INSOMNIUM / OMNIUM GATHERUM / WILDERUM 5/9/24 SOUNDSTAGE BALTIMORE, MD

Just a killer show with a pretty good turnout even with 3 or 4 other shows going on. Well, up 1st the Boston band WILDERUM who were pretty good with sort of a progressive metal sound with hints of folk metal, epic metal, and just straight up metal. Next one of 2 bands from Finland OMNIUM GATHERUM who were totally sick and just played an amazing set of insane metal that was full of just pure evil. OMNIUM GATHERUM just had an evil hard rock edge with a thrash metal backdrop with hints of death / black metal added to this band’s thrash zone. Well starting around 1996 this band also feature Markus Vanhala on guitar who also play in INSOMNIUM as well is the only original member ( i think) left in the band, with Jukka Pelkonen on vocals who been with the band since 2006. Well, this band was amazing to watch with just some pure sinful guitar action. Well, OG powerful set included songs like… slasher, paragon, soul journeys, white palace, gods go first, and more. Just a killer set. Well, also from Finland the powerful INSOMNIUM who just blow me away again with again powerful show, saw them lasts year with Enslaved and was just blown away by this band’s live show. Well, INSOMNIUM is like bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, live with pure bad ass shredding guitar action. Fronted by Niilo Sevanen bass / vocals and Ville Friman guitar / vocals with Markus Vanhala evil guitar licks INSOMNIUM just played some mind-blowing metal that included everything from melodic metal to death / black metal, progressive, doom, Goth, thrash, folk, all rolled in one killer sound of darkness and chaos. But INSOMNIUM are just an amazing metal band who just destroyed the stage with some powerful metal with a killer guitar hero edge. Well, the setlists was killer and featured songs like… anno 1696, white Christ, Lilian, and bells they toll, heart like a grave, mortal share, song of the dusk, and more. Just an amazing band whose songs are like epic tales of darkness. Just a killer band to see live and photograph. (review / photos Billy Whitfield)

GWAR / CANCER BATS / FUMINGMOUTH 3/30/24 SOUNDSTAGE BALTIMORE, MD

FUCK YEAH!!! Time for some metal, hardcore and blood (fake blood). Boy, this was a show out crowed show packed from the front to the back of the club, almost no moving room. Well, up 1st the band FUMINGMOUTH saw them with BDM here once before. Well, featuring Mark Whelan on vocals FUMINGMOUTH just played a powerful set of brutal hard-edge metal that had hints of hardcore, death metal, with some speed added in. But this Nuclear Blast band played a cool set that included songs like… devolve, fatalism, burial practices, out of the shadows, and a few more. FUMINGMOUTH reminded me somewhat of Vomit Forth with a hard hitting, loud, fasts sound of sick metal. Canada’s CANCER BATS are back in town with another new line up. Well CANCER BATS just got insane with some powerful metal / hardcore / punk mayhem that was pure chaos that still reminds me of bands like… Black Flag, Refused, ETID. Fronted by Liam Cormier CANCER BATS just played a hellbent set that included songs like… trust no one, gatekeeper, rats, hammering on, winterpeg, sabotage (the Beastie Boys song), and more. Just killer punk rock with a metal fuse. Finally time for another blood shower. Well, GWAR who i just can’t get enough of since seeing them in the mid 80’s just played another killer show. Well, these godz of punk, metal, rock n roll are back in Baltimore to slay and destroy the Soundstage crowd. Well, GWAR still features Blothar the Berserker (aka Michael Bishop) on vocals (onetime known as Beefcake almighty (bass) before switching to vocals). Well, this was my 1st time seeing them with the co singer Sawborg Destructo, along with Grodius Maximus on guitar (wiki it). But this tour of blood and gore is called “Age Of Befuddlement” Well, GWAR just kicked out the metal / hardcore / punk and blood with all what you came to love from this band, battle on the stage, blood shot into the crowd, humor, beheading one being Joe Biden, decapitations, and more blood. Well, the set included such songs as… let us slay, hail genocide, maggots, battle lust, crack in the egg, sick of you, fishfuck, fuck this place, i bonesnapper, and more. But GWAR is still a great band too see live or dead, and still one hell of a fun show. (review / photos billy whitfield)

