UFO, Last In Line exhibit how rock should thrive & revive

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UFO, Last In Line exhibit how rock should thrive & revive

If this truly is the way Phil Mogg plans on going out as the original frontman of UFO celebrating five decades, he did so Thursday night at the Aztec Theatre with a bang. In various ways.

His style. His effervescent English humor that makes him arguably the funniest frontman in hard rock and metal. And of course that smooth, classic voice. Mogg, 71, and his original cohort, drummer Andy Parker, brought their timeless band to downtown San Antonio for what’s supposed to be one last time with the soon-to-be-retiring Mogg, if not for the final visit altogether. And UFO may have saved its best Alamo City performance for last (36-photo slideshow with setlist & videos below).

Along with Last In Line, comprised of half of the original members of Dio in guitarist Vivian Campbell and drummer Vinny Appice, the old-school vibes and energetic presentation flowed freely inside an appreciative Aztec. Considering UFO’s tour was in peril six months ago, it was definitely one for the memory banks.

Mogg, Parker and longtime guitarist Vinnie Moore and bassist Rob De Luca endured the death of veteran rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Paul Raymond to a heart attack in April. He was 73. His passing came just after the band had completed the first leg of its tour in the UK. They decided to carry on in the form of Neil Carter, a much more lively version of the reserved Raymond, with Carter — who played on four UFO albums from 1981-83 — patrolling his side of the stage while often encouraging interaction from the crowd.

Shockingly, nary a mention of, or tribute to Raymond, came. Perhaps UFO wanted to keep things lighthearted and not be Debbie Downers, and maybe band members felt it was addressed enough on their website where Parker wrote in April in part:

“I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that I will never again share a stage with him. I have known Paul for a good many years and it would be fair to say that over that time we have had our differences. But even if we didn’t see eye to eye, we still remained good friends. He was always one to make his opinions known and could be very stubborn at times, but that was only because he was so passionate about his craft. Even in recent years, while suffering from the ailments that come to us all with age, he never let them compromise his performance. . . . Rest in peace my friend, you have earned it.”

By contrast, Last In Line, of course, exists due to Campbell and Appice honoring the legacy of, and the music they made with, the late Ronnie James Dio. Campbell, also still in Def Leppard for many years, has caught a lot of flak since forming Last In Line in 2012 and been referred to as a “money grabber” given that Dio fired him in 1986. But along with bassist Jimmy Bain, Campbell and Appice carried on to commemorate the first three albums they made with Dio — 1983’s Holy Diver, 1984’s The Last in Line and 1985’s Sacred Heart. After Bain died aboard one of Def Leppard’s cruise excursions, Campbell and Appice recruited Phil Soussan, who made his mark on Ozzy Osbourne’s 1986 commercially successful The Ultimate Sin.

Armed with vocalist Andrew Freeman, the group shined at the Aztec playing a mix of Dio classics such as “Holy Diver,” “The Last in Line” and “Rainbow in the Dark” with Last In Line tunes “Devil in Me” and Soussan’s tribute to Bain with “Starmaker” (ATM footage below) from Heavy Crown and II. Freeman brings his own style and sound to Last In Line as the band looks to move into the future with a modern rock sound while never forgetting its past. Watch ATM Facebook Live footage of closer “We Rock.”

UFO also mixed in the tunes they’re known for with a dab here and there from their more recent albums such as “Run Boy Run” and “Burn Your House Down.” They never show a trace of tiring from playing mainstays such as “Only You Can Rock Me” (footage below), “Lights Out,” “Love to Love” and “Too Hot to Handle.”

Mogg’s uncanny ability to entertain between songs complements the music. In 2011 at the South Texas Rock Fest at Sunken Garden Theatre, he introduced “Rock Bottom” by saying UFO enjoyed the other bands on the bill “as I’m going to enjoy my ‘Hustler’ magazine later” (ATM footage here).

On Thursday, with Moore poised to continue the group’s long-standing tradition of an extended version of that song, Mogg presented this disclaimer: “If anyone needs to pee, Vinnie’s going to be doing a solo in a while. The solo’s so long, you could take a holiday or have a baby, meet the parents, do Christmas. It’s a long solo.” At least Moore can take solace in the fact some San Antonians also appreciated his guitar work 13 months earlier when he headlined an instrumental set at the Rock Box with former Osbourne guitarist Gus G. (coverage here). And even after the trifecta of “Rock Bottom,” “Fighting Man” and “Doctor Doctor,” UFO added another tradition to end the night that surprisingly wasn’t on the printed setlist: “Shoot Shoot” (watch below).

Although UFO hasn’t 100 percent committed to adding its name to the list of bands that have made their final visits within the past four years — Motley Crue, Slayer, KISS — Thursday did appear to be the swan song for Mogg in San Antonio even if there was no formal mention of “farewell” or “goodbye.” So, that door may remain slightly ajar, even if it would seem unfathomable to watch UFO on stage without the only vocalist it has had since 1969. Either way, the night’s performance of both bands aptly described their genre.

Classic, hard and rockin’.

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Attention shoppers: Mall moshing & dancing on blue-light special

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Attention shoppers: Mall moshing & dancing on blue-light special

Trips to the mall on Friday nights no longer are a popular choice for teens and 20-somethings merely intent on shopping or hanging out. Those who enjoy metal on their weekends have a new reason to shop — or mosh — till they drop thanks to a promotional company hoping to show there’s a new sheriff in town, even after the stores and food court have shut down.

A local metal shebang, featuring St. Louis natives Hallow Point touring in support of Blacklight, rang throughout the second level of Rolling Oaks Mall on Sept. 27 courtesy of Julian “J.C.” Cruz and Roland Torres. Collectively known as JC & RT Productions, the duo is bringing various acts to their Anthem Entertainment Center. The spacious hall, with an open bar in the middle, stage in the back and plenty of room for merch booths, hosted hometown bands Pigweed, Meridian, Ammo For My Arsenal and openers Lonestar Massacre in addition to Hallow Point. And even that came with a twist.

Between bands, local quintet ensemble Onyx Elite Dance performed silhouetted routines to various songs (see 71-photo slideshow below and ATM Facebook Live footage here). They raised the ante during Meridian’s set when brunette Courtney Garcia and blonde Breanna Huther joined the metalcore act for “The Way You Move” (ATM Facebook Live footage here) before the entire troupe posed for photos with the band.

As with most things in their infancy stages, not everything went smoothly.

Set times were pushed back 75 minutes from the original start time of 7 p.m. for Lonestar Massacre. As such, Hallow Point was moved up in the middle of the package to ensure that the only national band wouldn’t go on too late. That, combined with some drama within their camp, led to locals Cauterized dropping off the program. And by the time Pigweed wrapped up the night post-11 p.m., the number of members on stage equaled those remaining, which by that point was media, promoters and bartenders. Not to mention the fire alarm that sounded throughout the mall (though no evacuations were necessary).

But, too, as is the case with metal intentions, it’s all about the music. And while early bands Ammo For My Arsenal and Lonestar Massacre could count most of their supporters as school friends and those in other bands such as the guys from Send Help, each act had its own way of inspiring mall moshing and headbanging.

Watch Pigweed on “Needles” and “Eye of the Wasp” plus their cover of Sepultura’s “Roots,” along with Ammo For My Arsenal and Lonestar Massacre. Hallow Point can be seen below on “Acedia,” “My Resistance,” here and doing a cover of Slipknot’s “Psychosocial.”

Other shows scheduled for Rolling Oaks Mall include:

  • From Graves, Shaping the Legacy, Snake Father from Austin, Life Eats Life, Forever For Now and Send Help on Friday, Nov. 1 for $8 (minors $10; (details here)

  • Lilac Kings, Marila Voe, So Soon The Truth, Buried Alike, War Within Dreams and Perfect Season on Saturday, Nov. 2 for $5 (minors $8; details here)

And if those don’t float your boat, Torres and Cruz are planning on bringing more local artists to the Alamo City Comic Con from Nov. 1-3 at Sunset Station, which will be highlighted by appearances from Batman’s Michael Keaton and Beetlejuice. Band submissions are being accepted by calling 210-367-3175.

And yes. Since you’re wondering. The Onyx Elite Dance girls will be there too.

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Concept of celebrating 'Operation: Mindcrime' still resonates with Geoff Tate & S.A.

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Concept of celebrating 'Operation: Mindcrime' still resonates with Geoff Tate & S.A.

When it comes to history’s most iconic albums, Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime has reigned supreme in the hard rock/heavy metal conscience for 31 years. It’s gotten to the point where both existing factions of the band — Queensryche featuring replacement vocalist Todd La Torre and Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime — could play it in its entirety whenever they visit San Antonio, and no one would cry themselves a river.

The original voice on that concept album, Tate returned to the Rock Box last Sunday night and played it all the way through for the fourth time since 2013, and second time in 14 months (last year’s coverage here). And while the performance was similar every time, save for a couple of rare instances on this night where Tate may not have sounded as clean as in previous performances (but is still better than 90 percent of the vocalists out there), the method to the madness was different.

Last weekend was supposed to see the seventh annual River City Rockfest turning the Alamo City and AT&T Center grounds into the mecca of metal for two days. Instead, the festival was canceled in early summer, of which Tate was supposed to be a part playing an approximately 45-minute set. That meant he wouldn’t have had time to play Mindcrime in its entirety. But when the festival got axed, and Tate was offered a chance to return on his own, he swept up the opportunity with Irish guitarist/singer Mark Daly and locals Gandhi’s Gun, Hellgrimm and The Steel Soldiers providing support (see 37-photo slideshow of the three main acts below).

In 2014, Tate told ATM “the past is over” and that he was “definitely ready to move on from” Mindcrime. But he also conceded Mindcrime is what promoters buy and, in perhaps the understatement of 2014 that still applies in 2019, “Mindcrime is a very successful tour” (watch below).

