“Don’t Go See Tool February 4!” Says Charlotte’s Fusebox Poet

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2012/01/24/preview-dont-go-see-tool-february-4-says-charlottes-fusebox-poet/

Published Tuesday, January 24, 2012 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, preview, The Saloon, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Bojangles' Coliseum, Bombshell, Charlotte Music, Death of Paris, Drew Cyphers, Fusebox Poet, local scene, Maynard James Keenan, NC Music Factory, Pat Gerasia, Preview, superbowl eve, The Saloon, Tool

Fusebox Poet drummer Pat Gerasia would normally be the last person to tell someone not to go see a Tool concert, so when he asked me to come review his band’s “Superbowl Eve” show February 4 at The Saloon at NC Music Factory, I asked, “…and why the hell would I do that when Tool is playing that same night at Bojangles’ Coliseum?”

“This would be a whole lot easier for me if Tool wasn’t one of my favorite bands!” he replied, “Danny Carey is one of the reasons why I play drums to begin with.” But he then listed some pretty decent reasons to see Fusebox Poet instead. The crux of the matter here epitomizes the differences between following local/unsigned bands versus huge, radio-promoted national acts.

Reason #1: FREE ADVANCE TICKETS. Just email FBPtickets@yahoo.com asking about said tickets, and they will mail you some with a little personal note from the band, thanking you for supporting the Charlotte scene. If you wait and purchase tickets at the door, they’re still only $10– a far cry from the $55.95 or more you’ll pay for a Tool ticket (and that’s for the nosebleed seats!).

Reason #2: SUPERBOWL EVE = FREE SHIT. Tool isn’t going to raffle off jack-diddly, and their t-shirts are at least $20. News flash: they won’t give you one for free, even if you beg. The Superbowl Eve show boasts raffles, giveaways, and other chances for free shit and fun activities. Your local bands work their asses off to show you a good time, and they’re willing to invest in the opportunity to impress you by offering you free stuff if you will come listen. At Bojangles’ Coliseum, the only thing you might get for free is the flu.

Reason #3: MAYNARD DOESN’T GIVE A RAT’S ASS IF YOU COME OR NOT. Not one bit. He might not even talk to you during the show (he’s notorious for not addressing his audiences), so he’s certainly not going to talk to you afterward. Fusebox Poet’s singer, Drew Cyphers, is actually a pretty nice guy and will definitely chat with you after the show, “and maybe even give you a hug (if you buy a t-shirt– haha),” Pat jokes. All the guys in the band can get pretty chatty, actually– I just saw them perform this weekend at Art Bar in Columbia, and each one of them was out there, big smiles on their faces, meeting and chatting up new folks and old fans alike. Huge national bands don’t care that much about fans, and they don’t have to care. They show up, you shell out your hard-earned dough and feed their huge, rock star egos, and then everybody goes home (or to their tour vehicles, whatever).

Reason #4: IF YOU’RE IN A BAND AND YOU SHOW UP, FUSEBOX POET WILL RETURN THE FAVOR. Directly quoted from Pat: “We’re only asking you to show up and support. We’ll mail you tickets and you show up for free. We’ll be happy to come out to one of your shows and you can take our money. Consider it an investment! Let’s be friends.” So many bands whine about “Support Your Scene,” but you never see their faces out at other bands’ shows. I see these guys out at other people’s shows all the time, so I know they aren’t kidding. Charlotte’s rock scene needs a boost, and Fusebox Poet is among those willing to invest in the scene’s future. In a similar situation to aforementioned “Reason #3,” Maynard isn’t going to “return the favor” by coming to your show, and he certainly doesn’t give a rat’s ass about your band or our city’s rock scene. Fusebox Poet does.

Die-hard Tool fans are probably going to laugh from their shrines to Maynard, “Stinkfist” blaring from their computer speakers in the background, at Fusebox Poet’s request and shell out $75 to stand on the sticky floor of Bojangles’ Coliseum for a group of guys who don’t give even a shart about you, but, hey, it’s worth a shot to ask anyway.

