Cradle Of Filth have assumed the role of dark metal diarists, exploring the amorphous horrors that lurk in humanity’s shadows and reveling in the opulence of mortal sin across centuries powered by bleak romance and a lust for the sensually grotesque. Currently enjoying a collective creative renaissance that is driving them to new heights of elegant fury, the band are more potent and devastating than ever before as they approach the release of their latest and perhaps greatest studio effort, Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness Of Decay. “This album represents an onwards and upwards drive for the band, building on the success of Hammer Of The Witches and pushing further with the venomous musicology to create something that is both unique and loyal to our previous incarnations,” lead vocalist Dani Filth states. A monstrous tour-de-force of utterly distinctive but reassuringly destructive heavy metal, laced with spectral disquiet but delivered with muscular aplomb, Cryptoriana hits hard from the exhilarating melodrama of opening two-fisted salvo “Exquisite Torments Await” and “Heartbreak And Séance” onwards, the twelfth Cradle album manifestly represents yet another wild expansion of the band’s sonic manifesto across nine epic and elaborate new anti-hymns. As they prepare to introduce these stunning new songs to their dedicated global fan base, Cradle Of Filth have never been more powerful or their excellence so undeniable
SMITH & MYERS OF SHINEDOWN
SONGS FOR THE SOUL, AN INTIMATE ACOUSTIC EVENING
Clutch – Psychic Warfare World Tour w/ Devin Townsend Project
The eleventh Clutch studio album Psychic Warfare goes straight for the throat with “X- Ray Visions” and never lets go. Working again with acclaimed producer Machine, this time in Texas, the concise arrangements that made Earth Rocker so assertive is the same harness for the combustible musical energy on Psychic Warfare. Harder, faster… let the rhythm hit ’em. Formed in 1991, the Maryland-based band’s ability to absorb different musical styles and fabricate them into a distinct Clutch sound continues to be their forté. “A Quick Death In Texas,” overstocked with signature “Clutch heavy” Tim Sult riffs and lonesome guitar licks, and the funk undercurrent of “Your Love Is Incarceration,” color Psychic Warfare with articulate musicality and comfortable familiarity.
Neil Fallon: Vocals/ Guitar
Jean-Paul Gaster: Drums
Dan Maines: Bass
Tim Sult: Guitar
GWAR – The Blood of Gods Tour w/ Ghoul, He is Legend & US Bastards
GWAR are thrash metal’s answer to the more mainstream satire of Spinal Tap. Gory, sexually perverse, and scatological in the extreme, GWAR were formed as an experiment in marketing strategy by several musicians, art students, and dancers. The group claimed to consist of all-powerful interplanetary warriors, descended from aliens stranded in Antarctica and initially created from the lowest filth in the universe, who came to Earth to sexually enslave and/or slaughter the human race. Taking the rock theatrics of Kiss and Alice Cooper to depraved new levels, GWAR have been putting on one of rock’s most outrageous and offensive–not to mention creative—live shows. The group quickly established a unique identity as the members performed in bizarre costumes made of latex and papier-mâché, while the stage show itself featured fake pagan rituals and corpses spewing washable bodily fluids on the audience. GWAR are perhaps best appreciated for their visual aspects, which have historically been far more creative than the actual music; indeed, the group received a somewhat stunning Grammy nomination in 1993 for its long-form home video Phallus in Wonderland.
Dirty Heads w/ The Unlikely Candidates & Tyrone’s Jacket
After two decades spent chiseling their unique, multi-genre infused sound, Dirty Heads have finally come into their own. Following in the footsteps of their California brothers Sublime, Huntington Beach’s Dirty Heads mix hip-hop, reggae, and rock along with that laid-back South Cali attitude. Since the release of their 2008 debut Any Port in a Storm, the five-piece band—Jared Watson (vocals), Dustin “Duddy B” Bushnell (vocals/guitar), Jon Olazabal (percussion), Matt Ochoa (drums) and David Foral (bass)—has consistently experimented with their sunny style, leaning heavily on reggae fused with hip-hop cornerstones and scaling back for more acoustic fare, darting between extremes.
Kamelot
with Delain & Battle Beast
Doors: 7:30PM
Kamelot’s release of their debut Eternity was praised by the music media as one of most promising debuts of all time. They went on to create many other albums all with striking results. Kamelot’s video “The Haunting” and “March of Mephisto” became huge hits on YouTube and prompted the band to launch their own YouTube channel, aptly titled KamTV. KamTV’s initial launch hurled the band into YouTube’s top 10 music channels and #1 Metal Channel, transcending all genres. Subsequently, Kamelot presented themselves more sinister and soulful on Ghost Opera and Poetry For The Poisoned, but have now returned to the melodic aspects of their multi-layered sound with the album, Silverthorn. The album, went directly to the top, debuting at the #1 position on Amazon’s Heavy Metal Chart! Along with this amazing accomplishment, Kamelot also impacted major charts in other categories including the #9 position on Billboard’s Hard Rock Chart, #24 on the Rock Charts, #79 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, as well as appearing on multiple international charts.
