MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/26/22 - ICE NINE KILLS

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/26/22
GUESTS :: ICE NINE KILLS

HOUR 1
RED HANDED DENIAL - "fix me" // I'd rather be asleep
DIRTY HONEY – “when I'm gone" // dirty honey ep
THE SIERRA DAY - "fight" // unbalance
3 PILL MORNING – “all before” // transmission (diwd4) ep
ALTER BRIDGE – “silver tongue" // pawns and kings
MAMMOTH WVH – “don't back down" // mammoth wvh
RED – “death of me" // innocence and instinct

THE CHALLENGE DISASTER CONSPIRACY – “something's wrong with dougie" // something's wrong with dougie - single
GOODNIGHT RITUAL – “international" // galore
THEM THAT DARE – “tiny army" // endings
SUPERLUNG - "time is of the essence" // demo
COLD KINGDOM - "agony" // agony - single
BAD OMENS - "the death of peace of mind" // the death of peace of mind
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE – “blunt force drama" // blunt force drama - single

HOUR 2
ICE NINE KILLS - "rainy day" // the silver scream 2: welcome to horrorwood
ICE NINE KILLS - "the shower scene" // the silver scream 2: welcome to horrorwood
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - "cyberhex" // scoring the end of the world
ICE NINE KILLS - "f.l.y." // the silver scream 2: welcome to horrorwood
L.S. DUNES - "permanent rebellion" // past lives

IN FLAMES - "the great deciever" // the great deciever - single
ORBIT CULTURE - "vultures of north" // descent
VENDED - "bloodline" // what is it/kill it ep
RAMMSTEIN – “radio” // rammstein
MACHINE HEAD – “rotten" // of kingdom and crown
JINJER – “mediator” // wallflowers

**SPECIAL THANKS to SPENCER from ICE NINE KILLS for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown this week! Their excellent album "The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood" is out now via Fearless Records! ICE NINE KILLS will be at The Armory in Mpls with MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BLACK VEIL BRIDES and ATREYU on Nov 12! Get your tickets now ... this will sell out!

Midwest Beatdown · Ice Nine Kills interview

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/19/22 - MOTIONLESS IN WHITE

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/19/22
GUESTS :: MOTIONLESS IN WHITE

HOUR 1
ALICE IN CHAINS – “rainer fog" // rainer fog
VIA – “the reincarnate" // the reincarnate - single
3 PILL MORNING – “all before” // transmission ep
DIRTY HONEY – “california dreamin'" // dirty honey
ALIGN - "oscilloscope" // oscilloscope - single
GFM - "honest abe" // framing my perception
CLUTCH - "slaughter beach" // sunrise on slaughter beach

WIDOW 7 - "low life" // low life - single
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - "cyberhex" // scoring the end of the world
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - "meltdown" // scoring the end of the world
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - "scoring the end of the world" // scoring the end of the world
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE feat CALEB SHAMO - "red, white and boom" // scoring the end of the world

HOUR 2
ICE NINE KILLS - "rainy day" // the silver scream 2: welcome to horrorwood
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE feat BRYAN GARRIS - "slaughterhouse" // scoring the end of the world
KNOCKED LOOSE feat KEITH BUCKLEY - "forget your name" // a different shade of blue
EX-REGIME - "sink or swim" // the path I walk
SLIPKNOT - "yen" // the end, so far
SOILWORK - "valleys of gloam" // overgivenheten

SPIRIT ADRIFT - "sorcerer's fate" // 20 centuries gone
PLAGUE OF STARS - "corporatocracy" // corporatocracy - single
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE - "march of the dolls" // the ghost parade
ARCH ENEMY - "in the eye of the storm" // decievers
SOULFLY – “totem” // totem
RAMMSTEIN – “giftig” // zeit
JINJER – “ape” // micro

**SPECIAL THANKS to CHRIS MOTIONLESS from MOTIONLESS IN WHITE for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown this week! MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's fantastic new album "Scoring the End of the World" is out now on Roadrunner Records.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, ICE NINE KILLS and BLACK VEIL BRIDES bring their Trinity of Terror Tour to The Armory in Minneapolis on Nov 12 with special guests ATREYU! Get your tickets now as it will sell out!

Midwest Beatdown · Motionless in White 2022 interview

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/12/22

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/12/22

HOUR 1
SPIRITBOX – “sew me up” // rotoscope ep
COLD KINGDOM – “apologies” // apologies - single
MOTHICA – “sensitive" // nocturnal
3 PILL MORNING – “dichotomy (tear me in two)" // trasmission ep
PAPA ROACH – “kill the noise" // ego trip
DIRTY HONEY – “the wire" // dirty honey
ANGRY WATERS - "first blood" // the ghosts we chase
ALTER BRIDGE – “silver tongue” // pawns and kings

THE INTERRUPTERS – “the hard way" // in the wild
THE SIERRA DAY - "who you are" // unbalance
THE WARNING - "money" // error
LEDGER feat JOHN COOPER - "warrior" // ledger
TURNSTILE - "mystery" // glow on
TURNSTILE - "T.L.C. (turnstile love connection)" // glow on
EAON - "happy" // lesson no 1
FALSE FLOOR - "equals" // equals - single