Once again, Tate was backed by Canadian guitarist Scott Moughton, Scottish guitarist Kieran Robertson — who’s also the boyfriend of Tate’s daughter Emily Tate, who fronts Till Death Do Us Part with Robertson on guitar — and bassist “Smilin’ “ Jack Ross while being joined for the first time by Brendan Bell on drums. Tate even had longtime guitarist Kelly Gray in the house watching as a fan. Tate whipped through Side 1 of the album before offering his patented, “Shall we continue” prior to “The Needle Lies,” “Breaking the Silence” and the rest of the record (ATM footage below).

Perhaps because it was a Sunday night, Tate limited his encore to just “Silent Lucidity.” But while he visits San Antonio on an annual basis and even sometimes multiple times in one year, a return next spring might be even more exciting given that Tate will be playing all of 1986’s Rage For Order and 1990’s Empire each evening. For the first time in ages, Tate will be performing tunes such as “Gonna Get Close to You,” “I Will Remember,” “Hand On Heart” and “Anybody Listening?”

Daly, a southpaw acoustic guitarist, and his band made their first visit from Ireland to a crowd that was on the verge of becoming restless after three local openers in waiting for Tate. But with the exception of a couple of sarcastic apples in the crowd, Daly seemed to please if not impress the majority of the roughly 500 in attendance with his brand of rock.

Gandhi’s Gun, meanwhile, has opened for Tate and the other version of Queensryche on multiple occasions. That included Saturday night’s show with Queensryche in Cedar Park six days after warming things up for Tate. These eyes and ears have seen and listened to Gandhi’s Gun play in front of 10 people on a Sunday night at Boozehounds and open for Tate at the Aztec Theatre, and of course Sunday at the Rock Box. They’ve also made San Antonio proud by playing the Whisky on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and filming a video there, and the band lived up to its energy again (watch “Broken” below).

The night concluded a back-to-back exhibition of Rockfest spillovers, with Jinjer having headlined the Rock Box’s Vibes Event Center the night before (coverage here). The shows bookended a long and tiring, but fruitful, weekend for Rock Box owners Micaela and Steve Rodriguez and their staff, not only making sure things ran smoothly for both shows, but simply getting the venue ready for Tate after Jinjer and its support acts nearly sold out the Vibes.

It may not have been the weekend that could have been. But for new-schoolers and old-schoolers alike, it delivered what fans came to hear.

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International flair of females brings roaring Vibes to Alamo City

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International flair of females brings roaring Vibes to Alamo City

The seventh annual River City Rockfest was all set to feature one of the most sought-after and intriguing bands to hit the scene recently for the first two-day Rockfest in San Antonio history last weekend. Except for one problem.

The Rockfest was canceled. Which led to the search and effort by Din Productions to atone for the cancellation by bringing some of those scheduled bands here on their own tours.

Jinjer was happy to oblige.

The quartet from the Ukraine, led by the mesmerizing vocal style of Tatiana Shmailyuk, swept into town, and demand was palpable. In what may have been the first metal show designed to be on the Rock Box stage of the Rock Box building, only to be moved to the larger Vibes Event Center within the facility, roughly 1,100 fans turned out last Saturday to hear and witness the Ukranian wonders.

Kansas City natives The Browning provided direct support in a shroud of darkness (watch ATM footage of “Awaken the Omega below), but it was Toronto quintet Sumo Cyco that had the crowd jumping early. Fronted by Catwoman-suit wearing Skye “Sever” Sweetnam, who body surfed her way into the audience on more than one occasion (see 80-photo slideshow below), Sumo Cyco increased the energy after locals Wulfholt and Desolate A.D. warmed things up. Watch Sumo Cyco perform “Move the Mountains” below and click here for Facebook Live footage of “Run With the Giants.”

While Sumo Cyco easily won over new fans with their energetic performance and meet-and-greet afterwards, it was Jinjer that most came to see. Set to release Macro on Oct. 25, Shmailyuk lured listeners in with her girl-next-door pink jumpsuit, white sneakers and sweetened clean vocals before unleashing her patented roars that would shame many death-metal male vocalists on tracks such as “Ape,” new single “Judgement & Punishment” and finale “Pisces.” Judge for yourself on ATM Facebook Live footage of “Dreadful Moments” and see the setlist in the slideshow below.

Guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov, bassist Eugene Abdukhanov and drummer Vladislav Ulasevish brought their own sense of metal fury as Shmailyuk roared to her heart’s content in a nearly two-hour set. While many bands these days incorporate two singers splitting the clean and metalcore styles, Shmailyuk’s ability to handle both distinctively with ease by herself is a large part of the lure for Jinjer fans, making the band different than most.

Wulfholt and Desolate A.D. brought riffs, drums and heavy vocals to the local portion of the night, with the former band generating a slew of flying panties that made their way into the photo pit (see slideshow). Watch both bands in action, respectively, via ATM Facebook Live footage of “Volatility Quotient” and “Fight For Another Day.”

While the first of back-to-back Rockfest spillover shows delighted a near sold-out crowd that flowed into a room not originally anticipated, the entire weekend would not have been possible without the tireless work of Rock Box owners Micaela & Steve Rodriguez and their staff. In addition to making adjustments on the fly within the facility and ensuring admission was run as smoothly as possible, they had to turn things over immediately after the Jinjer show cleared out for Sunday night’s second spillover appearance of Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime.

Stay tuned for coverage of that show. And keep in mind that with a little more demand from the fans, those two acts won’t be the only Rockfest 2019 alums to actually appear on stage rather than just on paper.

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L.A. Guns-led local showcase goes over the edge for all

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L.A. Guns-led local showcase goes over the edge for all

Anytime there are 10 bands on a one-night event, there’s bound to be a little of everything. Saturday night at Quatemain’s Pub was no exception. But not always for the right reasons.

It was L.A. Guns a blazin’. Emotions a flarin’. Electrical power a disobeyin’. And scheduled set times a goin’ up in smoke.

Sunset Strip veterans L.A. Guns headlined the two-story bar in Live Oak on a two-stage program (30-photo slideshow below). But things got interesting, and put out of whack, before the first band even took to the indoor and outdoor platforms.

Touring in support of The Devil You Know, the band featuring original vocalist Phil Lewis — listen to our interview below — and guitarist/founder Tracii Guns along with guitarist Ace Von Johnson, bassist Johnny Martin and drummer Scot Coogan was scheduled to go on at 11:45 p.m. But L.A. Guns wasn’t down with that.

According to a source, Martin told him the band insisted during the day to go on at 10 p.m. An announcement was not made via Quatemain’s or L.A. Guns’ social media outlets, so anyone planning on showing up just to hear hits such as “Sex Action,” “Never Enough” and “The Ballad of Jayne” close to 11:45 would’ve been out of luck. But as the concert began, a happy medium of sorts was reached for L.A. Guns to go on at 10:45 p.m. even though this was the last night of the current leg of its tour.

While L.A. Guns delivered the goods — watch ATM Facebook Live footage of first two songs “Over the Edge” and “No Mercy” here — the change in stage time continued a chain reaction of some of fhe locals being affected:

  • Hellfire Mafia, scheduled to kick off the night inside at 7 p.m., went on at approximately 8:30

  • Top Heavy, scheduled for 9 p.m., was scratched entirely

  • Dokken tribute Dream Warriors, featuring the debut of Jessikill wunder-guitarist Jyro Alejo, now had part of its 10 p.m. outdoor set conflicting with those wanting to get a good spot to watch L.A. Guns inside at 10:45

  • Outdoor headliners Budderside basically became a wash during its 11 p.m. set now that L.A. Guns was going on virtually at the same time inside

  • ‘80s cover band Big Bang, which went on nine minutes late at 10:09 p.m., found itself setting the table for L.A. Guns, a job originally relegated to Austin band Black Heart Saints’ scheduled time of 11 p.m. To allow for a 15-minute changeover, that meant Big Bang should’ve known it now only had till 10:30 p.m. But its suddenly shortened 21-minute set caught singer Sean Nations of Even In Death and his bandmates by surprise when, as Nations said to the crowd, “We promised you some Faster Pussycat,” his mic was shut off after three tunes and before he could say the name of the fourth

  • Black Heart Saints arguably was screwed the most, forced to be the only band to go on after the headliners after making the 75-mile drive from Austin

Promoter Richard Reyes lamented to the crowd that “L.A. Guns wanted to go on earlier” and asked fans to “stick around for one or two songs.”. To their credit, more than a handful of metalheads more than stuck around, rocking out to Black Heart Saints as Lewis and Guns headed offsite and Von Johnson and Coogan made their way to the merch area. However, Black Heart Saints should’ve been afforded similar or better lighting than L.A. Guns given the change they were forced to endure and the distance they drove. Instead, they received the same red, bleak lack of brightness as the support acts.

But the headliners weren’t immune from what some would refer to as cluster-fuck moments either.

During “Gone Honey,” the only track performed from the new album, the power went out on stage. Sure, those things happen, and it came back rather quickly as Lewis urged his band to resume from the second verse. But after adding “Some Lie 4 Love,” “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Speed” to the set, Lewis was in the midst of spotlighting his mates during encore “Rip and Tear.” After calling on former Ace Frehley and Lita Ford drummer Coogan, Lewis had just introduced the Ramones-resembling Martin, who grabbed his mic and appeared set to address the crowd for the first time when the stage’s power failed again.

Martin simply flipped the mic to the ground and exited. Lewis and Guns, the only original members, didn’t get to give one another an intro but proved to be good sports about it by smiling and joining Von Johnson in acknowledging the cheers. On a side note, for those who rely on Setlist.FM, L.A. Guns did not perform “The Devil You Know” or “Kiss My Love Goodbye” as the Quatemain’s set on there would have you believe.

Reyes and Quatemain’s announced more ‘80s style shows coming, with BulletBoys on Oct. 18 and Enuff Z’Nuff — which recently had a show at Fitzgerald’s canceled due to low ticket sales — on Jan. 11. Fans can only hope, if those end up being more 10-band showcases, that lessons have been learned on the homefront so the performances, not the mishaps, become the story.

The vocalist of L.A. Guns goes "Into the Pit" and gets very candid while discussing the band's career, his involvement with both factions of the group, his first band Girl, an interesting tidbit about one of the group's videos that hits home with him, how long he went without talking to guitarist Tracii Guns before reuniting with him, the early days, new album "The Devil You Know" that comes out March 29 and more (ATM photo by Jay Nanda: December 2017).

