Hard Rock albums of the decade 2010-2019

For several years now I have made my own albums of the year list.  This being true, and adding to the fact that I disagreed with many of the albums of the decade lists that I was reading online, I thought it would be easy enough to come up with my own top albums of the past ten years.  It turned out to be much harder than I thought as I found it difficult to narrow down, and I argued with myself about who should be featured and it what order.  Bands of the decade are definitely Gojira and Ghost.  Gojira's popularity has soared and they have been featured on huge tours with Metallica and Slipknot, among others.  Ghost has brought back Swedish metal to the masses with their cross of old Sabbath-sounding metal with new catchy hooks, and their throwback campy costumes.  I think the former was best on Magma and the latter was best on Prequelle which each blended the bands' heavy and melodic elements perfectly.  However, these won't be found on my top 25 of the decade list!  You also won't find comeback albums from Korn, Metallica, Tool, or Slipknot, though each of those was a strong effort.  I'm giving preference to albums that have no skippable tracks.  I still like albums that I can play all the way through.  Standout singles are a plus, but it takes more than those to make a great album.  My list is seeking to highlight the best overall albums of the decade, and that means more than just two or three kick ass songs.  I like to headbang, but you may find that I also tend to like songs with strong melody, and songs with lyrics you can understand and attach to.  I also chose to not put more than one album from the same artist.  If you don't know one of the ones mentioned below, I encourage you to check them out.  If you feel like something was left off, I'm open to hearing opinions, but this is the list of my favorites.  I spent many hours compiling this list, and you can see from the honorable mentions list how many were considered.  Enjoy!  Keep rockin!

1. Volbeat - Beyond Hell/Heaven Above (2012) - Thirteen tracks of rockabilly metal madness!  This is my favorite of Volbeat's four albums of the decade and maybe their best of seven studio albums in their catalogue.  From start to finish this album delivers up tempo rockers with huge riffs and hooks.  Michael Paulsen's voice is deep, but smooth.  There are guest appearances from musicians from Mercyful Fate, Kreator, and Napalm Death; there's a bonus track written by Glenn Danzig.  Volbeat is from Denmark, and they sound like no one else.  I find something new to like with every listen.

2. Danko Jones - Rock and Roll is Black and Blue (2012): This band is from Canada, and although they have had some critical acclaim in North America, they mostly tour in Europe where there is more demand for their type of music.  This album is about love, sex, and heartbreak.  It has elements of punk, blues, and garage rock, but with anthemic songs.  I promise that you will find at least one song on this album that you absolutely love.  I like to listen to this album while walking, cooking, showering, or just chillin'.  Although I like every song, I think "I Don't Care," "You Wear Me Down," "Always Away," and "I Believed in God" are all epic!

3. Seether - Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray (Deluxe) (2011): No album has gotten more spins from front to back for me this decade than this one.  When I still had a cd player in my car, this disc was about the only thing I listened to for a couple of weeks straight, and it gets regular plays still.  At first I didn't even think it was the best Seether album.  It really grew on me though, and now I see it as a masterpiece.  There are grunge rockers like the ones they are known for, there are epic ballads, and there are genre-bending songs that show off the artistic songwriting ability that this band has.  I think Shaun Morgan is one of the best songwriters and vocalists of my generation.  His vocal range and artistry are on full display throughout this album.  The first single, Country Song, brought them new fans and critical acclaim.  Emo-ballads "Here and Now" and "Tonight" are among some of the bands' best.  The regular version has twelve killer songs and the deluxe has sixteen.

4. Crobot - Something Supernatural (2014): Finally an American band makes the list.  They're from Pottsville, PA to be exact.  The first time I heard Crobot was on Octane and I knew they were special.  Self-described "dirty groove rock," Crobot has a unique sound that is part throwback and part revolutionary.  There's bluesy guitar riffs like Black Crowes and powerful soaring vocals similar at times to Wolfmother.  I saw Crobot open for Chevelle shortly after their full length debut album was released, and I was blown away by how similar to the record they sounded!  Lead singer Brandon Yeagley has phenomenal range and power, and the rest of the band compliments him with a righteous rhythm section and well-timed leads.  Something Supernatural is a concept album with songs about subjects like chupacabra, succubus, and the devil.  They've since released two other great albums, but I think this one is the gold standard.  In my 2014 list this one was number 4 behind my next pick, but it moved up the list of favorites because of its originality and replay-ability.

5. Chevelle - La Gorgola (2014) - Chevelle followed up what was definitely their weakest effort, 2011's Hats Off To the Bull, with maybe their most consistent album.  This one has banging riffs throughout.  The main riff from "Under the Knife" was straight out of my brain circa 2002.  "Ouija Board," "An Island," and "Jawbreaker" are straight fire.  "Takeout the Gunman" was a breakout single.  If you've ever liked Chevelle's previous work, or are just a fan of riff-based alternative metal, you need to listen to this album.

