Skeletonwitch, Doomriders, Iron Age, Howl, Starvation @ Webster Theatre - Hartford CT
The Webster Underground in Hartford, CT may be a tiny venue, but it was bursting at the seams with some serious heavy metal when Skeletonwitch played there on February 20, 2010.
First up was local metalcore band Starvation. Their set was brief but unremarkable, save for a cover of Celtic Frost's "Procreation (of the Wicked)." Following them was Howl, who sounded like a sludge and doom metal hybrid. They've only got a CD sampler out now, and they're trying to drum up support for their upcoming debut; given their well-received performance, I don't think they'll have trouble acquiring fans as the tour continues. Next on the docket was Iron Age, another metalcore band. Their songs often started thrashy, before slowing down into a post-rock groove. As more and more fans started arriving at the Underground, it was Iron Age's job to rile them up. The final opening band was the post-metal act Doomriders. Even though they were just an opener, there was a throng of devoted fans out to show their support. There might've been just as many Doomriders fans as there were Skeletonwitch fans! The band played some older material, as well as plenty of songs from their latest release, "Darkness Come Alive."
And then...there was Skeletonwitch. The Athens, Ohio-based lords of metal wasted no time, beginning their set with the blistering "Submit to the Suffering," then going straight into "Upon Wings of Black." While this tour was to promote their new album "Breathing the Fire," Skeletonwitch also bestowed songs from "Beyond the Permafrost" upon the crowd, seamlessly mixing them into the more recent selections. 
Aside from the flesh-rending music that Skeletonwitch cranked out, they were all about adding a bit of rock 'n' roll atmosphere to the tiny venue. They made good use of a fog machine, strobes, and even antlered deer skulls hanging on amp stacks drenched in crimson light. It doesn't get much more metal than that! Vocalist Chance Garnette is the quintessential metal performer; he made sure to get right in the crowd's face while unleashing his guttural growls and death shrieks. Additionally, Chance mimed sword thrusts, breaking bones in two, and even ripping off his own face during the course of his performance, all perfectly in time to the killer riffs. At no point during the set did the band's energy diminish, and neither did that of the crowd. At times, the pit nearly spilled onto the stage, and that only made the band play harder. Most importantly, though, was the sense of gratitude that Skeletonwitch conveyed. They made sure to tell the crowd on multiple occasions that they were proud to perform for their fans, and thanked everyone repeatedly for showing up and supporting their music.
Four opening bands, a killer set list, and Pabst Blue Ribbon flowing like blood...Skeletonwitch made their performance a night to remember. If you can't see them on their headlining tour, be sure to catch them this summer in support of Cannibal Corpse!
Be sure to check out the interview we did with Skeletonwitch before the show.
For more information on Skeletonwitch check out: www.skeletonwitch.com
Or his: Myspace, Facebook or Twitter pages
For more information on Doomriders check out their: Myspace or Facebook pages
For more information on Iron Age check out their: Myspace or their blog
For more information on Howl check out their Myspace site
For more information on Starvation check out their Myspace site
Posted by Nadine Swiger :: Elle Tourjman
On February 16, Jonny live streamed his back to back shows from The Iridium Jazz Club in NYC. Jonny began his first set with the title track of his latest album "Taboo." Jonny's deep voice was nicely rounded with a rich tonal range. The other musicians on stage sounded well rehearsed as they played through song after song. You could see that the audience was enchanted with the tall, blue eyed charmer as he stood on stage and sang with true emotion.
in the audience, telling stories and really performing a very laid back entertaining set. 