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Zakk Wylde showcases wizardry of bloody Sabbath riffs

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Zakk Wylde showcases wizardry of bloody Sabbath riffs

From the precocious 19-year-old introduced to the world on a “Headbanger’s Ball” episode in 1988 as Ozzy Osbourne’s new guitarist, to a long-bearded, kilt-wearing, chest-pounding, six-string slinging maniac, Zakk Wylde has grown before our very eyes.

Wylde has played with The Ozzman Cometh for 20-plus years while fronting his own Black Label Society. Last Wednesday, however, he brought another faction to the Aztec Theatre — his tribute to Osbourne’s Black Sabbath days in the form of trio Zakk Sabbath.

Introduced by “That Metal Show” co-host Don Jamieson after part of the comedian’s opening monologue included the fact that Wylde once went 77 consecutive days without showering, the beast behind the axe took to the stage with his BLS bassist John “J.D.” DeServio and energetic drummer Joey C. In addition to the 2-hour plus performance of Sabbath tracks from the first four Osbourne-sung albums, Wylde gave fans a treat by including several rarities on the setlist while omitting entirely, or merely including a portion of riffs, of the likes of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” “Black Sabbath,” “The Wizard,” “Symptom of the Universe” and “Sweet Leaf” — the latter revealed by Jamieson as his favorite Sabbath tune.

Opening with “Supernaut” (setlist in 30-photo slideshow below), Wylde often turned the Sabbath songs into his signature long but entertaining guitar jams and solos. Unlike with BLS, though, the more informal occasion of paying tribute to another band yielded the green kilt-wearing Wylde the freedom to play among the fans. And he liked it so much, he did it twice.

Wylde first went into the back of the general admission area during “Into the Void” and shredded away while fans encircled him while filming every note with their phones. As he walked back to the stage, Wylde played his axe behind his head the entire way. No professional media footage was allowed of the concert. But after rare track “Wicked World” and crowd favorite “Fairies Wear Boots” (ATM Facebook Live footage here), Wylde, who was often pegged as the favorite to replace the late “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott if Pantera had ever reunited, broke into a riff of “I’m Broken.” It was his only deviation from Sabbath material all night in a virtually non-stop exhibition of pure guitar madness.

DeServio, who was celebrating his birthday, became the recipient of a cake from Jamieson and crew members as he blew out the candles on stage. DeServio and Joey C., a wildman in his own right on the drums, were particularly impressive during finale “War Pigs.” That’s when Wylde left the stage again, this time using a security escort to visit the upper level of the Aztec, delighting fans up there. Wylde stood in the middle of the deck and riffed to his heart’s content before walking along the balcony railing and visiting those fans, security staff in hot pursuit. As Wylde eventually made his way out of the upper level, yours truly was the first to greet him in the hallway and received a sweaty fist-bump. Security continued to earn their keep as Wylde once again visited the center of the general-admission universe.

All told, the 15 to 20-minute solo had everyone fixated on Wylde to the point that some in attendance may not have realized DeServio and Joey C. never stopped playing throughout.

And with that, the Aztec Theatre was officially added to Zakk Sabbath’s San Antonio metal brotherhood chapter. And it was time for everyone to head home and hit the showers. Optional, however, for the man of the hour.

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Oft-maligned frontman leads charge as Muddfest brings back metal of 2000s

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Oft-maligned frontman leads charge as Muddfest brings back metal of 2000s

Perhaps more than any other act within the metal scene, it can be said that a Puddle Of Mudd concert can be intriguing as much for what could happen as for what actually does. That’s what comes with the track record of enigmatic singer, guitarist and band founder Wes Scantlin.

A frontman who has had more than his share of ups and downs, including bouts with the law and canceled shows, Scantlin has persevered through personal hard times and several lineup changes. He’s vowed that he has plenty more Rock N’ Roll to unleash, and the latest example will be the Friday the 13th release this month of Welcome to Galvania. But first, Puddle Of Mudd hosted its Muddfest last Tuesday night at the Aztec Theatre with Trapt, Saliva, Rehab and Tantric (see 45-photo slideshow below).

All eyes and ears were on Scantlin and his reputation for potentially being a ticking time bomb. For the most part, he passed with flying colors. Early on, Scantlin’s conversation with the venue that was more than two-thirds full on all levels seemed odd. At one point, he said San Antonio reminded him of Amsterdam and went on a brief diatribe while sticking out his blue tongue about how much he liked the latter city. That caused his bassist to give a look of bewilderment as he kept walking further back from his own mic until Scantlin was ready to begin the next song.

Other than that, Scantlin showed moments of gratitude and reflection. Oddly, during opening track and Puddle Of Mudd’s biggest hit “Control,” the band broke into Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” just prior to “Control’s” signature “I love the way you smack my ass” part. The choice and timing — barely two minutes into the show — of Scantlin already deviating from his own song was cause to think, “Oh, boy, here he goes again.” But alas, it merely served as a detour from the rest of “Control’s” rock and angst that helped make it a No. 1 tune on MTV and the charts in 2001. Ironically, as Puddle Of Mudd’s set began with a trace of Black Sabbath, Zakk Wydle’s Zakk Sabbath ended their electric performance with a 15-plus-minute version of the same Sabbath track the following night on the same stage.

Scantlin and his bandmates broke out other signature hits such as “She Fuckin’ Hates Me,” “Stoned” and “Livin’ On Borrowed Time” (ATM Facebook Live footage of both here) and the trio of “Bring Me Down,” “Psycho” and “Spaceship” (watch all below; setlist in slideshow).

Scantlin has had a love/hate relationship with San Antonio over the years. He played a solid gig during the 2010 Fiesta Oyster Bake but canceled a headlining 2013 Siesta Fest performance the night before when his rebellious nature got the best of him in another city. Puddle Of Mudd was supposed to take part in this year’s Oyster Bake as well, but the band could not get out of snowy Iowa in time and never made it to San Antonio. That one was out of Scantlin’s “control.”

But they made it up to the Alamo City at Muddfest. Through it all, Scantlin endured needless heckling from rotten apples in the crowd, one of which along the barrier yelled “You’re a dick” while another in the middle of the Aztec called him a drunk. Whether Scantlin chose to ignore them or heard them at all is something only he knows for certain. But for the most part, Scantlin delivered the goods on additional tracks such as new single “Uh-Oh” (which was on the setlist third-to-last but was performed second overall after “Control), “Away From Me” and smash hit finale “Blurry.”

The bill as a whole consisted largely of bands that had their heyday in the 1990s and early 2000s, perhaps best exemplified by Trapt, Saliva and Tantric. Trapt vocalist Chris Taylor Brown attempted to make a dramatic entrance from an opening underground, but it didn’t have the desired effect on the performance or crowd reaction, and he merely launched into “Still Frame” just as he could’ve done walking onto the stage.

Although those bands mostly had one or two hits that made them famous, they deserve credit for continuing to put out new music. However, they do mostly live off their past live. Although Trapt has been around for 20-plus years, they still felt the need to do a cover in Audioslave’s “Like a Stone.”

Saliva, however, was arguably the best band on the program and without a doubt the most energetic. Vocalist Bobby Amaru was fired up throughout the set and took it upon himself to bring a young child on stage for their biggest hit “Click Click Boom.” The same child, incidentally, was also brought on stage earlier this year by Hatebreed at Vibes Event Center. Saliva could very well have headlined a five-band mini-fest, yet still only played six tracks this night, including “Always” and traditional opener “Ladies & Gentlemen.” Afterwards, drummer Paul Crosby was out and about meeting with city insiders about potentially returning later this year or next year at a new venue to be determined.

The funky rap/metal of Rehab preceded Savlia, while Tantric and lone remaining original member Hugo Ferreira kicked things off at 6:25 p.m. The bill was similar to the Make America Rock Again tour of 2016 at the Rock Box that included Trapt, Tantric, Alien Ant Farm, Saliva and Crazy Town.

But Muddfest was all about Scantlin. With cell phones at the ready among an audience set to pounce and film any erratic action, Scantlin more than got the last laugh. He even made the crowd feel as if it was coming along for the ride in his own special spaceship.

“A lot of these songs that we’re playing for you guys were (ones that) big record executives (thought) they were fucking shitty,” Scantlin says in ATM’s clip below. “Until they went No. 1 a bunch of times. Thanks to you guys.”

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Into the Pit: Steve Grimmett

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Into the Pit: Steve Grimmett

Grim Reaper was a staple of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement and MTV “Headbanger’s Ball” era in the mid-1980s thanks to a trifecta of albums that still resonate with fans three decades later. See You in Hell, Fear No Evil and Rock You to Hell had the band trending upward long before trending upward, or even social media lingo or the Internet, were “things.”

It all came to a crashing halt, however, after that third and most successful Grim Reaper album mostly due to record-label issues. Vocalist Steve Grimmett resurrected Grim Reaper a few years ago with all-new members, and Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper toured behind fourth album Walking in the Shadows, venturing to the Rock Box in April and October 2016.

Then a more disastrous turn took effect. Not just on the band. But on Grimmett’s life.

Four months after those Rock Box gigs, the diabetic Grimmett was treated in South America for a foot infection that spread more quickly than it could be treated. Grimmett had his right leg amputated in Ecuador, but because his insurance company refused to cover his bills, a GoFundMe page was started just so he could fly home to England.

Improbable might be the best way to describe what has happened since. Grimmett refuses to allow his plight determine his career path. He has played a few shows alternating between a cane with a prosthetic leg and singing via headset while in a wheelchair. He has recorded fifth album At the Gates, which drops Oct. 11, with the first single “Venom” available now via various outlets. And he kicked off a North American tour this weekend in New York, from which he phoned in yesterday to Alamo True Metal for an exclusive interview.

With Chaz Grimaldi filling in on bass for this tour after playing both of the Rock Box shows, plus Ian Nash on guitars and Paul White on drums, Grimmett’s band was traveling through mountainous territory when the vocalist discussed his “traumatic” experience, why he decided to carry on musically, the new album, the MTV days, his memories of the 1985 Texxas Jam before 80,000 people and his uncanny resemblance to Greece’s “hated” prime minister.