6. Judas Priest - Firepower (2018): Quoting myself, "Firepower starts off with three kick ass songs, "Firepower," "Lightening Strike," and "Evil Never Dies."  In fact, these are the three they have been regularly incorporating into their new live show. It fits into the set great. I think the reason this new album has been viewed so favorably is that it has some of the classic Priest sound (Never the Heroes, Children of the Sun), some modern heavy rock sounds (Necromancer, Lightening Strike), and some sick lead guitar solos (Rising From Ruins, Traitors Gate). There is something for everyone. The songwriting is strong, the melodies are fresh and the riffs really rip.   There's not a bad song among the generous 14 tracks. If you like metal and you haven't checked this one out, do yourself a favor and give it a listen."

7. Trivium - The Sin and the Sentence (2017): Lead singer and guitarist Matt Heafy is a monster of melodic metal, and this album is rock solid from start to finish.  The drumming is also phenomenal.  The band even got a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for the song "Betrayer."  I actually prefer the title track, "The Wretchedness Inside," and "Sever the Hand."

8. Alter Bridge - Last Hero (2016): See my full track-by-track review here.  In addition, Last Hero won the Loudwire Best Rock Album of the Year and "Show Me A Leader" won Best Rock Song in a year full of fantastic rock music.  Enough said.

9. Nonpoint - The Poison Red (2016): One of my favorite bands of all time released five awesome albums this decade.  The Poison Red is the best since their 2000 debut Statement, and I have it a little above 2018's X.  There is not a skippable track.  It is one of their most ambitious and diverse albums.  Opener "Generation Idiot" is a scathing commentary on the culture of text, eat, sleep, repeat.  Lead guitarist BC Kochmit shows his chops on tracks like "Foaming At the Mouth" and "Bottled Up Killer Bees".  "El Diablo" brings back the Spanish influences from the Puerto Rican roots of Robb and Elias, who seem to show no signs of slowing down.  Closer "My Last Dying Breath" has a heavy sludging rhythm in the chorus unlike anything the boys in Nonpoint have done before.

10. Monster Truck - Furiosity (2013): This can best be described as groovy grunge metal.  It is toe-tapping, head-banging riffage with soulful, raspy clean vocals.  When I saw this band open for Buckcherry in February of 2014 they blew me away.  I couldn't believe how talented they were, how hard they rocked, and how original their sound was.  They have since come out with two other great albums, but this one is perfection.  If you're new to these guys, start with "Sweet Mountain River."

11. Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream (2018): Wow, another concept album that actually works!  This band has been around since 2002 and had the breakout of their career with this album inspired by classic horror movies including A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, It, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  I saw them at Starland in May and though I had heard some of their songs on Octane, I didn't expect a whole bunch.  Well, the stage show was very theatrical, the band sounded just like the record, and the singer really impressed me with his strong, smooth vocals.  If that wasn't cool enough, the album features guest vocals from members of Finch, Mest, Fenix TX, Less Than Jake, and Stanley Kubrick's grandson, Sam Kubrick of the band Shields.

12. Tremonti - A Dying Machine (2018): It was close between this one and 2016's Dust, but this album had more songs on it, and the standout track "From the Sky" which I think is one of Tremonti's best.  You'll find trademark chunky riffs alongside a soaring whoah-oh-oh sing along chorus.  I dare you to dislike it.

13. Megadeth - Dystopia (2016): Megadeth is one of my favorite bands, and as such I have high standards for them.  Dystopia is definitely their best album of the decade, and I think a worthy top 20 selection.  On this album Dave Mustaine shows that he can still shred, and he still has more to say about society.  The title track won the band its first Grammy (Best Metal Performance), after 11 previous nominations, beating out Baroness, Gojira, Korn, and Periphery.

14. Rammstein - Rammstein (2019): Rammstein had nothing to prove; no reason to put out a career bookmark, but that's exactly what they did with this album.  15 years after the country commentary on the United States and Russia heard on 2004's Reise Reise, Germany gets it's own satirical theme song, "Deutchland."  The main beat is like EDM MDMA, and yet it also has a driving drum beat that is rock gold.  Then add Till's creepy chanting vocals over top and you have a unique rock anthem.  Radio is also one of the best songs in their catalogue.  Puppe is one of the creepiest.  The videos are some of the most provocative of their career, and I think "Deutchland" is definitely worth everyone viewing.

15. Buried In Verona - Vultures Above, Lions Below (2015): BIV is an Australian band from Sydney, New South Wales.  I think I just found them by searching rock releases on iTunes.  This whole album is really solid aggressive rock.  From 2008-2014 they were more metalcore.  There isn't a ton of screaming on this album, and the rough edges are more polished.  There is good guitar licks and melody behind a mix of clean and unclean vocals.  None of the tracks really stand out as amazing, but there are also no duds in the entire album.  I just really enjoy this album.

16. Against Me - White Crosses (2010): This album is another in a string of my top 16 that I think is pretty much flawless.  Besides Holding Onto Strings, this one probably got the most complete plays, mostly on car rides.  The opening tracks "White Crosses" and "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" are full of punk angst.  The rest of the album leans emo in the lyrics and tone, covering subjects such as drug use, death, and heartbreak.  Though really dark times are discussed, the tempos remain upbeat and the songs have hopeful perspective.  This album also marks the last for the lead singer being known as Thomas James Gabel before transitioning to Laura Jane Grace.  You would definitely be right to consider 2014's Transgender Dysphoria Blues more socially important, but sonically this one takes the cake.

