Indianapolis

Kings of Thrash and Hatriot at The Vogue, Indianapolis, February 20, 2023

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , ,

The Mega Years Tour of the Kings Of Thrash raised Indy’s blood pressure at The Vogue Theatre in Broad Ripple.

Kings of Thrash is a band formed by bassist David Ellefson and guitarist Jeff Young to celebrate the early, classic creations of thrash juggernaut Megadeth. Specifically, on this tour they are playing Killing is My Business…and Business is Good and So Far, So Good…So What in their entirety. Don’t ask any questions about Peace Sells … Actually, the reason they are playing the first and third Megadeth albums is because the second one is so well known that it sometimes overshadows the great music on the other two. It is a clever idea, and a boon for fans to be able to hear this rarely-played music.

The opening act was Hatriot, pronounce to rhyme with “patriot” – an important point, especially since I was pronouncing it more like Hat Riot until I heard better. Imagine my surprise when no one in the band was wearing headgear of any sort. Created in 2011 by Exodus vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza and guitar maestro Kosta Varvatakis, the band is now peopled by Cody Souza, Kosta Varvatakis, Nick Souza and Kevin Paterson. They have a solid discography behind them, including last year’s record The Veil Of Shadows, and they carry the Bay Area banner with pride. Hatriot played several songs from the new album, naturally, and spread music from their other albums liberally across the rest of the set. They were great, and my only complaint is I wished they had played longer because I was ready to hear more.

Hatriot

Kings Of Thrash did what they said they were going to do. They played those early Megadeth albums in their entirety, with a slightly altered song order, if I heard it right. Principals Ellefson and Young performed exceptionally well, and they deserve enormous credit for bringing this music back to the forefront. After all, many of these songs haven’t been performed live regularly for decades. The performed a few shows last October, finishing off at the Whisky A Go Go. Things went so well they decided to mount a bigger tour in 2023.

David Ellefson
Jeff Young

Lead guitar and singing duties were handled by Chaz Leon, and the drummer for the tour is Fred Aching. The band played flawlessly, whipping up the modest Broad Ripple crowd and keeping the thrash rolling song after song. The encore held a few surprises, with “Peace Sells” showing up and other bands getting the cover spotlight as well. It was a great show, and even better than I expected it would be.

Chaz Leon

Kings of Thrash and Hatriot are on tour for the next several weeks. Check out the tour poster to see where they will be playing near you. Catch them if you can.

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Kings of Thrash website, https://www.kingsofthrash.com/

Hatriot website, https://hatriot.bigcartel.com/

The Vogue Theatre, https://thevogue.com/

Photo Galleries.

Kings of Thrash, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2023/02/25/photo-gallery-kings-of-thrash-at-the-vogue-theatre-indianapolis-2023/

Hatriot, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2023/02/25/photo-gallery-hatriot-at-the-vogue-theatre-indianapolis-2023/

© Wayne Edwards

Kings of Thrash and Hatriot at The Vogue, Indianapolis, February 20, 2023

Photo Gallery: Cannibal Corpse at The Vogue, 12-6-2022

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Cannibal Corpse, http://www.cannibalcorpse.net/

The Vogue Theatre, https://thevogue.com/

FFMB article on the show, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/12/09/cannibal-corpse-at-the-vogue-indianapolis-december-6-2022/

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: Cannibal Corpse at The Vogue, 12-6-2022

Photo Gallery: The Contortionist at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, October 15, 2022

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Here are a few photos that might not have made it into the main Ghost Cult Magazine article.

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Ghost Cult Magazine article on the show, https://www.ghostcultmag.com/concert-review-the-contortionist-rivers-of-nihil-live-at-old-national-centre-indianapolis/

Rivers of Nihil FFMB article, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/10/26/rivers-of-nihil-at-old-national-centre-indianapolis-october-15-2022/

The Contortionist, https://www.thecontortionist.net/

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: The Contortionist at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, October 15, 2022

Rivers Of Nihil at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, October 15, 2022

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , ,

Rivers of Nihil finished off their fall tour with an unusual show in Indianapolis.

Rivers of Nihil finished their Fall tour with The Contortionist last Saturday at the Old National Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was a concept tour in a way. Not only did The Contortionist play two of their albums in their entirety, but Rivers of Nihil also played an album straight through. That is something I had never seen before.

The Old National Centre was known to me for most of my life as the Murat Theatre, the oldest (extant) stage house in Indianapolis. It is a beautiful place with many performance areas including the main theater, The Egyptian Room, and a number of other halls and lobbies. The Rivers of Nihil show was in one of the lower levels in a small hall at the back. It is nicer than I am making it sound – imagine a decent-sized room where a wedding reception might be held with a stage on one side.

The evening got off to a peculiar start when Rivers of Nihil took the stage. The bassist, Adam Biggs, announced that the lead singer, Jake Dieffenbach, would not be performing due to “personal issues.” However, if it was OK with the crowd, the rest of the band would play anyway. The crowd agreed (what else could they do?) and the show went on with Biggs handling the vocal duties. At one point someone did jump on stage to sing for part of a song and I am pretty sure it was Dieffenbach, but in the darkness it was hard to tell.