Fusebox Poet (Hard Rock like Foo Fighters, Trapt, Evanescence) shows its stuff at “Ditka’s Superbowl Eve Rock Concert” at The Saloon at NC Music Factory on Saturday, February 4, 2012, along with supporting bands Bombshell (Indie-Rock like Plain White T’s, Blink-182, Muse) and Death of Paris (Pop-Rock like Garbage, Paramore, Gwen Stefani). Show starts at 8pm, advance tickets are free via snail mail by emailing FBPtickets@yahoo.com, or $10 at the door. Click bands’ names to hit up their pages for sample tracks and more information. RSVP via Facebook and get directions: http://www.facebook.com/events/188893167868750/

Metal Musicians Band Together to Raise Funds for the Uninsured

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2012/01/17/show-review-metal-musicians-band-together-to-raise-funds-for-the-uninsured/

Published Tuesday, January 17, 2012 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Photographer: Alan MacNorton, Photos, Show Review, The Money, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Absoulute Convixtion, Amanda Caines, Anna Love, Descendants of Chaos, Eyes Down, Heavy Metal in the Carolinas, Lifecurse, Neverfall, The Money, Wicked Addictions

This past weekend, 13 bands and a handful of metal-promoting organizations showed their charitable sides in raising money for a 20-year-old guy with leukemia, Cameron Flotow. Anna Love from the Facebook-run group “Heavy Metal in the Carolinas” got all of these bands together for a good cause, and The Money presented a willing vessel to hold all of that metal. While I missed day one of the 2-day benefit because I was busy geeking out at Amy Lee in Clemson, SC, I came in for day two, and even 24 hours later, I’m still working on un-melting my face.

As I pulled in to The Money’s infamous parking lot, I heard NeverFall doing their sound check. I hustled in and took my usual skulking spot to have a listen. The bar teemed with good friends of mine and new friends yet to be met, and I met in-person a bunch of people with whom I’d only exchanged snarky Facebook comments until now. It seemed almost like a heavy metal episode of Cheers in there.

NeverFall took the stage and started their set to a tsunami of excited applause. People in the crowd converged on the edge of the stage to have their faces melted with some well-selected metal covers. I highly enjoyed the guitar solos wailed out masterfully by lead guitarist Drew Durham. My only beef with the set was the intro to their Metallica cover of “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” which I thought could have used a little more rehearsal. It’s not an easy song to crank out, granted, but the bass intro was a little dicey, and the guitar lick was off-time from the drums until they broke into the main riff of the song. After that, NeverFall went back to kicking ass. The guys also pulled out a cover of Slayer’s “Raining Blood” that got venue owner David Kiser all kinds of excited.

Next came Lifecurse with possibly the most brutal performance of the night. This was certainly the band to catch when you like your metal ultra-heavy. Think an extra-brutal Slipknot without the poppy choruses. Screamer Will Moss engaged the stylistic range from low, demonic gutterals all the way up to rabid wildcat on a moment’s notice and grabbed the audience’s attention at every turn. With the amount of hyped-up movement coming from every band member onstage, it’s no wonder the crowd got amped up and started moshing along.

With a wildly different style, Absoulute Convixtion grabbed the mics for the next segment of the show. They definitely presented the most melodic vocals of the night, complete with some vocal harmonies. New singer Corey Tossas makes a fantastic addition to the band, creating a deeper dimension of hard rock for the band than ever before. Overall, the band’s sound is a cocktail of Creed and Cold with a twist of Deftones, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The band’s cover of Tool’s “Stinkfist” definitely got the gist of the song, and I am betting they will hone in on it with even more detail as they break in the newbie vocalist. The high point of the set for me was the ballad “Nothing Is,” with soaring vocals over catchy, chunky riffs. This band definitely can do the heavy rock ballads with the best of ‘em.

Bearers of murderously heavy breakdowns, Descendants of Chaos, kicked off their set with some bone-crushing riffage from guitarists SIC and Solice, dressed up with nifty cymbal-work by drummer Justin Page. Vocalist Trip Hodge wins the prize for the night for crowd participation. He had us all screaming along with his mantra of “Save your republic!” in the politically-charged anthem, “Remember the Scar,” that challenges people to stand up against politicians’ attempts to strip us Americans of our rights. With vigor like that coursing through the veins of a bunch of metal-heads, it goes without saying that there was some serious moshing to be had with the Descendants. While pretty much everyone else was enjoying the hammering double bass drums, I was most impressed with the slower songs with great vocal harmonies—that goes to show you the kind of versatility these guys have in their metal styles.

Wicked Addictions stepped up next to deliver a highly-energetic dose of head-banger delight. The crowd at the edge of the stage was just a blur of thrashing long hair, flying through the air, while the band, deeply in-tune with each other both musically and in their movement onstage, batted out some seriously intense tunes. DJ Griffin’s vocals boast a full-throated screaming tone with lyrics bursting with fiery hatred and malevolence that would strike terror in the heart of any opponent. While songs like “Method to Murder” and “Stalk and Kill” stirred listeners into an absolute frenzy, I was more partial to the grooves of “Lost Cause.” Clearly well-rehearsed, Wicked Addictions definitely wins the “Tightest Band” award for the night.

