MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/27/18

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/27/18

HOUR 1
FOUR FISTS - "G.D.F.R." // nobody's biz/g.d.f.r. - single
WEATHER CHECK - "sanity" // weather check vol 2
EXACTLYNO - "black friday" // exactlyno
RAD OWL - "aladdin's castle" // aladdin's castle ep
THE GOODBARS - "exonerated" // more than nothing
THE GRANDE MACHINE - "better still" // another round
SIMS x AIR CREDITS x ICETEP - "hologramme" // arteria verite
BARONESS - "if I could wake up (would you stop the rain)" // purple

ARROWS AT DAWN - "let live" // pieces
HALESTORM - "black vultures" // vicious
DIVIDING EDEN - "forever" // forever - single
ATMOSPHERE - "sunshine" // sad clown bad year
BOBAFLEX - "say what you will" // eloquent demons
DIVIDE THE FALL - "our existence" // divide the fall
ANTISTAR - "tower" // tower - single

HOUR 2
BEARTOOTH - "disease" // disease
ARMS FOR ELEPHANTS - "vagrant" // all rise
THROW THE FIGHT - "drown with me" // transmissions
COMMON CHOIR - "lower roads home" // lower roads home - single
UNDEROATH - "on my teeth" // erase me
DEE SNIDER - "for the love of metal" // for the love of metal (Pick of the Week)
HATEBREED - "looking down the barrel of today" // the concrete confessional
GWAR - "I'll be your monster" // the blood of gods

BEARTOOTH - "bad listener" // disease
KNOCKED LOOSE - "deadringer" // laugh tracks
BY THE THOUSANDS - "visions of inner depth" // visions of inner depth
GREEN DEATH - "lord of the dead" // manufacturing evil
LET IT BREATHE - "bucket of bullheads" // let it breathe
WARROOSTER - "intergalatic performance review" // demo
RED FANG - "cut it short" // only ghosts
VEIL OF MAYA - "punisher" // eclipse

COHEED AND CAMBRIA and TAKING BACK SUNDAY at THE ARMORY!

COHEED AND CAMBRIA and TAKING BACK SUNDAY brought their very successful summer tour to The Armory in Minneapolis on Wednesday! Brett Zisler was their to capture the magic as only he can.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA played a few new songs from their October 5th release "The Unheavenly Creatures" (Roadrunner) before diving into their catalog putting the final nail in closing out the night with "Welcome Home".

TAKING BACK SUNDAY are still riding the Tidal Wave of that record with a victory lap celebrating the album before hopefully we hear new music from them in the near future. Check out that sweet 7th St Entry shirt Adam is rocking!

THE ARMORY scores with another fantastic show and thousands of fans happy that we have an amazing new venue for shows like this to come to the area when they might have normally skipped on a summer tour like this.

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PICTURES FROM COHEED AND CAMBRIA & TAKING BACK SUNDAY @ THE ARMORY HERE!

STEEL PANTHER brings the Sunset Strip to the Palace Theater

STEEL PANTHER brought their Sunset Strip Live tour to the Palace Theater in St. Paul on July 19! You knew this was going to be one you didn't want to miss if you are a Steel Panther fan.

Yes, Steel Panther isn't for everyone. If you are easily offended, it's not the show for you. But if you want to have a good laugh with your metal, check it out. The band makes fun of themselves and the 80's hair metal scene beyond the fullest extend possible.

Kicking the show off in high gear with "Eyes of the Panther", the band is firing on all cylinders. The stage is set very simple. Just a backdrop and a few of Lexxi's props. It wouldn't be a Panther show without Lexxi checking his hair in his mirror and applying more hair spray.

The covers are what took center stage on this Thursday night! They mixed the covers in with their originals, which is what I've been told they do when they play Las Vegas. This is what I was really excited to see. Panther kicked it off with two from Van Halen - "You Really Got Me" (technically The Kinks) and "Jump". I have never laughed so hard as when they did Ozzy's legendary "Crazy Train". I don't want to ruin it for anyone going to see this show but it's worth the price of admission alone.