HOUR 2
ARCH ENEMY - "the watcher" // decievers
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE – “scoring the end of the world" // scoring the end of the world
ICE NINE KILLS – “the shower scene" // the silver scream 2: welcome to horrorwood
IN SEARCH OF SOLACE - "survive" // enslaved to tragedy
AUGUST BURNS RED – “icarus" // guardians sessions
ARCHITECTS – “tear gas” // the classic symptoms of a broken spirit
DREAMS ASIDE - "fracture" // lotus

NORMA JEAN – “spearmint revolt" // deathrattle sing for me
GWAR - "if you want blood (you got it)" // the blood of gods
LIGHT THE TORCH - "let me fall apart" // you will be the death of me
CROBOT - "electrified" // feel this
AMON AMARTH – “find a way or make one” // the great heathen army
NOPATHY - "alter the path" // projections ep
JINJER - "micro" // micro

CONCERT REVIEW :: ANTHRAX CELEBRATES 40 YEARS WITH A SOLD OUT FILLMORE SHOW

CONCERT REVIEW :: ANTHRAX, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, HATEBREED
THE FILLMORE - Minneapolis, MN
Aug 6, 2022
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

ANTRHAX brought their 40th Anniversary Celebration to The Fillmore in Minneapolis for a SOLD OUT amazing show with co-headliners BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and openers HATEBREED in tow. First off, let’s be clear .. this was a very special show to begin with as a lineup like this should not have been in a venue as small as The Fillmore. This should have been down the road at The Armory. But that made it even more special for every one in attendance. A big show in a smaller venue to never be repeated again.

HATEBREED brought things to frenzied start with the 1-2 punch of “Proven” and “Destroy Everything”. If that’s not a way to start off a legendary night like this, I don’t know what is. The pits were going nice and early the whole way thru for Hatebreed who threw in a special cover of Exodus’ “Bonded By Blood” for the occasion, which they should also record.

What can I say that I haven’t already said about Hatebreed? This is a band that it doesn’t matter where they play … and there’s probably not many stages in the Twin Cities that they haven’t crushed yet … it doesn’t matter what they play, they are always going to dominate. Going thru a career retrospective set for all the fans that have been there since 1997 to those in the crowd seeing them for the first time, it definitely was 40 minutes that went by WAY too fast. A band that always looks like their having fun on stage, it’s always exciting to see them live and I look forward to their next trip to town again.

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY came out and the crowd erupted when the BLS curtain dropped and ZAKK WYLDE was whipping his hair around and shredding the guitar like the big Viking Guitar God he is. Like Hatebreed before and Anthrax after .. Black Label Society is on top of their game. “Destroy and Conquer” from the new album Doom Crew Inc was hands down the stand out of the set.

BLS shreds like no other band out there, it’s all guitar fireworks from start to finish. The guitar duel between Zakk and Dario during “Fire It Up” was absolutely crazy and the ability of JD and Jeff to keep the rhythm flowing freely while the two guitarists face off is amazing in itself. The victory lap of “Stillborn” showed the band with smiles on their faces enjoying every minute of being on stage with everyone.

ANTHRAX came out swinging with “Among the Living” right in to “Caught in a Mosh” ensure the entire house was going crazy right out the gate. ANTHRAX themselves sounding stronger than ever. JOEY BELLADONNA still has his amazing pipes and sounds in top form tonight. FRANK BELLO making use of every inch of that stage running all over banging his head with the masses. CHARLIE BENANTE looking fantastic behind his massive drum hit with the coolest bass drum heads with his Funko Pop in them! SCOTT IAN and JON DONAIS crushing the stage with their massive guitar tones. This is a band that crushes it 40 years in to their career just as hard as they did when they first started. Every band should want to have the ability of dominating stages still like Anthrax does.

One could argue that the set list was too short at 12 songs. But they clearly show the power of Anthrax’s entire catalog including a massive version of the John Bush era “Only” which I can only hope they re-release with Joey on vocals. It sounded absolutely amazing. The b-side could be the next song in the set “Bring the Noise” with Scott Ian handling Chuck D’s verses! Those two songs right there were worth the price of admission alone making tonight a very special set for everyone in attendance.

If you missed out on this tour, what were you thinking? This is a tour to make any metal head extremely happy. To Anthrax, Black Label Society and Hatebreed – thank you for making this an extra special touring event of the summer. Jam packed show like this don't come often enough.

See more of Brett's pictures of ANTHRAX, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and HATEBREED here!

