The Black Angel Zine
Welcome to The Black Angel Zine, where Black Angel Promotions brings you the latest and greatest in rock, metal, and punk culture. Our zine is your go-to source for concert reviews, movie and documentary critiques, advice for aspiring musicians, retro music reviews, and the freshest news in the industry. Dive into each section and discover the raw, unfiltered content that makes Black Angel Promotions the voice of the underground.
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Black Angel news
Stay in the know with the latest happenings in the world of rock, metal, and punk. Our news section is your source for the updates that matter—band announcements, tour plans, album release dates, and the events shaking up the industry. Whether it's a long-awaited reunion, a shocking split, or a game-changing collaboration, we’ve got the info you need.
We don’t just report the news; we deliver it with the edge and attitude you expect from Black Angel Promotions. Our commitment is to keep you connected to the heartbeat of the music you love, cutting through the noise to bring you real stories that resonate. Check back regularly for updates that keep your finger on the pulse.
Welcome to Black Angel Promotions Top Ten Releases of 2024! We put a lot of thought into our lists and we wanted to celebrate these releases one more time publicly. TJ's Top Ten Releases of 2024~ 10. BAT - Under the Crooked Claw 9. Aborted - Vault of Horrors 8. The Crown - Crown of Thorns 7. Zombeast - Heart of Darkness 6. The Lurking Corpses - Lurking After Midnight 5. Alkaline Trio - Blood, Hair and Eyeballs 4. Spectral Wound - Songs of Blood and Mire 3. Unto Others - Never, Neverland 2. Tribulation - Sub Rosa In Æternum 1. Pøltergeist - Nachtmusik TJ's Honorable Mentions~ Catbreath - Slice 'em All Cavalera Conspiracy - Schizophrenia Kerry King - From Hell I Rise Wraith - Fueled by Fea r
Today, we’re humbled to announce that our first release will be the 20th Anniversary Edition of “Scourge of The South” from the Rockabilly band, The Tremors. Originally released in 2004, this is the band’s debut release, and it set the tone for what the band would go on to become – a hell raisin’ band of backwoods hillbilly boppers that dish out tons of Rockabilly Boogie that hearken back to the early days of Sun Records when the sounds of the 50’s were thought of as dangerous and profane. The Tremors also rip, romp and snort much like The Cramps did when they first burst onto the scene in the 70’s! One half hillbilly, one half punk, with a heaping helping of the King, Elvis Presley tossed in for good measure. To borrow a line from an old Cramps ad – they’ll ooze, you’ll throb, and nothing will ever be the same again! The Scourge of The South disc has been long out of print and unavailable outside of digital platforms. With this reissue, we’ve not only remastered the album, but we’ve gotten the fellas to unearth a RARE long-lost radio performance, also from 2004. Outside of the band and the lucky radio listeners who tuned in on that fateful evening, this performance has never been heard. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the band live, you’re in for one hell of a treat. The radio performance has also been remastered for maximum playback enjoyment and let me tell you, the band jumps and shouts like a Baptist preacher who’s got a bad case of the runnin’ fits! With the addition of the Radio Performance, the album comes in at a whoppin’ 31 tracks! The press will be limited to 100 pieces, and they will be individually numbered. Aside from the band’s live shows, the only place you’ll be able to get the album will be from our bigcartel store. The CD will be available for purchase on October 11, 2024 . We will not be offering pre-orders, nor will we be offering holds or selling downloads. We here at Black Angel Promotions have had a long and wonderful relationship with the band that started years ago when we first reviewed their sophomore release “Invasion of The Saucermen”. Since then, we’ve reviewed all their releases and have taken every opportunity we could to lift them up and spread the band’s good name. The band still has four other releases currently available to be purchased from their website and we can’t recommend them enough – life without the music of The Tremors just isn’t living! Please join us in welcoming The Tremors to the B.A.P. family, we are sincerely grateful to offer the reissue of the band’s debut album “Scourge of The South”! https://thetremors1.bandcamp.com/merch https://blackangelpromotions.bandcamp.com/album/the-tremors-scourge-of-the-south-20th-anniversary-remastered-edition https://blackangelpromotions.bigcartel.com/
R.I.P. Jack Russell, the original and one true voice of the band, Great White. Captain Jack was more than just a voice on the radio, he was one of my favorite vocalists, period. I got into the band when I was a kid due to compilations and so forth, so Jack has been a part of my life for well over half of it & I’m not exactly a young buck anymore. I’ve had some tough moments in life with nothing to soothe me aside from a few choice albums – Great White was at the top of that heap. Hard Rock bands are a dime a dozen and often we don’t stop to think or appreciate the talent that it takes to perform this kind of music – we take it for granted. Those with a true penchant for music know after one listen to Great White/Jack Russell that the band WAS heaped with talent, but the most amazing part of the band was Jack Russell’s voice. His ability to perform at a high level was unmatched and even after years of substance abuse, he was able to stand and deliver a jaw dropping performance, be it live or in the studio.