17. Staind - Staind (2011): I have been a fan of Staind since 1999, and think that Aaron Lewis is one of the most talented singers out there.  2008's Illusion of Progress was their slowest and weakest album, a big letdown.  Documentary footage from the recording sessions of the self-titled album show that the band was going through a tumultuous time trying to meet deadlines for Staind while Aaron was working on a blossoming solo career as a country artist.  Tensions boiled high and after recording was finished, the drummer, Jon Wysocki, was finished as well, and the future of the band was uncertain.  This is the last release we have gotten, and it is unique for the guitar parts Mike Mushok came up with.  There is more solos than on previous releases, and some intricate and challenging parts.  At the same time, the anger and aggression harkens back to the Dysfunction and Tormented days.  I think "Now" puts all these pieces together in the right way, and would be my favorite song off of the album, although "Not Again," "Paper Wings" and others are also worthy.

18. Boy Hits Car - Stealing Fire (2012): California's Boy Hits Car have been together since 1993 and spreading the Love Core far and wide since 1998.  Stealing Fire is their best since their self-titled album.  Lead singer Cregg can quickly change course from soothing crooning to screaming outbursts.  The music includes some Middle Eastern strings juxtaposed with nu-metal worthy down tuned guitar riffs.  Just when you think things couldn't be more unpredictable, they throw in a rock cover of a John Denver song, Eagle & the Hawk.

19. Of Mice & Men - Earthandsky (2019) - This band has been around since 2009, racking up over a million plays on Myspace of their cover of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face."  They have had several lineup changes, but have built a respectable reputation in the metalcore and alternative metal scene.  2018's Defy was in consideration for this list, but I think Earthandsky is heavier, and is their best album to date. "Mushroom Cloud" and "The Mountain" particularly rip!

20. Architects - Holy Hell (2018): Architects are a British metalcore band that sadly don't get enough recognition in the United States.  They are 8 albums in, and a couple of them were among the best of the decade.  Holy Hell made my list for being the most consistent, in my opinion.  The band's founding guitarist and main songwriter, Tom Searle, passed away in 2016 after a battle with skin cancer.  Brother, Dan Searle, drew inspiration from Tom's written lyrics and also used the music on this album as a cathartic way to deal with the pain of loss, process it, and grow from it.

21. Palisades - Erase the Pain (2018): Out of Iselin, New Jersey, Palisades first made a name for themselves with a rock cover of Pharrell's "Happy" that appeared on Punk Goes Pop Vol. 6.  Since then they put out an EP and four studio albums this decade.  I wouldn't call them punk; they're more post-hardcore alternative metal with some electronica songs (especially on 2015's Mind Games).  Erase the Pain has 10 solid hard rock tracks out of 10.

22. Coldrain - Vena (2015): Coldrain is a Japanese post-hardcore band with lyrics all written in English.  I discovered them by accident browsing new releases on iTunes late one night.  They have a lot of talent and a different style than what we typically hear on American radio.

23. Avatar - Hail the Apocalypse (Deluxe) (2014): The opening title track is one of the best metal songs I have heard this decade.  It has a driving drum beat and an epic chorus that is more like a breakdown. A Swedish band, they play melodic death metal, often in evil carnival clown makeup/costumes.  They were awarded the 2017 Breakout Band Award by the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, but I don't think enough people know about them in the US.

24. Red Sun Rising - Polyester Zeal (2016): RSR released two independent albums and two under Razor & Tie records this decade.  Their popularity has been growing as more people get exposed to their awesomeness.  I have seen 2018's Thread on a few other decade lists, but I'm going with Polyester Zeal which has the tracks "Otherside" and "Emotionless" which both reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock charts, as well as "Amnesia" which reached #6.

25. I Prevail - Trauma (2019): If there is a new band that I haven't seen yet that I am dying to see, it would be I Prevail.  Their 2016 album Lifelines was really good, and they topped it this year with Trauma.  They have been in heavy rotation on Octane with songs like "Bow Down" (a song to the haters), "Breaking Down," and "Hurricane" with good reason.  "Bow Down" was nominated for the Best Metal Performance Grammy and Trauma was nominated for Best Rock Album.  Awards are announced on January 26.

Honorable Mentions (alphabetical; at least 4/5 star; and staying with one album per band rule):