Rivers of Nihil played their most recent album, The Work (Metal Blade Records 2021) straight through. This album has received a lot of good press (including from me) for its depth of expression. In many ways, Rivers of Nihil have a strong Pink Floyd component going with these songs, particularly in their exploratory nature. There is an extended lyrical presence in the work, and the generous use of saxophones during the live performance greatly enhanced the experience. The lighting was particularly dim and deeply colored, with the liberal use of strobe effects to drive the etherealness home. Even without their usual lead singer, the show they put on ran for an hour and was fantastic.

That’s it for the Fall tour, but Rivers of Nihil are back out on the road in Europe starting in November on the Faces of Death Tour. They will be in the northeast in December for three shows with Killswitch Engage as well, so there are a lot of opportunities remaining to see them this year. Get out there and do it.

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

This post is condensed / rewritten from the Ghost Cult Magazine article which is linked below.

Links.

Ghost Cult Magazine article on the show, https://www.ghostcultmag.com/concert-review-the-contortionist-rivers-of-nihil-live-at-old-national-centre-indianapolis/

Rivers Of Nihil, https://www.riversofnihil.com/

Metal Blade Records, https://www.metalblade.com/us/artists/rivers-of-nihil/

The Contortionist, https://www.thecontortionist.net/

© Wayne Edwards

Rivers Of Nihil at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, October 15, 2022

Lust Witch, We All Die Alone (2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Indianapolis doom band Lust Witch unleash a sludgy new EP, We All Die Alone.

The band is Taylor Hoang (bass, vocals), Ian Gernhardt (guitar, vocals), and Mason Plummer (drums). The music they play is a doom/sludge integration that leans into the heavy riff and presses it to the blackout stage. We All Die Alone is their first album.

There are four songs on the EP, each labeled with a word from the title. “We,” then, is first. It offers a disorienting stance in the opening couple of minutes, with disconcerting staccato chants hurled that are surrounded by a sputtering generator of surges and recessions. A more ordered and persistent thrumming sets in and pushes toward the conclusion, leading into “All.” The second track is more cinematically dreary, like a Hammer horror movie with deep, rich tones. The pace accelerates and the vocals broaden in profile throughout the first half. The fatal chop returns and the listener faces enpummelment.

“Die,” the longest track on the album at nine-and-a-half minutes, continues the litany. The initial tone here strikes me as melancholy. The constant reminder of awaiting eternity bears down on you here, too, and by now it is really getting under your skin. In whatever tempo shift or transition we might find ourselves, there is that constancy waiting for us at the end, altogether unavoidable. And, ultimately, we face it “Alone,” as the final track drives home. Truly, these songs form a suite that is easily, arguably, a single piece. The final movement is smoothest around the edges and also the saddest because of the singular inevitability it describes.

This music was recorded live in the studio, and the band must have been channeling the ethereal muse because they have created a memorable, fundamental slab of doom. Give it a listen and then go see them live. Recommended.

We All Die Alone is out now. Pick it up at Bandcamp – link below.

Band photos by Wayne Edwards

Links.

Bandcamp, https://lustwitchdoom.bandcamp.com/album/we-all-die-alone

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Lust-Witch-110221191691214

© Wayne Edwards

Lust Witch, We All Die Alone (2022)

Photo Gallery: Lust Witch at Piere’s, Ft. Wayne, July 31, 2022

Wayne Edwards, , , , ,

Indianapolis doom band Lust Witch was one of the opening acts for the Crowbar stop on the Riff Beast Tour at Piere’s in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I got to the show just as they were finishing their set so I was only able to get a couple of snaps. Photo galleries of the other bands and a show recap coming in the next couple days.

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Lust Witch, https://www.facebook.com/Lust-Witch-110221191691214/

Piere’s Entertainment Center, https://pieresentertainment.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: Lust Witch at Piere’s, Ft. Wayne, July 31, 2022

Max & Iggor Cavalera, Warbringer, and Healing Magic at The Vogue, Indianapolis, June 6th 2022

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Heavy metal giants Max & Iggor Cavalera brought their show to Broad Ripple on Monday. The feature act was neo-thrash metallers Warbringer and Healing Magic opened the show.

Healing Magic is a duo from Arizona comprised of Igor Amadeus Cavalera on guitar and vocals and Johnny Valles on drums. It is amazing, truly incredible in fact, that such a full and complete sound can be created live by only two people. Roaring psychedelic riffs and astonishing percussion filled the club and got the crowd whipped up for the evening ahead. I have seen two-man acts before, but none could hold a candle to Healing Magic.

Veteran thrashers Warbringer held the middle slot. Formed in 2004, Warbringer has an impressive catalogue of albums in their canon and a formidable roster of metal musicians who line the stage every night and deliver stunning performances. Front man John Kevill stalked the stage and the pit and the crowd, becoming one with the concert-goers and making the night one they would remember all summer. The hard-driving attack of the guitars along with the steady rhythm section and searing percussion had the house speakers swaying.