HULDER / DEVIL MASTER / WORM / NECROFIER DECIBEL MAGAZINE TOUR 3/6/24 SOUNDSTAGE BALTIMORE, MD

Well on a day where the date is 3/6 just add to this evil banger of a show. Well, this is the Decibel Magazine 2024 tour with 4 killer bands of pure darkness. Well, the metal cult came out to this 1/2 club show that was sold-out out from the looks of it. Up 1st the band NECROFIER who kicked out some Texas style metal that was pure evil. fronted by Christian Larson Necrofier just ripped out some killer metal with just a shredding sound of extreme metal with just a sonic assault of loudness that had a black / death metal feel of darkness and total blasphemy bullet flying metal that reminded me of Watain, Dark Funeral, and Slayer with just a nail to a cross sound. The brutal set included songs like… the black flame burn, darker than the night, total southern darkness, and more. WORM from the nasty swamps of FLA featuring Phantom Slaughter on vocals and Wroth Septentrion on guitar just played a killer set of doom metal with hints of progressive gloom, blk / death metal, Goth, Goth metal, and just st8 up metal with a pure satanic edge with just some classic guitar licks added in. Well, Worm hell bent for face paint metal had the same sickness and chaos as bands like… Mayhem, Venom, Witch Vomit, Mortuous, and Cradle of Filth as well. But Worm who are label mates with Hulder (20 Buck Spin) just reminded me of all those cool Swedish death metal band i love so much. The set included songs like….murk above the dark moor, ravenblood, bluenothing, and more. Just a killer set with great stage present. FUCK YEAHHHHH DEVIL MASTER just tore it up. Well, DEVIL MASTER just played a fast and furious set of shredding metal that hit me like a car crash. Well, Devil Master who are st8 out of Phila just played a set of pure metal sickness and mayhem with just a sick and twisted sound. These Phila ghouls of dark / black metal sound also have an evil sound of rock n roll, punk, horror punk, metal all rolled into one blood ripping dark sound that reminded me of bands like… Midnight, Mayhem, Spiter, Toxic Holocaust, Discharge, Gism, just extreme as fuck metal. Well, with some ex Slutlust members Devil Master speed and darkness blow me away with songs like… black flame candle, acid black mass, shrines in cinder, and more. Just pure killer metal / punk with an unholy passion of chaos. Closing out the night of metal sickness was HULDER who just played a sinister set of evil metal. Well, this American based band just play killer metal with a strong European feel with hints of blk / death metal meeting just an old school metal feel. Well, Hulder were just killer with a dark and haunting sound that remind me of bands like… Mayhem, Sabbath, King Diamond, Gorgoroth, with Hulder own twist of evilness added in. Well, the set included such songs as…. hearken the end, verses in oath, unholy divine, upon frigid winds, and more. Well, Hulder are out on tour promoting the record “Verses in Oath” on 20 Buck Spin Music just played one hell of an aggressive show with a lot of rage and power. But this was just a pure evil show of darkness and great metal. just forgot my corpse makeup. (BW) photos / review Billy Whitfield

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).

MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT / ADULT. / KANGA 10/26/23 SOUNDSTAGE BALTIMORE, MD