A Day To Remember - Common Courtesy (2013)
A Skylit Drive - ASD (2015)
AFI - AFI (The Blood Album) (2017)
Alice Cooper - Paranormal (2017)
Alkaline Trio - Is This Thing Cursed (2018)
All That Remains - The Order of Things (2015)
Angels and Airwaves - The Dream Walker (2014)
Asking Alexandria - Lp5 DLX (2019)
Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage (2016)
Babymetal - Metal Resistance (2016)
Bad Religion - Age of Unreason (2019)
Badflower - Ok, I'm Sick (2019)
Badwolves - Disobey (2018)
Beartooth - Aggressive (2016)
Black Label Society - Grimmest Hits (2018)
Black Sabbath - 13 (2013)
Black Tide - Chasing Shadows (2015)
Blink 182 - California (2016)
Breaking Benjamin - Ember (2018)
Bring Me the Horizon - There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It.  There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret (2010)
Buckcherry - Warpaint (2019)
Bullet for My Valentine - Venom (Deluxe) (2015)
Burn Halo - Up From the Ashes (Deluxe) (2011)
Clutch - Psychic Warfare (2015)
Darkness - Pinewood Smile (Deluxe) (2017)
Dead Sara - Dead Sara (2012)
Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)
DED - MisAnThrope (2017)
Deftones - Diamond Eyes (2010)
Devildriver - Winter Kills (2013)
Devour the Day - Signals (2018)
Disturbed - Immortalized (Deluxe) (2015)
Eighteen Visions -XVIII (2017)
Emperors and Elephants - Devil in the Lake (2014)
Escape the Fate - Ungrateful (Deluxe) (2013)
Eve to Adam - Locked and Loaded (2013)
Faded Line - Ours Is the Fury (2012) available for free download @ https://fadedline.bandcamp.com/
Failure Anthem - First World Problems (2016)
Fair To Midland - Arrows & Anchors (Deluxe) (2011)
Falling in Reverse - Just Like You (Deluxe) (2015)
Fear Factory - Genexus (2015)
Fight or Flight - A Life By Design? (Deluxe) (2013)
Filter - Crazy Eyes (2016)
Five Finger Death Punch - The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 & 2 (2013)
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (2011)
Gary Clark Jr. - This Land (2019)
Gemini Syndrome - Lux (2013)
Ghost - Prequelle (2018)
Godsmack - 1000HP (2014)
Gojira - Magma (2016)
Green Day - Revolution Radio (2016)
Greta Van Fleet - Anthem of the Peaceful Army (2018)
Halestorm - Into the Wild Life (Deluxe) (2015)
Hed(P.E.) - Truth Rising (2010)
Hellyeah - Welcome Home (2019)
High On Fire - Electric Messiah (2018)
ill Niño - Till Death La Familia - (2014)
Intervals - The Shape of Colour (2015)
Issues - Issues (2014)
John 5 - Careful With That Axe (2014)
Josh Todd & the Conflict - Year of the Tiger (2017)
Killswitch Engage - Incarnate (Deluxe) (2016)
Korn - The Nothing (2019)
Kyng - Breathe in the Water (2016)
Lacey Sturm - Life Screams (2016)
Linkin Park - Hunting Party (2014)
Local H - Hey, Killer (2015)
Machine Head - Blodstones & Diamonds (2014)
Madam Adam - Madam Adam (2011)
Mayday Parade - Monsters In the Closet (2013)
Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct (2016)
Moose Blood - Blush (2016)
Murderdolls - Women and Children Last (Special Edition) (2010)
Nothing More - Nothing More (2014)
Ocean - Pelagial (2013)
Oleander - Something Beautiful (2013)
Otherwise - Peace at All Costs (2014)
Papa Roach - F.E.A.R. (2015)
Pistol Day Parade - Burn (2013)
Pop Evil - Onyx (2013)
Raintime - Psychochromatic (2010)
Rancid - TroubleMaker (Deluxe) (2017)
Red - Until We Have Faces (2011)
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Am I the Enemy (Deluxe) (2011)
Rise Against - Black Market (2014)
Rival Sons - Feral Roots (2019)
Rob Zombie - Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (2013)
Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? (2017)
Saint Asonia -Saint Asonia (2015)
Seaway - Vacation (2017)
Senses Fail - The Fire (2010)
Sick Puppies - Fury (2016)
Silverstein - Dead Reflection (2017)
Skillet - Unleashed (2016)
Slash - World on Fire (2014)
Slipknot - .5 The Gray Chapter (Special Edition) (2014)
Spineshank - Anger Denial Acceptance (2012)
Starset - Transmissions (2014)
Stitched Up Heart - Never Alone (2016)
Story of the Year - The Constant (Deluxe) (2010)
Strung Out - Songs of Amor and Devotion (2019)
Taddy Porter - Taddy Porter (2010)
Taproot - Plead the Fifth (2011)
Theory of a Deadman - Savages (2014)
Throw the Fight - Transmissions (2016)
Tool - Fear Inoculum (2019)
Turbowolf - Turbowolf (2012)
The Used - Vulnerable (Deluxe) (2012)
Wage War - Blueprints (2015)
Wednesday 13 - Condolences (2017)
Weezer - Weezer (White Album) (2016)
Winery Dogs - Hot Streak (2015)
Wovenwar - Honor Is Dead (2016)
Yellowcard - Southern Air (2012)
Zebrahead - Call Your Friends (2013)
ZZ Top - La Futura (2012)
3 Inches of Blood - Long Live Heavy Metal (2012)

Wratfest '19 featuring Breaking Benjamin et.al.

