Iron Maiden

June 11^th, 2008 Allstate Arena Chicago, IL

By John Haseltine

So I’ve been collectively labeled a dork the past week or so gearing up for the latest installment of Iron Maiden’s epic world tour. Why might you ask? The ‘Piece Of Mind’ shoes I bought last month are a start. The giddiness of the coming weeks before the show for two. Wondering what Maiden tour shirt I was going to where for three. Or maybe it’s the fact that this will be the 12^th time witnessing this, an awesome spectacle that is a live Iron Maiden show since I was 14. Since the real ’Powerslave’ tour. Call me what you will, but there’s no doubt that after last night’s show in Chicago, it just reassured me just how big of a fan I actually am.

As with most of us older fans, it almost seems irritating that every other album Maiden seem to put out is a greatest hits, or another live album, or another DVD. You all know you’ve bitched about it. I have too. Yet I still run out there and buy it. Just like you. Just like a lot of you.

I had felt the same way upon hearing about this latest collection and tour. Didn’t they just do this a couple years ago? Well like in many interviews, the band states that these tours are for the younger fans as well. And there are a lot of them. More so now than ever. Maiden Mania is sweeping it’s way across the world. Selling out venues with huge capacities in just hours. It is also doing the same here in the states. And for this, it makes me feel good about being a fan.

It was a trip down memory lane it was. Churchhill’s speech opened things up for the night that tore right into the likes of “Aces High, Two Minutes To Midnight, Revelations and The Trooper”. The crowd in Chicago tonight was not made up of a bunch of metal heads going out to a show to drink a few beers and listen to a band. It was comprised of a packed house of diehard Maiden fans. After these few openers, the crowd was going absolutely ape-shit. Screaming and chanting so loud and for so long, Bruce held his arms out and sat down on a monitor for a few minutes. I don’t believe there was one person who was not involved in this. It looked as if he (Bruce) just may have been able to tear up a little. I almost did. (That’s another dork moment I suppose) I can not really express the way it made me as a fan feel.

And the set rolled on from “ Wasted Years, Number of the Beast, Can I Play With Madness, Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, Powerslave, Heaven Can Wait, Run To The Hills, Iron Maiden, Moonchild, The Clairvoyant and Hallowed By Thy Name.”

What one has come to expect from a Maiden show is all here. A spectacular stage show with plenty of pyrotechnics , the stage set, Eddie, and the high energy of the band as well as Master Bruce. Or Capt. Bruce these days. The tunes were right on. Sounding just as perfect as on disc. And for those just experiencing Maiden for the first time, this is definitely going to be a show to remember for a long time. This by far for myself was the greatest show (not only Maiden) I have ever seen. And trust me, I’ve seen many.

So if you do not get a chance to catch Maiden this time around, sorry about your luck. Really, I am still in awe over what I witnessed last night. There is still time for portions of the country to catch them. I say DO IT!!! And if you still don’t get a chance, there were plenty of film crews on hand for the evening. And I think that they should use the films from this show for the DVD. Oh come on, you know there will be one. I’m telling you folks, best crowd then in any of their previously released DVDS. Hands down. Chicago, you rule. Maiden, you rule. So until the next one. UP THE IRONS!!!

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Indianapolis Metal Fest I

September 22^nd, 2007

By John Haseltine

I’ve been wondering for the past couple weeks whether or not I should even do a review for this show. I was there in the trenches from start to finish. A couple of folks told me just to stay quite about it because it would be a bit biased. Why? Well it had never officially been announced, but I had teamed up with Mr. Rob Mason on this show back in late May of this year. He pitched his vision of what he wanted to do with the fest and I thought it was somewhat of an honor for me to be asked to help out. So I did. What the hell, right?

Wow! Someone really could have warned me early on what I was getting myself into. Rob was already well underway with bands and sponsors and for the next couple months, that’s pretty much what we both continued doing. Putting on an event of this nature is no easy task. Especially for a couple guys new at the game. And with being new at the game came hesitation. From a lot of good potential sponsors and record labels. And with good reason I’m sure. Many have surely been taken for a ride in the past and did not want to take a chance with a couple of nice guys trying to put on a no pay to play metal fest. And in the Mid-West to boot.

One man jumped to the plate very early on. James McComas of Blind Prophecy Records. Without him, this event very well could have taken a serious nose dive. His belief in Rob and this show will never be forgotten by me and or by Rob. Thank you very much.

There was quite a bit of negative feedback in the area on booking a metal fest in Indianapolis. A lot of area fans downed it from the get go saying that Indy was not the place for a metal fest. And when it was announced that it would be held at two separate venues, there was even more negative response. But with the budget laid forth, sometimes you’ve just got to do what you got to do. So we pressed on with the two separate venues.

Having the show in two venues actually worked out kind of nice. One was at the Knights of Columbus Grand Ballroom where it was an all ages venue. The other, located directly across the street was at Birdy’s Live. This was set for the 21 and older crowd. There are some of those who feel this was lame, but considering finding a place to showcase 30 plus bands in one day on a start up budget, it went very well. Besides, a little exercise never hurt anyone.

So as the months rolled on approaching the show, so did our concerns. Will there be a good turn out? Will there be enough funds to cover the massive amounts of expenses that have piled up in preparation for the show? Will those in attendance enjoy themselves? Will there….? Will there….? Will there….?