Kicking off the night, from Texas was Flyleaf. They hit the stage hard, rocking out and giving a very energetic performance. The band comes across as very heartfelt and seems like they are really trying to make a difference. There was an avid Flyleaf fan in the front row that was rocking out in his wheelchair. Soon after the band got off stage, someone from their crew brought over a used drumhead, autographed by the band and thanked the gentleman for coming out to the show. From the fan’s response, you could tell it made his night and will be remembered as one of the best shows he has ever been to, all because the band went that extra mile and took a few extra seconds to do such a random act of kindness.
has a very tight solid sound, as they hit every note without missing a beat. Really they seem to be one of the better sounding bands with sweet, finely tuned vocals. The crowd idol worshipped them while singing along to some of the band's most popular songs, while still some other hardcore Chevelle fans who varied in age were crowd surfing. Chevelle is out in support of their latest album, “Sci-Fi Crimes” on Epic Records. Look for Chevelle to do a week's worth of shows with the Sick Puppies and then they will jump on tour with Breaking Benjamin, Red and Thousand Foot Krutch in March.
Honestly, I think that was the loudest crowd that I have ever experienced. I doubled checked my earplugs, thinking I must have somehow put them
in wrong but they were just as they should be. The frenzied crowd was really just that loud. The band kicked the night off with their current single, “Break.” The fans were wildly enthusiastic as they threw all manner of various objects in the air, including balls, bottles and clothing. Three Days Grace performed hit after hit in while the pressed crowd filled the
room singing even louder than the band themselves, who were playing at full volume. One of the highlights of the night was when lead singer, Adam Gontier,
did an acoustic rendition of Phil Collin’s song, “In The Air Tonight.” They closed off the night with “Animal I Have Become.” There is only a few more dates left with Chevelle and in mid February, they head out in a co-headlining tour with Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf is still the support act.
The first band to hit the stage was Blackguard. The Palladium is a favorite venue of theirs, and they reflected this by charging up the
crowd as if they were playing to a massive arena rather than a club. The Canadian metalheads even gifted the fans with a new song,
"Farewell," which will likely appear on a new album due for release late in 2010. Blackguard's set was rather short (due to the show's
delayed start time), but they still played their hearts out.
Threat Signal was up next; another group hailing from Canada, these melodic thrashers played tracks from their newest album, "Vigilance,"
as well as few from their first full-length, "Under Reprisal." The band mixes extreme metal styles together to achieve their sound, and
the fans reacted quite positively. Pieces of thrash, melodic death metal, and hardcore could all be heard, so no matter what your weapon
of choice may be in the extreme metal world, Threat Signal played it.
And then...there was Epica. This is a band that has established itself as a major player in the symphonic metal scene relatively quickly, and
while the Palladium's upstairs venue may be small, they filled it with a rich sound indeed. The entire band is composed of extremely gifted
musicians, but for most fans, all eyes (and ears!) were on Simone Simons, Epica's lead singer. Simone's voice is absolutely
breathtaking, and her live performance nearly puts her recorded works to shame. Most of Epica's songs for the evening came from last fall's
"Design Your Universe," including the title track and the single "Unleashed"; but they did round out their set with older songs, too,
like the powerful "The Obsessive Devotion." The highlight of Epica's performance was their rendition of "The Imperial March" from Star
Wars. The band are big fans of film scores, and while this song had appeared on their live album "The Classical Conspiracy," this version
also added bits of other Star Wars music, from "Battle of the Heroes" to melodies from "A New Hope." The crowd was ecstatic; the hundreds
gathered within the Palladium were fist-pumping, chanting, and throwing up the horns as one. 
They handled the show more like a festival by splitting the show between two stages. Massachusette’s own, Acaro kicked off the night on the upper stage while Thy Will Be Done kicked off the main stage.
It was SepticFlesh’s last night of their North American journey with Behemoth. They will be returning home to Athens Greece after the show. It’s a shame that this band didn’t have a longer time slot because they have a huge catalog of songs to choose from dating back to 1994’s “Mystic Places Of Dawn.” SepticFlesh tore up the stage with a strong, tight sound, playing songs off their latest album, “Communiom.” The crowd called out several older songs that they would of loved to hear, maybe next time around. It is released on Necroterror Records and available in a limited edition black vinyl as well as a special edition gold vinyl box set. You can pick these up through 
Goatwhore is always a crowd pleaser, as the New Orleans black metaler's have been around for nearly a decade, ripping up stages around the world. They are currently out in support of their latest Metal Blade Record’s release, “Carving Out The Eyes Of God.” They continue on the Bound By The Road tour until Mid February. From there, they jump on tour with Shadows Fall, continuing to tour North America. In April 2010, they will be joining Job For A Cowboy and Behemoth for a tour that hits Australia and New Zealand. 
