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Photos: MOTIONLESS IN WHITE on the Nocturnal Underground Tour in Jacksonville, FL 10/12/2016

Photos of Motionless In White on the Nocturnal Underground Tour.  All photos taken by Luke Spencer in Jacksonville, FL on October 12, 2016.

Click any photo below to open the gallery.

Photos: SILVER SNAKES on the Nocturnal Underground Tour in Jacksonville, FL 10/12/2016

Photos of Silver Snakes on the Nocturnal Underground Tour.  All photos taken by Luke Spencer in Jacksonville, FL on October 12, 2016.

Silver Snakes opened the Nocturnal Underground Tour while supporting their latest album Saboteur which was released earlier this year.  Silver Snakes has also spent time opening for Coheed & Cambria earlier this year making it a busy 2016 for the Los Angeles based band.  You can find more information on the band on Silver Snakes’ Official Facebook Page.

Click any photo below to open the gallery.  Scroll below to see the band’s music video for “Red Wolf” and my review of their latest album Saboteur.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRobA536GWQ

Album Review: Battle Beast – Battle Beast

A look back at Battle Beast’s 2013 self-titled album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NNEDjf_oRA

https://vimeo.com/187466516

Regretting The Past: Fall Out Boy – Save Rock And Roll

If by “Save” they really meant “Remove Ourselves From” then yeah they totally saved rock and roll.

Photos: BREAKING BENJAMIN on the Nocturnal Underground Tour in Jacksonville, FL 10/12/2016

Photos of Breaking Benjamin on the Nocturnal Underground Tour.  All photos taken by Luke Spencer in Jacksonville, FL on October 12, 2016.

Breaking Benjamin are currently co-headlining the Nocturnal Underground Tour with Korn.  Opening their set with their hit “So Cold” from 2004, Benjamin Burnley and company performed for over an hour in Jacksonville.  The band is promoting their latest album Dark Before Dawn which can now be streamed for free on Amazon Prime.

Click any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to see the official video for the song “Failure”.

Photos: Korn at the Nocturnal Underground Tour in Jacksonville, FL 10/12/2016

Photos of Korn on the Nocturnal Underground Tour.  All photos taken by Luke Spencer on October 12, 2016 in Jacksonville, FL.

Less than two weeks away from their new album The Serenity Of Suffering, Korn are co-headlining the Nocturnal Underground Tour with Breaking Benjamin in select cities.  Korn played for over an hour featuring songs from their upcoming album and introduced some of the new music by releasing their giant album cover banner.  Jonathan Davis was particularly energetic and excited and you could tell in his performance (especially for the new songs).  The crowd was so into it that one woman even started taking her clothes off while sitting on her friend’s shoulders and screaming in joy until security detained her.  When in Florida…

You can find the remaining tour dates and more info on the new album by visiting Korn’s Official Facebook Page.  Click any of the photos below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to see the insane music video for the new song “A Different World” featuring Corey Taylor.

PHOTOS: TWELVE FOOT NINJA at ROCK ALLEGIANCE in Philadelphia, PA 9/18/2016

Photos of Twelve Foot Ninja at Rock Allegiance.  All photos taken by Luke Spencer in Philadelphia, PA on September 18, 2016.

Introduced by Jose Mangin of SiriusXM, Twelve Foot Ninja performed on day two of Rock Allegiance.  The band is currently promoting their latest album Outlier and will be heading to Australia later this year.  You can find more information on Twelve Foot Ninja’s Official Facebook Page.

Click any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to see the lyric video for the song for “Invincible”.

Album Review: Alter Bridge – The Last Hero

Alter Bridge bring a politically charged album in The Last Hero.

https://vimeo.com/185960165

 

Text Review:

Of all the hard rock bands that have been around for over ten years it truly feels like Alter Bridge never gets enough credit.  From the ashes of Creed starting in 2004 we were presented with a much harder edged post grunge outfit that has evolved into a juggernaut of heavy guitar and impressively vocaled songs that have been constantly used for sports highlight clips and television spots.  While Alter Bridge may not get all the credit they deserve, one thing is for sure in that you rarely ever hear a bad word about the band.  Over 10 years now Alter Bridge has been known by fans for quality music and making lasting impressions at festivals along with many headlining tours.  It can’t be stressed enough just how talented Kennedy, Tremonti, Marshall and Phillips are.