For the better part of the day, I was as Rob, running my ass off. As were plenty of the volunteers who helped out with the show. So catching an entire set from the bands was near impossible for most of the day. But by jumping from venue to venue, I did catch bits from every band who played. With the exception of a couple bands that I just needed to be there for their entire sets. More so for personal reasons than any. Shunned, Temple Of Brutality & Soldiers Of Skrape. I’m affiliated with Shunned. Temple & Soldiers? All I’m gonna say is it was good hanging with both bands again. You guys fuckin’ rule!

Every other band that was on the bill played exceptionally well and sounded great. Both A & B Sound and Birdy’s Live did a great job with the production at both venues. Bands included Dying Earth, Purgatorium, Vise, A Moment Of Violence, Blood Tribe, Opiate, Deliver Us From Evil (thanks for the bass), Maggot Twat (a must see), 3 Ring Funeral, Embrace The Day, Exesion, The High Council, As They Sleep, Mercykill, Plaguesayer, Shadowside ( a crowd fav from Brazil with this being their first show in the U.S.), David La Duke, Pain Principle, Hemlock, Daath, Years Of Fire, Full Blown Chaos, Alabama Thunderpussy and the mighty Obituary.

There’s no mistaking that this excellent and diverse line-up is all due to the fact that Rob busted his ass to get this line-up nailed down. It was no easy task. There were a few bands who had to drop out in the last week or two that were greatly missed. Maybe next time.

There was a very positive attitude throughout the crowds at both venues and it did spill over to the KOC when Obituary was on stage. There were really no major problems that needed to be dealt with by security, who by the way did an awesome job, or by the police. There were approximately 1100 in attendance throughout the day. Maybe just a few under that. One of the first metal shows I’ve ever been to that was actually as peaceful as a Simon and Garfunkel show. Well maybe not that peaceful, but you catch my drift. I actually enjoyed jumping into the pit during part of Obituary’s set. It was an old-school pit feel. No assholes or giant rednecks just looking to knock someone out. Just some good old friendly violent thrashing fun.

A big thanks to all the vendors who came out. And to all the sponsors who also invested their time and dollars to make this event a success. A complete list of venders, sponsors and bands can be found at the Indianapolis Metal Fest website.

So biased or not, that’s pretty much how it went down. Give or take several more paragraphs of filler. I’ve seen a couple of the other reviews which have been positive and all the e-mails and My Space comments Rob has been receiving over the past few weeks have been tremendous. Thank you. All of you.

So until next year…..We’ll see you in the pit!

Milwaukee Metal Fest XIX

May 11^th & 12^th, 2007

By John Haseltine

So I’ve been trying to figure out the past couple of days how to go about writing up this review. I have stacked all the odds up and have gone over them several times. There is no way I can win with this one. Someone is not going to like what I write. And some of you will. Others will really not even care at all. (These would only be those who did not play or attend the fest.)

Most of you may already know what I’m getting at here. And not like I had anything to do with the events over the weekend, but I send out my apologies to all the bands who had saved and sacrificed to make their way to this years festival. The disappointment that I witnessed on so many of your faces was disheartening.

So we all know, and if you have not heard yet, this years fest was total chaos. I guess that’s the simplest way to put it. Be it sponsors pulling out early on Friday, faulty sound equipment, bands not showing up, lack of (or not at all) promotion in the area/region, it was all there. “A fucked up mess”, is what I can quote from many of the bands playing this years event.

One other thing must be said here before commenting on the bands. I want for you to imagine for a moment if you will, a surgeon standing at the operating table. In walks the EMS guys with a bag and dumps out a body that is chopped up in 50 pieces. Gruesome? So was the fest. Anyways, this surgeon has the job of putting this body back together. Hmmm. Can it be done? Sure it can. Will the patient live? No, he won’t. Will the patients family be happy with what the doctor has done? No, they won’t. He’s dead. Just a stitched together corpse laying on the table.( I think I have that album!) And even though he was faced with the impossible of trying to save this poor pile of human flesh, he trudged on and never gave up till the very end. Till it was over.

What the hell am I getting at? At the incredible job Rob did for all you guys. I have seen a few posts the past couple days talking trash about this guy and I think it’s bullshit!!! You should all know better than that. His ass was running non-stop all weekend for you. And for his efforts, some of you talk shit. He had a non-paying roll in lining up bands and coordinating things at the fest. He did not “lie” to you or “fuck” you over. You all know the responsible party there. From my behind the scenes point of view, if he’d have ran off like the others, this thing would have been over at about 6pm on the first day. Maybe that would have been a good thing? But if that were the case, how many bands would actually be out there today if you/they would have just given up after a bad turnout? No free beer? Trust me, I know. I’ve seen Metallica play to a crowd of about 50 before. Some nights back in the day, Death Angel was lucky to have 40 or 50 show up at a show. Testament, Exodus, Possessed? Same deal. And being faced with such adversity, he plunged his way through the weekend. For you. The sponsors, the bands, the few fans and for metal. Rob, hats off bro, you are truly metal.

So with all the crap that ensued over the course of the weekend, I could be here for days telling you the little bits here and there of what went on. I’m not going to. Not any more than you have already read. And another apology to the bands who attended. You saw the three time lists that kept changing every ten minutes. How the hell was anybody suppose to keep track of who was even at the festival? I tried and gave up. At one point, I was watching a band and thought it was some other band. Well, that happened more than once. So there is mention in short the various bands of which I took pictures of. As for a complete list of bands who played? I’m not sure if anyone really knows.