The Hard Rock band, the Quireboys unleashed a new album late in 2024. I’d known it was coming but I took a break from following the band on their socials due to in-fighting and fans on each side bitching about who was right and who was wrong. Long story short, band members who weren’t original and were nothing more than hired hands threw a mutiny and fired founding member and vocalist, Spike. You don’t need to do any research on the matter, it didn’t last long. Nobody is interested in the Quireboys without Spike! While getting sacked from the band he started was crummy, Spike put the original band back together the best he could. Guitarist Guy Bailey and Spike would immediately start writing and fleshing out songs for a new album. Sadly, Bailey passed away in 2023, yet Spike and the band carried on bringing us this new album. This new effort is entitled “Wardour Street” and if you’re familiar at all with the Quireboys debut, “A Little Bit of What You Fancy”, you know exactly what we’re looking at here. There’s a ton of Rock N’ Roll like the early Stones recordings from the 70’s. And Spike’s voice is in top form, he’s always reminded me of Rod Stewart, so I’m always reminded of the Faces. On “Wardour Street” Spike and the band have dialed it back to a time where this kind of music was everything and everyone felt it. The track “Jeeze Louise” gives off a mix of Faster Pussycat and Exile era Stones vibes. Strangely, the melody in this tune reminds me of Taime Downe’s performance on FP’s debut album. Moving on with the Stones vibes the band hits us with the track “Happy” which is another of those tunes that could’ve been a deep cut on the “Exile from Mainstreet” demos. “Raining Whiskey” is a duet with Frankie Miller and it drips with Sleaze and heartbreak, I’m feeling it, and it makes me want to have a liquor drank and a smoke in the dark corner of a dive bar. Spike is a notable fan of Miller as he released a cover album of some of his favorite Miller tracks a few years back, so his involvement here isn’t shocking. Never a band to shy away from ballads/heartfelt moments, this album features a few of those types of tunes – “Myrtle Beach”, “You and I” and “It Ain’t Over Now”. I’m crazy for songs like this specifically on Quireboys albums - Spike’s smoky voice gets up close and personal with the listener and you feel every word he’s singing. I also appreciate that none of these songs are big power ballads so there’s no cheesy moments where you lose sight of the meaning of the lyrics. Once more the Quireboys have restored glory to their name and have released one of their best efforts in the last 20 years with “Wardour Street”. You can hear the happiness of each member in how they approach their instruments in every one of these songs. The album’s production value is fantastic, and it’s recorded beautifully. Had I gotten this one earlier, it certainly would’ve been in my top ten releases of 2024. The album has been pressed to CD & Vinyl in limited quantity so I wouldn’t wait around too long to snatch it up. I’d love for this album to get the band back into the charts so we can get the boys back over here in the USA and get new albums more frequently. Don’t sleep on this band, if you’re out and about and you see any album from the band, don’t hesitate to pick it up, specifically this release.