Click below for a slideshow and to hear our conversation. Click here to hear our 2016 discussion that covered other topics. Special thanks to Grimmett and Chipster PR for graciously going “Into the Pit.”

The voice of Grim Reaper goes "Into the Pit" to discuss the trials and tribulations of his leg amputation that took place four months after his most recent San Antonio visit, how he refuses to let that slow him down from touring and the upcoming Oct. 11 release of fifth album "At the Gates" (ATM photo by Jay Nanda - October 2016)

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'Loudest bookstore in Texas' tosses local metal to imagination

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'Loudest bookstore in Texas' tosses local metal to imagination

On any given day, first-time visitors to Imagine Books & Records can walk in and view publications ranging from “Curious George” and William Shakespeare to Stephen King and vulgar comics. They can purchase cassettes and vinyl albums of ‘80s hair bands stationed next to Motown and Spanish artists, or Tina Turner breathing the same air as The Misfits.

Thanks to Don Hurd and his son Ezra, patrons can walk out on Friday and Saturday nights with ears ringing from live music that culminates their trip to the self-proclaimed “Loudest Bookstore in Texas.”

A five-band gathering of relatively young metalcore musicians plus instrumental and local trio Dojo were the latest example Friday night. The program, which also featured local acts Send Help, Lonestar Massacre, Ammo For My Arsenal and Kingsville natives Horus Ascending beginning the festivities, was made possible by the Hurds, who are about to celebrate eight years of their store in October.

“Back in the ‘80s, I was involved in the San Antonio metal scene,” Don Hurd, 58, says. “We’d go to venues, and a lot of them closed. Most of them were not friendly. Some were assholes. And I thought, ‘It shouldn’t be like that.’ I wanted a welcoming place.”

Imagine Books & Records, located at 8373 Culebra Road in a strip mall, used to be four doors down. The Hurds moved it to the corner, giving and accepting along the way. “Our capacity used to be 260,” Don says. “Now I don’t know what it is. Maybe 120. But we didn’t have this stage at the other place. We had to give up the wall that everyone signed. But the TV (above the stage) was left by the previous tenant.”

The Hurds take pride in their array of books, cassettes, albums, “45” records and posters - selections that are vast and furious.

“As a bookstore owner, you can’t just suit your own tastes,” Don says. “Dolly’s Mustache was our first show. Then we started to have shows every other weekend. By the end of 2012, we were full in with shows. We’ve had bands from Japan, Australia, Italy — you name it.”

As expected in a bookstore setting, Friday’s crowd was intimate. Most were family members and friends of the bands. In that respect, it wasn’t different from what you find at bars around town. Send Help, for instance, was selling merch outside along with a crockpot of $5 meatball sub sandwiiches.

Don Hurd cited Send Help’s trio of bassist/vocalist Camron Maldonado, lead vocalist/guitarist Joe Vitela and drummer Tyler Rosser as “living up to their name” by frequently helping the family relocate as well as playing live at the store many times. The same could’ve been said for the group’s generosity. As Lonestar Massacre ended its set and prepared to give way to Send Help, Lonestar vocalist Hondo Hernandez Jr. recalled how he recently broke the neck of his first Les Paul guitar. Maldonado draped his arm around Hernandez as Vitela and Rosser presented a guitar case to their touring mate, and an unsuspecting Hernandez proudly opened and held aloft his birthday present in the feel-good moment of the evening (see 55-photo slideshow below).

Dojo played instrumentals in cat-adorned pajamas (ATM Facebook Live footage here). Vitela growled deathcore vocals while wearing a hot-dog get-up (watch) and a pair of masked marauders moshed, wrestled and shook their rears attempting to distract their friends on stage. Lonestar Massacre tore it up in the dark (watch). Ammo For My Arsenal sang deathcore style songs about “Star Wars” (watch). Horus Ascending had its regular drummer play guitar, overcoming the fact its regular guitarist did not want to drive from Kingsville to play in a bookstore (watch). All in a night’s work for the Hurds.

One minute between bands, Ezra would spin Iron Maiden’s Piece of Mind on vinyl throughout the store. The next intermission, he opted for what he said was his favorite album of all-time: Jr. Walker & The All-Stars.

Something for everyone. It could be the Hurds’ second slogan.

“Most bookstores only do acoustic shows,” the elder, gray-bearded Hurd says. “But we’re not trying to appeal to seniors.”

There is one senior Don Hurd doesn’t mind catering to, however.

“Please mention my wife,” he says of Irma. “She’s just as much a part of this.”

Imagine Books & Records is the Hurds’ way of giving back to the community they call home. A rare gem born out of the heavy metal capital that has spread its wings to a diversified audience focusing on those that are the future.

“I love this generation,” Don Hurd says. “They have a lot of faults, but I love ‘em. If they mosh and I walk through, they take care of me.”

They’re just returning the favor for what Don, Ezra and Irma Hurd have been doing for them for several years. And, if they have anything to say about it, for a long time to come.

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Military City home of the brave for Flaw's latest release

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Military City home of the brave for Flaw's latest release

Like most bands that endure through personal strife, lineup changes and even years of inactivity before reforming, Flaw is not without its, well, flaws. The ups and downs, however, arguably have made this particular quartet from Louisville, Kentucky, stronger. Which can lead to reaping its own rewards. Last Friday at the Rock Box signified one of those ups the band doesn’t figure to forget anytime soon.

Flaw’s headlining tour ventured to the Alamo City on the night it dropped Vol. 4: Because of the Brave. The group’s follow-up to 2016’s Divided We Fall is actually only its second effort since 2004’s Endangered Species, which came after 2001 non-independent debut Through The Eyes.

Vocalist Christopher Volz remains the backbone of an ever-changing band. And though he was touting the group’s newest piece of work, Volz didn’t exactly forget what San Antonians wanted to hear.

Bands tend to love CD release shows more than their fans because it culminates their latest recording efforts into its first live setting. However, the intelligent artists also know release shows mean fans have zero time to learn new material. Which means old-school is the way to cater to their longtime faithful. So Volz and his mates only unveiled one new track, the closest-they-may-get-to-a-ballad “Conquer This Climb” after the rest of the members jammed out when Tommy Gibbons set aside his bass and did a guitar battle with Rob Buttorff (watch ATM’s Facebook Live footage here). You can also watch ATM footage of debut single “Payback” below, which was planned on being the finale, only to have Volz throw the crowd a curveball by adding “Medicate” to the printed setlist as a special treat (see 60-photo slideshow below).

Sons Of Texas provided direct support and came out with guns blazing for their Lone Star family. Vocalist Mark Morales miraculously didn’t have a coronary given as much energy, headbanging and passionate vocals he exhibited in just the first two songs. Eventually, Morales got up close and personal with the crowd, saw his bandmates break out a “Master of Puppets” riff and segued a segment of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” into another blistering track, debut album opener “Never Bury the Hatchet” (ATM Facebook Live footage here).

It shouldn’t be long before Sons Of Texas provides some new material if it’s going to continue its two-year pattern of releases following 2015 debut Baptized in the Rio Grande and 2017’s Forged By Fortitude, for which the band is still touring.

Guitarist Jes De Hoyos, who spoke with yours truly in 2016 (listen here), and his crew had the distinction of being the first band to ever set foot on stage at the annual River City Rockfest, opening the inaugural festival in 2013 outside the AT&T Center seemingly so long ago, the band was only called Texas then. Two albums and one brand of hot sauce (that admittedly is not so hot) later, Sons Of Texas easily made its mark as the heaviest artist playing on the Rock Box stage while a slew of Texas bands were also playing in the venue’s new Vibes Underground basement.

September Mourning began the national-act trifecta behind the striking white-and-gray hair and wardrobe of vocalist Emily “September” Lazar. Though it’s been a couple of years since the quartet released Volume II, it dropped new single “Unholy” this past Thursday. Lazar shared with ATM during the 2016 Houston Open Air — which eventually canceled the group’s performance due to the threat of bad weather — the impetus behind her transmedia group that tells the story of September, a “human/reaper hybrid with no memory of her past empowered with supernatural gifts (who) is driven to protect humanity from Fate and his Reapers” (watch here).

“Children of Fate,” “Skin and Bones” and “20 Below” (ATM footage below) were some of the Volume II tracks performed. Volume I is an EP influenced by September’s brand of comic books that tell the story of her on-stage character and those of her bandmate “reapers” known as Riven, Wraith and drummer Stitch. Footage of the comic book coming to life accompanied the band on stage with other tracks such as “Glass Animals” (ATM Facebook Live clip here).

Local band Relent was a late announcement to the bill. Catch them in action on “Addicted” here.

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Original local heaviness on display as bands 'Rise' above norm

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Original local heaviness on display as bands 'Rise' above norm

In a city, and scene, often overrun by bands playing the songs of the famous groups they idolized, a trifecta hit Fitzgeralds’ stage Saturday night that dared to be different. Even if the musicians weren’t necessarily trying to do so.

Sure, the occasion may have been meant to celebrate headliner Aeternal Requiem’s release of new album Rise — an effort that came to the Alamo City by way of being recorded in Finland. But in the process, the night proved to be a show that was the exception over the rule around these parts.

Supported by young thrashers Metalriser and X.I.L. (Exile), Aeternal Requiem and Co. provided a rare all-local and all-original-music night of metal.

No supporting of national acts. No cover songs. No tribute acts waxing poetic of hits that wore out radio and MTV long ago (see 43-photo slideshow and ATM’s video footage below).

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Copy acts have their time and place. Look no further than two of the men on stage at Fitzgerald’s. New Metalriser bassist Nick Gamboa manages local Megadeth tribute Rust In Peace. And the brainchild of Aeternal Requiem, singer/guitarist Austin Zettner, has played more than a few riffs in Iron Maiden homage group Seventh Son.

In fact, that might be the reason a fan approached the barrier during a short break in Aeternal Requiem’s live re-enactment of its entire eight-song album and requested “Wasted Years” in broken English. Perhaps he recognized Zettner from his tribute act. Or perhaps the man simply wanted to hear that song. But after Zettner politely bent down and told the man without the aid of a microphone he was only playing original songs on this night, fellow guitarist John Catts bellowed, “We are not a cover band!”

