Five Finger Death Punch – 2018 – And Justice For None
By Eric Bonus | August 17, 2018 6:00 pm
Artist: Five Finger Death Punch
Title: And Justice For None
Label: Prospect Park
Released: May 18, 2018
Packaging: Digipack
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Deluxe Edition
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Trouble
#Fake
#Top Of The World
#Sham Pain
#Blue On Black
#Fire In The Hole
#I Refuse
#It Doesn’t Matter
#When The Seasons Change
#Stuck In My Ways
#Rock Bottom
#Gone Away
#Bloody
#Will The Sun Ever Rise
#Bad Seed
#Save Your Breath
Review:
Topics: CD Collection | Comments Off on Five Finger Death Punch – 2018 – And Justice For None
Tags: 2018, Deluxe Edition, Digipack, Five Finger Death Punch, Prospect Park
Breaking Benjamin – 2018 – Ember
By Eric Bonus | August 17, 2018 6:00 pm
Artist: Breaking Benjamin
Title: Ember
Label: Hollywood
Released: Apr 13, 2018
Packaging: Jewel Case
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Lyra
#Feed The Wolf
#Red Cold River
#Tourniquet
#Psycho
#The Dark Of You
#Down
#Torn In Two
#Blood
#Save Yourself
#Close Your Eyes
#Vega
Review:
Topics: CD Collection | Comments Off on Breaking Benjamin – 2018 – Ember
Tags: 2018, Breaking Benjamin, Hollywood, Jewel Case, Standard
08/12/2018 Boy Hits Car (Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall)
By Eric Bonus | August 14, 2018 11:51 am
The Rebirth
Move With Me
As I Watch The Sun F### The Ocean
Lovecore (Welcome To)
Erifsievol
One Kiss Away
The Extremist (Do You Feel Me on This?)
Man Without skin
Lovefurypassionenergy
3, 2, 1, Time
I’m a Cloud
Injustice Fatigue
Going to India
Escape The World
Topics: Concerts, Incomplete | Comments Off on 08/12/2018 Boy Hits Car (Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall)
Tags: 2018, Boy Hits Car, Montage Music Hall, rochester
08/03/2018 Slayer, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Testament, Napalm Death (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
By Eric Bonus | August 5, 2018 11:04 am
SLAYER!!!!
I’d never seen Slayer, even if its not *the* last tour it’s gotta be close to it, and the rest of the bill was a metal whos-who, so this one was a no-brainer for me. I got first row of seats behind the pit, so a picture-perfect spot too.
I got there right on time as I wanted to catch Napalm Death. These guys have been doing it for a long time, and while their grind/noise brand of metal isn’t exactly my cup of tea, I wanted to be able to say I saw them. Lead singer Barney Greenway was energetic as all get out, and the rest of the band followed suit. Glad I saw them
Napalm Death
————
Multinational Corporations
Instinct of Survival
When All Is Said and Done
Smash a Single Digit
Standardization
Suffer the Children
Silence Is Deafening
How the Years Condemn
Scum
You Suffer
Dead
Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Dead Kennedys cover)
Multinational Corporations
Testament was up next, and as part of the “next four” of 80’s thrash bands, I was excited to finally get to see them. I barely know any of the tunes, but it didn’t matter, they were fantastic.
Testament
———
Brotherhood of the Snake
Rise Up
Dog Faced Gods
The New Order
Stronghold
D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)
Into the Pit
Over the Wall
Into The Pit
I’d finally seen Anthrax earlier in March with Killswitch, so I knew was I was in for – and it was a truncated version of what I saw at the Dome, with the exception being Evil Twin. Fine by me, as other than that one I knew all the songs (got the two from State of Euphoria again!) and they sounded just as good.