Max and Iggor Cavalera are luminaries in the heavy music world. Remembered first as stalwart members of Sepulchura, they continued to create new and compelling music without pause after their departure from that iconic band. As Cavalera Conspiracy, they released four riff-filled albums in ten years. Operating now as Max & Iggor Cavalera, they continue to answer the call from the legion of their fans.

On Monday at The Vogue they played Beneath The Remains and Arise straight through, and a couple of bonus tunes at the end. This tour is a celebration of the early days of Sepultura. Being there to hear it live again was an amazing experience. The influence and lasting impact of that band cannot be overstated. This tour will help keep the music alive.

The links below will connect you to more information on the bands and to photo galleries of Healing Magic and Warbringer for more snaps from the show. There are many dates remaining on the tour. Grab a ticket and go.

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Max & Iggor Cavalera, https://cavaleraconspiracy.bandcamp.com/

Warbringer, https://warbringer.bandcamp.com/

Warbringer photo gallery at FFMB, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/06/11/photo-gallery-warbringer-at-the-vogue-indianapolis-june-6th-2022/

Healing Magic, https://www.facebook.com/healingmagicaz

Healing Magic photo gallery at FFMB, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2022/06/12/photo-gallery-healing-magic-at-the-vogue-indianapolis-june-6th-2022/

The Vogue, https://thevogue.com/calendar/

© Wayne Edwards

Max & Iggor Cavalera, Warbringer, and Healing Magic at The Vogue, Indianapolis, June 6th 2022

Brkn Love at The Vogue, April 30th

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Brkn Love wrapped up their current tour this past weekend, including the penultimate stop at The Vogue in Indianapolis.

Brkn Love (฿ Ɽ ₭ ₦ ⱠØVɆ) has been on the road for the past few weeks supporting Badflower on an arc of shows that traversed a winding path, leading finally to the toe-stub stop in Broad Ripple on Saturday night. While lightning flared outside, Justin Benlolo and the band threw down their music with accustomed gusto to the swelling crowd.

My first time seeing Brkn Love was a couple years back at Aftershock in Sacramento. I was impressed by performance and the sound they put together. The music they play is hard-edged rock that sometimes gets labeled alternative. To me there is a classic vibe in it, updated and extended through the eccentricities and urgencies of the composers.

The tour has ended for now, so here are a few pictures to help remember the show at The Vogue. The follow-up to the band’s self-titled 2020 debut album can’t be too far away, and when it arrives it will be big news. Until then, stream the current single “Like A Drug” and think back to the last time you heard them play live.

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

BRKN Love, https://www.brknlove.com/

Spinefarm Records, https://spinefarm.merchnow.com/catalogs/brkn-love

The Vogue, https://thevogue.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Brkn Love at The Vogue, April 30th

Monolord and Firebreather at Black Circle Brewing, March 19, 2022

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , ,

Two bands from Gothenburg, Sweden rolled in to Indianapolis on Saturday night and laid down the doom.

Black Circle Brewing is a restaurant and bar in Indianapolis that attracts an impressive roster of heavy music acts throughout the year. On Saturday night, it was Monolord and Firebreather who took the stage. Both stoner / doom bands from Sweden are touring on new albums. The local opener was Ancient Days, and they have new music out, too.

Ancient Days is a five-piece doom outfit with a mysterious, bewitching vibe. I arrived at Black Circle just as they started to play, so I head their sonic emanations spilling out into the neighborhood as darkness was folding over the city. It was an amazing way for the show to begin. Check out their music at Bandcamp – their latest album is Sign of the Times.

Firebreather is playing every stop on the tour, and they have a titanic rumble about them. Their latest album is Dwell In The Fog, and once you hear it, you won’t be able to stop listening. The music is a rambling groove of rushing heavy, and their live performance is a nonstop push that probes your cerebellum and gets your head swinging.

Monolord is a band I have been following for years and years. Your Time To Shine is their latest album, and I have been on the bandwagon since Empress Rising. I don’t know how it is possible, but this is the first time I had ever seen them live. I have heard every song they have released and I’ve seen recordings of their performances, but being there is a whole different experience. That’s why we go to shows, right.

Black Circle Brewing is a small, intimate place. There is no pit, so you can stand right up by the stage, which rises only a couple feet so it feels like the band is in the same space you are. The show was sold out and the crowd was a solid sea of doom fans. We got everything we were looking for and more. Unsurprisingly, this performance made me want to see Monolord again even more, if that is possible. Then again, how could it go any other way? I know for sure I’ll catch them at Psycho Las Vegas at the end of the summer – get those tickets while you still can because that event is going to legendary.

Monolord and Firebreather have several more dates in March in Texas, Arizona, and southern California. Check out the tour poster below and see if they are coming your way.

All photos by Wayne Edwards.

Links.

Monolord, https://monolord.bandcamp.com/

Firebreather, https://firebreatherdoom.bandcamp.com/

Ancient Days, https://ancientdays.bandcamp.com/

Black Circle Brewing, https://www.blackcirclebrewing.com/black-circle

© Wayne Edwards.

Monolord and Firebreather at Black Circle Brewing, March 19, 2022