My latest concert event was promoted by 105.5 WDHA and 95.9 WRAT and dubbed Wratfest 2019. It featured Breaking Benjamin with support from Chevelle, Three Days Grace, Dorothy, and Diamante. I had seen the top three bands before, but Chevelle and Breaking Benjamin are two of my all-time favorites so I was excited to see them again. I had also heard about Dorothy and Diamante from songs on SiriusXM's Octane channel, and so I was curious to see how they would be in a live setting. All the performers were really solid. This concert did not stick out for me as one of the best musically, but it will stand out for the unique experience that it was. First, I scored great seats about 10 rows from the stage. Further, the performance of Breaking Benjamin was special because lead singer Ben is from New Jersey and he really went out of the way to connect with the fans.

After a sizeable walk from lot 8, I was pleased that although the first band had started, I hadn't missed the entire set. In fact, when I got to amphitheater, Diamante was performing "Hear Me Now" which is actually a Bad Wolves song that features her singing.  Bad Wolves opened for Breaking Benjamin last year and had one of my top 10 albums of 2018.  Diamante Azzura Bovelli has been a solo artist since 2014, but I wasn't familiar with her until this single was heavily featured on Octane.  She has a strong voice and her blue hair looked awesome on stage.   She finished with Haunted which is one of her hardest rocking songs, which I enjoyed.

Next up was another band named for it's female lead singer, Dorothy.  Dorothy Martin has a more soulful style of singing, however, she also has power. The band blends blues, country, and rock with elements of a throw-back style made new. I was most familiar with the song "Raise Hell" from hearing it on Octane. Other standouts are current single, "Who Do You Love," 'Down to the Bottom', and "Flawless" which reminds me of the chorus to Train's "Calling All Angels" with a rock-country twist. A couple of songs into the set, Dorothy asked the crowd to stand. Most people obliged and I think it helped increase the energy for the band and the audience. Before the show I had watched a couple of her videos on YouTube and noticed that her hairstyle and color changes, but it is usually dark and wavy. To my surprise this night, it was a lighter shade of brown, long, and very straight. Dorothy also wore a wide brimmed hat for the entire performance. This is not my typical go-to music, but I like the bluesy roots and new rock attitude. This is a band to watch.

Three Days Grace was third. I could have sworn that I saw Three Days Grace at a festival years ago, but according to my concert list of 145 concerts attended, I have not seen them before. Three Days Grace blew up in 2003-2004 with their self-titled debut album with the singles "I Hate Everything About You," "Just Like You," and "Home." The 2006 follow up One-X, featured four singles "Animal I Have Become," "Pain," "Never Too Late" and "Riot." They played all of these along with "Break" and "The Good Life from 2009's Life Starts Now and "Infra-Red" from 2018's Outsider. Since 2013, Matt Walst, has been the lead singer. He had great energy on stage and the entire band sounded great with a 45 minute set full of hits.

Chevelle was in the penultimate position. They played about a 45 minute set also with a good mix of tunes off of seven of their eight studio albums. They opened with "Young Wicked" off their latest album The North Corridor. It's a good song, but I don't love it as an opener. They followed that up with the Clincher, which is one of my favorites. Pete messed up the lyrics a little bit, maybe because they don't play this one as much anymore. He apologized and said they'd have to come back and play it correctly. Then came "Jars", "Send the Pain Below", and "An Island" which are all headbangers. Then came two more from Corridor, "Door to Door Cannibals" and Joyride" and I thought it slowed down the set momentum. "Face to the Floor", "the Red," "Comfortable Liar," and "I Get It" rounded things out pretty well. Pete made a couple humorous comments about the age of some of their songs. Before they played "the Red" he said that they "just came out with it" and "I hope this one climbs the charts." It is in fact from 2002 and got a ton of radio and MTV airplay when it came out. Having seen them for the 9th time, I've seen a few more sets that excited me more, but Chevelle are great. They thanked the fans and thanked all the other bands on the tour.

Finally, Breaking Benjamin came out and played for an hour and a half. After a couple of songs they took a pause to invite a bunch of kids and their parents to join the VIPs on a set of risers on either side of the stage. Later Ben would go up to each one and play guitar with them. The other guys gave away guitar picks. They played 16 songs drawing from each of their 6 studio albums. The middle of the set also featured a medley of the Imperial March from Star Wars, Pantera's Cowboys From Hell, Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, Metallica's Enter Sandman, and Rage Against the Machine's Bulls on Parade. Not only was this a fun interlude, but what struck me most was how well Ben easily transitioned vocally from grunge to Freddie Mercury to rap. His Zach DeLaRocha impression was pretty awesome. You can find video of this on my FB page, but my iPhone 6 isn't going to do it justice. On a few other songs, Ben has his guitarists sing. Both of the other guys are quite capable, but Ben has such an amazing vocal range and tone that I, personally, don't want anyone else singing lead. The other major takeaway from this show was that Ben really connected with the audience. He talked about being born in Atlantic City and raised in Ocean County until he was 15. Besides the aforementioned interaction with the children, he also covered all parts of the stage and came out into the crowd more than I have ever seen him do. In fact, he played the last three songs off stage completely. He started to come up my aisle at one point and I was excited because on was on the end of the row, but people jammed the walkway and he couldn't come up to my row. Later he entered the crowd from the opposite aisle and was able to penetrate further. Then he worked his way across the row in front of me. He stopped in the middle of the seats to sing "Rain." You could tell he was getting emotional and tearing up a bit. After that he again thanked the crowd for supporting him, BB, the tour, and rock music in general. He thanked all the bands again (he had done it from the stage too). Then he made his way right by me and I thanked him and gave him a fist bump! Then he started singing "Diary of Jane" right in front of me and walked further up my aisle to finish. I caught a pick from the stage and my awesome time had come to a conclusion. I dare say they sounded tighter the other times I saw them, including headlining PNC last year, however, this was a special show and cemented them as one of my all time favorites.