I think Elctrikchair got the first official screwing. Which is a shame. This young group from Denver have come a long ways and have matured into quite the metal outfit since first seeing them at Milwaukee 2004. A kick ass set was put on by them for the 5 or 6 of us at that stage at time. Follow them with Vise and Opiate.

Over on the main stage I got to witness an all out thrash onslaught by Michigan’s Soldiers Of Scrape. Stoner thrash in the vein of Slayer/Pantera. Great set. They were one who got to play both nights. Kick ass!!!

Then Geomancer, Lupara, Azreal’s Bane, Thy Will Be Done and the mighty Macabre. Yes boys and girls, Macabre!!! Quite the regulars at the fest over the years and one of the favorites to see at this one. Friday night was a typical Macabre set. But on Saturday, we were honored to watch them perform an acoustic set. No shit. Only the second time they’ve ever attempted it. It worked too.

Mensrea (featuring members of GWAR) were off the hook. Agent Steel showed to put on an amazing set on the main stage. Very cool. What really rocked was the set that Temple of Brutality put on. All 4 songs. (LOL Peter) And of course the stunning performance by the legendary Vicious Rumors. It was great to see Geoff and the guys again. Been way too long.

Saturday went along pretty much the same as the day before. Fucked up. Here’s a list of the incredible bands I got to watch. Solace Of Requiem, Wrath, Very Bad Things, Gorman Prophecy, Corpsecicle, Incantation, I.R.A.T.E., Purity, Hostility, Resurrection (first show in 13 years, great job!), Years Of Fire, Macabre (acoustic set), Pain Principle, A Moment Of Violence, the reunion of Skinlab (hell yeah!!), God Forbid, Broken Teeth (featuring Jason McMaster of Dangerous Toys. Superb!!!) and Acheron.

So in a nutshell, that was it. Every band I have mentioned here played with sheer professionalism with what they were dealing with. They all sounded great and all deserve for you the reader to check them out. You will not be disappointed by any of them. As a fan myself, I was impressed by all.

For those bands not mentioned and were at the festival, drop me an e-mail and I will add you to the band list. I do know that Dark Shift, Stillborn Portrait, Black The Sky, Skribble, In Silence, Fallon, Habitual Coersion, HUNG, Ancient Malus and Level Nine played the fest at some point over the weekend. I may or may not have caught a few minutes of your sets. You guys are what this shit is all about. Don’t let this get you down too much. Keep it heavy. I’ll be catching you soon.

A huge thanks also goes out to Tre and Jeff from Project Independent. Sorry for all your misfortunes over the fest. What you guys are doing is great and will be a household name in good time. You have my support. Thom from Corporate Punishment. Great to finally meet you. We’ll be talking soon. Johnny from 1 Vision Records. Chavis Records, Blind Prophecy Records, Devil Entertainment, Epitomite Productions, Blue Label Records, Circle Pit Promotions and all the other sponsors that I did not get a chance to talk with. Without all of you, there would not have been much of a fest at all. Whether you know it or not, you all mean something to all the fans and bands who attended this thing.

So another Milwaukee Metal Fest seems to have gone down in history as a big disappointment to many. It has broke the wallets of some, and may have even broken some spirits. And as per usual, lawsuits are pending. I had someone ask me if I thought that the poor turnout had something to do with the fate of metal music. I would definitely have to say NO!!! With the passion of bands like Temple Of Brutality, Elctrikchair, Acheron and all who traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to play for 15 minutes, again, definitely NO!!!

The fate of what used to be the U.S.’s greatest metal festival on the other hand is what needs to be discussed. Could this be the last Milwaukee Metal Fest? And is it possible to salvage the good reputation it used to stand for? These are a couple things we all may want to keep an eye out for over next year.

Again, for all the bands and sponsors at Milwaukee Metal Fest XIX, thank you. If it means much to you or not, I had a great time.

Lacuna Coil, Shadows Fall, Still Remains, Shunned

March 29^th, 2007 Piere’s Fort Wayne, Indiana

By John Haseltine

Besides being a bit swamped on this end, there is still time to get out a see a great show every now and then. Well there have been several, I just don’t seem to get these reviews written and posted in the most timely fashion. But seeing as all these bands in one form or the other are going to pretty much be on tour here in the states all summer, you the fans should beware not to miss any of them. This night in particular was an off night for the Jager tour rolling around the states as we speak.

The night started off with some local favorites Shunned. This here is a name that you need remember. Already a force to be reckoned here in the region, Shunned put out the most energetic set of the night. Right up there with Still Remains. And I’m not just saying this because we’re friends. There were just what this evening needed to get going. A going it got.

Next up are a regional act some of you may have heard of, Still Remains. They’re doing a few warm up shows here and there before heading into the studio to record their next album. They put on a crowd pleasing set rolling through many of the fan favs. You can catch them this year as part of the Vans Warped Tour.

On to Shadows Fall. A co-headlining gig with Lacuna. Seemed a bit odd seeing SF open for Lacuna, but that’s how it goes on the co-head. They put on their ferocious, non-stop thrash assault as they always have. Hitting every note as if they were up there filming a video. Intense set a great as always.

So this is like the fourth time seeing Lacuna Coil for me in the past two years. A great set by them as well. I always enjoy hearing their music live as it seems to have quite a bit more punch to it than on the albums. Sound wise, they were right on the money as well.