The message was delivered long before that, however. X.I.L.’s quartet of singer/bassist Austin James, guitarist/singer Joseph Aguilar, guitarist Quinten Serna and drummer Jordan Hoffart thrashed about on “Full Throttle Ass Kicking,” “The Witching Hour” and “This Means War,” among others (watch ATM’s Facebook Live footage of the latter here), as they’ve been known to do opening for the likes of Overkill and Metal Church.

While all three bands were slated to play 45 minutes apiece, middle artist Metalriser shortened itself to 26 minutes. Aeternal Requiem drummer David Sanchez Jr. was pulling back-to-back double duty but is still in the process of learning Metalriser’s catalog. So original singer/guitarist Joel Estrada, who like Zettner is the lone remaining member of the group he founded, and his new mates gave it their all on “Demise” (ATM Facebook Live footage here), “Hell’s Gate” (watch below) and a couple other heavy hitters. A longer set figures to be in store Aug. 2 at the Rock Box when Metalriser joins local brethren Nahaya and Buried Alike in supporting national 20-somethings Light This City.

Speaking of Nahaya, that band’s bassist Semir Ozerkan has helped Zettner round out the newer quartet version of Aeternal Requiem that was once a trio. But Ozerkan was MIA at Fitzgerald’s, and fill-in bassist Joe Muniz, as Zettner proudly told the crowd, learned 92 pages of music in 2 1/2 weeks. See them play instrumental “Day of Reckoning” and watch album and show finale “So Far” below.

The tunes of our youth may help pack them into, and drive the businesses of, bars and mid-sized venues around town. But it’s going to be an increase in all-original local packages, with metalheads coming out in a solidified show of support, that’s going to make the scene thrive once more, so long as its citizens harbor hopes of rekindling the Heavy Metal Capital’s heyday in becoming the rule, not the exception, yet again.

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Homegrown legends rekindle spark of scene that used to be

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Homegrown legends rekindle spark of scene that used to be

The Alamo City’s storied heavy metal scene, which once turned local and national bands’ careers on its collective heads resulting in the moniker Heavy Metal Capital, is so rich that rare is the night a bulk of it joins forces under one roof at the same time. But that’s what took place last Saturday when a contingent of San Antonio’s “Homegrown Heavy Metal Legends” descended on Fitzgerald’s for a collection of metal talent, knowledge, stories and history.

Some were on stage for roughly 7 1/2 hours of music, including the 30-year reunion show of Nutron, veteran classic Texas metallers Syrus, 32nd anniversary celebrators Byfist, 40th anniversary mainstays Seance, plus Zero The Hero and Baad Newz. And some of the oft-labeled royalty around these parts were on hand to sign classic autographs of themselves as unveiled in Juan Herrera’s book “As Viewed From the Pit: Photos of the South Texas Metal Scene 1978-89” including Fates Warning and Sebastian Bach drummer Bobby Jarzombek, Watchtower guitarist Ron Jarzombek, Militia vocalist Mike Soliz, Riot V bassist Don Van Stavern and vocalist Buster Grant (see 90-photo slideshow below).

The latest chapter that added to the San Antonio scene’s own voluminous book won’t soon be forgotten. Emilio Ledezma, who these days makes his mark in Ledezma Lethal Legends which will perform at 10 p.m. tonight at Fitzgerald’s, resurrected his former band Nutron with Danny Trejo of Trejo on vocals and the double-neck guitar. They were preceded by Syrus, whose revolving door of singers has currently landed on Alfred Pena. The group formed by guitarists John Castilleja and Al Berlanga unveiled forthcoming track “Last Warrior” (ATM footage below) among its Tales of War classics, although time constraints forced them to cut out a pair of other new tunes (setlist in slideshow).

Byfist, led by original rhythm guitarist Nacho Vara, had a telling set for a couple of reasons. First, it paid homage to another local outfit by playing Juggernaut’s “All Hallows Eve” before vocalist Raul Garcia called up Helstar veteran James Rivera to take his place and join Byfist’s instrumentalists on Helstar’s 1984 track “Burning Star” (ATM Facebook Live footage here).

Then an emotional Vara could barely get through his introduction of “Mary Celeste” given that it was the first song he wrote for Byfist with the late vocalist Vikk Real. Vara at one point turned away from the crowd and walked toward the drum set before he was comforted by bassist Stony Grantham. Vara, who also pulled double duty in Seance — giving him approximately 70 years of music between both artists — then summoned the strength not only to get through the song, but to put his foot down and play the entire tune front and center under the main spotlight, away from his usual dimly lit spot stage left, as Garcia wrapped his arm around him in smile and song. Watch the band culminate its set with “In the End” below.

With longtime local disc jockey Brian Kendall spinning tracks between bands, it was no rest for the weary as far as Vara was concerned as Seance preceded Byfist. “Woman,” “Should’ve Known” and “Heavy Metal” (below) highlighted the band’s set as vocalist Danny Fonseca, founder and lead guitarist Robert Perez, bassist Ruben Hernandez and young pup drummer Octavio de la Pena joined Vara in providing its usual fun and energetic set.

Zero The Hero and local trio Baad Newz got things warmed up prior to the bar filling at its peak. Watch Zero The Hero in action below on “You Bring Hate” and on “Valley of the Bones.”

Another book of the local metal scene could very well begin with what went down at Fitzgerald’s: the drinks were cold, the metal flowed, and the stories and history were told. All in a night’s work when it comes to San Antonio heavy metal. But even this evening was a bit more special than most.

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Static-X & friends' homage behind masked Xer0 rates No. 1 with fans

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Static-X & friends' homage behind masked Xer0 rates No. 1 with fans

The decision for bands to carry on, hang it up or split into various factions after their singer has passed on to the afterlife is a fragile one unique to each artist. Whatever the verdict, it’s often met with scorn, hesitation and critics volunteering their opinions to the nth degree.

There are the bands whose frontmen were so iconic that carrying on would have been sacrilegious. Think Nirvana and Motorhead. There are those who took several years to mourn, decide and eventually return as respectfully as possible such as Alice In Chains. Others enlisted guests vocalists to honor and memorialize their fallen leader such as Dio Disciples singers Tim “Ripper” Owens and Oni Logan, occasionally aided by Mark Boals and Toby Jepson, ensuring that the music of Ronnie James Dio lives on.

The most famous gamble of all also became the most historic, as AC/DC’s replacement of Brian Johnson for the late Bon Scott carried the band into another stratosphere of success it already enjoyed with Scott.

Then there’s the unprecedented method employed by Static-X. Honoring the legacy that ended in 2014 with the death of singer/guitarist Wayne Static, original members Tony Campos (bass), Koichi Fukuda (guitars) and Ken Jay (drums) resurrected the band this year to honor Static and celebrate 20 years of first album Wisconsin Death Trip. The catch is that not only has the touring vocalist remained unidentified, he is wearing a mask of Static’s facial likeness and patented spiked hair.

Static-X’s choice of how to proceed beyond Static has been much-maligned within the metal industry. But not on Sunday, June 23, at the Aztec Theatre. A nearly sold-out theatre jumped, pumped and rocked to the album’s complete performance plus songs from second effort Machine in welcoming the new masked vocalist/guitarist with open arms and loud crowd participation (see 107-photo slideshow and ATM video footage below). As Campos introduced the band, he labeled masked wonder Xer0 as hailing “from parts unknown.” What’s mainly a mystery, however, is whether the persistent rumors that Xer0 is Dope singer Edsel Dope are accurate.

It would make sense. Taking care to cover his likely tattooed arms with full-length sleeves, Xer0 could very well be Edsel Dope for a pair of reasons: both singers have similar tall, lanky frames. And Dope is already one of the four support acts on the bill, carefully placed in the middle of the program perhaps to allow DevilDriver’s 50-minute set after Dope and prior to Static-X ample time for Dope’s namesake to rest between double duty each night. And if those two reasons aren’t convincing enough, Edsel Dope cited multiple tours his band went on with Static-X, and how he considered Wayne Static a close friend, as Dope’s band celebrated 20 years too.

So while Xer0 and the rest of the original Static-X lineup partied like it was 1999 and 2001 to the Aztec’s content, Devildriver also hit hard as only frontman Dez Fafara can. Defending Static-X’s decision, Fafara shared that Back in Black is his favorite album front to back of all-time and that it wouldn’t have been possible if AC/DC had quit after Scott’s death. Fafara, whose band also includes one-time Static-X bassist Diego Ibarra, delivered hard-hitting tracks “I Could Care Less,” “Ruthless,” “Cry for Me Sky,” “Sail” and “Before the Hangman’s Noose” (ATM footage of the latter two below). The frontman then broke out a pair of tracks from his Coal Chamber days with “Loco” and “Fiend” (videos below).

Opening acts Wednesday 13 and Raven Black brought the theatrics to the Aztec in their own way. Wednesday 13 in particular had a variety of costume changes during a 30-minute set that featured “What the Night Brings” and closer “Keep Watching the Skies” (footage below). Watch ATM’s 2017 interview with frontman Joseph Poole and his San Antonio bandmates Roman Surman and Troy Doebbler here.

Static-X announced prior to the tour they’d have a new album this year called Project Regeneration that features the final recordings of Wayne Static. Fans can pre-order the album and get their name in the liner notes here. What’s unclear is whether Xer0 will carry on the legacy, whether he was merely a memorial touring replacement, or whether Static-X will enlist a completely new singer — masked with hair spiked from here to the gone or to be his own persona — to evil disco the group into a new era.

Either way, the band’s decision is sure to create a wave of controversy, bringing its share of critics, supporters and rockers. Which is to say Campos, Fukuda and Jay likely wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Nita Strauss, Kore Rozzik & locals deliver controlled chaos

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Nita Strauss, Kore Rozzik & locals deliver controlled chaos

Instrumental, theatrical and even some playful X-rated chaos were on the same stage Friday night as a guitar hurricane swept through the Rock Box. “Hurricane” Nita Strauss, one of Alice Cooper’s guitarists who also spent time in global all-female Iron Maiden tribute band The Iron Maidens and the all-female modern-day version of ‘80s rockers Femme Fatale, made her San Antonio solo-band all-instrumental debut in support of Controlled Chaos.