Ending the Sunset Strip covers portion with Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" and they actually made Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me" listenable after the one millionth time hearing that song.

In the end, it was a fantastic show that only Steel Panther can bring you. A little over 90 minutes of laughs and fun that makes you forget about all the crap going on in the outside world. If Panther put out a covers album based on this concept, I wouldn't mind one bit. In fact, take my $10 right now.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF BRETT's PICTURES FROM STEEL PANTHER HERE!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/20/18 - PYRALIS

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/20/18
GUESTS :: PYRALIS

HOUR 1
COLD KINGDOM - "let it burn" // the moon and the fool
COLD KINGDOM - "the break" // cold kingdom
COLD KINGDOM - "not tonight" // cold kingdom
FIRE FIGHT - "burn" // burn - single
ERIS - "ride on titan" // ride on titan - single
THE MAYBERRY RIOT - "closed out" // shanaska
VIA - "closets" (acoustic) // midwest beatdown acoustic session

CITY OF THE WEAK - "drag us under" // pulling teeth
DIVIDING EDEN - "forver" // forever - single
SKILLET - "the resistance" // unleashed
LEDGER - "not dead yet" // ledger
WEATHER CHECK - "that way" // weather check vol II (PICK OF THE WEEK)
DOLL SKIN - "shut up (you missed me)" // manic pixie dream girl
TONIGHT ALIVE - "temple" // underworld
THE INTERRUPTERS feat RANCID - "got each other" // fight the good fight

HOUR 2
TAKING BACK SUNDAY - "what it feels like to be a ghost" // louder now
COHEED AND CAMBRIA - "the dark sentencer" // the unheavenly creatures
NUISANCE - "ashes of empires" // 10 or 10,000
PYRALIS - "axe grind" // demo
VEIN - "virus vibrance" // errorzone

EVERY TIME I DIE - "I didn't want to join your stupid cult anyways" // low teens
HARM'S WAY - "call my name" // posthuman
WAGE WAR - "stitch" // deadweight
UNEARTH - "incinerate" // incinerate - single
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - "loud" // graveyard shift
NOPATHY - "steps" // nopathy
AFTER THE BURIAL - "aspiration" // rareform

**SPECIAL THANKS to JIM and BRENT from PYRALIS for stopping by the Midwest Beatdown this week! PYRALIS has a 2 song demo out now with more music coming soon!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/13/18 - CODE ORANGE

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/13/18
GUESTS :: CODE ORANGE

HOUR 1
FIRE FIGHT – “burn” // burn - single (PICK OF THE WEEK)
COLD KINGDOM – “surrender” // the moon and the fool
ANGRY WATERS – “invasive species" // hold the high ground
P.O.S – “wearing a bear" // chill, dummy
CITY OF THE WEAK – “not this time” // pulling teeth
DIAMANTE - "coming in hot" // coming in hot
DIVIDING EDEN - "shakedown" // shakedown - single
UNDEROATH - "on my teeth" // erase me

DESSA - "fire drills" // chime
QUIETDRIVE - "maybe misery" // when all that's left is you
TURNSTILE - "real thing" // time and space
MUTOID MAN - "melt your mind" // war moans
CLUTCH - "how to shake hands" // book of bad decisions
ROYAL THUNDER - "anchor" // wick
DEE SNIDER - "tomorrow's no concern" // for the love of metal
HATEBREED - "put it to the torch" // the divinity of purpose

HOUR 2
CODE ORANGE - "3 knives" // the hurt will go on ep
CODE ORANGE - "spy" // forever
CODE ORANGE - "real" // forever
CODE ORANGE - "bleeding in the blur" // forever

DISEMBODIED - "anvil chandelier" // diablerie
MARTYR AD - "american hollow" // on earth as it is in hell
DEVILINSIDE - "kiss the cynic" // volume one
VEIN - "end eternal" // errorzone
KNOCKED LOOSE - "deadringer" // laugh tracks
TREASONS - "sense of pride" // black hearts, broken bones
ENEMY X - "dirt" // enemy x
MACHINE HEAD - "elegy" // through the ashes of empires
THROWDOWN - "avow" // intolerance

**SPECIAL THANKS to REBA from CODE ORANGE for stopping by the Midwest Beatdown this week! CODE ORANGE's new EP "The Hurt Goes On" along with "Only One Way" and their full length "Forever" are all out now via Roadrunner! If Code Orange is ever in your town, do not miss their show!