And even thought this was an off date, to a crowd of about 2000, I felt that Lacuna and Shadows both could have given it up a bit more on stage. Were they good? Yes they were. But there seemed to be a lack of enthusiasm running amongst ’em. Hopefully when you catch them, they’ll seem like they want to be there.

Sevendust, Diecast, Invitro

February 8^th, 2007

Ft. Wayne, Indiana

By John Haseltine

What better way to warm up a cold winter’s night than with a raging hot metal show? Okay, okay. I too can think of a couple other ways, but we won’t get into that right now. The kick off date of the 2007 Sevendust tour in support of their new, soon to be released album, ‘Alpha’. And along with Sevendust are Century Media recording artist Diecast and Gridiron recording artist Invitro.

So Invitro come out on stage. What get ups they come out wearing. White hospital doctor coats with each having a full faced aluminum foil mask/helmet. They were all hand made and while they were pretty cool, looked kind of silly. They threw them off after the second song though. Musically, these guys are off the hook crazy. There sure is no way to pigeon hole their sound. It’s all over the place. Closely put to more recent bands like Dog Fashion Disco or Horse The Band with many old-school punk influences like Fear, Bad Religion and The Dead Kennedy’s. Very, very energetic performance. I was able to pick up a three song EP at the show which features 3 tracks on it that I’m pretty sure were played. They are ‘New Disease, Transfer and Hollyvision.’ A very cool band that I’m sure you’ll be hearing a lot more of in the future.

Next up was the band I’ve been wanting to see very badly since I’d received their latest ‘ Internal Revolution’ on Century Media Records. Which by the way is quite possibly one of the most diverse thrash/metal albums released in many years. Earlier in the day I had the opportunity to interview Paul. He’s the vocalist if you did not know. Very cool talk with him. You’ll see that soon. Now I know I’m not known for being any good at this reviewing stuff, but I am somewhat known for my honesty. And honestly, Diecast’s first two tracks were pretty dull sounding. Something just was not clicking. Like the band was just not all there. In sync with each other that is. (When I told Paul that after the show, he just stared at me stunned. Sorry Paul.) But with the third track ‘Fade Away’, that was it. Almost perfect sounding. It really got the crowd rolling as well. And with that, it really pumped up the guys in the band. They pulled off the rest of their set to an almost perfect sound quality playing tracks like ‘Hourglass, The Coldest Rain and Internal Revolution’. And for the first time ever, they did a cover of Kenny Login’s ‘Danger Zone’ from the movie Top Gun. Pretty fucking cool!!! Can’t wait to see them again.

Next up is a town favorite here. Sevendust. I had never seen them before, or quite frankly, never even listened to one of their Cds. Yeah, I don’t know either. Just know the tracks that are played a lot on the radio. I must say, wow!!! What a set. They belted out like 18 songs in about two hours. Was not expecting that. They do put on one hell of a show. And though everyone in the band played very well on this evening, the highlight of their show for me was at the side of the stage watching Morgan pound away on those skins. My god, can he fuckin’ jam. He’s a show all in himself. I was very impressed. And that is not an easy thing to do. Some of the songs I caught and recognized were,’ Pieces, Denial, Trust, Enemy, Hero and Face’. they also threw out a couple new ones from their forthcoming album “Alpha” which were ‘Alpha’ and I believe Lajon said the first single which is ‘Trippin’’.

You’ve got to do what you can to try and catch the tour. It just started and will run through the middle of May. A great first show of the year for me.

Ozzfest 2006

First Midwest Bank, Chicago,Il

By John Haseltine

And so it continues. Yes ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, yet another installment of the continuing saga of the amateur (wanna-be) rock/metal journalist. And photographer too. And within this current installment, another botched attempt at bringing you an honest review, a couple descent interviews and yes, a few pictures for your viewing pleasure. It almost reads like a fucking Lifetime movie. Only I use the word fucking every now and again.

The week went pretty typical gearing up for a big out of town show such as Ozzfest. Plenty of batteries for the camera? Check.. Interviews all researched and written up? Check. Do you have a ride? Yes .We gathered up a group to help the ever so high gasoline prices. Are you confirmed for working the show? Check. Have all the phone numbers and I’m assured media/photo abilities to the venue. Great. All ready to go.

So the day of the show. We head out at 6:30 am for the 3 ½ hour trek to Chicago. Ozzfest 2006 here we go. We get there just as the 3^rd band hit’s the stage. Okay, so there were a couple pee stops. Don’t forget breakfast too. So we had missed Full Blown Chaos and Bad Acid Trip. You know where this is going don’t you? So I wait in line for my ticket and passes. I’m fucking stoked. I have an interview with the all mighty Gene Hoglan. And one with Lacuna Coil. (Second attempt with Lacuna Coil. The first was when on tour with Zombie back in April. Due to van breaking down, they had a terrible day and were running behind.) When it’s my turn at the will call window, I’m informed I have to go to the wooden shack on the side of the venue. Okay. So I wait in line there. And guess what? You guessed it. Not on the god damned list. The blood was beginning to boil. (Temps reached 102 degrees for the day) So I call a tour manager. And he tried his best, but could only get a media tent pass for me. And that was by pulling some teeth.