See video on my YouTube page and please comment and share my blog post.  

Wisconsin Death Trip 20th Anniversary; Wayne Static tribute tour

The first concert I attended was Static-X with Dope and Powerman 5000.  That show, and Static-X in particular, would spark my interest in heavier music and attending live concerts.  My first and only appearance on television was with Static-X as they walked through the parking lot alongside patrons on line to the Family Values 2001 concert at Continental Airlines Arena.  143 shows later I attended Wayne Static's tribute tour, also celebrating 20 years since the release of their platinum album, Wisconsin Death Trip.  Some have criticized this tour as a cash grab, but I think the evidence shows that the band members are honoring Wayne with this tour.  First of all, they asked for the blessing of Wayne's family to do this.  Next, all three original members (Tony Campos, bassist; Koichi Fukuda, lead guitar; Ken Jay, drums) have all been in successful bands since, most notably Tony being in Soulfly, Fear Factory, and Ministry.  The lead singer for the current tour hasn't been named a permanent replacement, and in fact, hasn't been named at all.  He goes by the name Xer0, and wears a mask and big hair in the style of Wayne.  At first I thought it might be Dez (Devildriver, Coal Chamber) because he could pull off the vocals and it would be easy, though a demanding job, if he was already on tour with them.  The prevailing public theory is that it is Edsel Dope behind the mask, however, he doesn't have the same vocal range and Xer0 looks taller than Edsel.  Finally, I don't think it is just a reunion for money because an album, Project Regeneration, was planning to be released at the beginning of 2019 featuring several guest singers, but when more studio recordings of Wayne Static were uncovered, the band pushed back the release to late summer and rewrote songs to incorporate Wayne's vocals.  It seems as if they are doing everything they can to honor Wayne.  The future of the band is unclear.  Here's my recap of a special evening.

First up was a local, unsigned, New Jersey band called Gathering After Ashes.  They have three guitarists along with the bassist, drummer, and singer.  The multiple guitars gives them a full sound.  However, I didn't hear a shredding soloist, nor a dual or triple guitar attack like that in some heavy metal bands.  This band was straightforward hard rock.  They have some elements of blues, grunge, and modern rock.  The singer is solid, although I think at times he puts on a style which at times reminded me of Scott Stapp or Scott Weiland.  Their set got the crowd banging their heads and pumping their fists.  I would definitely see these guys again.

Next up was Raven Black, a dark metal theatrical band out of California that has been around since 2012.  Lead singer Raven is said to be half-human and half doll; she can croon and growl with equal command.  A Voodoo "Doctor," demon "Muppet," and guitarist "Stitches" round out the group.  They all have painted faces and certainly have the ability to command a stage.  They are seasoned and well produced, working with Grammy nominated producer Ulrich Wild since 2014.  I don't think their songs are as strong as female-fronted bands like Stitched Up Heart, nor are they as theatrical as In This Moment.  However, I was still entertained and they could remain a fun opening act or even get bigger if they work on song construction.

Third was Wednesday 13, featuring the eponymous lead singer, formerly of Murderdolls.  I have wanted to see Wednesday's solo band since the Murderdolls broke up.  I have also read reviews that spoke very highly of his shows.  The band looked and sounded great.  Wednesday was covered in black body paint with flourescent glow-in-the-dark face paint.  The set only lasted 20 minutes, though.  Before they finished up Wednesday apologized for the delay getting started saying "We had some issues getting the sound right; shit happens."

After another set change came Dope.  They were officially the first band that I ever saw live, at Roseland Ballroom on February 28, 2000.  That honor should have gone to Chevelle, but due to extremely long lines outside the venue, and security that moved us to the other side of the building after people started filling the streets, we missed the opener that night.  My friend warned me that Dope was "dirty, like, scuzzy dirty."  He wasn't wrong, but tongue-in-cheek songs like "Everything Sux" and their industrialized cover versions of "F**k tha Police and You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) were pretty fun.  I think their 2005 and 2009 albums were their heaviest and strongest.  Fast forward to 2019, and after several lineup changes, Edsel's twin, Simon, has not returned since 2002, but guitarists Acey Slade and Virus have returned.  This night they played several of their better known songs including Blood Money, 6-6-Sick, Addiction, and You Spin Me Round.

I had previously seen the co-headliners, Devildriver, on Ozzfest 2004 and 2007, however, that was a long time ago and in a much different setting.  Being in a small concert hall instead of an open air festival was awesome.  The band's power punches you in the face.  I remember them being good, but on this night I felt that they were truly something special.  Dez had his long locks dyed blond and looked like a rock God on stage as they ripped through their set.  In addition to some heavy hitters of their own, during their hour long set they also played "Loco" and "Fiend" to delight of the crowd and me.