It's a rare feat in modern metal that a debut album features such undeniable promise for a band. Most bands will release their debut album and there are bits and pieces of greatness and they show some semblance of direction, but ultimately we are left knowing they could do so much more. I have here an extraordinary example of a band that not only comes out with all guns blazing, but upon listening to them you know that they are something special and meant for greatness. I recently ran across Ireful, an Italian thrash group that harnesses all the intensity of 80's thrash like Slayer, Vio-lence, Exodus and Death Angel into a sonic tornado of devastation. Speaking of Slayer and Exodus, frontman and bassist A. Medusa has the uncanny ability to manipulate his vocals to where he can sound like Tom Araya, Paul Baloff and Zetro. If he could only sound like Rob Dukes he'd hit the hat trick! The opening track, "I, Caligula" has vocals reminiscent of Tom's and the song itself reminds me of something that could have been found on 'Hell Awaits'. The dueling frantic leads makes me feel warm and fuzzy with thoughts of Jeff and Kerry together again. "...And God Will Take its Ones" is just straight gold with its Exodus-esque attitude and has "The Toxic Waltz" vibes. The title track, "Agents of Doom", is where things get pretty interesting in that they combine modern-era thrash with the best of the old school shit that brought me to the party. It opens with some Havok style riffs while highlighting everything done right in the glory days of the Bay Area. 'Agents of Doom' is a true highlight in the genre especially when it comes to new bands and quality releases over the last few years. Breakneck thrashing? Check. Tasty as fuck riffs? Check. Drumming that would make Dave Lombardo proud? Check. The only disappointing thing is that I discovered this album too late in 2024 because it absolutely would have made my top 10 if I heard it sooner. If you consider yourself to be a self-respecting thrash fan, check out Ireful. It'll be the best decision you make all day.
I've been on a blackened thrash spree lately and the party continues with Scumripper. This Finnish three-piece is relatively new to the game, but one would think otherwise when running through their sophomore album 'For a Few Fixes More'. I couldn't help but find influences of everyone from Iron Reagan and Hellripper to Toxic Holocaust and Dismember. This really shines through in each track as nothing sounds "too samey" and the songs and styles progress through the album. I have a lot of respect for a band when there's no wasted motion or time and that's the case here as 'For a Few Fixes More' is nine tracks clocking in at a lean 28 minutes. The first couple of tracks - "I Am the Trash of Evil Men" and "Early Embittered Twilight" start things off in a furious manner and showcase some of the best thrash elements of the album. Then comes along "The Slime" which starts off with some great thrash riffs and ultimately turns into something sludge metal fans will appreciate. "Knights of Summer" is somewhat similar with its fluctuating tempos and doomy atmosphere. My favorite offering here is "Exhume the Body and Disturb the Peace" which is truly remarkable as it goes from straight to jugular aggression to melodic Arch Enemy-style riffs in the bridges which caught me completely off guard. Another standout is "I Cum Pain". And while my brain immediately went to Cannibal Corpse for the song title ("I Cum Blood"), it's the music that caught my attention because, for some weird reason, it reminded me of a Danzig and Sabbath doom orgy. If you're looking for a unique thrash experience that incorporates elements of death, sludge and doom metal, you'll be happier than Homer Simpson with a box of donuts with Scumripper's latest effort. I'm really looking forward to seeing where these guys go in the future with their breadth of different influences and their ability to weave this tapestry together so seamlessly.
Admittedly, I’m not as in touch with today’s Modern Sleaze bands, as I should be. Truthfully, some of the band’s recordings are slack and the subject matter is a little too played out or it’s too AOR for me these days. There are several bands that have slipped through the cracks that deserved my attention. Today, I’m here to talk about one of those… Norway’s Suicide Bombers have been a main stay in the scene for several years now, but I’ve never taken the time to have a listen although I’m in a Facebook group where the band is featured a great deal (Glam Rock City). I finally took the time to have a watch/listen to one of their videos and I was instantly interested in hearing more from the band! Early in 2024 the band released their 5 th studio album entitled “All for The Candy”. And I’m here to tell you that if I’ve missed out, odds are you have too! This album moves and shakes like something released in the late 80’s in the height of hair explosion without being too cheesy. To be more pointed, the music/approach reminds me of Zodiac Mindwarp, Slave Raider and at times Circus of Power. Meaning that the