Well that’s okay I guess. I suppose I don’t always have to take pictures. I couldn’t, and still do not understand how my two buddies doing an interview for a radio station gets a photo pass but the guy writing for two webzines and a photo site/magazine does not.??? They got some very cool pics during the too numerous to mention number of interviews they did. So I go to walk in and they won’t let me carry in my bag. Why? It’s got a camera in it Well it also has my recording equipment in it. So I go to carry the stuff in and I was told no. What the hell? How am I suppose to conduct interviews with this media tent pass you just gave me Shazinea???? I don’t know??? Yeah, give the guy a media tent pass for his interviews and not let him bring the recorder. Fucking pathetic.

So I turn in my bag, I seemed to be one of the only attendance without some kind of backpack full of shit. (okay, maybe a little over exaggerated) But there were a lot. So finally I get in at 12:30 pm. Missed A Life Once Lost, All That Remains, The Red Chord (shit), Strapping Young Lad (shit, shit) and Between The Buried and Me (shit, fuck, shit).

While basking in the blazing sun, I was able to catch some descent sets by Wall Of Jericho, Norma Jean, Bleeding Through, Unearth (who played amazingly well) and Atreyu. Black Label Society played really good this time. The past couple shows I’ve seen were merely above average. A good rocking set by BLS today.

Here’s where the blasphemy begins. I’ve sort of made some comments before about the Ozzman that were not of the highest caliber. One thing I pride myself by is the fact that I write honest reviews. No matter what show I’m at or CD I’m reviewing. And the fact that I am not a kiss ass, lying my way through an event just to please some promoters or publicists. I’m an honest guy and wish the rest of the world could be as well. Hell, I get bad comments from time to time. I realize I suck. I’m okay with that. Can some on this god forsaken earth let Ozzy know this too. I’m mean really. I really enjoyed watching his performance. He seems to be taken the second stage slot well. head banging a bit, running back and forth. Lively. Haven’t seen that for some time now. Some time indeed. But the singing has got to go. The band played very well but over the struggling vocals, it really blew it for me. And I was genuinely looking forward to seeing him this time as I heard he was doing better in this early time slot. And once again as I’ve said in the past, an amazing gentleman for what he had a hand in starting so early and continuing on with the creation, or backing the creation of Ozzfest. I would love to see that on one of these tours he just do an MC spot or two. You know, introduce a few bands, pour some water on the crowd and get on with it. Maybe it’s these words I’ve written before that lead to the Ozzfest promoters never getting back with me. Maybe I’m black listed? Maybe. Or not wanting to help out on Sunday. Guess I’m lucky they didn’t throw eggs at me when I was in line.

So yeah, I’m ready to go. Home that is. I’m in a shitty mood, the show is not going well and I’m burning to a crisp along with a few thousand others. It was like a giant parking lot skillet. Can I get a side of ranch dressing with my chicken fried people? Can’t go though. Not yet. As now we head over to the main stage area. Ahhhhhhh, the shade is wonderful. Dragonforce pull out a blistering 25 minute set. They were great. As was Lacuna Coil. Don’t worry guys, we’ll get an interview one of these days. Or maybe we won’t? I can never be sure anymore. Been stiffed one too many times to hope anymore. Anyways, Lacuna was off the hook. An amazing live act. Always a pleasure seeing them perform. Hatebreed was Hatebreed. They tore the place up. I don’t know if it was just me, but it seemed their songs were a bit heavier. Not leaning towards hardcore heavy, but chunkier. Always a great set from Jasta & Co. Was not sure how to take the Avenged Sevenfold set. I was not all that impressed. I had been hearing such great things about their live show from all over. I could not see it today. And I like some of their stuff. Maybe it was my bitterness clouding my thoughts. I’ll have to catch them another time. Saw the first couple songs from Disturbed and left. Sorry System. Maybe again this Sunday in Indy.

Today’s Thursday, and no one has gotten back with me over the events of this show. Hmmm. Hmmm? Oh I get it. Guess I’m not getting those interviews this week either. Maybe I’ll just stick by the pool instead. Me thinks that I’m just part of an over saturated “wanna-be” rock/metal journalist/photographer group. Have you seen how many freekin’ webzines are out there today? There is a lot. If you’re not with a well know national or local publication, good luck. It’s very disappointing at times. But just for spite, like they really give a rats ass, I’ll keep forging on. And if you want to e-mail me and tell me just how bad I suck for my constructive criticism of Ozzy’s performance, I’m okay with that. Just realize one thing in doing so. You will either show that you have absolutely no taste, you’re terribly tone deaf, or you’re just another lying kiss ass.

Please don’t forget to tip your bartenders and wait staff. I’ll be here all week. Please try the veal.

In Flames, Throwdown, Nevermore, Evergrey

5/12/06 Piere’s Fort Wayne, Indiana

By John Haseltine

Well another show and yes, more headaches. I have had terrible luck with publicists and tour managers lately. When you’re set up to do a show review with a photo pass, give the guy (me) the photo pass. Funny thing is I talked with the tour manager for Evergrey/Nevermore and the tour manager for In Flames just a couple hours before the show and they both were like, “ cool, no problem at all.” Well when I go to check in I got the story, “ oh, we can’t just give out photo passes.” Whatever. If you’re too damn lazy to walk up a flight of stairs for a sticker, just say it. Before hand. Luckily in this situation I only live about 2 miles from the venue. But when I came back from dropping my camera and shit off at home, Evergrey were already playing. They started 15 minutes early and I missed out on their first song. Well I caught the last few seconds of it.