Headliners Static-X played for over an hour, and while Wisconsin Death Trip was heavily featured in the set, they also included hits "Get to the Gone, Black and White, This Is Not, and Start A War."  As previously stated, the singer's identity has not been confirmed.  He definitely looked taller than either Dez or Edsel and in an interview he said he knew Wayne for about 15 years while Edsel would have known him for 20.  He certainly did a good job and sounded like a good fit.  I have to say that his voice didn't quite match the rasp and grit of Wayne's, and I definitely missed Wayne's mannerisms like the way he would strum his guitar or the way he would subtly tilt his head with the song melody.  The rest of the band is not very charismatic, although Tony and Koichi were smiling and gesturing to the crowd, and looked to be having a lot of fun.  Ken does not draw much attention to himself behind the kit, but the playing was solid.  The LED screens on stage flashed the band's insignia, lyrics, and several pictures of Wayne and the other band members.  Before the last song, Tony expressed his thanks for the crowd showing up and supporting them over the years.  He said that he missed Wayne and believes that he was with us in spirit and having fun watching us celebrate his life and music.

Personally, I was grateful to be able to see this tour, especially having just come back into the country after a trip to the Azores.  It brought back a lot of fond memories of my past concert experiences as well as adding to them.  I don't think Static-X should continue under that name.  It could be done tastefully if they keep all three remaining original members and unmask the lead singer.

Shred Till You're Dead and Episode III Tours

My first post in a few months brings you a review of my last two concert experiences and highlights some lesser-known hard rock bands.  Last night I went to Starland Ballroom to see Falling in Reverse, Ice Nine Kills, and From Ashes to New.  I had heard each of these bands on SiriusXM's Octane channel, but I didn't think FIR was big enough to headline.  I may have been mistaken as the show was nearly sold out and the venue was more packed than I have seen for a rock show in quite some time.  On April 13, I saw another show with a headliner I was less familiar with; the lineup included Alesana, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Veer Union, Avoid, Alive in Barcelona, and Cinema 23 all for $20 at One Center Square in Easton, Pa.

May 3 @ Starland
Some online sources said 7PM start and my ticket said 6PM, but since Starland doesn't always start on time and I was exhausted from the week, I decided to take a little nap before the show and ended up getting there just after 7.  Even though the show had started, it still took a few minutes to go through the line.  Ever since they started having people empty pockets and go through metal detectors, the check in process is so slow.  Unfortunately, I entered the venue right when the screen was coming down signaling the end of the set for New Year's Day.  I would have liked to see a little from them.  It was then I discovered that the beer prices have gone up again.  One $8 Guinness is all that I would have.  I'm not off to a great start.

From Ashes to New started with just drums and a rapper.  The beat was pretty hard and the rap had a good flow.  Then they were joined by a guitarist and another vocalist and the music started to rock.  The other vocalist, a blonde guy, stuck to "clean" singing.  The dark haired singer stuck to rap-style singing.  In that way they reminded me of Mike and Chester from Linkin Park.  Unfortunately, that's where the comparison ends.  They lacked the dynamic songwriting and raw emotion of Linkin Park.  They had good energy and the stage lighting was like that of a veteran band.  However, they came off a little hokey using every gimmick in the book including hand waving, asking for phones to be lit up, and even asking the crowd to get low and then jump up.  Pretty much everyone on the floor obliged, but I didn't think that the songs warranted that level of crowd participation.  I wanted to like them, and although they have talent and the stage presence was good, the songs didn't rock hard enough for me.  The drummer sometimes used an electronic drum pad, and when he did, the sound fell flat.  It added nothing.  He sounded good on the kit so I don't understand what the drum pad was necessary.  If I were giving them advice, I'd say lose the drum pad and add a bass player and maybe another guitar player.

Ice Nine Kills was up next.  They are heavily inspired by horror movies, so when the stage crew wore masks, a mic stand got a red "It" balloon, and the lead singer came out in a Freddy Krueger outfit I was thinking, now we're gonna see some stuff!  The band did not disappoint.  They had even better energy and musicianship than the previous band.  In fact, I was especially impressed with the strength of the backup and lead vocals.  The lead singer, Spencer Charnas, has a polished singing voice and great growls and screams mixed in.  Each of the guitar players also contribute vocals which lend harmonies or provide additional dynamics to the melodies.  Crowd surfers were pretty constant, including some females and children.  At various points Spencer wielded a broad sword and an ax.  When he was held up by the crowd I got the picture below which reminded me of a similar shot I took of Davey Havok (AFI) nearly two years prior.  This band could get big.  I'll have to check out some of their previous releases.  I suggest you start with their current album, the Silver Scream.  Standout tracks for me were "American Nightmare" and "A Grave Mistake."

