Amigo The Devil was the unexpected gem to find at Aftershock this year. In a festival filled with hard rock and wild guitar solos, Amigo came in with his banjo and guitar to sing songs about his wife finding cocaine, being drunk in Jonestown, and many other insanely wild stories.
It’s been a while since I’ve heard a rock (or really any type of music) comedy act that actually can stand on their musical talent as well. I can honestly say I got a lot of Tenacious D vibes from this performance and it was fantastic. The crowd loved it in Sacramento.
The new album Everything Is Fine comes out on October 19th, 2018. You can find out album info and upcoming tour dates on his Facebook page here: Amigo The Devil on Facebook
Click on any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to hear “Hungover In Jonestown” and “Perfect Wife”.
Sevendust is a band that has stood the test of time in the hard rock community. The band have earned the respect of millions over the years. Whether it’s hearing them perform “Denial” or material from their latest album All I See Is War, the band has a presence on stage and knows how to get the crowd into the music.
Sevendust is currently on tour with Clutch. You can check out tour dates on their Facebook page: Sevendust on Facebook
Click on any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to see the music video for “Medicated”.
Sevendust at Aftershock 2018
Photos of Sevendust at Aftershock 2018.
All photos taken by Luke Spencer
in Sacramento, CA on October 13, 2018.
Godsmack and Shinedown brought their tour into Sacramento for the annual Aftershock festival. I saw Godsmack back at Welcome To Rockville and this time in California they brought out the video boards to create dark silhouettes for the band members. It was a constant strobe effect for much of the performance.
The band is currently promoting When Legends Rise which came out earlier this year. The title track from the album is ranking on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart.
Many upcoming tour dates in Europe have been cancelled due to the untimely passing of a member in the Godsmack family. You can find more information on their Facebook page here: Godsmack on Facebook
Click on any photo below and scroll below the photos to hear the title track off of Godsmack’s latest album When Legends Rise.
This was my first time seeing Dorothy after hearing several of her songs on SiriusXM. I knew she had a powerful voice but I was curious to see how it translated live. During her performance I found that she not only is able to deliver in less than perfect conditions due to the weather and dust, but that she has a real stage presence.
This is the type of artist who needs more attention. A raw vocal talent with a solid band behind her. This has much more of a rock vibe than many younger bands with gimmicks and effects could ever hope for.
Dorothy will be performing at VooDoo Fest later this month. You can find more information on Dorothy on her Facebook page: Dorothy on Facebook
Click on any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to see music videos for “Down To The Bottom” and “Flawless”.
Dorothy at Aftershock 2018
Photos of Dorothy at Aftershock 2018. All photos taken by Luke Spencer in Sacramento, CA on October 14th, 2018.
Cedric took to the mic and greeted everyone at 3PM (which I guess counts as morning for some people). Throughout the performance, Cedric called out all the sleepy people as At The Drive-In played from their catalogue; opening with “Arcarsenal” and including songs from last year’s Inter Alia.
It was a dust bowl at Discovery Park and everyone I think was burnt from the constant sun, but At The Drive-In still brought the energy and captured everyone’s attention. It’s amazing to see these Texans play so tightly and in sync to some extremely chaotic music. I will forever love this band.
At The Drive-In is currently on a short tour with System Of A Down. You can find more information on their Facebook page here: At The Drive-In on Facebook
Click on any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to hear “Governed By Contagions”.
At The Drive-In at Aftershock 2018
Photos of At The Drive-In at Aftershock. All photos taken by Luke Spencer in Sacramento, CA on October 14th, 2018.
The comeback year for Underoath is still going strong. Erase Me came out earlier this spring and is now featuring several Billboard mainstream rock singles including “ihateit” which now has a music video posted.
Seeing Underoath live again and talking with some of the band members this year, I think it still feels unreal to them that the band is back together and this successful. It’s refreshing to see a band work through issues and get together again for the right reasons. The chemistry and passion is present on stage.
The band is about to start another leg of the Erase Me tour. You can find tour dates on their Facebook page here:Underoath on Facebook
Click on any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to watch the music video for “ihateit”.
Underoath at Aftershock 2018
Photos of Underoath at Aftershock.
All photos taken by Luke Spencer
in Sacramento, CA on October 13th, 2018.
After touring with Godsmack through the past few months, Shinedown performed on the Discovery Stage on day one of Aftershock. The band is still riding the success of their latest album Attention Attention! as well as another Billboard charting song “Get Up”.
While the spectacular light show Shinedown has didn’t appear as much in the California sunlight, the band still was able to get the crowd into the performance. It was a full hour of the band playing the songs everyone knows over the years and Brent Smith took the time to go into the crowd to be with the Aftershock audience.
Shinedown recently announced a new tour at the beginning of 2019 with Papa Roach and Asking Alexandria. You can check out tour dates on their Facebook page here: Shinedown on Facebook
Click on any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to watch the music video for “Get Up”.
Shinedown at Aftershock 2018
Photos of Shinedown at Aftershock.