Bummer that it was missing the first song of the band I was mainly there to see. Especially when they are for some reason first on the bill and are only set to play six songs. With the release of their latest disk, ‘Monday Morning Apocalypse’, Evergrey are making their trek through the states on a short tour with In Flames before heading back to Europe for the summer festival season. I talked with Tom and Rikard after their set and they say there is no reason to fret as they will be heading back to the states later this fall. As short as their set was, it was still superb. Evergrey are a great live band. The few songs that they get to play on this tour were the perfect selection. Evergrey are gaining ground here in the states and I hope all of you who are fans get your chance to witness these guys up on stage. You won’t regret it. Their set list was, “Blinded, More Than Ever, Still In The Water, Monday Morning Apocalypse, Obedience and A Touch Of Blessing.”

Next on the bill is Nevermore. Why are they second on the bill? I guess regional sales? National sales? Although Throwndown played a ferocious set, Nevermore should have been in their spot. And Evergrey in Nevermore’s. But then again, what the hell do I know? Not much. I do know now that I have a new found appreciation for Nevermore after seeing them live. I have their past couple of albums, and listen to them every now and then. Never really praising them, just knowing that they’re a pretty good American metal band. Well they too are a kick ass live act. They are of just a few bands that this country needs to forge on in the metal community. They were right on this night. They too had too short of a set. Some selections they played were, “ Final Product, Poison God Machine, BORN, Dead Heart In A Dead World, Engines Of Hate.” There were a couple others that I myself am not familiar with. But anyways, for what they did play, excellent. I’d love to see a headlining show.

Throwdown are next. And in thinking about it closely, I wonder why they are on the bill at all. I know promoters are trying to mix up tours a bit to try and get more fans to the shows, but a metal-core band just didn’t fit with the bill. At least to me. They did throw down a brutal set and the crowd did enjoy their Pantera/Hatebreed style of music. They even took a moment to pay tribute to Dimebag by playing “A New Level”. Other songs performed included, “Speak The Truth, To Live Is To Sacrifice, Annihilation(N.W.D.), This Is War and Burn”. Again they were good and they did change to pace of the show a bit.

In Flames, are In Flames. They have mastered the art of their craft and belt it out on stage with the utmost precision. I was fairly unimpressed with their sound at last years Ozzfest. But they were the first band on the main stage. Last nights show was a different story. A toast to the sound guys. Their set sounded great. I did notice while watching, they sort of rolled through the set like it was just another night at work. Do they kick it up a notch for the larger markets? Yeah, so they played songs from pretty much every album. A few included are, “ Pinball Map, System, Behind Space, Crawl Through Knives, Only For The Weak, Take This Life, The Quiet Place and My Sweet Shadow.” There were others as they played for just a bit over an hour. I sort of stopped paying attention here and there.

All in all a great show overall. If you get the chance, head out and see it. It runs through the end of May.

Ozzfest ‘05

Verizon Wireless Music Center

Indianapolis, Indiana  July 31^st, 2005

By John Haseltine

Well the day did not start out as any normal day. Waking up at 5:00am to go to an all day concert. I need not complain about this, as our caravan only had a two hour trek down the highway. With the great distances between cities this years Ozzfest is running, I’m sure a lot of people journeyed much farther than I. Besides, it was not just another all day festival for me. It was Iron Maiden with a shit load of opening acts. That’s how I looked at it. I guess the fact that it is the tenth year anniversary is cool too. This is my second trip to an Ozzfest. The last was last summer. Yep, went for Judas Priest. Not only, but that as with Iron Maiden was the driving force to shell out $85.00 for a half-assed descent seat. Anyways…..

We roll into the parking lot at about 8:55am. Thought we were going to be able to see all the bands this time around. Wicked Wisdom were scheduled to go on at 9:20am. We get out of the van and hear some brutal music blaring from inside. Shit! It was Gizmachi. They started early. 20 minutes early to be exact. They rolled a tight schedule all day running 20 minutes early throughout the event. After being stopped at the gates being told that Black Sabbath would not be performing tonight, and would we like a refund, screwing around with getting my photo/media tent pass we finally made it in and down the lawn by the end of Soilwork’s last song. They were the 3^rd band up. I can’t even tell you what song they had finished up with. What a bummer that was. I wanted to catch them. I heard Gizmachi was cool and Jada Pinkett’s Wicked Wisdom were pretty heavy. Not good but heavy. I guess Will Smith got up there and thrashed out a tune during their 20 minute set. They’ve got their hands in about everything now. Next up ,Buffalo, NY’s It Dies Today. They belted out a vicious 20 minute set to start off my watching for the day. 10:40 am , and the almighty Arch Enemy hit the stage. What a shame it was/is to only get a 20 minute dose of Arch Enemy. Someone should have pull any of the five main stage acts, other than Maiden, and put Arch Enemy up for 40 minutes. What a great band. In the states for their latest ’Doomsday Machine’ release , the band was on the money. A couple tracks were,’ Ravenous, Nemisis and Dead Eyes See no Future and We Will Rise’. An amazing act every time. Sweden’s The Haunted tore some shit up as well. I think it was still too early for the crowd to appreciate such stellar talent so early in the day. Last up for the 20 minute second stage slots was Bury Your Dead. I stood way back for them as I’m not too familiar with what they offer. They seemed to rip it up pretty good. A Dozen Furies, As I Lay Dying and Mastodon got 30 minutes each . All sounded excellent. When Killswitch Engage came on, that’s when the crowd started to wake up a bit. They crowd surfing was getting a little out of hand and some flashing occurred. They got 40 minutes which included ’My Last Serenade, Life To Lifeless, The End Of Heartache’, and 8a few others. Headlining the second stage was Rob Zombie. Haven’t heard when anything new (musically) will be coming from the Rob Zombie camp, but he did spend a good portion of time in between song plugging his new horror flick. A very cool and erotic stage set. He was very energetic and put on a hell of a set rolling true all the Zombie radio hits and classics.

