JOSIE COTTON / PLIMSOULS / DOT DASH 12/12/23 METRO GALLERY BALTIMORE, MD

Ok, this was like taking a time machine back to the 80’s, Well, this was just a fun show all around. Up 1st was the DC post punk / alternative rock band DOT DASH who also have some strong history in the punk scene. Well, DOT DASH feature Danny Ingram ex MadHouse / Youth Brigade (DC) on drums, and once featured Steve Hansen from Minor Threat. But DOT DASH just played a great set of punk, posts punk, and alternative rock with a DC sound added in with some power pop licks. Great seeing them again. THE PILMSOULS from CA kicked out some power pop rock n roll with hints of garage, new wave and just rock n roll. The groups only original member Eddie Munoz on vocals / guitar along with members from bands like Magnetic Fields and Speed Fossil just played a killer set that included songs like…. lost time, zero hour, 99th floor, i get so excited, and the hit a million miles away. Next closing out the 80’s rewind the queen / bad girl of new wave / punk Josie Cotton who just played a wonderful show. Well, Josie Cotton who still looks and sounds great came out in a cowgirl / cowpunk outfit and just kick out all the new wave classics. Well, Josie just played a killer mixer of new wave, punk, pop, rock n roll, alternative rock playing songs like…. creeps, systematic way, secret agent man, pussycat Babylon, calling all girl, school is in, money, Sheena is a punk rocker, and the 80’s hit Johnny are you queer that she said here’s the song that got me in trouble. Well, Josie Cotton is still a rock n roll / new wave diva finally glad i got to see her play. Just a killer show to end 2023 with. This was just a totally fun show that took me back to the 80’s. (Billy Whitfield review / photo)

LUCIFER / EARLY MOODS 11/30/23 SOUNDSTAGE – BALTIMORE, MD

This was just a killer show. For some reason I was looking for a much bigger turnout, but people were probably out of money from seeing KISS the day before. Up 1st was a DC band called BORRACHO, saw these guys once before. Well, BORRACHO played some pretty decent rock n roll with hints of garage and punk, not bad. Next were the rock n roll machine from LA called EARLY MOODS who just tore things up with some loud and sleazy guitar fueled rock n roll. Well, EARLY MOODS just played a killer set of heavy metal, rock, metal, doom rock with some sleaziness of the sunset strip added in. Well, fronted by a guy called Albert EARLY MOODS just played a cool set that included songs like…. return to Salem’s gate, isolated, a sinner’s past, and a few more. Pretty cool stuff indeed. Next the evil rock n roll machine called LUCIFER just preached some sinful rock n roll to the evil souls. Well, LUCIFER who just played a powerful set is fronted by Johanna Platow Andersson along with hubby Nickie Andersson from the rock n roll / punk band Hellacopters and the metal band Entombed. Well, LUCIFER just played a killer set of rock n roll / metal that also have a strong 70’s to 80’s rock feel with hints of punk, Goth, doom rock, 70’s metal, stoner rock, and just powerful metal with a guitar assault. But this Swedish / Berlin act have a sound so evil it’s just screamed a sound that gave off a Sabbath, Warlock, Oath, Angel Witch, Coven, Runaways feel. Well, Johanna’s vocals and style are just killer and reminds me of a cross between Stevie Nicks meeting Cherie Currie to the evil of Diana Cancer (45 Graves). But. these occult rockers just played a great set that included songs like…. ghosts, midnight phantom, wild hearses, crucifix, coffin fever, bring me his head, CA sun, dreamer, and more. Well, even with a small crowd LUCIFER just played a killer show casting a spell of evil metal on everyone there. Just wished Coven was on this bill. (BW)

CATTLE DECAPITATION 11/27/23 SOUNDSTAGE BALTIMORE, MD

Just a pure metal melt down on this frozen night. Well, up 1st the NY based band CASTRATOR who just kicked out some powerful stuff. This was my second time seeing them, looked like they had some new members. But singer Clarissa is just brutal on stage with some killer metal grinding vocals, along with a band that kick out an assault of brutal to hard hitting metal that have the same feel as…. CRYPTA, DYING FETUS with a mixer of metal, death metal, punk, and hardcore. The set included songs like…. tormented by atrocities, forsaken and deprived, sinister mind, and more. SANGUISUGABOSS just got brutal as well with that hardcore / metal edge that reminded me of VOMIT FORTH, CREEPING DEATH, GATE CREEPER just a brutal assault of good metal. Also, the band gave some shout outs to a few local metal bands. Next the old school NY band IMMOLATION who just blow my mind. Well, IMMOLATION been around since the mid 80’s and just played a nuclear assault of doom and destruction with just a sick blast of metal that also had hints of death/black metal meeting that classic NY heavy metal sound of just extreme metal. IMMOLATION set included songs like… all that awaits us, dawn of possession, an act of God, when the jackals come, and more. Glad I was able to finally catch them. Next time for the apocalypse metal fury of CATTLE DECAPITATION from San Diego, CA. Well, CATTLE DECAPITATION just played yet another sick ass show of just insane metal with a dose of doom and chaos. Well, fronted by Travis Ryan who just unleased some brutal vocals that came out like a machine gun assault of ripping metal, along with his band who just played another show of loud, brutal, and hard-hitting metal that was just full of power and rage. But CATTLE DECAPITATION brutal set included songs like… terrasitic adaptation, we eat our young, dead set on suicide, finish them, kingdom of tyrants, vulturous, bring back the plague, and more songs of terror and destruction Anyway this was just another sick ass show of pure evil metal. (BW).

GOATWHORE / SPITER / MORE 11/16/23 METRO GALLARY BALTIMORE, MD

Yeah, metal time and this one was a banger. Up 1st Baltimore metal / thrash psychos NUCLEAR TOMB who just played an insane set of thrash / metal with just a killer 80’s feel. Next out of Phila were SPITER who just played a sinful set that was full of mayhem Well, SPITER just tore it up with some evil death metal that have hints of punk, horror, black metal with a style and sound that reminded me of…. Devil Master, Mayhem, King Diamond, Venom, Midnight, and Motorhead. SPITER set included songs of the killer cd “bathe the babe in bat blood. Just a killer band. Next things got loud with WITHERED from the ALT who played a great set of hard ass metal with plenty of rage and power as well as some loudness that was pretty sweet. Next out of the evil swamps of NOLA GOATWHORE who were just fucking amazing. Seeing GOATWHORE in a smaller club just blow me away. Well. GOATWHORE just played a set so evil I’m still shaking as GOATWHORE played a killer set that included songs like… nihil, the bestowal of abomination, fbs, born of Satan’s flesh, apocalyptic havoc, death from above, and more But, seeing GOATWHORE up close in a small venue you could just feel this bands loudness and sinful sickness. Just a killer show. (BW)