CODE ORANGE CRUSHES THE AMSTERDAM!

CODE ORANGE FINALLY RETURNS TO MN! The band has not been back since the release of “Forever” so this show was long overdue. These types of shows are almost unheard of now. No barricade and absolute chaos. They were completely unhinged at Rock on the Range in front of 5,000 plus people, what would be unleashed in the 900 person capacity Amsterdam hall?

I missed PYRALIS’ set unfortunately but what I heard of a half of song at sound check, these guys are crushing. Looking forward to checking out a set of theirs soon.

Brett and I arrived in time for VEIN’s set. Not even 30 seconds in to the first song, someone came out of the pit with a bloody nose. This brought me back to the old days and Martyr AD’s CD release party. Holy crap. Here’s the easiest way to describe Vein… if you dig Code Orange and Dillinger Escape Plan at their most spastic, you’ll enjoy Vein. I heard a lot about this band coming up to this point so I really didn’t want to miss this. Their 20 min set did not disappoint. Heavy, straight and to the point. I had to go pick up the disc so I could hear more.

TWITCHING TOUNGES was up next. This band features Sean Martin who used to be in Hatebreed. The crowd was in to it at certain points but not completely all the way into it like they were for Vein. Their 40 minute set was a little too long but they were solid.

CODE ORANGE came out and the crowd erupted. I’ve been out of the hardcore scene for a while now but man it was like seeing an old friend again. Code Orange’s live set is well rehearsed intense chaos. They have to with all the electronic elements to their music, they have to be on top of their game. Windmills, karate kicks, stage diving, you name it – it was represented during this set.

Launching in to “My World” from I Am King and not allowing a breath before pummeling into “Real” and “Spy” – this was cathartic. If you had something you wanted to work out in the pit, this was your chance.

How Jami juggles frantic drumming with screaming it beyond me. Shade helps out while handling the electronics and extra guitar work. Joe and Dominic stalk the stage adding to the insanity. Reba is one of the best out there headbanging with fury as she punishes the guitar.

“Only One Way” is up next in the set and gets a huge reaction. More melodic than heavy and a definite highlight of the set. So now we all got a tiny breather before the battle continues with “The New Reality”, “Kill the Creator” and “I Am King”.

Reba takes center stage with an intense stare into the crowd as she plays the opening chords of “Bleeding in the Blur”. The rest join in as the song builds up into it’s final eruption.

The brand new “The Hunt” followed. The track released just as the tour began. On the recording Jami and Corey Taylor trade versus. Live, Jami and Reba duel it out and it works flawlessly.

The melodic comes back in for “Ugly” before they finish with a beating served heavy of “Forever” into “The Hurt Goes On”. With no build up at the end, the song is done and the band is off the stage quicker than they entered and the show is over. No encore and everyone left satisfied.

This is easily the last time we’ll see Code Orange in a venue this small. I’m sure next time in a bigger venue, it will be just as intense. Finally, if “Only One Way”, “The Hunt” and “3 Knives” are any indication of what this band can unleash on the unexpecting, Code Orange’s best work is still to come.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF BRETT's PICTURES FROM CODE ORANGE AT THE AMSTERDAM HERE!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/06/18

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/06/18

HOUR 1
LEDGER - "not dead yet" // ledger
COLD KINGDOM - "the break" // cold kingdom
THE INTERRUPTERS - "got each other" // fight the good fight
LEMMY - "tie your mother down" // snaggletooth: a tribute to lemmy
FLIPP - "just let it be" // flipp (20th anniversary edition)
AMANDA PALMER - "want it back" // theater is evil
NOW, NOW - "SGL" // saved