New York rocker Kore Rozzik and his band, who like Strauss released their debut full-length album in 2018, also played the Alamo City for the first time and arguably stole the show with their energy, delivery, ability to entertain, quality of originals and even choice and delivery of covers. And in the end, they got punked by Strauss and her bandmates for their efforts in an affectionate farewell between the two national acts on the final night of their tour as Kore Rozzik attempted to close with “Spellbound” (ATM footage below).

A trifecta of locals warmed things up led by the Pup Zenabi Instrumental Project along with The Steel Soldiers and openers Wulfholt (see 76-photo slideshow below).

Strauss’ quintet dazzled with their own energy, headbanging and hair-whipping. While Jennifer Lopez was shaking her booty at the AT&T Center, the blonde guitarist struck a few sultry poses of her own and shred many more electrical riffs. Offering up “Alegria,” “The Stillness at the End,” “Lion Among Wolves” and “Mariana Trench” from her solo effort (setlist in slideshow), Strauss brought Rozzik on stage to sing Cooper’s classic “Eighteen.” She then went into an instrumental version of “Aces High,” consenting to the crowd afterwards, “I’d be lying to you guys if I said I didn’t miss playing Iron Maiden songs every night.” From there, Strauss returned to her solo record with “The Quest” (ATM Facebook Live footage here).

Strauss stuck to her planned ending of solo tracks “The Show Must Go On” and “Our Most Desperate Hour,” but that wasn’t good enough to conclude the tour in Texas. By default. Strauss took to the mic and reminded all in attendance that the following day marked the 1-year anniversary of the death of Vinnie Paul, as her band broke into some heartfelt Pantera riffage on “Domination” (ATM footage below).

Rozzik, meanwhile, captivated the onlookers in a variety of ways. The self-proclaimed “Bastard child of New York City” unveiled concept album Vengeance Overdrive last summer, a record that speaks to those who put him and his dreams down, and how he responds in kind. The hard-hitting record ratcheted up on stage as Kore Rozzik blazed through the title track, immediately showcasing an energetic difference in intensity between what it takes to land a national tour versus the three local predecessors continuing to hone their skills, chase their dreams and/or be content with playing for their friends and family.

Kore Rozzik’s album contains all-original material, but there’s an interlude on there where the frontman says, “I’m not like everybody else.” He proved as much, along with guitarists Andrei, Lynxx and drummer Louie — and no bass player — by raising eyebrows not only with a second-song cover, but the choice of cover. Backed by a TV screen set up next to Louie’s drum kit, Kore Rozzik used his Cooper influence while touring with Cooper’s guitarist to shock and awe his own way by performing Rockwell’s 1984 pop smash “Somebody’s Watchin’ Me,” as the video for the song that featured Michael and Jermaine Jackson played.

While the venue was cool and mostly comfortable for the patrons, it was anything but on stage for those working the hardest. Each of the five acts made some sort of reference to the lack of cool air flowing in their direction, which also was devoid of fans on a typical muggy June night. While Strauss doused herself with water, Rozzik took a more humorous approach: “This is probably the only time you wouldn’t want to get in my pants,” Rozzik said. “Man, it’s sweaty down there. . . . We have this thing in New York. It’s called air conditioning. You guys should try it.”

Kore Rozzik also delivered the goods on arguably the album’s best tunes “Bitter Rat” and “Mistress” (ATM footage of the latter below), then played a more conventional cover. He dedicated “Hangar 18” to Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine’s announcement earlier this week that he’s battling throat cancer, and the band shined on its version as the video played. But Rozzik received his vengeance comeuppance on finale “Spellbound” as Strauss’ band took over the stage and ended both groups’ touring partnership in style before they each met with fans and posed for photos. Strauss will return to the area when Cooper headlines the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park on Monday, July 29, with Halestorm and Motionless In White (tickets here).

Pup Zenabi Instrumental Project fit right in to Strauss’ non-vocal theme on the local front. Guitarist and band leader Tony Astarita, as is his custom, took to the stage and joked, “If you know the words, sing along,” as he, bassist James Graham, guitarist Andrew Goodline and drummer Kris Ardolino performed tracks such as opener “Trip Wire” and finale “Slaying the Dragon.” They also debuted forthcoming track “Swept Away” (ATM Facebook Live clip here). The band gets tighter with every appearance, and Pup Zenabi will be returning to the Rock Box on Saturday, Sept. 14, opening for L.A. Guns in a show that should be officially announced in the coming days.

The Steel Soldiers, a more rock-oriented band, made a rare appearance at the Rock Box as the second artist on the program. Vocalist Supe Steele frequently made his way into the crowd to spice things up as the quintet played the likes of “You’re Not Foolin’ Anyone” and “Starburn” (ATM Facebook Live footage here) off their EP Starburn Chronicles; Vol. 1.

Wulfholt, which opened for Sacred Reich on the same stage May 25 when it debuted new bassist Elijah Raein, kicked things off with the likes of “Shattered Crown” and “Truth Shrouded” in a short but heavy-hitting set.

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Into the Pit: Upon A Burning Body shows a little Southern hostility

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Into the Pit: Upon A Burning Body shows a little Southern hostility

No matter the look, no matter the message, no matter the venue, a hometown show for Upon A Burning Body never gets old. For the band or its fans. The latest injection of metalcore infection came Saturday night at Paper Tiger when the boys who never bypass an opportunity to bleed San Antonio metal celebrated Friday’s release of Southern Hostility.

Upon A Burning Body’s fifth full-length album charges out of the gate with first single “King of Diamonds,” (watch ATM’s footage below), which ended up being the second song offered live after another new blistering track “All Pride No Pain.”

Prior to headlining the dingy, sweaty, storied venue formerly known as the White Rabbit, original vocalist Danny Leal and original guitarist Ruben Alvarez graciously went “Into the Pit” for an all-encompassing interview ranging from the new album, their collaboration with Ice-T, appearing on an episode of “Hardcore Pawn,” the much-maligned staged kidnapping of Leal to promote the release of 2014’s The World Is My Enemy Now, their groundbreaking 2014 Knotfest performance (coverage here) and other topics (watch below).

So after fellow local hardcore acts Ammo For My Arsenal, Coldcasket — fronted by Alvarez’s younger brother Thomas — Memories In Broken Glass, Donella Drive, and A Tragic Setback plus UABB labelmates Uncured warmed things up, UABB’s close friend Jose Mangin took to the mic to introduce the featured attraction. Prior to that, the host of Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal and Octane satellite radio programs spoke with ATM via Facebook Live about his second trip to the Alamo City (watch here). Mangin and Leal conceded to ATM that the radio host, who was a guest vocalist on “Till the Break of Dawn” on previous album Straight From the Barrio, would likely jam with the band in some capacity. Considering those facts and how far Mangin traveled, it was a stunner that no such collaboration materialized after all. Instead, Thomas Alvarez joined the group for a song.

But one expected aspect of a UABB concert didn’t disappoint. Following pit-stirring renditions of “The Champ is Coming,” “Already Broken,” “Remenissions” and “Sin City,” Leal, Alvarez, drummer Tito Felix and bassist Joe Antonellis ended with the mandatory “Texas Blood Money” (watch below). As the crowd sang “The stars at night are big and bright” in unison, members of UABB’s label and marketing company who also flew in for the show couldn’t help but get goose bumps to go with their sweat-infused foreheads in the sauna of the Paper Tiger.

Upon A Burning Body may have stopped wearing high-class suits on stage circa 2015 — a wise move considering the conditions of a typical humid June night in their hometown. But they still looked — and sounded — as sharp as a little Southern Hostility can come across when unifying a band and its dedicated fandom.

(Camera: Bonnie Archer)

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Return of Sacred Reich hits home for purveyors of S.A. Slayer

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Return of Sacred Reich hits home for purveyors of S.A. Slayer

When the discussion of thrash metal circulates at concerts, your local venue or maybe even around the barbecue pit, the usual suspects come to mind even beyond The BIg 4. Sacred Reich, however, often doesn’t even fall on the radar. Some of that may be due to its inactivity from 2000-06. But considering the band formed in the mid-’80s out of Arizona during arguably the peak of the metal scene, the biggest reason for Sacred Reich’s relative obscurity may remain the biggest mystery as well..

But it’s no time like the present for original vocalist/bassist Phil Rind to round up the gang again. And with a couple of twists. It was all on display last Saturday night at the Rock Box as Sacred Reich reminded an intimate crowd of maybe a couple hundred just how underrated it is. Get a taste by watching ATM’s footage of three songs below.

Even more relevant to many than the band’s return was who was playing the drums. Former S.A. Slayer — and, oh by the way, Machine Head — sticksman Dave McClain enjoyed a homecoming of sorts, returning to Sacred Reich last year for his second stint with the group. San Antonians, of course, remember McClain largely for his involvement with S.A. Slayer, which is widely known for the one “Slayer vs. Slayer” show in history it played on the same bill as The Big 4 version Nov. 30, 1984, at The Villa Fontana. McClain certainly didn’t forget, performing Saturday night in a Slayer — yes, his version — T-shirt. His former bassmate, Donnie Van Stavern of Riot V and S.A. Slayer, was on hand as well.

While McClain returned to Sacred Reich in 2018, rhythm guitarist Joey Radziwill is even newer — and much younger. Sacred Reich’s unique timeline as a band couldn’t have been put in much more perspective than when Rind announced the 22-year-old Radziwill hadn’t been born the last time they made an album — 1996’s Heal. But that’s about to change as Sacred Reich will release Awakening on Aug. 23. They unveiled the title track among other older favorites such as “Surf Nicaragua,” “Free” and “Ignorance” (watch ATM’s Facebook Live footage here; setlist in 45-photo slideshow below).

Sworn Enemy, out of New York, was the only other national act on the bill, and they hit hard. Touring in support of Gamechanger, released six weeks ago, Sworn Enemy can be seen in action here before ending its set with “We Hate” below.

