Artist: Charred Walls Of The Damned
Venue: Gramercy (New York, NY)
Opener: Don Jamieson, Magus Beast, The Hixon, The Smash-Up
Date: 7/8/20100
Label: Metal Blade Records
Charred Walls Of The Damned is a new Metal project band for former Death and Iced Earth skin basher Richard Christy. The drummer has been out of the Metal loop for a few years based on his working with the Howard Stern radio show but of course once this is in your blood it is only a matter of time before you return to it. I guess it’s like being in the mob. It was not long ago that the bug sunk its fangs deep into Christy’s system and beckoned him back to the Metal stage and to do this time proper he would assemble a killer band to record with in his new group the Charred Walls of the Damned. On guitar he would have producer Jason Suecof and on bass Steve DiGiorgio. The powerful music that would come from such players could only be properly compensated by the incendiary vocal pipes of Tim “Ripper” Owens who for many fans of the genre can do no wrong. Their self-titled album has been getting some positive reviews and this release would be the focus of their set tonight. They would have a few regional bands as support in each stop but the direct support space was relegated to comedian Don Jamieson from “That Metal Show”; the program hosted by Eddie Trunk. Here is how the larger part of the night went down for those who might have missed it.
Continue reading Charred Walls Of The Damned @ Gramercy Theatre (7/8/2010) →
Metal Loyalists of the world don’t need me to educate them about the importance or relevance to the genre when it comes to Testament. The proof is in the pudding they might say when it comes to the extensive body of work that has always managed to not only stay true to the band’s original vibe, but also managed to continue to raise their own personal bar and inspire any Metal fan and band who wisely choose to listen to them. PiercingMetal.com had been keeping up with the adventures of the band since the reunion of the original lineup and how the crushed the senses with numerous live appearances on events like the Metal Masters tour and the appearance with Children Of Bodom as they continued to support the stunning “Formation Of Damnation” CD that came courtesy of Nuclear Blast Records. Moving like a freight train on greased tracks, the adventure continues and brings us to this evenings most stellar of events.
Continue reading Testament @ Sirius Satellite Radio Studios (8/2009) →
Children Of Bodom are fast proving themselves to be a rising star for the Metal genre and each of their shows pulls out all of the stops in terms of excitement. Tonight the band would be back in NYC and bring along Viking warriors Amon Amarth and France’s Gojira. Check out our thoughts and images from this kick ass show below the logo.
Artist: Children Of Bodom
Venue: Nokia Theatre Times Square (New York, NY)
Opener: Amon Amarth, Gojira
Date: 12/17/2006
Label: Spinefarm Records
Tickets for this show sold faster than hotcakes at a County Fair and how could this not be the case when you were putting new sensations Gojira and Viking Warriors of Metal Amon Amarth together with Children Of Bodom. Bodom or CoB as their fans are known to refer to them has been proving on a regular basis that they are indeed one of the most exciting bands of our time. Their shows are nothing less than energetic, exhilarating and just an overall damned good time. Here are some thoughts of the evening.
Continue reading Children Of Bodom @ Nokia Theatre Times Square (12/17/2006) →
Artist: Iced Earth
Title: “Horror Show”
Label: Century Media Records
Release Date: 6/26/2001
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 8/10
Focusing their energies on the mysterious and the macrabre, Jon Schaffer and company deliver the evil with the album ”Horror Show”. The theme the group follows for this one is “monsters”, and each track on the release is about one particular member of the Legions Of Darkness. It’s an interesting idea; very well-written and becomes an audio version of “Famous Monsters Of Filmland” when you observe it as a whole. Songs like “Dracula” and “Damien” are perhaps the album’s best tracks, each bringing you into the mind of the horrific character that it showcases. Musically, the album is very strong and finds Matt Barlow belting out the vocals like a banshee (this would be his last recording with the group). Rounding out the lineup for the recording with Schaffer and Barlow is Richard Christy (drums), Larry Tanowski (guitar) and Steve DiGiorgio (bass). It’s a talented line of defense against these spirits and with “Horror Show” the group allows even the new listener a chance to enjoy their brand of Metal with little background on them. While the band had been around for a few years, I found myself missing the boat on them until this release. Overall, Iced Earth delivers some of the best traditional-styled Metal I have heard in a long time. Outside of the tracks cited above (which are my particular favorites), I leaned strongly on “The Phantom Opera Ghost”. The track showcases the talents of Yunhui Percifield, who plays the part of Christine during the song. “Wolf” and “Jack” are also interesting and bring you stories about the Wolf- Man and Jack The Ripper, in case you did not figure that part out.
Continue reading “Horror Show” by Iced Earth →
Artist: Iced Earth
Title: “The Glorious Burden”
Label: SPV Records
Release Date: 1/13/2004
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 8/10
The new Iced Earth CD has just made its appearance on the shelves. The most visible change for the band has been the addition of new Lead Singer Tim “Ripper” Owens. As all metal fans probably know by now, Ripper was the replacement for Rob Halford in Judas Priest. When Halford returned Tim was free to pursue other bands. While I liked him as a fill in when Rob was not there to play, I feel he is better suited to Iced Earth. Given Ripper’s voice is so “Halford-like” there are many times when one listens to this CD and would think it is Judas Priest or Fight for that matter. This is unavoidable when your singer has this style to his vocals. Whether or not Ripper has just recorded the vocals on this album as a fill in guy, or whether he is a new fulltime member remains to be seen. It is my hope that he does stay, and given that I see some tour dates for my immediate area over the next couple of months, I am thinking this is a new step for him.
Continue reading “The Glorious Burden” by Iced Earth →
Where Heavy Music & Pop Culture Collide
