Waimea, Sunset, blasting Slayer on the way to Haleiwa…
05.03.11 As I wandered the streets of Chinatown after a show, a mixture of thoughts about Hawaii’s local metal scene started bouncing around in my head. How is it that so many bands fail at making a lasting impact here in the islands? Is it that we just lack the longevity to crack the boundaries of the national music scene? It can’t be a lack of talent. Maybe it’s a lack of originality? (more…)
It’s OK, you can laugh and still be metal…
So there’s a hilarious Facebook group dedicated to the awesomeness that is Immortal. It has been around for a while so this is far from being news but I still think it’s worth mentioning.
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Photos: A Night of Metal Mayhem @ 4Play
03.24.11 A cut lip, a nice headache & a week of restricted neck movement are just a few things I gained after showing up to last week’s Night of Metal at 4Play. Although I arrived a bit late & left before the final band had a chance to destroy my eardrums any further, I still managed to capture a few images to show what a dandy old time I had thrashing around in front of the stage with camera in-tow. Photos of Before Fire, Upon Golgotha, Nesta and Jesus Wears Armani after this.
Metalfest 2010, pt.VI
04.17.10 Oddly enough I had never heard of the band listed as Metalfest’s headliners before the week of the show. I typed in the word Emmure into Last.fm and did a bit of preconcert research to see what I was in for. From what I gathered their sound was a mishmash of heavy breakdowns and random, sometimes catchy riffs, but not enough consistant hooks for me to discern their songs apart. Vocally, it was like Hatebreed and Limp Biskit were thrown into a blender and switched on puree. Not bad, a bit too A.D.D. for my tastes but I was very curious to see how they would translate live.
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Before Fire: in the beginning
Before Fire @ the Loft
12.26.09 Still pretty pissed off about Warbringer canceling their Hawaii dates, I had quite a bit of angst that needed to be released. Thank the metal gods Before Fire always deliver. (more…)
Before Fire Showcase
Here’s a few shots from Before Fire’s showcase at Sand Island R&B. Its nice to know there’s still a place were a guy can go to lose 50% of his hearing and 75% of his neck movement in a single night. Good times. (more…)
Whiplash
Say what you will about the island’s music scene going down the tubes, but every now and then a band will surprise you. There’s always that one band you can latch on that makes you eat your words. Anna Bannana’s held yet another Metalfest a few months back. (more…)