as flat and monotone as it gets. I understand that it's death metal, but does it have to be boring? Mix it up already so we don't fall asleep. Everyone else in the band however was the exact opposite. These guys were pure rockstars and put everything into it. Their playing was top notch and I am pretty sure they are the reason this band is signed. Now if only they could get rid of that boring vocalist.

Next up was the band The Casualties. I have to admit that the name didn't ring a bell until I saw the logo. Then I knew I was about to be hit with some good old school punk. What I got was something very similar to The Exploited during their Beat The Bastards album. They were smart to toss in a ton of covers and these guys know how to put on a show. For a band most had never heard of these guys had the crowd going nuts. I know can see why this band keeps getting bigger and bigger all the time. If you see them once you will be a fan. I know I am. I have a feeling that if the band had a mo0re stable line up they would be huge.

Next up was the mighty Gwar. The band has been around for a quarter century now and they haven't missed a step. They still kick ass on stage and they still spew more bodily fluids into the crowd than ever. I only counted three decapitations, but I was pretty far back in the crowd and couldn't see much. This band was better in a theater setting where those damn tall bastards like Bert Web didn't block the view. I hate to give away too many spoilers, but Lady Gaga was finally given the respect she deserves. I say I was way in the back, but that was because when you are carrying around camera gear you can't fight to the front like I did when I was in my 20's. When the show started I got to go in front of the security barricade and take some great photos that should be posted later this week. Before the band got on stage all the photographers were talking about how to protect or equipment from the onslaught that was about to happen. That Gwar blood can really destroy thousands of dollars of camera and lens in seconds. I found out that neither Brittney Bush or Graham Lee had plastic freezer bags for their cameras. Well, thanks to my very smart wife I had tons of extras. This was a good thing since we all got drenched. I think I may have got it worse than anyone somehow. Check their websites for photos. They took several. But no matter if I was in the photo pit or the crowd (photographers only ever get the first 3 songs), it was a blast and this band still has many years left in it. So if you haven't seen Gwar in awhile I suggest you go see them again. I know they had some lean times before, but they are back in a very big way. I just hope Gor Gor finds a way to return somehow. I miss the big guy.

Photos of all three bands coming later this week!

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 Steamcon II is not just a gathering place for fans, it’s also a place where they can exchange ideas, attend seminars concerning Victorian etiquette (held in the tea room of course), weapons modification and anything you could imagine, and a few you couldn’t. There were also art galleries and many vendors where you could buy that “special item” to make your costume complete.

Captain Robert of Abney ParkThis year’s convention focused on the American version of steam punk. There were almost as many cowboys and frontiersmen as there were people dressed in Victorian costume. I even came across a couple steam punk pets in the form of mechanical birds, dogs and a leather puppet that resembled Salacious Crumb from Return of the Jedi.

To top it all off there were various steam punk musicians including the most famous steam punk band, Abney Park, who participated in a panel discussion and answered questions as to their influences and what else inspired their music. Later that day they performed, if you were lucky enough to buy a ticket.

click to enlarge Steamcon II was a great success and I encourage everyone to look into steam punk. It’s great fun for children and adults and would be a great hobby or possibly more as I suspect some of the attendants may not only wear their costumes for special occasions. I look forward to next year’s convention and have already started my costume. It’s time to build steam!

For more Info Go To:

http://www.steamcon.org/

http://www.abneypark.com/

For a full gallery of photos CLICK HERE and don't forget to click on the thumbnails for a cool slideshow!

For the Friday night show, I can tell you for the most part that I am a die hard MEGADETH fan and was so, so disappointed in the sound they had.  Their set energy-wise on stage was awesome. but the sound was crapp, to say the least. I managed to lose my shoes in the pit area as folks moved  to the music of Megadeth. Then it was the Metal Gods, SLAYER, and  even their sound, in my opinion, was horrible.  But they did what they do best, and that is give an amazing set.

Now comes Saturday Sept 4th, in Hillsboro, Oregon at the Washington County Fairgrounds, an outside stage and show. The crowd that came to this show was so different from the other, in that it seemed like die hard thrash fans showed in droves. I was set to take photos of TESTAMENT as they hit the stage.  Chuck and the Boiz ripped it up.  The crowd had several mosh circles going, kicking up so much dust and grass. Testament showed me why I have remained a fan of what they do...

Then MEGADETH hit stage and not only did they sound hundreds of times better than the night before, they seemed  a lot tighter on the stage.  Dave and the guys really came to life even more on an outside stage, and it was just about perfect on all aspects.

Then it came time for what is the highlight of the tour.  With this being the last show for the first leg of this tour, SLAYER was about to hit the stage.  The crowd was getting bigger and louder as they chanted " SLAYER SLAYER SLAYER".  When  Tom and the men hit that stage the crowd went insane, and was swirling the dust bowl even more intensely than for Megadeth or Testament. I was amazed with how differently all the bands play when comparing indoors to outdoors. It always seems bands are more likely to put more into their set for outside shows. It was one of the best metal holiday weekends I have ever had.

I would love to see this tour's second leg with Anthrax opening.  Seeing tours booked like this is what I enjoy.  Now my dream tour or fest would be: Slayer- Reign In Blood, Metallica - Master of Puppets, Metal Church - The Dark, Testament - Practice What You Preach, Overkill - Years of Decay, Death Angel - Act Three, and many more than I can list.  Could you imagine all the  Thrash gods on one big festival tour!??