Ok, this was just another bad ass show all 3 bands were killer. Well, opening this night of industrial, dance wave music was the LA, CA based performer called KANGA who kicked out some pretty sweet post-apocalyptic pop with a dance beat. Kanga music is just a cool mixer of dance, electronica, Synth pop dance with a darkwave heart think Pearches or Youth Code. Her set included such songs as… preface, home, godless, violence, under glass, and more. Just cool stuff from the next queen of darkwave dance punk. Next the Detroit duo featuring Adam Lee and Nicola Kuperus who been kicking out music since 98′ Well, ADULT. just played a killer set of dark Goth. dance. darkwave. synth wave. punk, and Goth rock with just a cool 80’s feel. but watching ADULT, live is just a cool visual event as well with a style that reminded me some of the band Nightclub. OMD. Void Vision. DEVO. Siouxsie and the Banshees. Lene Lovich, Singer Nicola Kuperus just have a killer stage presents that reminded me of one of those cool 80’s punk / new wave singers. Well. ADULT, set was great and included songs like…. she’s nice looking. why always why. i am nothing. fools. nausea. and more. Well. also love when they came out Nicola tool some tape from one side of the stage and got an audience member to hold it for the 1st song. Love to see them in a small club. Next one of my favorite’s industrial rock bands MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT featuring the one an only Groovie on vocals, Well. TKK are on what is called the “Evil Eye Tour” featuring songs from songs from the band’s 87 to 97 era (Wax Tracks / Interscope years) that included a songs lists like, burning dirt. a daisy chain 4 satan. ride the mindway. sex on wheelz. leather sex. Apollo 69. dope doll jungle. after the flesh. kooler than Jesus. and more for a close to 90 minutes ride of sex. dance. and industrial rock. But. TKK just played a mind-blowing set that still have that crazy industrial rock. dance. disco punk. rock. metal. alternative rock feel. with just a sexy beat so evil. Well. singer Groovie who been with this rock n roll circus since 87 (day one) was joined on tour with the evil bass playing of Mimi Star. Justing Thyme drums and I think Buzz as well. But. this was just another amazing show. and TKK are still amazing 2 see live. (BW)

IGORRR / MELT-BANANA / OTTO VON SCHIRACH 9/18/23 SOUNDSTAGE – BALTIMORE, MD

Ok, this was just another amazing show. Well, this tour was suppose to happened about 2 or so years ago but was postponed due to the covid shutdown. Well, the wait was well worth it, this tour feature 3 bands who all have a mixer of musically styles. Up 1st was OTTO VON SCHIRACH who came out and did a one-man wrecking crew of a set that was a crazy mixer of rap, hip hop, EDM, metal, IDM, bass, break core, and electronica. adding in some humor. Well, Otto’s set was just insane that was like a crazy acid trip at an EDM Fests. His set included songs like… the ufo is waiting, animal, draculo, when dinosaurs rule the earth, and a few more. Next the Japanese noise machine called MELT-BANANA featuring Yasuko O on vocals and Ichiro Agata on guitar. Well, MELT-BANANA just ripped out a set of just insane metal, punk, noise, metal core, and just extreme experimental metal that was like a sonic boom. Well, this Japanese band who been at it since 92′ just played a powerful set that sounded like a jet plane taking off, with the loud guitar playing of Agata and the screaming vocals of O this band just played an intense set that included songs like… the hive, candy gun, and more including 8 or 9 songs that were about a few seconds long. Just a killer band who still remind me of Guitar Wolf, Boris, Boredom, and ZEKE. Can’t wait 2 see them again. Time for the almighty IGORRR who just blow me away. Well, actually became a fan of this band from watching You Tube concert footage. Well, IGORRR feature musically genius / madman behind the board and guitar Gautier Serre (aka Igorrr DJ / guitar who along with Marthe Alexandre (mezz soprano) vocals and the metal / death metal vocals of J B Le Ball this band just played a psycho metal circus of a set that included styles of music from EDM, death metal, Goth metal, electronica, Goth, noise, opera, and more, all rolled in one killer sound. Alexandre’s operatic vocals just reminds me of one of those cool Goth – metal bands meeting Le Ball metal roar that’s up there with Mayhem. Well, seeing IGORRR is like being in a middle of a EDM Fests and a Metal Fests, while getting a dose of opera. Well, IGORRR are out supporting the Metal Blade record “Spirituality and Distortion” and played a monster of a set that included songs like…. hollow tree, nervous waltz, downgrade desert, parpaing, viande, very noise, and more. Well, this was actually just a killer show that really blow me away. And IGORRR are just a monster band to see live. (BW) Photos top Melt-Banana below members of Igorrr