/>Suffocation is Brutal, Technical Death Metal that hails from New York. They have a strong and solid following that has spawn from 20 years of the underground Death Metal scene. They signed to Nuclear Blast Records in 2008; releasing their sixth studio album “Blood Oath” in 2009. They are on tour with DevilDriver to mid Feb. Then head over seas to Europe for March and April. In May, they co-headline a tour with Napalm Death in South America. Be on the look out for those dates.
What can’t be said that hasn’t already been said about Behemoth. They are one of the loudest and tightest extreme metal act out today. This time around they are headline their first US tour with SepticFlesh and Lighnting Swords of Death, and it’s about time! This band has been touring the US for years now showcasing their unique form of death metal which has taken the US fans by storm. Out in support of their latest opus “Evangelion,” 
Behemoth are showing extreme metal fans what this band really has to offer. No more 20 minutes sets where they just start to get warmed up and then have to leave the stage. This time we get 45+ minutes of brutal amazing metal that only Behemoth can deliver. Opening their set with “Of the Fire and the Void” and mixing in songs from Demigod, the Apostasy and Zos Kia Kultas and even jumping back to 1999’s Satanica and playing “Decade Of Therion”. Behemoth
ended their set with Lucifer which is the last track on “Evangelion” where they stood infront of Inferno’s drum kit not moving but paying the track in a statuesque form that engulfed the crowed with majesty and power. Behemoth is one of the most unique metal acts on the scene today. Make sure to catch them live. They will continue to tour the world, hitting Greece, Turkey, Japan and then Australia and New Zealand in March and April.
Taking the stage last was DevilDriver. They did a killer job and their sound was spot on. It was one of the better DevilDriver shows I have experienced. Kicking off their set was “End of the Line” from their “The Fury of Our Maker's Hand” album. Out in support of their latest album, “Pray for Villains,” (RoadRunner Records) their set included several songs from that new album while still including the older favorites. They closed the night with “Meet the Wretched” off their 2003 debut album. DevilDriver will continue on their Bound By Road tour, which winds down on February 12, 2009 in West Hollywood California. Keep an eye out for them. Rumor has it that a new album is scheduled for 2010.
Third on the bill is North Carolina’s Paper Tongues. They fuse their rock n' roll melodies with hip hop beats. Their single “Ride To California” is hitting modern Rock Stations and generating quite a buzz. You will surely want to check them out. During their live performance they draw their audience into the show with full crowd participation. It’s easy to see why they are poised to become a crowd favorite. They will have a few more tour dates with the Crash Kings, before meeting up with Switchfoot and the Hello Hurricane Tour in mid-late Feb. 
Closing out the night was the up and coming band California based Crash Kings. With a unique sound and original style, this three piece band has been described as Bens Fold Five meets The White Stripes. The Crash Kings use an instrument called a Clavinet in place of the more traditional guitar. The Clavinet is an electronic keyboard that is strung with guitar-like strings to give a sound similar to that of the guitar. I have to admit that I found the concept of the clavinet particularly fascinating and I couldn't wait to hear what a Clavinet sounds like live. The Crash Kings pulled off an amazing and impressive sound live. The clavinet 
sounded better than I could have ever anticipated. The bass is distorted as well and all together in conjunction with the drums, the three piece band manage to 
blend their music brilliantly. Their current single, “Mountain Man” off their self-titled debut, continues to rise and just recently broke into the top 20 on Alternative Rock Charts. This is definitely one of those bands to keep your eye on. Check out the interview we did with the band (coming soon) and watch for them to continue on their headlining club tour.
