Soundcheck411

Category: Reviews

  • P!NK Brings Her Beautiful Trauma Tour To Los Angeles

    P!NK
    April 19, 2019
    The Forum – Los Angeles, CA

       Pop legend, P!NK brought her Beautiful Trauma Tour to Los Angeles, CA earlier this May, to a sold-out crowd at the Forum. Many in the audience rocked P!NK’s iconic pixie haircut, showing how much they admired the singer/songwriter. The crowd itself was diverse but leaned toward the older crowd, fans who’ve been around and stuck around for a while.

    P!NK’s set consisted of 6 acts, with included wardrobe changes, stage scenery and stunts. This show felt like more than just a concert- it was like an entire Cirque Du Solei show, with P!NK swinging from her chandelier to kick off the set with Get TheParty Started. Her acrobatics alone were jaw-dropping, but combined with her vocals which didn’t seem fazed by the extreme movements, it was simply amazing.

    P!NK took a lot of time to engage with the fans- reading signs, signing arms, accepting gifts and high-fiving those lucky enough to be in the front row. She shared stories and somehow made a huge venue feel intimate.

    Her set was diverse, with a majority of songs being from her latest release, Beautiful Trauma.

    From her band to her dancers, to the acrobatics, and P!NK swinging through the entire Forum, this was a show, not a concert. P!NK has proven why she’s considered such an icon in the pop industry and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
    Review by: Nicole Lemberg

  • P!NK Brings Her Beautiful Trauma Tour To Los Angeles

    P!NK
    April 19, 2019
    The Forum – Los Angeles, CA

       Pop legend, P!NK brought her Beautiful Trauma Tour to Los Angeles, CA earlier this May, to a sold-out crowd at the Forum. Many in the audience rocked P!NK’s iconic pixie haircut, showing how much they admired the singer/songwriter. The crowd itself was diverse but leaned toward the older crowd, fans who’ve been around and stuck around for a while.

    P!NK’s set consisted of 6 acts, with included wardrobe changes, stage scenery and stunts. This show felt like more than just a concert- it was like an entire Cirque Du Solei show, with P!NK swinging from her chandelier to kick off the set with Get TheParty Started. Her acrobatics alone were jaw-dropping, but combined with her vocals which didn’t seem fazed by the extreme movements, it was simply amazing.

    P!NK took a lot of time to engage with the fans- reading signs, signing arms, accepting gifts and high-fiving those lucky enough to be in the front row. She shared stories and somehow made a huge venue feel intimate.

    Her set was diverse, with a majority of songs being from her latest release, Beautiful Trauma.

    From her band to her dancers, to the acrobatics, and P!NK swinging through the entire Forum, this was a show, not a concert. P!NK has proven why she’s considered such an icon in the pop industry and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
    Review by: Nicole Lemberg

  • Týr Makes Long-Awaited Return To The USA

    Týr
    May 20, 2018
    Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA
         Týr is a folk metal band from the Faroe Islands, a small group of islands located in Northern Europe. They announced their first USA tour since 2014 and fans were ecstatic to finally have them return for a headlining tour. The music and lyrics of Týr mainly deal with viking lore, mythology, and history. Their name comes from the god of law and justice in Norse religion. Accompanying them on tour was Orphaned Land, Ghost Ship Octavius, and Aeternam. Sunday night seemed like a nice day to hold a concert in LA which showed by the number of fans that showed up to support these bands that don’t often come to the US.
    Týr came out and started the show with Gates of Hell, a brand new song from their upcoming new album which is still untitled and will maybe see a release later this year. Upon starting the show, fans went wild as they started jumping and shoving as they were happy to see Týr after so long. The second song played was one of their more popular hits Blood of Heroes and drove the fans just as wild. Mare of My Night is another one of their popular hits and fans love singing along to it as well as moshing to it. Frontman Heri Joensen spoke to the crowd about how good it felt to be back as well as show his support for the bands he was touring with. Týr has a very fun and energetic stage presence as all the band members were seen happy and were clearly having lots of fun performing in front of their fans. Fans responded back by having fun of their own by chanting the band’s name, moshing, and singing along to the band’s catchy lyrics. Týr never had a dull moment in their show as they played tracks like Lady of the Slain, The Lay of Thrym, Hail to the Hammer, and By the Sword in My Hand. After an hour and a half of viking and folklore music, it was time to say goodbye. Joensen announced that the last song of the night would be “the other hammer song” which is the band’s most popular song and super catchy, Hold the Heathen Hammer High. The fans were happy to hear this and continued to sing and mosh to the song. The show ended and Týr the stage. Fans weren’t ready to go yet and chanted the band’s name. Týr listened and came back out. Joensen thanked the audience for coming out and treated them to a couple of encores which were Shadow of the Swastika and Ramund Hin Unge. The fans were given one last chance to go crazy and they made Týr proud. Týr finished their show and once again left the stage for a very satisfied audience. Hopefully it’s not another four years before Týr makes their way back to the states.
    Review by: Misael Ruiz