band isn’t looking to drop ballads and touchy feely tracks for you to smear your make up crying to. It’s Sleaze with a Punk edge that begs to be turned up loud and blasted in your car or at a party. “Tonight Belongs To Us” is my favorite track off the album, it moves along at a ferocious pace but it’s chock full of melody and hooks that will give you a serious earworm that you can’t get rid of without listening to the track a few times. “Take it off” is another track I’m fond of, it’s a mid-tempo banger with a fantastic chorus, certain movements/key changes in the song remind me of some of the tracks off Vain’s “No Respect” album. Next up, we have the pseudo ballad “Out Of Love”, it’s not necessarily a ballad, but the lyrical content and chord progression lends itself to that thought. The lead break is catchy too, it’s quite good without having to lean on shredding. Title track “All for The Candy” is another tune that leans heavily on the chorus to get it going, which is fine, this is what choruses are for – we look for those in songs so we can pump our fist in the air and go crazy! This is a perfect example of what a chorus of Rock song should sound like. Again, the lead break really shines and says a great deal about the musicianship of the band. There are several other great tunes on “All for The Candy”, I’m quite taken with just how good the album is as a whole. I’m sad that I’m just now taking the time to listen to the Suicide Bombers. I haven’t even scratched the surface as this is their fifth release. If I’d had this album at age 14 this would’ve been turned up at every party, I attended, and all the little girls would’ve been weak in the knees. Not that the album is juvenile by any means, the Sleaze content doesn’t warrant the parental advisory sticker either, it’s just the mood and overall feeling screams of those youthful moments that we all like to look back on with fondness. This is an absolute must have album, and the Suicide Bombers are a band that you need to be looking out for. It would be awesome to see these guys come over and hit the USA for a tour, I’m sure they’d sell out a West Coast tour easily!
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A few days ago, the opportunity was presented to me to interview the founder and CEO of Cleopatra Records, Brian Perera. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to speak with Brian as Cleopatra Records has released several albums that I’m a big fan of through the years. I also appreciate the label becoming a home for wayward bands of the 80’s that have been cast aside. Most notably Jack Russell’s Great White, those last few albums are absolutely killer, and we might not have them if not for Cleopatra Records. Enough of my fandom, let’s get on with it! Hi Brian, it’s a pleasure to catch up with you today. I know you’ve done tons of interviews through the years, so we’ll try to avoid too many repeat offenders if possible. Cleopatra Records means a lot of different things to people – some people associate you with Goth, some people associate you with tributes and then there are folks like me who look at the label as a home to disregarded 80’s bands from the Hollywood scene & of course old school Punk Rock!
When I started back toying around with the idea of starting my own label again there was one band specifically that I really wanted to work with – The Tremors! I met them eons ago when I was combing the net looking for cool bands to review. I’ll never forget Jimmy Tremor’s reply – sure we’d love to get a review but from the looks of your site I’m not sure you’d like what we’re doing. I quickly replied that I was into Rockabilly, but I just couldn’t drum up any interest from other Rockabilly bands to get anything in for review. A few days later the band’s Sophomore effort “Invasion of the Saucermen” hit my box and nothing has been the same since. I’ve followed the band’s every move and I’ve reviewed every release they’ve put out since this fateful encounter. By the time I met the band their debut release Scourge of The South had already sold out, so I wasn’t able to get it and that never sat well with me, I looked everywhere for it with no luck! Thanks to the genius of eBay and the advent of the search/save/email notifications I was able to land the CD a few years back – for 40$! A small price to pay for a band that I’ve admired for years. And now here we are a few weeks from the 20 th Anniversary Remastered Reissue that I couldn’t be more excited and prouder of! It just goes to show you that sometimes those high prices you pay for things you love can turn into so much more. So, in honor of this reissue, we wanted to catch up with Jimmy and talk some smack about gear, the band and the upcoming reissue! Good to have you here with us Jimmy, let’s start with some of the oldest questions in the book. What made you want to pick up the guitar and learn to play? How old were you? Did you take lessons/study, or did you pick it up and just start twangin’?! I started playing at 13. My older sister had a Yamaha classical guitar and that's what I started on. When I heard