Anthrax
——-
Cowboys From Hell (Pantera cover) (Jam)
Caught in a Mosh
Got the Time (Joe Jackson cover)
Madhouse
Be All, End All
Evil Twin
Antisocial (Trust cover)
Indians
Got The Time
The last time I’d seen LoG was at Darien, and again in the direct support slot (last time it was for Slipknot in 2015). They played a bunch of the old favorites, but also switched it up a touch this time around, as we got Omerta as the opener, Engage the Fear Machine, and Blacken the Cursed Sun. The perfect table-setting for the headliners.
Lamb Of God
———–
Omerta
Ruin
Walk With Me in Hell
Now You’ve Got Something to Die For
512
Engage the Fear Machine
Blacken the Cursed Sun
Laid to Rest
Redneck
Now You’ve Got Something To Die For
512
Redneck
It bears repeating: SLAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’d never seen them, and seeing that it’s billed as the last tour, I figured I really oughta go. Plus it completes my “Big 4” thrash bands concert checklist. I must admit, I “studied” for the show, but I never got into Slayer the way I did the other big metal bands. Having said that, I absolutely respect their place in metal history, and would have regretted not seeing them. It was every bit as loud, heavy, and evil as I expected, and they were fantastic. The set was super long, seems like it had a good mix over the entire catalog, and frankly, there’s nothing like hearing Raining Blood live, with the heat from the pyro in your face. In a word, AWESOME.
Slayer
——
Delusions of Saviour
Repentless
Blood Red
Disciple
Mandatory Suicide
Hate Worldwide
War Ensemble
Jihad
When the Stillness Comes
Postmortem
Black Magic
Payback
Seasons in the Abyss
Dittohead
Dead Skin Mask
Hell Awaits
South of Heaven
Raining Blood
Chemical Warfare
Angel of Death
Dead Skin Mask / Hell Awaits
Raining Blood / Chemical Warfare
Angel of Death
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 08/03/2018 Slayer, Lamb Of God, Anthrax, Testament, Napalm Death (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
Tags: 2018, Anthrax, Darien, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Lamb of God, Napalm Death, Slayer, Testament
Boy Hits Car – 2011 – Stealing Fire
By Eric Bonus | July 30, 2018 6:00 pm
Artist: Boy Hits Car
Title: Stealing Fire
Label: Self Released
Released: Jan 1, 2011
Packaging: Cardboard
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Intro (lfpe)
#Move With Me
#A Madness Called Love
#One Kiss Away
#Stealing Fire From The Sun
#Embrace (For Its Myself I Need Strength Against)
#Dreams (Of Foreign Metabolic Circumstance)
#Eager Tempos
#It’s Alright
#Erifsievol
#Metaphwhore
#The Eagle & The Hawk (& DaGull)
#She Ran Away
#Rhythmical Gestures
Review:
Topics: CD Collection | Comments Off on Boy Hits Car – 2011 – Stealing Fire
Tags: 2011, Boy Hits Car, Cardboard, Self Released, Standard
Boy Hits Car – 2014 – All That Led Us Here
By Eric Bonus | July 30, 2018 6:00 pm
Artist: Boy Hits Car
Title: All That Led Us Here
Label: Self Released
Released: May 2, 2014
Packaging: Digipack
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Silhouettes Fade
#Battles Of The Heart
#Anxious But Gradual Rhythms
#Quiet Storm
#The Extremist (Do You Feel Me On This?)
