Fri 13 Feb – Volahn, The Haunting Presence, Lluvia, Blazing Eye, Ehecatl

If it is any indicator, the large crowd for this occasion has shown the recent growth in popularity of the Black Twilight Circle. This night was intended to be the release show for Volahn’s new album, Aq’ab’al, but it has been out on cassette and vinyl a while now. The merch table had the record and pro-tape available as well as t-shirt with the album artwork in a black and white print, but the band had yet to receive the CD version.

Seeing Volahn open for Unpure earlier…

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20.

Satanic Warmaster
Fimbulwinter

Werwolf’s tried and true formula for raw black metal had been unchanged since he first started Satanic Warmaster in the late ‘90s, but with the fifth album he has finally decided to do something differently. On Fimbulwinter he has ditched the lo-fi sound for a sleek digital recording. Needless to say there was a small amount of backlash from certain fans, but most were welcoming to the change. The music is no different from the previous albums, it’s just been given a glossy finish this time around. Although I enjoyed this album more than Nachzehrer…

Mon 2 Feb – Unpure, Volahn, Infinitum Obscure, Coaccion

It has been a while since I last went to a show and got to hangout with some friends, so this was a much needed night for me. Unpure is a band I hadn’t heard of before, so originally I wasn’t planning on attending this show, but when Acualli dropped from the lineup and was replaced by Volahn I changed my mind. It also helped that tickets were only $10 without any fees!

The 5 Star Bar is a place I had not yet been to before, so I wasn’t sure…

Thu 23 Oct – Raven, Night Demon, Blade Killer

After missing Raven’s tour with Diamond Head last year I was determined to see them the next time they came around. I first found out that they would be playing at the Whisky, which was one of only a handful of shows that were booked at that point. In my excitement I bought a ticket immediately, however I later decided to not go when I found out they were also playing a free show right down the street from my house. Thankfully a friend was happy to buy my ticket for…

Sun 28 Sep – Exumer, Morbid Saint, Merciless Death, Sadistic Intent, Sakrificer, Social Overload

With the rise of the retro-thrash movement many older bands have reformed and are now able to play in areas they couldn’t before. In 2009 Exumer made their first North American appearance here in Los Angeles and now five years and a new album later they were set to return, this time to the Avalon in the heart of Hollywood. Alongside them would be Sadistic Intent, Merciless Death, and lastly Morbid Saint, who was added to the lineup only a month prior due…

Fri 18 Jul – The Summer Slaughter Tour 2014

It was a pleasant surprise for me when Morbid Angel was announced as the headliner for the Summer Slaughter tour this year. After the 2013 lineup I didn’t expect the tour to ever make a return to extreme metal, but then we were given the heaviest lineup to date.

There was already a decent crowd in the venue by 4 pm when I walked in. Fallujah had just started the first song of their twenty minute set and immediately I noticed how horrible the kick drums sounded. The triggers made it…

Fri 11 Jul – Sargeist, Nightbringer, Icon of Phobos, Ritual Combat, Verrater

It was a sweaty night at The Black Castle in South Central. It’s not often we get to see European black metal bands out here, so the fans came out in droves. I overheard the doorman mention that they sold 570 tickets. If it wasn’t sold out it had to be damn close. People had an especially good reason to drive out for this show, since Sargeist would be making their first appearance here in their fifteen year existence. It was a night not to be missed.

By…

Sat 17 May – Scion Rock Fest 2014

It was a surprise to everyone when it was announced that Scion Rock Fest would be returning to Pomona. This year’s lineup was a strong contrast to the 2011 one, focusing heavily on the doom, stoner, and psychedelic genres instead of extreme metal, however it still brought a number of rare performances to the area. As enjoyable as 2011’s fest was, it did not come without problems. The festival that year was a zoo; the will call line was insanely long and venues were reaching capacity quickly, causing many people to miss…

Sat 29 Mar – Destruction North American Tour 2014

After Destruction's problematic tour a couple years ago Schmier claimed they would never return to North America. Thankfully it didn't take long for them to reconsider. This time around they hit Mirror Image Studios. It seemed like a strange place to book them, since the venue usually hosts local bands rather than international touring ones, but it turned out to be a nice choice. Although it's a small room the floor is wide enough for a decent sized pit to form. The biggest plus, however, is that the sound is great,…

Thu 13 Mar – Possessed, Lethal Fire, Velosity, Miscreancy, Mortifixtion, Darkult

Regrettably I missed Possessed the last time they played here and since then I have been eagerly waiting for another opportunity to see them. Last year they started playing all of Seven Churches in their set without announcing it beforehand, so I couldn’t miss them this time around. Originally this show was intended to be a quick stop before the band headed to Mexico for the Hell & Heaven Festival, but that was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute. However, the sold out Hollywood gig was still on and…