the Rolling Stones, I knew I wanted to play electric guitar in a Rock 'n' Roll band. I took enough lessons to get off the ground from a brilliant guitarist named Jim Ryan, but soon learned that playing by ear was the way to really learn the kind of music that I wanted to play. Did you start singing when you started playing guitar or was that something that came with time? I sang in chorus in grade school, mainly to get out of class, so I’d already been singing some. As soon as I could sing and play at the same time, I was doing it. When did you start playing live/doing shows? Any recordings floating around from that era that our readers go out searching for? I played some talent shows and battle of the bands in high school but didn't start playing clubs until 1989 with a band called Rocket 99. Other than some demos that I have somewhere around the house, there's no recordings or videos from that time. Vocally, who are your biggest influences? I hear a lot of Lux Interior influence, but I’m probably looking hard for it since they’re a favorite band of mine. Hard to be a Rockabilly musician in the 21st century and not be influenced by the Cramps. I definitely love Lux's over the top stylized Rockabilly vocals. I guess the biggest influences on vocals would be Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis. Guitar-wise and musically who would you say are your biggest influences? Musically, Jerry Lee Lewis is a huge influence even though he plays a different instrument. My first memories of music is my mom's 45 of "Great Balls of Fire". A few of the guitarists I've really been influenced by are Scotty Moore, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Grady Martin, Keith Richards, Marc Bolan, Johnny Thunders and Johnny Ramone. So many great guitarists, it's hard to narrow it down. Are there any other genres of music outside of Rockabilly that you spent a lot of time chasing and playing in the early days? Any Jimmy Tremor stories that involve big hair, aqua net and lip stick?! Rocket 99 and Ubangi Stomp were pre-Tremors bands that had a touch of sleazy glam. It was my take on what I thought modern Rock 'n Roll should be about.
One of the things that I’ve cherished the most in my years of music journalism/PR is that I’ve been afforded the opportunity to be around as new bands creep on to the scene. While a great deal of these bands fall by the way side due to various reasons, there are those who not only flourish but remain a staunch main-stay in the scene and wreak havoc every chance they get. This couldn’t be more true when it comes to The Lurking Corpses. The band burst onto the Indy Horror Punk scene in 2003 with their debut album 23 Tales Of Terror and we certainly felt it in our neck of the woods – it would seem a lot of others felt it too. I won’t talk about that album too much, but it was basically 2 albums on one release – long as hell and there’s not a track to be skipped! We have always been smitten with the band, it also helps that they’ve been so cool to everyone in the scene and through the years they’ve remained humble, working tirelessly to release the best albums they possibly can for their hardcore fan-base. Now here we are in 2024 and the band is quickly approaching the release of their latest album “Lurking After Midnight”, which we’ve already covered – go check it out while you’re here. Naturally, TJ & I wanted to be the first one’s to get an interview with the band on this album release so we can spread the good word of The Lurking Corpses a little further and a little deeper into the minds of all you monster babies! A few days ago we were able to catch up with the band’s front man and driving force, his lordship, Lord Vladimir Von Ghoul!! Without further a do……
This was funny, but also not too off from how punks were viewed by the older generation at the time. Weird hair color or piercings were definitely looked at ascance in 1987, when this aired as an ABC Afterschool Special. The "punk" music in this is more like mainstream new wave, so no lost gems like in the Quincy punk episode. The punks are all presented sympathetically, so we also don't get the sensationalized violence and drug use you might expect from 80s punksploitation. The kids are all depicted as just needing a little attention and probably just going through a phase. As silly as it is, it does at least send a message to uptight parents that their kids may look weird, but they're still good kids. In the context of the times, that's actually not too bad. We do at least get a great cast of 80s character actors including the guy who played the Governor on Benson, Roxie Roker from The Jeffersons, and the ship's doctor from The Love Boat. And star Jay Underwood would go on to play Bug in Uncle Buck, The Human Torch in Roger Corman's (technically) unreleased Fantastic Four, and Sonny Bono in The Sonny and Cher Story. At the end of the day, this is neither particularly good taken at face value, nor is it super campy fun. It is, however, a decent little time capsule, and at just 45 minutes it's over right about when you're ready for it to be.