#Ocean Equation
#Come On
#Ourglass (As Time Slips Away)
#What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)
#Can’t Run From Yourself
#Daregveda
Review:
Topics: CD Collection | Comments Off on Boy Hits Car – 2014 – All That Led Us Here
Tags: 2014, Boy Hits Car, Digipack, Self Released, Standard
07/24/2018 Godsmack, Shinedown, Like A Storm (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
By Eric Bonus | July 25, 2018 10:48 am
I had initially gotten $10 lawn tickets for both this show and the Breaking Benjamin/FFDP show later in August at the same time, just as a “if I can get in the door for $10, why not” sort of idea. Both Shinedown and Godsmack had new albums out, and I’d seen them both on their respective last album cycles. As it turned out, despite being a Tuesday night, I was able to go without much heartache on the homefront. The weather was not as willing to cooperate however, as the forecast called for rain during most of the show. Thankfully, for most shows at Darien Lake, Live Nation offers seat upgrades for a somewhat reduced price. Given that this was a Tuesday night, the crowd was kinda sparse, so I wasn’t going to have any issue getting under the tent! I got in line and started chatting with the woman in front of me, who apologized for taking awhile because she was uprgrading 4 tickets for her whole family. I’m like, no worries, its all good, yadda yadda. I get my ticket upgrade to the 300 section for less overall (meaning upgrade + my original $10 lawn ticket) than that seat would have cost me to buy from the get-go! So I get to the seat, and who rolls in a minute later? The woman from in line with her husband and two tween kids. I mention this because while I always make concert buddies, these people were some of the nicest folks I’ve ever randomly sat next to at a show. Like, EVER. They had come in from Utica for the day, and were camping overnight at the campground at the park. Pretty sure it was the kids’ first concert, and they were all HYPED for Shinedown. I think she said it was their (the adults) first time seeing Shinedown (and Godsmack for that matter) too, so of course I’m telling them how great they always sound, if Brent has a good day he sings his ass off, etc. etc.
Like A Storm starts, and part of me finds it funny that they keep getting opening spots on tours like these, and the other part of me realizes that it’s probably because they have enough of a following, have enough songs that get spun on Octane, do their job as hype men for the other bands, and are probably super professional as tourmates. They got their five songs, closed with Love The Way You Hate Me, and sounded good doing it. Perfect openers.
So Shinedown is up next, and of course the family next to me goes bonkers. I’ll hand it to the band, they came out of the gate hard, with Sound of Madness, Diamond Eyes, and Cut The Cord. Great opening run. Brent was sounding really good, the rest of the band always does, and everyone was into it. The mom had told me that “Get Up” off the new album was their favorite, and that was the first new song they played. Seeing how happy this family was that they got to hear their song was priceless – I hope I look like I’m having that much fun when my stuff gets played! After a couple more songs, Brent and Zach trekked out to a little stage at the edge of the lawn to do Simple Man acoustically. A very nice treat for everyone out in the back starting to get rained on. They closed it out with Devil to cap off a great set.
We’re in set change, and then the dad comes back with a beer for me, and I’m like, uhhh… and the mom says “that’s for putting up with us!” I’m like, this is a show, you guys were rocking out, that’s what supposed to happen!!! Couldn’t believe it. No good deed goes unpunished, however, so I bought them one each as well, Put me in the hole by a beer, but I told them it was beyond worth it to have such awesome concert “citizens” next to me! Mutual admiration society meeting going on, but whatever, it was great.
Time for Godsmack. Opened with new stuff, the new title track When Legends Rise into 1000hp, before going all the way back with Keep Away, and then into the rest of the set, They’re *still* doing the drum battle. My family headed out halfway through the set, and I was sorry to see them go as I never got any contact info from them! Ah well, perhaps I’ll run into them again at a show someday. As for the balance of the Godsmack show, it was pretty standard issue. The pyro was good, band sounded fine, Sully sounded fine. I Stand Alone was the closer, and I had been slinking out towards the door through the entirety of the song and successfully beat most of the traffic (out the front gate I might add!).
Best revelation of the night? They built a Tim Hortons on the corner of Rts 5 and 77! And on this night, I got my coffee for free because the girl said I had waited too long. I hadn’t, but whatever, go figure!
