Here’s a look back on several albums released in 2022 that I happened to listen to quite a bit. They are in no particular order. Under the Midnight Sun by The Cult, Black Hill Records This is an outstanding rock release that The Cult put out. The first or second listen might not grab you, … Continue reading Memorable albums of 2022
Autopsy ain’t for everyone, that’s for sure. But if your musical tastes tend toward the terrifying, if you have an affinity for the atrocious, if you gravitate toward the grim, then this is right up your dark alley. Autopsy have been one of the pillars of the death metal scene since the 1980s, eschewing the … Continue reading Autopsy: Live in Chicago
Colorado’s Blood Incantation have been rapidly gaining attention since the release of their first full-length, Starspawn, in 2016. In 2019 they featured on the Decibel Magazine Tour, and released their second full-length, Hidden History of the Human Race. The band also released a dark ambient E.P. entitled Timewave Zero in February 2022, fleshing out what … Continue reading Blood Incantation at Reggies in Chicago
Incantation have been busy lately. Just two years after the release of their latest full-length, Sect of Vile Divinities, they are releasing a career-spanning compilation album called Tricennial of Blasphemies through Relapse Records, featuring demos, unreleased tracks, and live recordings. Their touring has been consistent as well. I caught them August 11th at Reggies Rock … Continue reading Incantation live in Chicago
The legendary Voivod brought their unique thrash / prog sound to Chicago’s Reggies Rock Club on June 6 in support of their latest full-length Synchro Anarchy. These guys are firing on all cylinders lately; their 2018 album The Wake was awarded the Juno Metal/Hard Rock album of the year, and Synchro Anarchy is a phenomenal … Continue reading Voivod: Live in Chicago at Reggies
From time to time in metal circles, someone will mention San Francisco’s Slough Feg — maybe even by their full name The Lord Weird Slough Feg — and the results are consistently either intense praise or I’ve never heard of them. And those with the praise will then note that yes, Slough Feg deserve much … Continue reading Slough Feg live in Chicago
Ever the road dogs, Weedeater have set out on a U.S. tour for spring 2022 that will conclude in early June. Had you been at Chicago’s Chop Shop on April 15, you’d have been greeted by the Cynthia Fee rendition of Thank You For Being A Friend, the Golden Girls theme song. Some, maybe most, … Continue reading Weedeater: Live in Chicago at Chop Shop
On March 12, at Reggies Rock Club, Chicago’s heavy metal connoisseurs assembled for an evening of neck-wrecking mayhem for Immolation’s Acts of God 2022 U.S. tour, and accompanying Immolation were New York’s Imperial Triumphant and Washington’s Mortiferum; altogether, three bands of exceptional calibre, each bringing a distinct style to the tour. Mortiferum Olympia’s Mortiferum kicked … Continue reading Immolation, Imperial Triumphant, and Mortiferum in Chicago
Hell is empty and all the devils are here. William Shakespeare, The Tempest The holiday season is upon us again! A time marked by merriment and stimulation of the senses! Who can forget the tastes and smells of the kitchen during the holidays? The sight of the first snowfall? Or the feeling of a toasty … Continue reading The 2021 Holiday of Horror with Macabre
The issue’s not whether you’re paranoid, Lenny, I mean look at this shit, the issue is whether you’re paranoid enough. Max, Strange Days Human Impact hit the road for a fall U.S. tour; a tour that, due to an ongoing global plague, could only happen over a year and a half after the release of … Continue reading Human Impact: Live at The Empty Bottle
2020 was a year of tremendous stress throughout the world, and I think many of us leaned on music to help us keep our bearing. Putting together an end-of-year list of favorite music is a nice way to reflect on the importance of art in one’s life, and also serves as a form of curation. … Continue reading Memorable Albums of 2020
Be afraid… Be very afraid. March 7, 2020 No one in the metal scene has a sound that conjures up the reek of death quite like Autopsy, one of the pioneers of death metal. Whereas some practitioners of the style have pushed into new territory, like science fiction and ancient mythology, Autopsy have maintained a … Continue reading Autopsy at Reggies Rock Club