"Another day to live through. Better get started." Based on Richard Matheson's 1954 novel, I Am Legend, 'The Last Man on Earth' is a post-apocalyptic horror film that follows Dr. Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) as the lone survivor in a hellish wasteland filled with vampiric creatures caused by a plague. In December of 1965, he inherited the earth and has been living each day ad nauseam for three years. Every day he has the same routine - he checks the fuel for his generator, goes out for supplies, kills vampires and returns home before dark. The bodies of the slain vampires are thrown into a pit and set ablaze to control the contagion. Through a flashback, it is revealed that Dr. Morgan had a wife and daughter, both of whom succumbed to the plague. Upon the death of his wife, he didn't want her burned with the others and decided to bury her on his own. To his surprise, she rises from the grave and makes her way back to their home. This in part explains why we see him lose pieces of his sanity throughout the film and even at times almost resents being alive. While out one day, he stumbles across a woman who he brings back to his home. He starts to have concerns about her and then shoves a wreath of garlic in her face resulting in an adverse reaction. She swears that she's not one of them, but Dr. Morgan finds her trying to inject herself with a vaccine. She explains that there's a large group of infected who are taking the vaccine and that many of those that he killed were actually part of their group and she was sent to secure him so that the others could kill him. This results in a chase through the police station and finally the church where Dr. Morgan is shot and impaled by a spear. This is where he proclaims that he's the last man on earth meaning that he is the last actual man and not an infected or hybrid.
I'll be the first to admit that I get bent out of shape when horror movies are remade. I automatically assume they'll be garbage because generally speaking it's the truth. Fortunately, this remake of George A. Romero's 1978 classic is one of the few that actually get it right. I remember seeing this in theaters and being impressed with how it did its own thing while maintaining the authenticity of the original. Additionally, the cameos made by Tom Savini and Ken Foree help in paying homage to the film they starred in 26 years earlier. I feel it's worth noting that this is Zack Snyder's directorial debut. Regardless of how you feel about his later work (primarily directing superhero films), he does a solid job here and would even go on to direct another zombie film ('Army of the Dead') in 2021. He pays a lot of attention to detail such as different colors of blood used based on the age and state of decomposition of the zombies. Red blood is used for the "fresher" zombies, brownish/red for the medium-aged ones and blackish blood for the oldest. Conversely, there are some continuity issues, as it seems that there is no set time in how long it takes someone to turn once they're bitten. Some people it's instantaneous while others take hours. If you've seen the original, you know the gist. During a zombie outbreak, a group of people make their way to a mall in order to protect themselves in hopes of riding out the storm until help can arrive or they can escape on their own. There are considerable differences between the two films such as there being more plot that involves the group being outside the safety of the mall in the remake. There's also a zombie baby, a dog and some souped up buses that look to be the prototype for those in 'Land of the Dead'. The fates of the survivors are ambiguous as they sail away to an island and look to be attacked, but we are not provided any definitive answers.
In this underappreciated Wes Craven classic, Fool, Leroy and Spencer break into the home of the landlords who are forcing Fool and his family out of their home. It is believed that there are gold coins in the landlord's house and while Leroy and Spencer are out for themselves, Fool is hoping to use his cut to help save his home. After Spencer goes missing, Fool and Leroy search for him resulting in Fool becoming locked in the basement and discovering not only Spencer's body but the true horror of the house - people living in the walls and the cellar. Now, let's get something straight. This isn't Jerry Seinfeld's landlord. No one here is getting upset over a reverse peephole. These landlords are violent, child abusing psychopaths who will stop at nothing to keep their home and secrets under wraps. The brother is a leather wearing, shotgun toting lunatic, while the sister gives off Joan Crawford 'Mommie Dearest' vibes. They wanted the "perfect boy child" and found issues with all of them they ran across, which resulted in the removal of some parts of their bodies and discarding them in the cellar. Now they have a daughter, Alice, who is treated like a prisoner and not allowed to go outside or even really speak. After being caught, Fool is thrown to the people under the stairs in hopes that they'll kill and eat him. He escapes and finds his way back to Alice and they end up in the crawl space behind the walls before making it to the attic where Fool jumps out the window and runs home. Fool calls the authorities and sends them to the house because he made a promise to Alice. When they don't find anything, Fool takes things into his own hands in an attempt to rescue Alice. In their attempt to find a way out, the people under the stairs escape, giving Alice a chance to stab the sister while those under the stairs attack and finish her off. The final standoff between Fool and the brother ends when Fool blows him up with the dynamite that's around the house.
movie and documentary reviews
Explore the intersection of music and film with our in-depth movie and documentary reviews. We critique the latest releases that delve into the world of rock, metal, and punk, offering insights and opinions that cut through the noise.