New Jersey-based metalcore act Mutiny Within kicked off the night, using their potent brew of groove riffs, clean vocals, and occasional growls to warm up the masses. The crowd sure loved 'em, if the circle pits were any indication! Shortly thereafter, technical death metallers Arsis forced the crowd to rock in support of their upcoming album Starve for the Devil. This kicked the overall energy of the evening into an even higher gear, as the band showcased their intricate metal arrangements spiced with just the right amount of classic thrash influence.
The third band on the roster needed no introduction. Exodus have been a thrash metal tour de force since their inception three decades ago, and despite numerous lineup changes over these past thirty years, their edge has never been blunted. Nowhere was this more apparent than their performance at the Palladium; they may be thrash metal's "elder statesmen," but these guys could instruct any young group of upstarts in exactly how it's done. Speaking of education, no night at The Exodus School of Metal is complete without "A Lesson in Violence." It's one of the band's trademark songs, and the sheer fury it unleashed in the crowd shows just how powerful it still is, even a quarter century after its original release.
At long last, Arch Enemy took to the stage. Led by mind-blowing frontwoman Angela Gossow, the Swedish masters of melodic death metal blasted everyone's heads off with songs spanning the past decade. While the "Tyrants of Evil" tour may be named after their two most recent albums (Rise of the Tyrant and The Root of All Evil, respectively), their setlist was an even mix of tracks from the Gossow era, with one classic piece -- "Bury Me an Angel" -- thrown in for good measure. Fan favorites like "Ravenous," "We Will Rise," and the encore "Nemesis" whipped the crowd in a chanting, fist-pumping frenzy. Arch Enemy's skill is unparalleled, and they proved once again why they are masters of their craft.
First band to play was Like A Storm, who rushing onto the stage, whipped the crowd into a musical frenzy while setting the awesome tone and vibe for the night. With their unique sounds and great energy, it’s no wonder they have been generating a lot of buzz within the industry! Originally from New Zealand (they now live in Vancouver,Canada), they are new arrivals on the American music scence. Last year they created a stir while touring with other heavy hitters such as Staind, Hoobastank, Puddle of Mudd and Saliva. Now, it seem that all of their hard work paid off, as their debut album, “The End Of The Beginning,” entered the Billboard’s “New Artist” Charts at #61, generated from their tour sales alone. Watch for them to come through your town.
Next up was the Hardcore but surprisingly sweet Christian Rock Band, Skillet. They are known for putting on a brilliant stage show and tonight was no exception. They had a full stage set with great sound and style. They are currently out on tour in support of their latest album, “Awake” that features their hits “Hero” and current single “Monster.” They have a great blend of female and male vocals. From March to May, Skillet will be headlining their own tour before hopping on the Festival/Radio circuit this summer.
Following Skillet was Puddle Of Mudd who really know how to play to their crowd! They had the audience rocking out to some of the band's best known and favorite tunes including their rendition of the Nirvana song “Hates Me.” The audience ate it up with a spoon as they sang along to the stark vocals of lead singer, Wes Scantlin. The overall
feeling on the floor was one of excitement as the crowd danced the night away. Look for Puddle of Mudd’s fourth studio album, “Vol. 4: Songs in the Key of Love and Hate” in stores now. Puddle Of Mudd will continue on the tour, doing a few headlining show, then head out with Chevelle, Sick Puppies, Cavo and Janus in the end of February.
The final band was Shinedown who put on one of the best performances. The crowd went wild with kids screaming and jumping up and down to Shinedown's great vocals and boundless energy as members of the band leapt all around the stage, playing their souls out to their audience. I would highly recommend getting out and seeing this tour because it is one you will kick your arse if you miss!
The tour will continue across the US and end February 13th in Peoria, IL. Shinedown will then head over to Australia for a few weeks, hit Hawaii on their way back to North America where they then jump on tour with Nickelback, Breaking Benjamin and Sick Puppies (early April). Next, they will team up with 3 Doors Down, Lifehouse, Carolina Liar for an other North American tour that will run from April to June.