Wulfholt and Beyond Black delivered the goods from a local standpoint. Wulfholt, which competed in March during the regional portion of the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle competition, will return to the Rock Box on Friday, June 21, opening for Nita Strauss and Kore Rozzik (tickets here). In the meantime, watch them perform “Truth Shrouded” here.

Beyond Black certainly didn’t mess around with easing into its set to kickstart the evening. Not when you only have 30 minutes to set the table for the featured acts. As an added bonus for Alamo True Metal, which was privileged to be the only publication on hand covering the show, Beyond Black performed in surprisingly bright lighting, mostly nixing the dreaded red display that virtually all opening acts — and even some recent headliners such as Hatebreed and Godsmack — utilize. Bassist Steve Pena acknowledged the group is working on new material, which they revealed here. You can also watch them close out with “Deviant Saint” below and check out their ReverbNation page here.

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Hatebreed's 25th anniversary package puts the heavy in hardcore

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Hatebreed's 25th anniversary package puts the heavy in hardcore

Hatebreed may only have been trying to celebrate its 25th anniversary when it destroyed everything Friday night at Vibes Event Center. But it ended up proving a couple of things in the process.

  • One: it only appears to be getting started as a band

  • Two: it doesn’t mess around when it comes to compiling a bill of no-nonsense, throw-it-down hardcore acts

Supported by Obituary, Agnostic Front, Prong and Skeletal Remains, the veterans from Connecticut returned to the Alamo City for yet another performance at a different San Antonio locale. Vocalist Jamey Jasta gave shout-outs to Sunset Station, Sunken Gardens and the White Rabbit — the latter once including a gig in which Hatebreed recruited a drummer the day of the show who learned the setlist during soundcheck — as Hatebreed tore through its career in as friendly of a volatile set as one can get.

Jasta could’ve also mentioned Vans Warped Tour and River City Rockfest visits at the AT&T Center (watch ATM’s 2016 chat from the latter with drummer Matt Byrne and bassist Chris Beattie here). But this initial performance at the Vibes hit hard as Hatebreed delivered the goods on “To the Threshold,” “A.D.,” “Looking Down the Barrel of Today,” “Doomsayer,” “Perseverance,” “Destroy Everything” and finale “I Will Be Heard,” among others (setlist in 55-photo slideshow below). Watch ATM Facebook Live footage of “Tear it Down” and “As Diehard As They Come” here (professional footage of Hatebreed was not allowed).

Jasta brought up the “eight or nine albums, covers album, 7-inches and all that shit” the group has put out during its array of Texas visits, which made one think of the fact Hatebreed has never put out a live record — 2008 DVD “Live Dominance” notwithstanding. That alone makes it all the more impactful upon metalheads and listeners in general to catch Hatebreed live whenever the chance presents itself.

Despite the celebratory mode of the occasion, arguably the biggest story of the night was one that purposely went under the radar. Obituary, direct support to Hatebreed, continued on without bassist Terry Butler — or any bass player — following the death of his daughter in a car accident on the first night of this leg of the tour. Butler’s two grandsons survived the accident, and he and his wife are reportedly taking care of them, forcing him to miss the tour. A GoFundMe page has raised just shy of its $30,000 goal. You can contribute here.

As for the show, the rest of Obituary carried on. It heavily succeeded, in more ways than one, in maintaining a business-as-usual mentality to the tune of “Slowly We Rot,” “I’m in Pain” (ATM footage below) and others.

Agnostic Front, the purveyors of hardcore and punk from New York since 1980, incited the biggest pits of the night despite mic issues plaguing vocalist Roger Miret for the first couple of songs. And that was before original rhythm guitarist Vinnie Stigma parked himself in the middle of the venue surrounded by a wave of South Texas maniacs (ATM footage below). MIret also shone the spotlight on 6-year-old Lucy, who was watching the bands from atop her father’s shoulders until they both were called up on stage. You can see the group, and Lucy, in action via ATM’s Facebook Live footage here.

Another longtime New York staple, Prong, brought its “Ultimate Authority” back to the area as frontman Tommy Victor, bassist Jason Christopher and relatively new drummer Aaron Rossi snapped a few fingers and necks along the way. Having most recently co-headlined with Helmet last year at Paper Tiger, Prong went on second out of the five bands in another example of just how strong this lineup was. See them play “Broken Peace” below.

Skeletal Remains, out of the Los Angeles area, kicked things off on the all-national-band program with a 6:30 p.m. start to its San Antonio death metal debut. Talk about getting your senses whacked into reality after a long work week segued into a metal concert. Watch ATM Facebook Live footage of them here.

Vibes Event Center, meanwhile, continues to evolve as it has added a third stage area within its spacious venue. Along with the regular Rock Box stage and the larger Vibes platform, Vibes Underground now has an intimate “smaller-show” corner along with two more bars and more than 10 private bathrooms. The basement portion has begun taking on acts that were originally scheduled for the recently shut down Jack’s Patio Bar — which, ironically, was where Agnostic Front’s previous San Antonio gig took place in 2015 — thanks to the tireless work of Micaela and Steve Rodriguez and their staff.

Jasta, meanwhile, promised a new Hatebreed album and return visit in the not-too-distant future. Sounds like an excellent occasion for Hatebreed to consider recording its first official live release in the Alamo City. Just a thought from a city that’s always persevered and treated them so well.

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Triple anniversary visit from Uli Jon Roth electrifies The Rock Box

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Triple anniversary visit from Uli Jon Roth electrifies The Rock Box

Although he has made visits to San Antonio every 2-3 years in recent memory, Uli Jon Roth’s latest return was nearly a full year in the making. But the original Scorpions guitarist’s better-late-than-never performance Friday night at the Rock Box remained what it was supposed to be last June — a thrice-as-nice celebration of a heavily influential career.

Celebrating 30 years of his post-Scorpions band Electric Sun, 40 years of the Scorpions’ inaugural recorded live effort Tokyo Tapes and half a century since his first concert in 1968, Roth again amazed guitar aficionados, longtime fans and casual observers alike in a nearly three-hour performance.

Covering Roth never gets old, whether it was on the 70000 Tons of Metal cruises in 2011 and 2017 (latter here), at the Rock Box or now-defunct Korova (interview here) or in concert form, a VIP meet-and-greet setting or at one of his insightful instructional clinics. But Roth’s 2019 return to the Box, after Visa issues derailed his scheduled 2018 tour, showed a rarely played side of the legendary German.

Once again backed by stellar vocalist/guitarist Niklas Turmann, southpaw guitarist David Klosinski and keyboardist Corvin Bahn, Roth was also joined by bassist Nico Deppisch and England native Richard Kirk on drums (see 34-photo slideshow including setlist below). This time, Roth’s two-part set featured Electric Sun material, his post Scorpions ‘80s band that released three albums, and songs that could be classified as “etcetera.” But those tunes should not be considered afterthoughts.

One such track was Roth’s ode to his brother Zeno Roth, who died Feb. 5, 2018, after a lengthy illness. Roth credited his brother’s songwriting ability and gave the audience a taste of it, while Zeno’s face appeared on the video screen, with “Don’t Tell the Wind” (ATM Facebook LIve footage here). Roth also showcased other Electric Sun songs such as “Why,” “Icebreaker” and “I’ll Be There” (ATM footage below).

After a 15-minute break, Roth returned with the anticipation of his yet-to-be-played Scorpions material lingering. But first, Roth took to the stage by his lonesome for a unique request of his own. Prior to playing “Passage to India,” the guitarist asked for silence of the crowd. “I don’t mind if you talk during the heavy stuff,” Roth said, adding that the acoustic tune was on the quieter side and would not go over well if he had to play above noise. Following that soothing piece, Roth offered up a cover of The Shadows’ “Apache” while breaking out a humorous take about the guitar he would use to play it before declaring, “Time to do some Scorpions” as the band launched into “We’ll Burn the Sky” (watch both songs below).

Roth’s hits from the original Tokyo Tapes and his modern-era Tokyo Tapes Revisited kept coming with “Pictured Life” and “Catch Your Train” (ATM Facebook Live footage of both here) plus “In Trance.” Although the tour press release said Roth would offer hits such as “Fly to the Rainbow,” he left that epic song off the menu. His only deviation from the printed setlist, too, was to omit his own vocally led “Dark Lady,” though Roth did sing other tracks on the night.

Roth was the second guitar guru to play the Rock Box/Vibes Event Center in 12 days following the appearance of Swedish maestro Yngwie Malmsteen (coverage here). While some might say Roth’s and Malmsteen’s personalities are like night and day, it’s not very debatable to say they electrify in their own way. For the German Scorpion, the final Texas stop on his triple anniversary tour was one to remember as a trifecta of guitar milestones.

And it left no wonder Roth invented the Sky guitar. Because the sky has always been the limit for a musician blessed to grace the music landscape with five decades worth of guitar wizardry and knowledge.

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Malmsteen the mesmerizer shreds through career with precision of blue lightning

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Malmsteen the mesmerizer shreds through career with precision of blue lightning

The maestro of metal guitar rode into the Alamo City last Sunday night for the first time in five years and owned the stage like few who’ve played the Vibes Event Center. So it’s only fitting Yngwie Malmsteen was touring in support of a work entitled Blue Lightning. The Swedish sultan of the guitar, who unleashes ferocity on the Fender with jaw-dropping skill and ease despite varying degrees of difficulty, demonstrated that his speed and precision can sometimes feel as if they strike like lightning (watch ATM Facebook Live footage of “Far Beyond the Sun”).

Blue Lightning won’t go down as one of Malmsteen’s best albums if for no other reason than it’s mostly a covers album — his interpretations of Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top tunes, to name a few, with a dash of originals he sings tossed in. Not when weighing this offering against Marching Out, Trilogy, Odyssey, Fire and Ice, Facing the Animal, Alchemy, Unleash the Fury, Relentless . . . the list goes on.