So after taking time off in 2015 for several other projects from band members including Myles Kennedy’s work with Slash and Tremonti’s solo project, the band got back together this year and now have their fifth full album The Last Hero.  A 13 track album with every song lasting longer than four minutes.  At first glance, it’s just about everything Alter Bridge and hard rock fans could ask for.  While the past albums of Alter Bridge definitely have the vibe of post-grunge, The Last Hero is much more focused in lyrics about the current political scheme including songs dedicated to there not being actual leaders in the world, corruption in political motives and even topics like denying global warning.  It is a much more focused album that comes at a more than opportune time with the current state of affairs going on in the Unites States.  There are many bands who try to push themselves into making political albums but somehow don’t pull off what they intend.  It doesn’t sound genuine and in some cases doesn’t really focus on the music as opposed to just lecturing about current social problems.  The Last Hero however has the sound and talents of Alter Bridge drenched in just about every second of the album.

I love this song.  From the opening build up that sounds like this great presentation which blends into fantastic guitar riffs, “Show Me A Leader” sounds like a triumphant, defiant outcry.  The writing and pace of this song is flawless and Myles Kennedy unique voice adds this element of energy in the delivery that makes the chorus and song title stand out in a fantastic way.  “Show Me A Leader” is a fantastic song AND single AND album opener as it fits the theme and sets the tone of The Last Hero both thematically and musically.  Mark Tremonti sounds unhinged here and as you listen through The Last Hero you realize that this album was meant to be a serious contender as the next great album that Alter Bridge fans love, both new and old.  The intensity and dynamic sound throughout the album is the main feature that will stand out to listeners.  Hearing the delivery and rhythm in songs like Poison In Your Veins, Crows On A Wire and Cradle To The Grave makes you remember why you are a rock fan.  These songs feel full and worth the time invested listening to it and you are more than happy to hear it again.

When you listen through tracks like Poison In Your Veins you hear the heavy build up in the verses and know when everything is going to come together.  Alter Bridge are brilliant at writing hooks in a chorus and The Last Hero has many examples of this.  Even in a more ballad style track like You Will Be remembered that applies acoustic chords STILL feels strong and moving.  The album feels connected through it’s politically charged theme.  And while there may not be much of a transitioning flow form track to track, each song still feels like it belongs on the album.  In over an hour of music from beginning to end with the title track (which is a great album closer), you get a lasting impression that Alter Bridge pushed themselves to make The Last Hero something special.

Since 2004, Alter Bridge has been consistent in delivering solid albums.  Even with other projects for band members going on, the lineup has stayed the same and the music has always been taken seriously.  With so many positive traits Alter Bridge has, it’s a shame they aren’t risen higher on the ranks of the biggest and best bands today.  Overall, The Last Hero proves that Alter Bridge are incapable of sitting on cruise control for their music and have once again made a statement of just how impressive the band is.  No matter how many snarky Creed jokes someone can make, Alter Bridge is a force to be reckoned with and this album should be sought out by any rock fan.

9/10

Photos: THE WORD ALIVE at ROCK ALLEGIANCE in Philadelphia, PA 9/17/2016

Photos of The Word Alive live at Rock Allegiance 2016.  All photos taken by Luke Spencer on September 17, 2016 in Philadelphia, PA.

The World Alive just announced their headlining tour in the US with Volumes and Islander.  Their tour information can be found on The Word Alive’s Official Facebook Page.  Click any photo below to open the gallery and scroll below the photos to see the music video for “Trapped”.

Patreon Q&A #3

The third informal Q&A for my patrons on Patreon!

You can join in on the questions for only $2 a month!  Click here = Rocked on Patreon

Big thanks to Victoria Tobin for the Title Card work! Hit here up online to get your own work done by her!

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