Tying up the ends of the night came fresh-on-the-scene band Eyes Down. These guys stood out among all the other bands on the bill with a unique sound that was kind of like the result of Nirvana turning industrial. I definitely heard a lot of early Deftones-esque riff constructions alternating with thrashy passages akin to those of Static-X. Darrin Crane’s reverb-soaked vocals perpetuate the Deftones parallel, and his outer-spacey guitar solos contribute to the Nirvana vibe—but with a bit more technical prowess—while drummer Michael “Digi” Biggerstaff lays the industrial beats as a foundation. I greatly enjoyed the wide variety of experimental elements present in the songwriting. Tracy Putnam’s screams and rap flows interjected a cool, new angle to the music. Not only did Eyes Down kick ass musically, but they put on one hell of a show. Putnam and bassist Andrew Bujorian, especially were all over the stage and Putnam even ventured into the mosh pit for a bit. All four of the guys in the band had a common uniform of a disheveled white dress shirt garnished with a loosened black necktie as if they had all just gotten off from their jobs at Evil, Inc. They also had an interesting twist on the concept of a backup dancer with a hooded guy in an orange inmate jumpsuit with “YOU” emblazoned on the back like some kind of sick sports jersey. He banged his head and stood mostly obedient to his musical masters. I would definitely say Eyes Down was my favorite all-around production of the evening.

I was fabulously impressed with this shindig that Anna Love of Heavy Metal in the Carolinas put together, and Cameron Flotow definitely has a big chunk of change to put toward his mounting medical bills now, thanks to a bunch of his charitable, head-banger brethren. I look forward to checking out each of these bands again in other settings, and I will definitely hit up the next benefit that Heavy Metal in the Carolinas puts on because I know it will be a rockin’ good time.

A Power Trio of Power Trios Kicks Up Sand at Smokey Joe’s

Published Sunday, January 15, 2012 By amanda_caines. Under Editor : Amanda Caines, Show Review, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Amanda Caines, Broken at Birth, NIHM, Smokey Joe's Cafe, White Knuckle Black Out

NIHM, Broken at Birth, and White Knuckle Black Out at Smokey Joe’s, 1/7/12

Walking into Smokey Joe’s in Charlotte is a lot like stepping into a crab shack at the beach, and the shows that rattle the decks from the inside are a lot more like a party than just any old bar. From the cozy little bar in the back corner, to the waterfall in the ceiling, to the fire pits and ping-pong tables in the sand outside, it’s almost like its own little resort. This unique vibe paired with Charlotte progressive rock/metal band NIHM’s guaranteed raucous good time let everyone in attendance know the party was ON.

Starting off the night, White Knuckle Black Out from Winston-Salem batted out some bluesy metal reminiscent of the classic days of metal with a modern twist. Singer Franz Schroering commanded the vocals and guitar like a baby-faced James Hetfield, while bassist Mitch Walker and drummer Jesse Mabe laid the foundation for this raging power trio, filling the songs with sound even during the piercing guitar solos. Fans banged their heads eagerly to songs like the upbeat “Demon” and thrashy “The End of Me,” while Franz alternated between fierce, brutal growls and melodic, Mudvayne-meets-Nirvana passages. Their song “Relapse,” which they proclaimed is “…about druuuuuuhgs,” said in their best Carolina truck driver impressions, had almost an Alice in Chains feel to the haunting melodies and engaging rhythms.

Speaking of Alice in Chains, the next band, Salisbury, NC’s Broken at Birth did a pretty kick-ass cover of AiC’s “Them Bones.” They delivered the grunge vocal sound and complex time signatures with great skill; all they were missing was the vocal harmony, but I bet I was one of few who were picky enough to notice. Singer/guitarist Rob Featherstone has impeccable pitch and vocal control in both his screaming voice and his singing voice, so there was plenty good going on in the vocal arena. On the rhythm side, Broken at Birth has solid, heavy grooves, akin to the likes of Korn and early SlipKnot or Staind with some apparent influences from the Grunge era. Drummer Rich Joseph boasts precision in complex beats and fast fills with some machine-gun double bass beats.

