Author: Randude

Posted on: May 11, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 0

Fort Rock / April 30, 2016 (Fort Myers, FL)

I was rather elated when the Fort Rock lineup was released for the fact that the majority of the bands I wanted to see were all playing on the same day given that this year’s event had been expanded to a two day festival. Tickets were soon acquired, travel and timing plans were made after the set times were released as this event was a little over two hours away…

Posted on: May 3, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 0

Iron Maiden – 2/24 (Sunrise, FL), 4/6 (Chicago, IL)

Back in early October of last year, having just spent the most metal week of my life aboard Motörhead’s Motörboat, catching up on the metal news that had transpired while we were away was the discovery that Iron Maiden had announced a tour, which was to open only a few hours from where I lived. All focus and discussion about the cruise was temporarily suspended while my cruise mates and…

Posted on: April 27, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 1

Amon Amarth / April 18, 2016 at The Ritz Ybor, Tampa, FL

  This was going to be my third time seeing Swedish Viking metal legends Amon Amarth live and I knew from the two previous shows that the crowd that had gathered for the event this night was in for a treat of total metal brutality as well as a lesson in Viking mythology and history! For this show I opted for the VIP (or as the lanyard displayed, VIV, for…

Posted on: February 6, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 0

Tool, with Primus and 3Teeth (1/28, Orlando, FL)

To say that I got lucky being able to purchase face value Tool tickets off of the Ticketmaster site the moment they went on sale is an understatement. When Tool played Orlando a couple of years ago I was not as lucky. They are a band that sells out their concerts literally within minutes of tickets going on sale and just like last time, as soon as this show sold…

Posted on: January 27, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 0

Avatar / January 24, 2016 (Pinellas Park, FL)

After discovering the band Avatar from Göteborg, Sweden about six months ago, and thoroughly enjoying their catalog of music I had kept my eye out for when they had a show local to my area. My first taste of the band was the title track video for their most recent CD in 2014 “Hail the Apocalypse” and instantly I was drawn into not only the crushingly heavy and groovy music,…

Posted on: January 21, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 0

Official Truth, 101 Proof

Being a Pantera fan, Official Truth, 101 Proof was a book I was certain many of us metalheads were eager to read. To me, their songs are filled with so much power and energy with such precise raw aggression they are easily one of my all-time favorite heavy metal bands. Having been fortunate enough to have seen them live back in 1992 (more on that a little later), this was…

Posted on: January 17, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 0

Product of Hate is “Buried in Violence”

Newcomers Product of Hate, with their debut release “Buried in Violence”, are the heavy and technically ferocious kick in the teeth the thrash metal world has been longing for. “When you see the album art, right away you know what to expect: dark, brutal, and unforgiving,” says vocalist Adam Gilley, who along with Cody Rathbone on guitar, Gene Rathbone playing lead guitar, Mark Campbell on bass and Mike McGuire behind…

Posted on: January 12, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 0

Primal Fear “Rulebreaker”

Having been a metalhead for over thirty years one genre I’ve never really gotten into was power metal. Not purposefully mind you – I had always steered toward the thrash and darker side of the metal family tree. After listening to this new Primal Fear CD Rulebreaker, I know for a fact I’ve been missing out on some great music all these years. The two opening songs on here literally…

Posted on: January 9, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 1

Dark Days: A Memoir (Randy Blythe)

David Randall “Randy” Blythe is the vocalist and lyricist of the metal band Lamb of God – from my previous readings of his blog and attending 3 Lamb of God concerts it’s hard to believe that this wild growling madman on stage is such an eloquent writer in his stories beyond just song lyrics. Randy writes this book telling of his arrest, incarceration, trial and ultimate acquittal when he was…

Posted on: January 7, 2016 Posted by: Randude Comments: 0

PRONG – X – No Absolutes

This is a solid release from Prong – the opening track “Ultimate Authority” gets things going with that raw crunching guitar sound that we metalheads love and gets your head banging from the start. Every song on here will have your head nodding at some point. There is a change of musical pace from their traditional sound with “Do Nothing”, sort of ballad like, but does pick up as it…