From gritty documentaries about underground scenes to blockbuster films that capture the spirit of rock and roll, our reviews are as edgy and uncompromising as the subjects they cover. Discover which films hit the right notes and which ones fall flat.
unfiltered Concert reviews
Get the lowdown on the most electrifying shows around the country. Our concert reviews offer an uncensored look at live performances from your favorite bands and emerging artists. We cover every detail, from the setlist to the crowd's energy, ensuring you feel like you were right there in the pit.
Whether it's a dive bar show or a massive festival, our reviews capture the raw power and intensity of live music. We don't just tell you about the concert—we take you there. Read on for brutally honest assessments and photos that bring the experience to life.
This lineup could rival any other three death or thrash metal bands anyone could put together. Admittedly, I am not the biggest Possessed fan, but respect the hell out of them for their contributions to the genre and was really interested in seeing them perform. I had my earplugs in, but took those mother fuckers out when they took the stage to take in all the blasphemous hymns! Their set was short and sweet (about seven or eight songs) and when they played "Tribulation" I was amped because that's one of my favorite tracks from 'Beyond the Gates' and they killed it! My biggest issue with their performance is that while Jeff gave everything in his vocal performance, it came across as a little subdued. The instruments drowned his efforts a bit which is rather unfortunate. And I know this is super trivial, but their bassist did not move from his position on stage at all. It was almost like his feet were glued to the floor and it was a bit distracting. The fact that your lead singer moves around more and he's in a wheelchair speaks volumes.
This past Friday, (August 9 th) I took my girl to see L.A. Guns & Tom Keifer (Cinderella) in Peachtree City at The Fred Amphitheater. Unfortunately, I didn’t know about the show until a few days before. To be blunt, the PR for the show was trash, otherwise I would’ve had front row seats or a “table” as that was the thing at this venue. Nevertheless, we were able to land great seats and the way the Amphitheater is set up I knew we were going to be able to see the bands well. I was still a bit pissed about the lack of PR though, if I’d missed another chance to see L.A. Guns, I would’ve been MAD AS HELL!! The ride to the venue was highly amusing, we took the backroads and had an adventure, it also helped that my girl was half in the bag and feeling a strong wine buzz – she’s always hilarious, but when she’s on the “drank” and we’re traveling she’s even more fun! We got to see several old farmhouses, ranches and so forth. About 30 minutes outside of Peachtree City we rode through some small town where they had what I believe to be a hunting store with two large statues of Bigfoot standing outside which turned my girl’s tickle box on full tilt and she laughed herself into a stupor. Right then and there she decided we were going to ride back down that way on Vacation to see what's up with the Sasquatches. I’m sure that’s really going to happen, although we have no business in a Hunting Store whatsoever. After an hour or so of my wife loud talking, dranking and giggling we pulled into The Fred and were greeted with FREE PARKING – HELL YES! I’m not sure of the age of the venue but it’s the newer style of Amphitheaters that are starting to sprout up all over the place that tends to cater to the local folks who have plenty of money and are just looking to have a good time and drink themselves blind with their golfing buddies. It’s a bit on the high falutin’ side, if you will. The Amphitheater is nestled deep back in the woods a few miles off a main highway, but you don’t realize it, it feels like you’re a million miles from nowhere. Aside from the normies in khaki shorts and collared Polo shirts, it was a brilliant vibe and there was enough of our tattooed brothers and sisters around to make us feel at home or at least me – my girl was buzzed, she didn't care, she was just happy to be there with me and I with her... L.A. Guns hit the stage at 7:35PM it was still light outside, but that didn’t sway the band or the crowd. Those ole Hollywood Vamps came out guns a'blazing. (If you haven’t seen LAG, this is a standard, they don’t fuck around, they dig in and deliver the goods). We were treated with ten-mile-wide smiles, laughter and cheers from the band too, they were as happy to be there as we were. LAG, stuck to the standards - “Sex Action”, “Electric Gypsy”, “Over the Edge”, “I Wanna Be Your Man” were a few of the notables. The band also sprinkled in some of their newer tunes – the much loved “Speed” from The Missing Peace record. They also opened the show with one of my personal favorites “Cannonball” off the “Checkered Past” album, which I thought was a nice touch. Sadly, they only played one track off their new album, “Black Diamonds” and that was “Like A Drug”. Naturally, the band played their biggest hit “Ballad of Jayne” and while I still adore it, I’m cool if I never hear it or see them play it live again. I’ve been a fan since the debut album in 1988, so it’s a bit old hat to me, but I know all the cool kids in collared shirts had probably never seen the band play it live. Plus, my girl had never seen LAG live, so that was a moment for her too. The band was highly interactive with the crowd, but this is the LAG way, they’re all about the fans and being in the moment. There were a few of the ladies down front who were a bit too excited to see Phil Lewis & Tracii Guns so we were all treated to a little “Breast Wishes”, but it’s all in fun and hey it’s an L.A. Guns show, if you can’t be sleazy there where in the hell can you be sleazy?! If you’ve never seen L.A. Guns live, don’t miss the chance when they come to your town, the band is still as good as they were in 1988!!! I’d go see them again tomorrow if they were playing near me. To be fair, I try not to miss L.A. Guns when they come to town, they’re one of my all-time favorite bands. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I still miss and love Steve Riley (R.I.P.) on drums, but the new guy held it down well enough to get the job done. Now we come to the hard part of the night - Tom Keifer’s set. I haven’t seen or heard Tom live outside of his time in Cinderella and that was years ago when we were both still young and wild. It’s well documented that Tom has fought a long hard battle with vocal cord paralysis. Over the years several surgeries have been performed and he’s basically had to teach himself to sing again over and over. From the first note I knew something was wrong, someone was singing off-key, or something was happening somewhere. Much to my dismay, I soon realized it was Tom. I was hoping it was just the on-stage volume and they’d get it figured out after the first song, however when Keifer spoke I could hear that his voice was gone, it cracked instantly as he welcomed the crowd. I’m not slagging Keifer at all, just calling it down the middle. Honestly, I didn’t think this was an issue anymore, I’ve got a few friends who’ve seen Tom several times, they go out of their way to travel miles and miles to see him and not a word has been said. My mind immediately went to this thought - I could leave, be disappointed and turn my back on one of my childhood heroes. Or either I could stay, scream my ass off and raise my hands in the air and cheer the man on as he sang and played his heart out for us. You all know I stayed and screamed, looking for that sacred “Shot of Gasoline”!!! Tom got me in my feelings several times when I was least expecting it too. The 3 rd track of the set was “Heartbreak Station”, and the intro was so heartfelt I was tearing up before he sang the first line. I stood their awe struck and dumbfounded with tears in my eyes remembering how much the song has meant to me through the years and how much of a pleasure it was to hear it live for what could be my very last time. It also stung me deep that Jeff LaBar (R.I.P.) wasn’t up on-stage playing guitar. These feelings hit me even harder on “Coming Home”. Of all the songs Cinderella released, this track has always been my favorite, it’s a bio of my life, warts and all. All I’ve ever wanted was to be loved and to “come home”, it felt like forever to be able to achieve that feeling. A million thanks to my girl for giving me that home that I yearned for my entire life. “I took a ride in a world I'll be spinnin’ for the rest of my life” … Keifer went on to play all the hits, he hit us with “Hot and Bothered”, “The Last Mile”, “Nobody’s Fool” and I thought the crowd was going to full on riot when they played “Somebody Save Me” and “Nightsongs”. It was a fantastic scene. There were several other classics played throughout the evening. I’m sincerely glad I stayed for Keifer’s set, the young man that still haunts the halls in my memory needed it. Now my cup runneth over with love for all the things that I’ve experienced and all the places I’ve been. It’s not just Tom who’s gotten older, I’ve done fucked around and gotten old too. Thankfully, us old dogs can still get up there and fucking get it when it's time. If either of these bands roll through your town, get off your ass and go! While Tom isn’t the young man he once was, know this, the voice he had in the in the late 80’s was wrecked for us and all in the name of Rock N’ Roll. Keifer deserves to hear the crowds roar and every one reading this “NEEDS A SHOT OF GASOLINE”! And if you can’t get down with Keifer, them Hollywood Vampires, L.A. Guns still got that 100-dollar bill and a bottle of lotion – S.E.X. Who’s next?! ~Black Angel
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