ISSUES – Headspace Tour w/ Volumes, Too Close to Touch & Sylar
Issues are an Atlanta, Georgia metalcore band formed in 2012 and was quickly
signed to Rise Records imprint Velocity just a few months after formation. Issues'
first EP, Black Diamonds, arrived at the tail end of 2012. A genre-blurring mix of
metalcore, R&B-tinged pop, and Linkin Park-esque nu-metal DJ breaks, their self-
titled first album Issues debuted in the Top Ten of the Billboard 100. An acoustic
EP, Diamond Dreams, was released later that year, featuring their 2013 stand-alone
single, "Hooligans." Issues returned to the studio to record their sophomore LP,
Headspace, which they are touring in support of.
ALTER BRIDGE w/ guests Nonpoint
Fittingly, on their fifth full-length album, The Last Hero, hard rock juggernaut Alter Bridge pursue a level of excellence inspired by timeless heroism. Making the record became something of a personal quest for the quartet—Myles Kennedy [vocals, guitar], Mark Tremonti [guitar, vocals], Brian Marshall [bass], and Scott Phillips [drums]. In 2013, the band reached an elevated creative and critical milestone with Fortress. It bowed at #12 on the Billboard Top 200, moving over 30,000 copies first-week and earning unanimous tastemaker praise. The record garnered perfect scores from Total Guitar and KERRANG! as well as acclaim from Billboard, The Guardian, Loudwire, Ultimate Guitar, and many more. In between sold out tours in Europe and North America, the guys appeared on VH1 and graced the cover of Classic Rock Magazine who labeled Fortress, “The best thing they’ve ever done,” while Eddie Trunk called it, “A top 10 album of the last 10 years.” When it came time to write new music, the musicians collectively raised the bar yet again for The Last Hero. Ultimately, Alter Bridge heroically deliver for fans worldwide and rock music at large.
Revolution Fan Favorite Nonpoint provides support for the show.
Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan create maniacally intense, crushingly metallic, and decidedly hardcore punk-infused jazz-time-signature-invoking compositions displaying an unparalleled musical bravery, precision musicianship, meticulously thought-out, and complex structuring, and rigorous physical endurance. The band’s guitarists and drummer are regular features in publications geared toward the guitar- and drum-playing set. The depth of extremity and mental challenge presented by their music virtually defies description, at once recalling the mind-wandering spirit of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, the complex heavy metal of latter-day Death, Cynic’s solitary death metal achievement, and the progressive hard rock of Rush. Their performances bring to mind the anarchic charge of early Guns N’ Roses shows, and the sophistication that drives their craft should awe fans of classy art rock bands like Radiohead. This is bound to be one of the best live shows of the year! Don’t miss this!
The Pretty Reckless
After topping the rock charts in 2014 and 2015, The Pretty Reckless returns with their extraordinary third studio album Who You Selling For, due October 21st on Razor & Tie. The new album is the band’s anticipated third studio album and the follow up to Going To Hell, which spawned the biggest rock song of 2014 in “Heaven Knows” and a total of three #1 Mainstream and Active Rock hits. The first single from the new album, “Take Me Down,” premiered worldwide July 15th on iHeart Radio and impacted at rock radio four days later on July 19th, quickly climbing to #7 on the chart.
Crowbar with Unearth, Black Crown Initiate
Crowbar is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana, characterized by their extremely slow, low-keyed, heavy and brooding songs that also contain fast hardcore punk passages. Crowbar is considered to be one of the most influential metal bands to come out of the New Orleans metal scene. Their slow, heavy, and brooding style of metal is known to be influential in the sludge metal, doom metal, and stoner metal genres.
Attila with Crown the Empire, Like Moths to Flames, Sworn In
Party metal rockers Attila formed in their hometown of Atlanta in 2005, meeting each other at their high school and through mutual friends. Their mutual love of music (and partying) brought the guys together to form what would eventually become the fourth imprint on the Artery Foundation/Razor & Tie joint venture, Artery Recordings.
When the guys set out to name their newly formed band, they knew they were looking for a simple, one word name that didn’t imply the typical death metal cliché terms such as “blood, dying, and darkness.” One day they found themselves in a bookstore passing around a book about Attila the Hun, and so Attila was born.
Over the years Attila has gone through a few lineup changes, but founding members Fronz and Sean have remained a constant staple. For the past two years, the band has consisted of Fronz (vocals), Nate (guitar), Chris (guitar), Sean (drums) and Chris (bass). This lineup really brought together Attila’s sound and image that they are known for today. The band began touring full time and as of summer 2010, has been on the road almost non-stop for two years.
Attila released two prior albums, Fallacy and Soundtrack To A Party, on Statik Factory Records, and have previously toured with Arsonists Get All The Girls, See You Next Tuesday, Chelsea Grin, American Me, and We Are The End. RAGE, Attila’s Artery Recording/Razor & Tie debut was released on May 11, 2010, and is a unique mix of heavy music infused with elements that make each song fun to listen to and put the listener in the mood to party. “The title can be perceived in many ways, one obviously being a state of extreme anger, and the other being the slang meaning – to party! I have always been a fan of play-on-words and double meanings, and that’s what drew me to this title more than anything,” Fronz commented.
While Attila certainly evokes thoughts of partying, the band is trying to expand the public’s immediate thoughts about party metalcore through RAGE. They describe the album and their overall take on music as a way of letting loose and having fun, and allowing the listener to take away that message in whatever context they find fitting. As Fronz said, “All we want is for the listener to have a fun experience, and that is the main message behind RAGE.”