TOURMALINE - "autumn" // strange distress calls
THE FORECAST - "some things never change" // in the shadow of two gunmen
REDOVERLUNAR - "into the lion's den" // rope
REMOVER - "wrench" // breakdown barrier
QUICKSAND - "warm and low" // interiors
DEAD SARA - "times to remember" // temporary things taking up space
ANBERLIN - "feel good drag" // new surrender

HOUR 2
VEIN - "virus vibrance" // errorzone (PICK OF THE WEEK)
PYRALIS - "axe grind" // demo
BY THE THOUSANDS - "visions of inner depths" // visions of inner depths
LAMB OF GOD - "I against I" // legion XX
NONPOINT - "chaos and earthquakes" // X
AEOUS - "us against the world" // the light you've always had
CIVET - "hell hath no fury" // hell hath no fury
AFTER ALL - "red is your color" // demo

ASG - "survive sunrise" // survive sunrise
BARONESS - "desperation burns" // purple
RED FANG - "not for you" // only ghosts
PERIPHERY - "feed the ground" // clear
KILL SWITCH - "old testament" // the disaster image
VEIN - "end eternal" // errorzone

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 06/29/18 - VINNIE PAUL TRIBUTE

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 06/29/18
VINNIE PAUL TRIBUTE

HOUR 1
PANTERA - "cowboys from hell" // cowboys from hell
PANTERA - "a new level" // vulgar display of power
PANTERA - "5 minutes alone" // far beyond driven
PANTERA - "the great southern trendkill" // the great southern trendkill
PANTERA - "walk" (live) // official live 101 proof
PANTERA - "uplift" // reinventing the steel

DAMAGEPLAN - "pride" // new found power
HELLYEAH - "hellyeah" // hellyeah
HELLYEAH - "the cowboy way" // stampede
HELLYEAH - "war in me" // band of brothers
HELLYEAH - "say when" // blood for blood
HELLYEAH - "X" // undeniable
HELLYEAH - "thank you" // hellyeah

HOUR 2
TREMONTI - "take you with me" // a dying machine
EAON - "fan the flame" // fan the flame - single
CITY OF THE WEAK - "drag us under" // pulling teeth
VIA - "appetite" // after you drown
THE MAYBERRY RIOT - "who you are" // who you are - single
THE FEVER 333 - "we're coming in" // made an America
PROF - "time bomb" // pookie baby
ALICE IN CHAINS - "so far under" // rainier fog

ALICE IN CHAINS - "the one you know" // rainier fog
ANGRY WATERS - "invasive species" // hold the high ground
LACUNA COIL - "broken things" // delirium
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - "piece of me" // gravity
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS - "nightlife" // home
DEE SNIDER - "become the storm" // for the love of metal
CLUTCH - "how to shake hands" // book of bad decisions

**REST IN POWER VINNIE PAUL! THANK YOU for all the great music!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 06/22/18 - BAD WOLVES

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 06/22/18
GUESTS :: BAD WOLVES

HOUR 1
CITY OF THE WEAK - "not this time" // pulling teeth
NINE INCH NAILS - "God break down the door" // bad witch
KAT PERKINS - "drive" // kat perkins
DIVIDING EDEN - "shakedown" // shakedown - single
THUNDERPUSSY - "fever" // thunderpussy
WITHER THE TIDE - "wake it up" // wake it up - single
TECHNICIAN - "crimson chord" // crimson

CITY OF THE WEAK - "drag us under" // pulling teeth
BAD COP/BAD COP - "amputations" // warriors
EXACTLYNO - "black friday" // exactlyno
WEATHER CHECK - "sanity" // weather check vol 2
ARMS FOR ELEPHANTS - "charlatan" // my judas scene
THROW THE FIGHT - "skeletons" // skeletons - single
COMMON CHOIR - "lower roads home" // lower roads home - single
ATMOSPHERE feat DEM ATLAS - "finer things" // finer things - single

HOUR 2
BAD WOLVES - "learn to live" // disobey
BAD WOLVES feat DIAMANTE - "hear me now" // hear me now - single
BAD WOLVES - "no masters" // disobey