Like A Storm
—————-
Pure Evil
Become The Enemy
Wish You Hell
The Devil Inside
Love The Way You Hate Me
Shinedown
————–
Sound of Madness
Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)
Cut the Cord
I’ll Follow You
Bully
Get Up
Enemies
Black Soul
State of My Head
Second Chance
Simple Man (acoustic with Zach and Brent on the lawn)
Devil
Sound of Madness
Get Up
Simple Man
Godsmack
————-
When Legends Rise
1000hp
Keep Away
Cryin’ Like a Bitch
Unforgettable
Straight Out of Line
Awake
Someday
Voodoo
Batalla de los tambores
Whatever
Bulletproof
I Stand Alone
1000hp
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 07/24/2018 Godsmack, Shinedown, Like A Storm (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
Tags: 2018, Darien, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Godsmack, Like A Storm, Shinedown
07/21/2018 Adelita’s Way, Dead Girls Academy, Zero Theorem, Small Town Titans (Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall)
By Eric Bonus | July 23, 2018 11:17 am
This was my typical “eh, if the kids bedtime goes smoothly I’ll go check it out” type of show. It did, so I did. I’d seen Adelita’s Way as openers twice, once with Fozzy and Buckcherry, and then with Theory of a Deadman. I like them well enough, its standard Octane-type fare, and they put on a good show those last two times.
The openers were a mixed bag. Small Town Titans were okay, pretty standard rock. I didn’t see a whole lot of the set. Zero Theorem, on the other hand, were great. Fairly polished, the band had the same electronic-tinged sound like a Gemini Syndrome, and the lead singer, both in sound and look, reminded me of the singer from Atomship. So much so that I talked to him at the merch booth after the set to mention it, and naturally, he’d never heard of Atomship. I bought the EP they were selling, and it’s pretty damn good.
With the yin comes the yang – Dead Girls Academy was one of those bands that are “goth” and “spooky” with a generic Warped Tour look and sound. The band sounded okay, the lead singer was fine (scene tats everywhere), but the songs were less than interesting. Eh, can’t win em all.
Adelita’s came out and played a very solid set. The place wasn’t full by any means, but the fans that were there were quite enthusiastic, singing along with everything and rocking out. The band sounded good, lead singer Rick DeJesus was on point, and the setlist selection was pretty varied, including a three song acoustic jaunt in the middle. They saved the best for last, as the final four songs were Criticize, Notorious, Sick, and Invincible, which capped off a fairly entertaining night of rock.
Adelitas Way setlist
———————
Bad Reputation
Ready For War (Pray For Peace)
Still Hungry
Alive
Somebody Wishes They Were You (acoustic)
Last Stand (acoustic)
Tell Me (acoustic)
Good Die Young
Criticize
Notorious
Sick
Invincible
Criticize
Sick
Topics: Concerts | Comments Off on 07/21/2018 Adelita’s Way, Dead Girls Academy, Zero Theorem, Small Town Titans (Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall)
Tags: 2018, Adelitas Way, Dead Girls Academy, Montage Music Hall, rochester, Small Town Titans, Zero Theorem
Zero Theorem – 2018 – Ataraxis
By Eric Bonus | July 22, 2018 6:00 pm
Artist: Zero Theorem
Title: Ataraxis
Label: SHIM SHAM
Released: May 4, 2018
Packaging: Digipack
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#Euthanize
#Area
#Becoming
#Rorschach
#Ataraxis
#Low
Review:
Topics: CD Collection | Comments Off on Zero Theorem – 2018 – Ataraxis
Tags: 2018, Digipack, SHIM SHAM, Standard, Zero Theorem
Toadies – 2017 – The Lower Side Of Uptown
By Eric Bonus | July 17, 2018 6:00 pm
Artist: Toadies
Title: The Lower Side Of Uptown
Label: Kirtland
Released: Sep 8, 2017
Packaging: Digipack
Pack-in DVD?
Release Type: Standard
Autographed?
Tracklist:
#When I Die
#Take Me Alive
#Polly Jean
#You Know The Words
#Mama Take Me Home
#Keep Breathing
#Amen
#Human Cannonball
#Broke Down Stupid
#I Put A Spell On You
#Echo
#Sentimental
Review:
Topics: CD Collection | Comments Off on Toadies – 2017 – The Lower Side Of Uptown
Tags: 2017, Digipack, Kirtland, Standard, Toadies