An interlude which included somebody passing out and multiple guys getting kicked out for fighting reminded me of my early days of concert going.  Most of the crowd seemed cool and I liked that the people in the pit would hold up lost shoes, phones, and keys to help them find their rightful owners.  It felt like the venue switched from heat to air conditioning which was necessary due to the heat being released from all the bodies and equipment.  Finally, the closers Falling In Reverse came out.  Though I didn't know them well, a bunch of people in the crowd were singing along to songs like "I'm Not a Vampire" and "Bad Girls Club," including a bunch of female fans.  Lead singer, Ronnie Radke, was formerly the singer of Escape the Fate who, incidentally, I didn't learn of until after Ronnie was fired and they released their 2010 self titled album.  Falling in Reverse is not as hardcore.  Their songs are diverse and cover genres of rock, pop-punk, screamo, post-hardcore, hip-hop and electronica.  In fact, their latest single "Drugs" has several of these elements in one song.  Corey Taylor also contributes guest vocals on the album track and appears in the video.  The numerous lineup changes are likely part of the reason for the range of sounds, but it also appears that the driving force is Ronnie not wanting to be nailed down by any genre and just letting his artistry come out in various ways.  Last night he said that it meant a lot to him that the crowd was responding to the new band, and admitted he is doing different music and is a different person than he was in the past.  I enjoyed Ice Nine Kills' set better and I don't think Falling in Reverse will ever be one of my favorite bands, however, I think they are entertaining and are a legit player in today's evolving rock scene.

April 13 @ One Center Square
This was an early birthday present for my sister and the second time we both went to this venue in Bethlehem, PA.  It is a nice intimate venue with general admission standing.  There's kind of a rectangle shape floor space in front of the stage, going back to a raised level with a bar in the back, and then a second floor with a balcony and chain-link fence area where you can look down on the stage.  The upstairs is also where they host merchandise tables.  It is nice because each band is able to be spread out and lines are never an issue.  The downsides are that both times we went to One Center Square the floor was sticky from the opening act, and this time the sound man had issues that would be a recurring problem this night.

The first band up called themselves Cinema 23.  I got the impression that they were a local opener, but I can't confirm this since I can't find anything about them online.  They were a pop-punk band with two singers and two guitarists.  It was not a bad way to start, but they weren't anything special.  A couple of microphones were feeding back, especially inbetween songs.  This would be the beginning of the sound issues.  The second band was Alive in Barcelona.  They're from Spokane, WA and are more straight up rock.  I thought they were good.  They're pretty polished and tight.  The drummer's talent stood out to me, especially on a track called "Back to Life."  Their current single "Zombies" is pretty cool, but I think what they are lacking is raw emotion.  I hope they continue to get bigger and work on the songwriting and connecting with the audience.

The crowd was filling up and it looked mostly like college aged kids.  There were pretty much representatives from every "scene."  There was the emo kids, the nerds, the frat boys, the grunge kids, the ones with excessive tattoos and piercings, and a girl in a wheelchair.  Everyone had come out to play.  The next band, Avoid, definitely had the emotion that the previous band lacked.  They were also more hardcore, with heavier bass & guitars and screaming vocals.  They weren't bad, but it became comical when lead singer, Benny Scholls, kept yelling "let's open this shit up" when there were literally only two people slam dancing.  Shout out to the Asian dude with the long, silky locks.

Next up was one of the main bands I wanted to see, Veer Union.  I had previously seen them at Stanhope House where they rocked hard.  They were also great guys that signed all my merch.  They were having some issues with the sound monitors that delayed the start of the set.  Lead singer, Crispin Earl, said that their day had not been going well.  Earlier, they were stopped at a rest stop when a tractor trailer backed into their parked RV.  Thankfully nobody got hurt.  After the first song, which sounded pretty good, the guitars lost power.  Crispin filled time by asking if it was anyone's birthday and then we sang Happy Birthday, to some guy.  That's being a pro onstage and making the best out of the situation.  Once sound was restored they were able to play a few more songs in an abbreviated set.  They closed with a medley of Linkin Park songs, in dedication to Chester.  The crowd was into it and singing along so it was a cool moment.  An acoustic version of "Numb" can be found on the band's 2018 Decade II: Rock & Acoustic album.  After the set I went upstairs to the merch booth to buy a shirt, which for $40 also came with two discs and a poster.  I also got pictures with Crispin and drummer Ricardo, which was something I neglected to do in my excitement the first time I saw them.

Fifth up was Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, another band that I made the trip to see.  This was my third time seeing RJA.  The first was at a festival where their sound was crap and speakers kept going out.  Last time was at Stanhope House where they played their entire Don't You Fake It album for the 10 year anniversary.  That was spectacular.  This time they were also great and I got to hear a varied set list with some old and newer songs.  I didn't think the singer, Ronnie Winter, was on his best game, but he wasn't bad either.  The band sounded tight and I was especially impressed with the lead guitar work of Josh Burke.  He doesn't have a lot of solo opportunities in the songs of RJA, but when he does have his chance, he really shreds.  It sounded like he was doing some ad-libbing too.

The headliners were Alesana.  I didn't know much about them going int except that they were kind of post-hardcore hard rock.  They had a pretty rocking sound and the crowd was into it.  The singer mostly screamed, and while I don't mind that sometimes, I don't like when you can't understand the lyrics.  Furthermore, after a while all the songs sounded the same.  Not a bad band, but my sister and I didn't make it to the last song.  All in all, it was a worthwhile trip and a fun time out.  I hope they can work on the sound system and keep bringing in national rock acts at that venue.