CONCERT REVIEW :: A WINDOW OF THE WAKING MIND TOUR

CONCERT REVIEW :: COHEED AND CAMBRIA, ALKALINE TRIO & MOTHICA
THE ARMORY in MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Aug 5, 2022
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

COHEED AND CAMBRIA brought their “A Window of the Waking Mind Tour” to The Armory to a packed house. The merch table had about everything you would need if you are a Coheed fan. Shirts, comics, figures and a whole lot more. I went over and looked at it twice and don’t think I completely soaked in what they all had for sale, it was impressive to say the least. But that wouldn’t be the only impressive thing tonight.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA came out with what Travis told us a few weeks ago was their biggest production to date and included some amazing visuals for most of the songs and a giant inflatable skull. I got lost in watching the visuals going on behind the band instead of watching the band. I won’t give anything away with the visuals as you have to see it. Hey Netflix, Hulu, Apple or Amazon or whoever, come pick this up and let Coheed run with it.

The band themselves were in incredible form – each one of them smiling during and in between songs. I’m pretty sure this was the loudest I’ve heard the crowd sing along during their set, which I thought that last time too but this blew that out of the water. It was awesome to see Claudio Sanchez dancing while playing guitar running around the stage and his iconic headbanging. Josh Eppard is an engaging energetic drummer to watch. Travis Stever and Michael Todd each holding down their ends of the stage with proficiency that most guitarists can only dream of. Between the fantastic 4 musicians and the visuals going on, you definitely missed something going on. You would have to go to multiple shows to see it all!

Kicking off with a super intense “The Dark Sentencer” and “The Gutter” from Vaxis I before diving head first into Vaxis II with “The Embers of Fire” and big sing a longs with “Beautiful Losers” and “Shoulders”. Both Brett and I noticed that the crowd was very intense with these new songs being completely in the moment and singing along with every song which is something most bands can’t say their new stuff goes over just as well as their older material. This was super evident during “The Liar’s Club” which lead in to the superb last act of the show going in to even more crowd singalongs with “Everything Evil”, “Blood Red Summer”, “A Favor House Atlantic” and closing the main set with “Window of the Waking Mind.”

You can’t have a Coheed show without the epic closer “Welcome Home” which if that doesn’t get every last bit of energy out of you, you better check your pulse. If this tour rolls thru your town, go! If this tour gets a second leg, go! COHEED AND CAMBRIA have outdone themselves this time and I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

Opener MOTHICA is an exciting new artist that mixes pop, rock, alternative and metal to create an enchanting formula. The live set gets a boost with a live guitarist and drummer that now I wish was documented on the record more. MOTHICA’s new album “Nocturnal” is fantastic and while we get a few songs from the album, I wish there was more in the set. Coming out swinging with the infectious “Casuality” and moving in to “Lullaby” from the new album. You get a pretty good sense of what her album is like from these two performances.

MOTHICA got serious before “forever fifteen” telling her story of what got her to the point of attempting to end her life at 15. MOTHICA threw in some laughs in between songs for the rest of the set closing with her introvert anthem “Sensitive” and ending with “buzzkill.” The people who got to the show early found themselves a great new artist as MOTHICA is a fantastic opener for the tour. Keep an eye on her.

ALKALINE TRIO were up next. With no new album to promote, they came out and played crowd favorites for an hour. It was great to hear songs like "Time to Waste" again live. I got a little nostalgic for Warped Tour without having to be in the heat. A headliner in their own right, this was a perfect pairing for the night.

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PICTURES FROM COHEED AND CAMBRIA, ALKALINE TRIO and MOTHICA here!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/05/22 - ALIGN and ANTHRAX

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/05/22
GUESTS :: ALIGN and ANTHRAX

HOUR 1
ALTER BRIDGE - "silver tongue" // pawns and kings
ALIGN - "the quest for townies" // blue book value
ALIGN - "complaint" // down river (2022 remaster)
CASANATRA - "I do not care" // death ride
ALIGN - "oscilloscope" // oscilloscope - single

REDOVERLUNAR - "carving chaos from the clouds" // fighting fire with gasoline
ALIGN - "never less than once removed" // blue book value
EXACTLYNO - "there's no answer" // there's no answer - single
AMON AMARTH - "find a way or make one" // the great heathen army

HOUR 2
ANTHRAX - "time intro / fight em til you can't" // XL
ANTHRAX - "got the time" // XL
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - "godspeed hellbound" // order of the black
ANTHRAX - "caught in a mosh" // XL

HATEBREED - "never let it die" // supremacy
ANTHRAX - "the giant" // worship music
MOTOR SISTER - "can't get high enough" // get off
SOULFLY - "totem" // totem
JINJER - "colossus" // wallflowers

**SPECIAL THANKS to JEREMY from ALIGN and SCOTT IAN of ANTHRAX for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown this week!

ALIGN crushed it at Blue Worm Records 25th Anniversary Show last night in Minneapolis with CASANTRA, REDOVERLUNAR, DROPNICKEL, EXACTLYNO and KINGFIELD. ALIGN's new single "Oscilloscope" and the remix and remaster of "Down River" are both out now!

ANTHRAX is at The Fillmore in Minneapolis tonight (Aug 6) with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and HATEBREED! ANTHRAX's "XL" 2 CD/Blu Ray is out now!

Midwest Beatdown · Align 2022 interview

Midwest Beatdown · Anthrax 2022 interview