Main stage festivities start promptly after Rob’s set was over. In Flames did not have all the crowds attention or capacity, but the 20 minutes they played was very well done. What crowds were present while they played, responded to them very well. They did seem to be some sound difficulties present that wouldn’t be ironed out till after BLS. Next up Black Label Society. How many years in a row does Zakk get to be on the main stage? I guess I don’t understand the premise behind to tour. He did a splendid job on tracks like ,’ It’s Been A Long Time, Still Born and Suicide Messiah.’ Really cool was hit tribute to Dimebag. Next on the bill is Shadow’s Fall. They always deliver up a hearty portion of their new millennium style thrash with almost perfect precision. It was cool to see them up on the main stage as just the week before I’d seen them on an off date in a little club. Mudvanye come on next. They played pretty heavy, which I was somewhat impressed. Not one of my favorites, and with all the hits on the radio, I still wonder why they were on the bill as well. Anyways they crowd loved them. They paid special tribute to all those in the Armed Forces and we got to hear ,’Happy, A World So Cold and Falling’ live. Twelve times a day on the radio a day is just not enough. (Not) A good set anyways.

And on with the show. I know I’ve said it before, and yes I’ll say it again. The premise of Ozzfest to me was to showcase underground and new not so heard of bands. From the get go 10 years ago, they have done a descent job at this, but not a great one. Always on the bill are many “well known” bands. Not that this is an issue for me, just practice what you preach I guess. And because of this, I have only attended one other show, and that was last years with Judas Priest. Now last year and this year, there were many great acts on the line up as with years before, but never enough for $75 to $150. There are so many summer metal fests that actually promote and have unknown, underground bands on the bill for $35 to $50 for a two day pass with over a hundred bands. To see the Priest reunion and Maiden was worth the price alone. But with the stiff rules and $8.00 hot dogs, $5.00 bottle waters and no in and out privileges, this makes for one hell of a long day. Blah, blah, blah…..

Another band not belonging on the bill, but I’m so glad they were, (as do Ozzfest coordinators) the reason this years tour is selling well, the greatest band on the planet, Iron Maiden. Okay so I like them. And you should too. Even a couple not really even Maiden fans at all that I attended the show with will tell you how they stole the show. Not the most elaborate stage set this time around, but some kick ass drops, lighting, sound and yes, Eddie. They boys were in top shape for the show. Maiden Fest 2005 is what it was with Black Sabbath not playing, we got an extra 20 minutes out of Maiden. A total of 80 minutes. Still too short, but better that the 60 they were scheduled for. My only bitch is the set list. As any Maiden fan out there, and trust me, I buy all the same shit year after year too, the fact that they are only playing tracks from the first four albums which are feature on the last DVD “The Early Years”. They are definitely marketing geniuses, but come on. And now The Essentials??? Oh, oh and another double live release next month with another live DVD. I love Maiden but man, it seems they are just milking it. We are promised a new disk with all new songs next year. So that’s something to look forward to. As for this evenings set. Amazing as always. This is the 11^th time seeing them and they are just as great now as ever. It was very cool, despite my few complaints hearing just the oldies from them. Wonder how the next couple tours will be like. Bruce is as energetic as ever. Probably the greatest front man in metal. Hands down a true showman. Just watching the rest of the guys up there wailing away gives even the slightest fan the chills. The show started off with ‘The Ides Of March’ playing over the sound system as the lights go out. When the band come out they tear through, in this order: ‘Murders In The Rue Morgue, Another Life, Prowler, The Trooper, Revelations, Wrathchild, Die With Your Boots On, The Phantom Of The Opera, Run To The Hills, The Number Of The Beast, Hallowed Be Thy Name, Iron Maiden, Running Free and the classic closer, Sanctuary’. Great, great ,great. I’m also glad as a long time fan, to see the new genre of youth who are being introduced to them.

Well a very good outing this year. Sorry for all the fans of Ozzy and Black Sabbath who missed out at a certain number of shows this year. And for those catching the last leg of the festival without Iron Maiden on the bill. There were prior commitments they were not going to break. And for all of those who will supposedly not be able to see Ozzy or Black Sabbath headline the event ever again. It seems just this week Ozzy made the announcement that neither group would ever headline the festival again. I suppose it may be time to pack it up and really retire. And huge thank you to one of the founders of what heavy metal today has become. Without the sounds of Black Sabbath, the founders of true metal, there’s no telling what the scene would sound like today. Bow out gracefully now and enjoy the riches you’ve earned. Happy 10^th anniversary Ozzfest.

