Live Report: Helloween and Beast in Black- Helloween 40th Anniversary tour

 So I have been a fan of Helloween for 35 years. I first picked up a best of in 1991. I loved all the songs and just kept listening. I still love their catalog and revisit it often to this day. 

I have, however, never seen them live. So when they announced last year that they were coming around, I knew I had to go. What I got was a mixed bag of sorts but all in all it was a fun night.

Beast In Black- What the fuck did I just hear? Honestly, I can't imagine worse music in my life. It's like combining hard rock with the worst of the Euro techno stuff that got popular in the late 90's. Basically imagine that "Barbie Girl" song done as  a metal cover but much, much worse. Imagine if "Eye  of the Tiger" sucked. That's the kind of music we're talking about here. But what do I know. There were several people who seemed to enjoy it. But as far as my girl and I... well, we were basically passing notes mocking them the whole time.  As far as their performance? Well, it was fine. They definitely had a good time and they capably played to and with the audience. So, if you're a fan of the band, I bet you'll enjoy it. Why you're reading this blog I can't imagine, though. 

Helloween- And finally the pumpkins arrive. A seven member band is a lot and I imagine a lot can get lost in the shuffle. Did the pumpkins pull it out? Were they good? Quite frankly, absolutely! It was one of the best shows I've ever seen. They had a electronic backdrop that changed with each song and had moving images on it. Each and every member looked like they were having the time of their lives. With three guitars, they could lean into the twin guitar thing but still have the rhythm playing. This actually made the songs feel heavier. The drums and bass held the rhythm down admirably and that drummer is one of the few that got a drum solo and truly deserved it. The vocal duties were perfectly balanced with Andi, Michael and Kai each singing songs from their specific era of the band except on some of the best known songs like "Halloween" and "Eagle Fly Free" where they would trade off. And speaking of vocals, all three sounded amazing! I really felt  like I was 14 again listening to the older stuff. Unfortunately curfew laws made them cut "Keeper of the Seven Keys" down to just the last verse after "Eagle Fly Free" but otherwise it was a great night and I left with a sore neck and a hoarse throat from yelling all the lyrics along with the band.

Either way, Helloween is a band firing on all cylinders. If this tour comes to your town I fully recommend it. Well, except Beast In Black. Maybe get a few drinks at the bar then take in a fantastic show.  

Locus Noir- Shadow Sun

 Hey, ain't you lucky! Two posts in one day. Amazing!

So, one style that I have always had a very love/hate relationship with is Gothic Metal. I love Type O Negative and some other bands but the style seemed, in the 2000's, to morph into what I call "Sad Bastard Metal" (to paraphrase Nick Cave). It lost what made it darkly triumphant and just became people whining about stuff and I've never been a huge fan of that. 

So here comes Locus Noir. This is a band that comes from the singer, Ben DMN, of Sybreed... who I know almost nothing about with the exception that they made some waves 10-15 years ago. The lead singer formed this project to reclaim the "spirit of 90's Gothic Metal". Well, I AM a fan of 90's Gothic Metal so let's see if he succeeded.

Actually I would say so. Locus Noir released two singles, one with Ben Christo (for those of you playing the home game, the guitarist of Sisters of Mercy). I rather enjoyed both songs. I played them pretty often. But listening to the record those are probably the weakest songs. The album bounces with keyboard driven darkness over metal guitars and clashing drums.  Ben's voice definitely has that low tone you want in a good Gothic singer but his voice has texture and character all its own. The keyboards set the right atmosphere and the guitars chug enough to remind the listener they are listening to a metal album. Even the Lady Gaga, "Marry the Night", works well and sets the pace for triumph in darkness as opposed to crying about stuff all the time. There are themes of tragedy, of course. They are just dealt with in a manner of more defiance than sadness, which I prefer. All in all an effort I have already revisited a few times since it was released in February. 

Highlights: Shadow Sun, She Haunts the Night and Death, that Elusive Mistress. While these are the best songs on the record the whole thing is worth the price of admission even the two bonus tracks (one of which is the cover I mentioned). So go on and check them out especially if you're a fan of Type O Negative, early Moonspell and Dreadful Shadows. 

