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Carcass, Deafheaven, and Inter Arma – A Matrimony Made … In Sickness and Hell Tour

It was a chilly evening as people lined up outside the Rex Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to see legendary death metal band Carcass.

George Archibald

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A review of A Matrimony Made … In Sickness and Hell Tour

Carcass, Deafheaven, and Inter Arma

The Rex Theater – Pittsburgh, Pa 11/22/2016

By George Archibald
Photos by Josh Drespling

carcass-web-03It was a chilly evening as people lined up outside the Rex Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to see legendary death metal band Carcass. Carcass who has been around since the 1990s, are known for being one of the forefathers of using medical terminology in their lyrics. This also sparked a movement of gore metal which is heavily faceted on medical procedures and torture; where its victims are brutally torn apart, along with other visceral descriptions of death. The band’s line up has changed drastically since its inception, so for myself it was going to be interesting seeing these new members preform the old songs.

938a504bddeec2214bThe night started off with Richmond, Virginia’s Inter Arma setting the mood for the night. The band played heavy riff riffs with a sonic assault of feedback and resonance throughout their set. The drummer would constantly continue the beat right into the next song, as well as dropping the hammer on the downbeats. Inter Arma’s vocalist, sang in a black metal style while cutting through the mix with a commanding power to his voice. This band came to make a statement this night.

Up next was Deafheaven, which turned out to be a crowd favorite this night. The music at times would go from dissonant noise with droning sounds, to these crescendos of swelling guitars that were almost whimsical at times. DeafHeaven’s drummer sounded huge with his playing style filling those riffs with powerful beats. DeafHeaven’s vocalist tended to saunter around the stage and do sporadic arm movements throughout the set as if he was a conductor to the band’s chaotic symphony. This band kind of left me wanting more however, as the drone music would play on with very little crowd interaction between songs.

carcass-web-02To close off the night, the much-anticipated Carcass took the stage, with a video monitor set up above each member’s amplifiers. Clips of surgical tools and classic artwork from the band flashed across the screens, as the band ripped through their thunderous set. I felt a bit of nostalgia watching them play through some of the older songs from the band’s history. The band saw the liveliness of a pit open as they ripped through ‘Incarnate Solvent Abuse’, and ‘Corporal Jigsore Quandary’. Vocalist Jeff Walker, sounded like he has never aged in the bands 20 plus years. Carcass was what this crowd wanted, and the band delivered in solid glory.

I was surprised to see such a diverse crowd in attendance at the old converted Rex Theater on a weekday night. Yes, there were a lot of the classic metal heads there to pay tribute to one of the icons of the genre. Guys (and girls) that I’m sure had cut their teeth on the early works of bands such as Venom, Death, and even Slayer, but there was also an element of a new generation of metal-heads. I was confident that some of these new fans were not even of legal drinking age, clad in Avenge Sevenfold and Issues t-shirts. However this was a unified group, here to enjoy the music and mayhem that only a band as well aged as Carcass could deliver

carcass-web-01Carcass line up was rounded out by original guitarist Bill Steer who has also been part of Napalm Death and Angel Witch. Sharing guitar duties was Ben Ash who joined Carcass in 2013 along with drummer Daniel Wilding (Heaven Shall Burn, Trigger the Bloodshed, The Order of Apollyon , Aborted).

The “A Matrimony Made … In Sickness and Hell Tour” will continue in the States until the end of November and then Carcass has a few sporadic dates in Europe during the new year.

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Collective Soul “7EVEN YEAR ITCH” Greatest Hits 1994-2001 Vinyl 

Ron

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I’ve always been a big fan of Collective Soul and have been lucky to have seen them a few times. This band has always been in my music mixes since the 1990s.

The vinyl release is exactly what you would want for a greatest-hits album. All the best songs that collective soul had from 1994–2001 If you were a teenager or an adult in the 90s, you can’t tell me that you didn’t jam out to songs like “Shine,” “Gel,” and “December.”

With other great songs like “Heavy,” “Run,” “The World I Know,” and “Forgiveness,” This greatest hit album sounds amazing on vinyl as well. Craft Recordings has done a really great job of keeping the magic and sound of these amazing songs.

The sleeve cover has some cool photos of the band throughout the years. This vinyl just came out in Collective Soul fashion in December, and is ready to be part of your vinyl collection, and just brings you back to a great time in life. 

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Otep – Hydra 10th Anniversary Vinyl

Ron

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I received a copy of the album, and when I first opened it, the artwork struck me first. Otep has always been a great visual artist, with her amazing drawings and characters. I even have one of them tattooed on myself. When you see the artwork on this vinyl release, you will really be drawn in and appreciate the artistry.

The sound of this vinyl is amazing. It’s been years since I’ve listened to anything on vinyl and forgot how much I loved the sound of the medium compared to CDs and digital releases. I love the songs on this album because, as with all Otep albums, it has such raw power and emotions, mixed with the anger and beauty of Otep’s poetry. Otep is one of the greats.

The album starts off with the track “Rising,” and this initial song sets the tone for what you’re about to hear from the balance of the album. The standout tracks on this album have to be “Necromantic,” “Apex Predator,” “Voyeur,” and “Feral Game.” Over all, the album as a complete piece of art is amazing. I would encourage you, if you’re a fan of Otep or a collector of vinyl, to add this vinyl to your collection.

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WEDNESDAY 13: Performs Muderdolls Lititz PA Show Review

Ron

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Wednesday 13 came into Lititz, PA, on November 18th, bringing the music, or The MurderDolls, with him. Continuing the legacy of Joey Jordison and Ben Graves.

Wednesday 13 is on a tour now; that’s all MurderDolls. 21 years have passed since Beyond the Valley of the MurderDolls came out, and 13 years have passed since Women and Children Last was released. Wednesday and his bandmates are sharing the stage with Infected Rain and Gemini Syndrome on this tour.

The show was amazing; this was our first time covering a show at Mickey’s Black Box. The venue, the staff, and our media contact were so hospitable. The venue was amazing, with a cool balcony on the second floor to watch the show as well.

We got to hear a full set of 20 MurderDolls songs, which was pretty much every song on both albums. There were some songs I haven’t gotten to hear in a long time, like “Grave Robbing USA”, “Drug Me To Hell”, and “Summertime Suicide”. Of course, it wouldn’t be a MurderDolls show if they didn’t play “I Love to Say Fuck” and finish the night with “Dead in Hollywood.”

It’s always a blast to see Wednesday 13 in concert, and I was so excited for the band that a lot of these shows were sold out. It was also a special night because it was my GF’s “50th” birthday and my buddy’s GF’s birthday the next day. We got the MC of the show, Don Jamieson, to give them a little birthday shout-out.

Although it’s sad that Joey and Ben are no longer with us, I’m sure Joey is loving that Murderdolls is still kicking ass after all those years, and I know that Wednesday 13 is so appreciative of what MurderDolls has done for his career.

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