WARROOSTER - "intergalactic performance review" // demo
LET IT BREATHE - "second hit" // let it breathe
CLUTCH - "gimme the keys" // book of bad decisions
SEVENDUST - "dirty" // all I see is war
RAD OWL - "aladdin's castle" // aladdin's castle
ROLO TOMASSI - "whispers amongst us" // time will die and love will bury it
MESHUGGAH - "do not look down" // koloss

**SPECIAL THANKS to DOC COYLE from BAD WOLVES for sitting down with the Midwest Beatdown this week! BAD WOLVES' debut album "Disobey" is out now on Eleven Seven Records!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 06/15/18 - DIAMANTE

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 06/15/18
GUESTS :: DIAMANTE

HOUR 1
WEATHER CHECK - "sanity" // weather check vol 2
LEDGER - "not dead yet" // ledger - ep
THE PUSH - "controller" // oh, victory
REMO DRIVE - "crash test rating" // greatest hits
STATE CHAMPS - "dead and gone" // living proof
QUICKSAND - "warm and low" // interiors
GLASSJAW - "shira" // material control
THE MAYBERRY RIOT - "closed out" // shanaska

DIAMANTE - "coming in hot" // coming in hot
DIAMANTE - "had enough" // coming in hot
DIAMANTE - "war cry" // coming in hot
BAD WOLVES feat DIAMANTE - "hear me now" // hear me now - single
FIRE FIGHT - "weight of the world" // transitions

HOUR 2
ERIS - "ride on titan" // ride on titan - single
THRICE - "the grey" // the grey - single
ANTISTAR - "tower" // tower - single
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS - "seek advice elsewhere" // home
COHEED AND CAMBRIA - "the dark sentencer" // the dark sentencer - single
ASHES FROM STONE - "molon labe" // molon labe
TURNSTILE - "real thing" // time and space
T.R.O.Y. - "revolution" // two worlds

DEE SNIDER - "tomorrow's no concern" // for the love of metal
JASTA - "until we bleed again" // the lost chapters
AFTER THE BURIAL - "laurentian ghosts" // dig deep
CODE ORANGE - "real" // forever
PYRALIS - "axe grind" // demo
KNOCKED LOOSE - "deadringer" // laugh tracks
BABES IN TOYLAND - "bruise violet" // fontanelle

**SPECIAL THANKS to DIAMANTE for sitting down with the Midwest Beatdown this week! DIAMANTE's brand new album "Coming In Hot" is out NOW via Better Noise / Eleven Seven Music!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 06/08/18 - ENEMY X

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 06/08/18
GUESTS :: ENEMY X

HOUR 1
BARONESS - "if I have to wake up (would you stop the rain)" // purple
BARONESS - "take my bones away" // yellow and green
THRICE - "the grey" // the grey - single
DIVIDING EDEN - "shakedown" // shakedown - single
AVERAGE MAMMALS - "the senses" // life under the influence
DAHN KNIGHT - "dirty water" // dirty water - single
VEXES - "helion" // ancient geometry

WEATHER CHECK - "swarm in numbers" // weather check
THE FEVER 333 - "we're coming in" // made an America
THE DAMNED THINGS - "friday night" // ironiclast
DEAD SARA - "times to remember" // temporary things taking up space
LATE NIGHT FIGHTS - "galvanized" // jousthouse
CITY OF THE WEAK - "censor this" // pulling teeth
TREMONTI - "take you with me" // a dying machine
DIAMANTE - "had enough" // coming in hot

HOUR 2
ENEMY X - "crawl" // enemy x
ENEMY X - "dirt" // enemy x
BLUE FELIX - "hate inside" // hate inside - single
ENEMY X - "ghosts" // enemy x
LIGHT THE TORCH - "die alone" // revival

TRIVIUM - "betrayer" // the sin and the sentence
AVATAR - "king's harvest" // avatar country
COMMON CHOIR - "lower roads home" // lower roads home - single
THE END - "throwing stones" // elementary
PARKWAY DRIVE - "absolute power" // reverence
DEVILDRIVER feat HANK III - "country heroes" // outlaws til the end

SPECIAL THANKS to STEVE from ENEMY X for calling in to the Midwest Beatdown this week! ENEMY X's new self titled album is out now!