Last in time slot, but first in insanity of the best kind, came the ambigram-stamped NIHM, whose progressive, yet classic, metal beated like coked-up monkeys on the eager eardrums of listeners. Their ADHD-infused tunes keep fans energized and attentive while pushing the lines of what music can do. Singer Max Johnson booms through the microphone like the mutant offspring of Serj Tankien and Wayne Static, and hits the entire range of styles encompassed within such a gene pool while also tickling the G string…. On the bass guitar, that is. On the screaming, meedly-meedly guitar is Ted Nagel, who channels the late greats like Randy Rhodes in his searingly speedy solos and holds down the chugga-chuggas when called-for. With bass drum beats thundering loudly enough to tickle genitals, Jim Saj kicks up tight beats and grooving vibes. All three of these guys have almost as good chemistry in their witty repartee between songs as they do while in the throes of music. They make a conscious effort to engage the audience as well, which had the crowd in near-constant laughter in what would normally be an awkward pause for many other bands. While on the subject of audience participation, I might add that the NIHM guys asked yours truly and Chad “Cheetah” Longsworth from now-defunct band Born Under Punches to come up and sing backup on their bad-ass, metal interpretation of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” It was sure fun for me, and the crowd just ate it up. The “BUP” guys were invited back to the stage with Cheetah on keys and Carsten on vocals for a cover of “Keine Lust” by German metal band Rammstein. (Video above). NIHM proved once again that they are some of Charlotte’s best showmen and musicians, all rolled into one crazy power trio. If you like metal and you haven’t seen NIHM, shame on you! Check out their Facebook page and make sure to catch their next show near you!

NIHM: http://www.facebook.com/officialnihm

Broken at Birth: http://www.facebook.com/brokenatbirth

White Knuckle Black Out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Knuckle-Black-Out/263291250363026

Smokey Joe’s Cafe: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Smokey-Joes-Cafe/131486229372

Heavy Metal in the Carolinas Community Kicks Leukemia’s Ass Jan. 13-14 at The Money

Originally Published Here: http://shutter16.com/wp/2012/01/09/heavy-metal-in-the-carolinas-community-kicks-leukemias-ass-jan-13-14-at-the-money/

Published Monday, January 9, 2012 By amanda_caines. Under Community Corner, Editor : Amanda Caines, preview, The Money, Uncategorized, Writer: Amanda Caines Tags: Absoulute Convixtion, Akarsha, Anna Love, Autumn's Blood, Cameron Flotow, Descendants of Chaos, Eyes Down, From All Within, Heavy Metal in the Carolinas, Lifecurse, metal, Mick Brooks, Neverfall, NIHM, Rebel Vice, Searching for Sinea, Tearing Down Vegas, The Money, Uproar of Pariah, Wicked Addictions

When Rock Hill metal-head Anna Love learned that her new friend Cameron Flotow had recently received a Leukemia diagnosis and had no insurance, she immediately wanted to help him raise funds to pay the bills. The two met through Cameron’s brother Brian Flotow, who played guitar in one of the local metal bands for which Anna is the business manager. After getting her own bands, From All Within and Akarsha, on board for the show, she asked around to see who else would donate their time to a concert to raise funds for Cameron’s medical bills. With a little promotional help from Carolina metal community, Heavy Metal in the Carolinas (HMitC), the outpouring of support from bands wanting to play for a good cause was overwhelming. “… it was originally just going to be one day, but when I ended up having 14 bands interested, I decided to make it two days,” Anna says of the now two-day festival of bands.

Cameron, an honorably discharged Air Force vet, got the bad news of his diagnosis two weeks after his 21st birthday last year and is taking chemotherapy treatments. According to Anna, Cameron’s leukemia is in remission at the moment, which she attributes to his strong-willed thirst for life. Cameron has two more rounds of treatments to go before he is finished with chemo, and the money raised by this event will literally be a lifesaver for him in offsetting the expenses.

This isn’t the first charitable cause taken on by Rock Hill’s favorite hard rock and metal venue, The Money, nor is it the first benefit put on by the Heavy Metal in the Carolinas community, but both of these entities are working toward a stronger, more cooperative scene in the Carolinas for musicians and less-musically-inclined metal-heads alike. Events like this one are exactly the kind that HMitC founder, Mick Brooks, is looking to help promote. “The idea to book shows under the name Heavy Metal in the Carolinas came to me when I met a woman in the [community] that was struggling to get her kids back from her rich, BMW-driving, elitist, asshole ex-husband. So I booked my first concert as a benefit concert [for her family] and then just started booking shows for fun… but the idea of giving back to the community, as well as people in need within the community, stuck.” Mick started the group in 2011 as a way to meet and network with other musicians when he could find no similar outlet in the Carolinas, but his community on Facebook has since grown to be one of the largest metal music communities in the Carolinas. Now that this little networking startup project has grown to larger proportions, Heavy Metal in the Carolinas possesses the power to help out people like Cameron Flotow who just need a little bit of help before they fall between the cracks in an often heartless society. Put together two metal-heads with good hearts, a benevolent venue owner, a raffle for a free tattoo, and 14 bands donating their time and artistry, and you have a rockin’ good time that simultaneously helps someone in need. The schedule spans two nights at The Money, so that helps ensure that you won’t miss the opportunity to kick leukemia’s ass.