Alas, fans don’t come to hear Malmsteen’s voice. So on a night Robin Trower was laying down melodic licks at the Aztec Theater, We Came As Romans and Crown the Empire were catering to the younger crowd at the Paper Tiger and Sacred Star — yes, a local tribute to Malmsteen — were also performing, the Vibes’ general-admission floor was half closed and virtually half full to those who chose the magician. While Malmsteen sang his new title track, it felt as if he was allowed to have his one vocal moment in the sun. But of course, it was his finger work on the Stratocasters that mesmerized as only he can.

New York trio Sunlord provided direct support in the vein of Motorhead. Springfield, Missouri, quartet Paralandra was fronted by the powerful larynx and stylings of singer/guitarist Casandra Carson, and Byfist had the honor of being the lone locals on the bill (see 71-photo slideshow below). They all warmed things up for Malmsteen, who wisely continued to open his show with the only true tune that should begin all of his electric conciertos — “Rising Force.”

This time, however, the man who has dedicated his life to reinventing the art of guitar playing downplayed the use of vocals overall. In addition to “Rising Force,” “Seventh Sign,” “Like an Angel (for April)” and “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget” (ATM footage below) were relegated to one or two verses being sung rather than entirely played. Of course, a Malmsteen show is more a showcase of The Man rather than of a band, which is why Malmsteen perused 95 percent of the stage while vocalist/keyboardist Nick Marino, plus Malmsteen’s bassist and drummer, were relegated to a corner. The bassist may as well have been Ian Hill of Judas Priest given that while he was the only one of the other three capable of moving, he was clamped to one place for the nearly two-hour set. At least Hill chooses to play that way.

Some in the industry would say Malmsteen is all about himself, possessing an ego even higher than his stack of Marshall amps. The fact he was selling “Blue Lightning” tour T-shirts for $45 and a $435 meet-and-greet package — but hey, it included “free T-shirt and signing” — would lend further credence to those who hold that belief. Others might say Malmsteen has earned the right to throw such mountainous cash grabs at his fans after stamping himself as the king of the metal and neoclassical mountain.

So Malmsteen kicked his leg. He hurled his guitars overhead for his tour manager to catch and change out. And on at least one occasion, he motioned to his drummer to keep his eyes on him. Ever the showman, Malmsteen looked twice at his watch while holding the signature note on the first encore, 1984 instrumental “Black Star.” It’s all a part of his schtick almost as much as is Malmsteen’s numerous Ferraris and artistry on the axe. Judge for yourself with ATM’s footage below of a solo that incorporated “Trilogy Suite: Opus 5” and “Blue.”

Paralandra, making its San Antonio debut, provided a pleasant shade of fresh air and no-holds-barred rock. Guitarist Paul Carson, bassist Sawyer Rikard and drummer Nick Gray took the stage simultaneously, jamming for a couple of minutes before Paul’s daughter Casandra and her red high heels raised a few eyebrows and put the audience on notice it was in for an ear-piercing ride.

Casandra Carson tore into the band’s Ascension EP, released last summer, with an inkling of yes, Lzzy Hale’s vocals. Carson also fashioned herself after the Halestorm frontwoman, who has endorsed the band and publicly given Casandra happy birthday wishes, in vocals, wardrobe, and one other key aspect. During a 30-minute performance highlighted by “Never Without Me” and a no fanfare, no-introduction-necessary cover of Queensryche’s “I Don’t Believe In Love,” Carson informed the fans her band is all about believing in itself despite the naysayers or critics one runs into in life while holding true to themselves.

A viable fit for the genre indeed.

Byfist, meanwhile, kicked things off on a stage where it feels at home, even after a 6 1/2-hour soundcheck by Malmsteen forced fans to be let in late and the opening acts to cut into their stage time with soundchecks completed in the blink of an eye by comparison. Leading off with “Universal Metal,” the guitar solo to which by Ernie B. in part hearkens the riff to Dokken’s “Tooth and Nail,” Byfist delivered the local goods in fine fashion along with “Guaranteed Death,” “Scattered Wits” and “In the End.”

The concert options may have been aplenty. But there’s only one Malmsteen. As such, narrowing the choices became simple to those in attendance. Sunlord, Paralandra and Byfist made the rest of the showcase gravy on a night when the menu’s main course spritzed the Vibes Event Center with scintillating guitar licks like wine that only gets better with age.

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Congregation of metalheads heeds gospel of Metal Church & friends

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Congregation of metalheads heeds gospel of Metal Church & friends

It may not have been a Sunday, but church was in session last Friday night at the Rock Box. Metal Church once again preached the gospel of heavy music with the help of Phoenix natives Images of Eden, Atlanta rockers Halcyon Way, local veterans Isolaydead and San Antonio thrashers X.I.L. to a packed Box.

While the “Reverend” David Wayne has passed on as Metal Church’s original vocalist, his 1989 replacement Mike Howe returned to the Rock Box for the second time since undertaking his second stint in 2015 with the band led by guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof. Along with guitarist Rick Van Zandt, bassist Steve Unger and new drummer Stet Howland, Metal Church continues to forge on with Damned If You Do, another collection of heavy yet catchy tunes in the vein of XI, the album that signified Howe’s comeback.

Unilke Metal Church’s previous two visits — when Howe and Vanderhoof spoke with ATM, respectively, here and here — this time elicited a nearly sold out Rock Box. Not only were the Metal Church supporters out in full force, but so were musicians of various local bands such as Las Cruces and Metalriser in support of warmup acts Isolaydead and X.I.L. (see 71-photo slideshow below).

The latter’s lead guitarist, Joseph Aguilar, provided arguably the most metal occurrence of the evening when multiple strings broke during finale cover “The Witching Hour,” shortly after performing “Full Throttle Ass Kicking.” Aguilar persevered with “the show must go on” mentality before tossing his axe aside in disgust at set’s end. Catch them in action with ATM’s Facebook Live footage of “Speed Demons.”

Isolaydead kept the local flavor going after X.I.L. to the tunes of “Indignation,” “Life Feeds On Life” and “Obscene Deviation.” Singer/bassist Rick Vela and his trio also paid homage to Sepultura with “Attitude” before culminating with “Evil Wings,” all the while showing gratitude and appreciation for his peers who came out to support the support.

The national acts followed next with Halcyon Way vocalist Steve Braun doing something small yet very meaningful that most national acts don’t take the time to do. Prior to “Ten Thousand Ways,” Braun gave props to the bill’s local acts (and actually pronounced their names correctly) and encouraged its adopted-for-a-night “nailheads’ to do the same. He then explained how fill-in drummer Luka learned the band’s setlist in two days while undertaking only his fourth show with the group after Aaron Baumoel injured his arm and neck (ATM Facebook Live footage here).

Mohawked and sunglasses-wearing lead guitarist Jon Bodan provided his usual enthusiastic energy and death-metal backup vocals to Braun’s melodic harmonies, as he did when Halcyon Way opened for Sevendust in 2013 in the parking lot next door at the now-defunct Backstage Live/Alamo City Music Hall. The Georgia rockers performed five of their six songs from latest album Bloody But Unbowed, opening with the title track and adding intense offering “Blame” plus “The Church of Me” — told ya church was in session — and ending with the album’s closer “Desolate.”

Arizona natives Images Of Eden were making their San Antonio live debut but had to shorten their seven-song set by a couple of tunes. As the fourth warmup act on the bill and with things slightly behind schedule, Metal Church’s appearance was becoming overdue. But first, Images Of Eden offered up “Harvest Day,” “Godless” and “Shield Me.” Similar in style to their predecessors on stage, Images Of Eden made a more than respectful showing, as evidenced on “Twice Upon a Time.”

Alas, it would not have been fruitful to keep the night’s higher power waiting much longer. Metal Church came out strong with the title track to Damned If You Do, followed up with the only XI tune of the evening “Needle and Suture,” and harkened back to Howe’s debut Blessing In Disguise with MTV hit “Badlands.” Vanderhoof recounted how his 2017 visit resulted in a struggle with the flu but that he was much healthier this go-round. As such, Metal Church went back to The Dark with the likes of “Start the Fire” and “Watch the Children Pray,” the latter meshing with killer new track “The Black Things.” (ATM footage below).

Surprisingly, and a bit unfortunate for those who caught Metal Church’s previous two performances here, the night’s track listing was a virtual carbon copy of the show two years ago save for the new songs. Metal Church missed a golden opportunity to grace the diehards with Wayne favorites “Metal Church,” “Gods of Wrath” and “Ton of Bricks” along with Howe staples “Rest In Pieces (April 15, 1912)” — its ode to The Titanic’s demise — or “The Spell Can’t Be Broken.” At the expense of those, Metal Church unnecessarily repeated the lesser-known and average “Gods of Second Chance” and “No Friend Of Mine,” both from Hanging in the Balance. They did go back to the first album, however, with cult classic “Beyond the Black,” even though a backing track for Howe was evident. And “Start the Fire” satiated the appetite for awhile, leaving some of us wanting more.

Metal Church’s lone deviation from the printed setlist was flipping encores “In Mourning” and “Fake Healer” — which they remade with Queensryche vocalist Todd La Torre — choosing the latter as the finale. Two years ago, both of those songs opened the show.

One major difference for Metal Church this time was the appearance of drummer Stet Howland, who joined the group shortly after the 2017 Rock Box show. Howland not only has his stamp across several W.A.S.P. albums but also took part in Killing Machine with Helstar vocalist James Rivera and his one-time W.A.S.P. bassmate Johnny Rod. As such, Howland enjoyed his return to the Alamo City, happily fist-bumping fans, along with Howe, Vanderhoof, Unger and Van Zandt and meeting with many of them afterwards (see slideshow).

Considering Metal Church’s future looked bleak a decade ago after Vanderhoof announced the band was done, and Howe was practically in solitary confinement from making music, any return of the heavy gospel to San Antonio is a welcome sight and music to many ears. And while it’s a given with Vanderhoof at the helm that the Wayne era and Howe’s early material will always be an impetus for Metal Church’s persevering existence, hopefully they’ll dig deeper into their old stuff and, with the exception of must-haves such as “Watch the Children Pray,” pull out a new batch of classics on their biannual rotation of tour stops. That would certainly answer some prayers meant not just for the children, but those who spent a bulk of their adolescence listening to Metal Church’s wide array of timeless and influential metal.

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