The Music For Freedom Tour 2005

Featuring - Mushroom Head/Dope/Nocturne/Crossbreed/Regiment

July 26^th - Piere’s Entertainment Complex     Ft. Wayne, Indiana

The Music For Freedom Tour running it’s trek across the states this summer is sponsored by Jagermeister. This tour is for the troops here in the states and abroad who put their asses on the line to make sure we as regular citizens may go about our daily duties that most just take for granted. This is Jagermeister’s way, as well as the bands on the bill, way of saying thank you for all you do. Anyone with a valid military ID can get into any show for absolutely free. Now how cool is that?

Now due to circumstances beyond my control, (broken down vehicle the day of the show), and the torrential down pours of rain and tornados in the area , it made it a bit tough to get the ride going early on. So my apologies to Regiment and Crossbreed. I did not make it to the venue in time to be able to catch these acts. I was told that they rocked the house tough.

I did walk in just moments before the band Nocturne hit the stage. This female fronted band slammed it up a bit with their heavy/nu-metal style of playing. The overall playing seemed a little rough, but with the lead singer sporting a tank top/half shirt and a very low cut mini skirt, the crowd was not really focused on the vocals or music. After a couple of songs, the band did seem to find it’s groove and belted out several tracks which included, “Dissolute, Class War, Dirty Sanchez, Whore and I Lie”.

Next up was Dope. The very politically out spoken Edsel Dope is a town favorite in these parts. I believe they have come through here three times in the past year or two. I myself had not seen them. I heard they were an all out wild live band. It’s all about the live shows. Maybe it was the very limited room they had on stage due to Mushroom Head’s gear, or it could have been just an off night for them. They played very well and got the place bouncing about with some heavy hitters which were selections off their new release ,’ American Apathy’, as well as some from past albums. They played “ Survive, Burn, No Way Out, Always, Bitch, Bring It On and NWA’s Fuck The Police”. Seeing most of the room rolling out the lyrics in a hip-hop fashion as Dope played bothered me some. I thought I was at a metal show. Anyways, I would like to catch them again if they do another headlining spot.

Last up, the mighty Mushroom Head. As with Dope, I was also expecting an outrageous live set for these masked metallars. They had an awesome sound. I bet the loudest band I’ve ever had the chance to stand in the photo pit with. My hair was moving with the bass drum beats. After two rolls of film, I swear I was half deaf. So after the photos I headed up to the mezzanine to enjoy the rest of the set. They seemed fairly melancholy on stage this night. Very cool lighting and plenty of smoke from the fog machines. A great set. I’ll have to catch them again as well. I would like to experience to craziness I have heard that they are known for. They played tracks from their latest release ‘XIII’ and a couple other releases. They included, “Kill Tomorrow, Sun Doesn’t Rise, Becoming Cold(216), The Dream IS Over, Eternal, These Filthy Hands and yes by Prince, When Doves Cry (very cool) accompanied with Xeroxed”.

From what I’ve seen, this is a very solid line-up for a music tour. A hats off to Jagermeister and all the bands who are showing their support for are brothers and sister in the Armed Forces. Help out and show your support as well by attending this tour when it rolls on through your town. You can check out any of the dates from one of the bands websites.

The Harsh Reality Tour  with  Sybreed, Lyzanxia, Freakhouse

Piere’s Entertainment Complex Ft. Wayne, IN  Sept. 13^th, 2004

By John Haseltine

Well first off, I want to put out a thank you to Reality Entertainment and Metal Edge, as well as the other sponsors, for putting together this tour with three amazing metal acts. Also to whomever booked them originally here in Ft Wayne. These types of shows are very, very few and far between. And last to Piere’s, who at the last minute, three days before the show, rebooked the tour due to what I hear was a closing of the original club hosting the event. A total lack of advertising led way to a small, yet intimate performance for the evening.

First up for the night was Freakhouse. Freakhouse are from southern California. They came out all guns blazing with their furious, hard rocking, metal sound. Playing selections from the new album, ‘Beautiful Misery’, as well as a few others. Songs included “ Man Or Machine, Disconnected, The Enemy and Senseless.” They set the theme for the evening by going out and having fun playing their music as if the house was sold out.

France’s Lyzanxia does just the same. A full energy, thrash attack to numb the senses. Lyzanxia are an incredibly amazing band. Ripping their death/trash metal sound out with such precision, you’d swear you were listening to a cd. The latest cd ,’Mind Crimes’ is just as amazing, but there’s nothing like seeing it live. Especially when the band is as talented and precise as Lyzanxia. This is their first time in America. And they’re leaving quite an impression. The hammered out such tracks as, “ Game Time, Dream Feeder, My Blank Confession, Glass Bones, Time Dealer, Silence Code.” An amazing set by an amazing young metal band.

Last up on the bill, another new band to visit here in the states, Sybreed From Switzerland. On tour in support of their new release, ‘Slave Design’, which was just released on the 7^th of Sept. another highly talented young band. Sybreed belted out many heavy, heavy tunes as well. Their sound mixture of the likes of Fear Factory, Meshuggah, Placebo went over well by the crowd at the club. Playing songs “ Re-Evolution, Hate Tech Device, Neuro Drive, Take The Red Pill, Static Currents and Decoy”. A great set and band to be on this bill.

This was just the start of the Harsh Reality Tour. It will be heading to a town near you from now thru Oct. this is a definite, must see. I can’t believe the amazing musicianship of all three acts on the bill. Not only musically, but just the pure professionalism portrayed by each band. Even in the event of poor local advertising, and a small turn out. They all played their hearts out as if it were a 20,000 seat sold out performance. Probably , one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long, long time.