January 13 (Friday) at The Money

Uproar of Pariah – Black Metalcore. Sounds like: The Word Alive, Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Chelsea Grin, Periphery, Motionless in White, As I Lay Dying, All that Remains, We Came as Romans, Artifex Pereo. http://www.facebook.com/uproarofpariah

Autumn’s Blood – Progressive Metal/Hardcore. Sounds like: Syopsis. Narratives. Labyrinth. http://www.facebook.com/autumnsbloodsc

Akarsha – Deathcore/Death Metal. Sounds like: Atrocious Abnormality, Cerebral Effusion, Blasphemer, Born of Osiris, Devourment, Coathanger Abortion, Arsonists Get All the Girls, Oceano, Impending Doom, Amon Amarth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Rose Funeral, Hatebreed, White Chapel, Carnifex, Wretched. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Akarsha/153586348049393

Tearing Down Vegas – Hardcore/Melodic/Ambient. Sounds like: UnderOATH, Hundredth, Gwen Stacy, Counterparts, Deftones, The Devil Wears Prada, La Dispute, Bring Me the Horizon, The Ghost Inside, Norma Jean, Bad Brains, Gallows, Make Do and Mend, Shai Hulud, Misery Signals, Glassjaw. http://www.facebook.com/tearingdownvegas

NIHM – Metal/Progressive/Hardcore. Sounds like: System of a Down, Sevendust, Sepultura, Soilwork, Mudvayne, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus. https://www.facebook.com/officialnihm

Searching for Sinea – Experimental/Melodic Metal. Sounds like: Onward to Olympas, Oh Sleeper, Attack Attack, Lovehatehero, Four Letter Lie. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Searching-for-Sinea/285240663112

Rebel Vice – Metal/ Southern Hard Rock. Sounds like: Volbeat, Pantera, Killswitch Engage. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebel-Vice/221811641168131

January 14 (Saturday) at The Money

Eyes Down – Heavy Metal, Alternative/Modern Rock – Just starting out, these guys are all veterans of the Charlotte scene and have the promise for a kick-ass show. http://www.facebook.com/eyesdownband

Lifecurse – Melodic Death Metal/Progressive Metalcore/ Experimental. Sounds like: Parkway Drive, The Ghost Inside, August Burns Red. http://www.facebook.com/Lifecurse

Neverfall – Rock/Metal. Sounds like: Metallica, Bullet For My Valentine, Trivium, Pantera, Ratt, Testament, The Sword, Green Day, Anthrax, Alice in Chains, Limp Bizkit, Lamb of God, Shadowsfall, All That Remains, and As I Lay Dying. http://www.facebook.com/NeverFall

Absoulute Convixtion – Rock. Sounds like: Tool, Pink Floyd, Muse, A Perfect Circle, The Smashing Pumpkins, 30 Seconds To Mars, Coheed And Cambria, Killswitch Engage, Five Finger Death Punch. http://www.facebook.com/absouluteconvixtionband

Descendants of Chaos – Metal. Sounds like: Mudvayne, Sevendust, Pantera, Metallica, AX7. http://www.facebook.com/DescendantsofChaos

Wicked Addictions – Southern Metal/Groove Metal. Sounds like: Pantera, Slayer, Metallica, Primus, Mr Bungle, Six Feet Under, Cannibal Corpse, Down ,Corrosion of Conformity, DevilDriver, Lamb of God, Chimaira, Mudvayne, Black Sabbath. http://www.facebook.com/WickedAddictions

From All Within – Partycore/Metalcore/Brutal. Sounds like: Asking Alexandria, Bring Me the Horizon, Suicide Silence, Breakdown of Sanity, Emmure, The Black Dahlia Murder, Trivium, Whitechapel, Lamb of God, As Blood Runs Black, In Flames, As I Lay Dying, Pantera. http://www.facebook.com/pages/From-All-Within/157648550966657