All photos taken by Luke Spencer
in Sacramento, CA on 10/13/2018
Capping off day one of Aftershock on the main stage was California’s own Deftones. It’s hard not to be biased because this is a band I have been following since I was 14. In a day filled with dust and non-stop sun, Deftones brought a new type of light on stage and really set the mood in Sacramento.
It’s always exciting to see Deftones perform live because there are many songs to choose for a setlist and they do a good job of changing things up. The sold out crowd was into it. Whether it was the loud “Chino” chant at the start of the set, or the sing along with “Change (In The House Of Flies)”, it was clear there were many people who came mainly to see them.
Click on any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to hear “Phantom Bride” from Deftones’ most recent album Gore.
Photos of Deftones at Aftershock.
All photos taken by Luke Spencer
in Sacramento, CA on October 13th, 2018.
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators are on the middle of their headline tour promoting their third album Living The Dream. The crew took to the Discovery Stage and almost naturally, Slash stole the show with his guitar in every song. It’s a spectacle to see the man perform and the material with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators has stayed consistently good since 2012.
It was an insanely dusty and bright day in Sacramento but the crowd was packed to see this performance. I think Slash has proven over the years that he is not only a guitar player but also a song writer and a performer. Teaming with Myles Kennedy as a vocalist is an amazing combination that still continues to impress.
Slash and company are performing at The Hollywood Palladium tonight in Los Angeles, CA tonight. You can find more information about the performance on their Facebook page here: Slash on Facebook
Click on any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to watch the music video for “Driving Rain”. A review on their latest album Living The Dream is also posted below.
Slash ft Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators at Aftershock 2018
Photos of Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators at Aftershock 2018. All photos taken by Luke Spencer on October 14th, 2018 in Sacramento, CA.
METAL CHURCH RELEASE MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE SONG “DAMNED IF YOU DO”
Band’s 12th Studio Album Damned If You Do Scheduled for Worldwide Release Via Rat Pak Records on December 7, 2018 Now Available For Pre-Order
On the heels of the recent announcement of their 12th full-length studio album Damned If You Do, Metal Church have released the first music video for the title track “Damned If You Do.” The song is quintessential Metal Church and showcases the sound that has garnered the band fans all around the globe with its driving guitar riffs, punishing drum beat and instantly recognizable vocals. The performance video can be seen here: https://youtu.be/Zy5q7bxzy0w.
“I hope the fans enjoy this first video, it really sets the tone for the entire album, We are doing our best to keep metal alive Metal Church style. We’d be damned if we didn’t!” exclaims vocalist Mike Howe.
The west coast metal veterans will release their latest studio album Damned If You Do via Rat Pak Records on December 7, 2018 and will also be available in Europe via Nuclear Blast and Japan via KING Records. From the haunting opener “Damned If You Do” to the final hard-edged track “The War Electric,” this new album is sure to resonate with Metal Church fans from the band’s early years while garnering new ones. Songs like “By The Numbers,” “Guillotine” and “The Black Things” are sure to become instant favorites. The latest release is the follow up to their highly successful 2016 album XI, which saw the return of legendary frontman Mike Howe. Damned If You Do is a cross between the band’s iconic Blessing In Disguise and The Human Factor and is available in various formats and bundle configurations including a limited Blue, Black & white vinyl pressing with an alternate track sequence. There is also an Ultimate Fan Bundle that includes a personal “Thank-you” phone call from Mike Howe, exclusively available at: http://www.ratpakrecordsamerica.com/metal-church. The album is also available for pre-order via iTunes at: http://smarturl.it/metalchurchitunes and fans that pre-order digitally will recieive the first track “Damned If You Do” instantly.
Damned If You Do also features new drummer Stet Howland(ex WASP / Lita Ford). Stet first arrived after the departure of long-time drummer Jeff Plate, but soon after joining the band was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Miraculously his treatments for the aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma worked and he was able to begin recording the new album.
Speaking on the new single and video, Stet Howland comments: “From my first listen of the ‘Damned If You Do” demo, I was blown away. From Mike’s ‘hummm’ intro to Kurdt’s bad ass guitar riff to the infectious chorus, I was hooked!! If I were any more excited people would have to call me ‘shit legs’. Ha Ha Ha.”
The track listing for Damned If You Do is:
Damned If You Do
The Black Things
By The Numbers
Revolution Underway
Guillotine
Rot Away
Into The Fold
Monkey Finger
Out Of Balance
The War Electric
Born out of the West Coast Metal scene of the 80’s, Metal Church quickly became one of the standout talents of the genre. After signing a deal with Elektra records, they released two critically acclaimed albums, their self-titled release Metal Church and The Dark. With the heavy metal scene starting to rise in the U.S., Metal Church set out on a very successful tour with label mates Metallica. They tackled political and social issues of the day with the releases of Blessing In Disguise and The Human Factor. At a time when heavy metal bands moved from the underground and became part of the hair band/pop fad, Metal Church stayed true to their roots. In March of 2016 Metal Church released their eleventh studio album XI that reached #57 on the Billboard top 200 and also landed on several other charts around the globe.
The bands current line-up consists of Mike Howe (vox), Kurdt Vanderhoof (Guitars), Stet Howland (Drums), Rick Van Zandt (Guitars) and Steve Unger (Bass)