Live Report: Weedeater and Conan.

 So I dd not, in fact, get that review out. Oh, well, that's life. But Anyway we move forward.


I haven't been to a small club show in forever. We're taking pre- Covid. This is mostly for logistics reasons and has nothing to do with the virus. 


Well, I heard Weedeater was coming around and we all know I love my Southern sludge, so off my girl and I went to see this massive bill of 4 bands. Pretty good value for the ticket price. 

Ah, but were they any good? That is a great question, dear reader, so let's get into it. 


Bigfoot- I have never heard of these guys in my life. Apparently they've been around for over a decade and I find it hard to believe I have NEVER crossed paths with 'em but here we are. I was skeptical because I've heard them referred to as a "stoner rock" band and, I'll be honest, most modern stoner rock bores me to tears. Well, I shouldn't have worried. These guys kicked serious ass. Their music was loud and wild. The lead singer looked a little like Charles Manson and gave off a threatening and yet charismatic aura. You couldn't help following him and his antics. The music is definitely heavy southern tinged hard rock and they were a lot of fun live. Even working in a medley of "Bang Your Head(Metal Health)" and "Peaches" [Yes, the song by the Presidents of the United States of America] that completely worked. This was a great way to start off the evening and one of the better openers I've ever seen. 

Telekentic Yeti- So when I said I don't really like stoner rock, I'm talking about bands like Telekinetic Yeti. These guys are great musicians but I get pretty bored with the same Hawkwind-isms over and over and every song being about pot. I grew up on the beginnings of stoner rock (I.e Monster Magnet, Kyuss, etc.) and they didn't make getting high their entire personality. But I digress. Live they weren't bad. The lead singer wasn't the most charismatic but he ably fronted the band. The drummer did do something interesting by positioning his drum kit to the side so you could see his whole body. He was pretty fun to watch. Musically they were best when they locked into a heavy groove which didn't happen nearly enough. Look, if you like this style of music you could do a lot worse than checking out Telekinetic Yeti live.

Conan- So ,I have to be honest, I've never got the appeal of Conan. Yes, I love doom and sludge and, on paper, they would seem to be up my alley but there's just something missing. I call Conan "Adult Swim" metal. It feels pretty irony- heavy rather than sincere and I'm never sure if they're just pulling some massive Andy Kaufman- style joke on metalheads. But,hey, what do I know? I went ahead and gave them a shot as I've never seen them live before. Maybe they could convince me of their worth? Yeah, that wasn't in the cards. Their set was one of the most boring sets I've ever witnessed.  I mean they were slow and heavy and all but the guitarist had set up his rig in such a way that you couldn't hear what was happening and the guitar was just constantly feedbacking even through the songs. No riffs were audible and it made his attempt to play a solo laughable. To be fair, No one else really seemed to care since a large mosh pit (???) opened up in the crowd. Also the band had no charisma at all and they felt like they were each playing a different show.   It was just very bland in my opinion. Also moshing to Conan is crazy work, as the kids these days say. 

Weedeater- This is my second time seeing Weedeater as I saw them in the 2000's at a small club show. They were very good again. They were successfully low and heavy but I somehow heard and felt every riff (maybe Conan should take note). Dixie was hilarious as he was squinting and vibrating like a lunatic. He opened to show by saying "We are Weedeater from Wilmington, NC; welcome to band practice." You knew what you were getting into; They played their great cover of "Give Me Back My bullets" as well which the crowd screamed over the band. The guitarist and the drummer also ably interacted with the audience but the real star was Dixie with his twitching, jumping around and wild bass playing. It was a lot of fun that, rightly, started up a huge mosh pit. Weedeater is a great band that I suggest seeing live often as well as listen to all their records. If they tour near you, go check them out.

Honestly, Bigfoot was the best live band out of the four and I look forward to seeing them again the most. Anyway, thank you reading and I'll be back with another record review in the next few days.