  • Týr Makes Long-Awaited Return To The USA

    Týr
    May 20, 2018
    Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA
         Týr is a folk metal band from the Faroe Islands, a small group of islands located in Northern Europe. They announced their first USA tour since 2014 and fans were ecstatic to finally have them return for a headlining tour. The music and lyrics of Týr mainly deal with viking lore, mythology, and history. Their name comes from the god of law and justice in Norse religion. Accompanying them on tour was Orphaned Land, Ghost Ship Octavius, and Aeternam. Sunday night seemed like a nice day to hold a concert in LA which showed by the number of fans that showed up to support these bands that don’t often come to the US.
    Týr came out and started the show with Gates of Hell, a brand new song from their upcoming new album which is still untitled and will maybe see a release later this year. Upon starting the show, fans went wild as they started jumping and shoving as they were happy to see Týr after so long. The second song played was one of their more popular hits Blood of Heroes and drove the fans just as wild. Mare of My Night is another one of their popular hits and fans love singing along to it as well as moshing to it. Frontman Heri Joensen spoke to the crowd about how good it felt to be back as well as show his support for the bands he was touring with. Týr has a very fun and energetic stage presence as all the band members were seen happy and were clearly having lots of fun performing in front of their fans. Fans responded back by having fun of their own by chanting the band’s name, moshing, and singing along to the band’s catchy lyrics. Týr never had a dull moment in their show as they played tracks like Lady of the Slain, The Lay of Thrym, Hail to the Hammer, and By the Sword in My Hand. After an hour and a half of viking and folklore music, it was time to say goodbye. Joensen announced that the last song of the night would be “the other hammer song” which is the band’s most popular song and super catchy, Hold the Heathen Hammer High. The fans were happy to hear this and continued to sing and mosh to the song. The show ended and Týr the stage. Fans weren’t ready to go yet and chanted the band’s name. Týr listened and came back out. Joensen thanked the audience for coming out and treated them to a couple of encores which were Shadow of the Swastika and Ramund Hin Unge. The fans were given one last chance to go crazy and they made Týr proud. Týr finished their show and once again left the stage for a very satisfied audience. Hopefully it’s not another four years before Týr makes their way back to the states.
    Review by: Misael Ruiz

  • Satyricon Kicks Off Final USA Tour In Los Angeles

    Satyricon
    May 13, 2018
    The Regent – Los Angeles, CA
          Norwegian black metal band Satyricon finally announced their first USA tour since 2009. The bad news is that the band also announced that this would be their final USA tour because they found it difficult to come to the USA and so they would be coming one last time to deliver black metal classics to their American fans. Fans were also happy to learn that the band’s drummer Frost would be joining the band as he is often not able to tour in the USA with Satyricon or his other Norwegian black metal band, 1349. The Los Angeles fans were so excited for their possibly first and last time seeing Satyricon that the show sold out weeks ahead of time.
    The Regent in DTLA was well beyond packed by the time that Satyricon was ready to hit the stage. Satyricon came out and started the show with Midnight Serpent, the first track from their newest album, Deep Calleth Upon Deep. The band sounded great live and fans were more than happy to show love to the band by starting a mosh pit. Satyricon next played Our World, It Rumbles Tonight and fans continued to mosh and headbang to the band’s music. The third song performed was Black Crow on a Tombstone and frontman Satyr allowed fans to sing along to the chorus as he would hold out his mic to the audience. Satyricon kept up the black metal vibe to their show as Satyr would let out his evil black metal vocals which gives the band the traditional black metal sound. Satyr has especially been brave about touring overseas since in October 2015, he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Surely singing and performing takes its toll on the man. Regardless, he always gives it his all in his performance. Satyricon kept up the black metal warfare as they performed classics like Now, Diabolical, Walk the Path of Sorrow, The Wolfpack, and Die By My Hand. Satyr let the audience know once again that it was hard for them to come out on this tour, but here they were finally and for the last time. Satyr thanked the audience for coming out and the band proceeded to play one of the band’s well-known hits, Mother North. Satyricon left the stage and all seemed to be over. The fans stayed, cheered, and chanted the band’s name. After a little while, Frost made his way back to his drum throne and fans cheered as they knew they were getting an encore set. The first encore was The Pentagram Burns. Fans once again went wild and moshed to the music. The final two encores were Fuel For Hatred and K.I.N.G. and they were performed flawlessly. Satyricon finished their brutal set, bowed to their fans, and left the stage to be seen for the final time.
    Review by: Misael Ruiz

  • Satyricon Kicks Off Final USA Tour In Los Angeles

    Satyricon
    May 13, 2018
    The Regent – Los Angeles, CA
          Norwegian black metal band Satyricon finally announced their first USA tour since 2009. The bad news is that the band also announced that this would be their final USA tour because they found it difficult to come to the USA and so they would be coming one last time to deliver black metal classics to their American fans. Fans were also happy to learn that the band’s drummer Frost would be joining the band as he is often not able to tour in the USA with Satyricon or his other Norwegian black metal band, 1349. The Los Angeles fans were so excited for their possibly first and last time seeing Satyricon that the show sold out weeks ahead of time.
    The Regent in DTLA was well beyond packed by the time that Satyricon was ready to hit the stage. Satyricon came out and started the show with Midnight Serpent, the first track from their newest album, Deep Calleth Upon Deep. The band sounded great live and fans were more than happy to show love to the band by starting a mosh pit. Satyricon next played Our World, It Rumbles Tonight and fans continued to mosh and headbang to the band’s music. The third song performed was Black Crow on a Tombstone and frontman Satyr allowed fans to sing along to the chorus as he would hold out his mic to the audience. Satyricon kept up the black metal vibe to their show as Satyr would let out his evil black metal vocals which gives the band the traditional black metal sound. Satyr has especially been brave about touring overseas since in October 2015, he has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Surely singing and performing takes its toll on the man. Regardless, he always gives it his all in his performance. Satyricon kept up the black metal warfare as they performed classics like Now, Diabolical, Walk the Path of Sorrow, The Wolfpack, and Die By My Hand. Satyr let the audience know once again that it was hard for them to come out on this tour, but here they were finally and for the last time. Satyr thanked the audience for coming out and the band proceeded to play one of the band’s well-known hits, Mother North. Satyricon left the stage and all seemed to be over. The fans stayed, cheered, and chanted the band’s name. After a little while, Frost made his way back to his drum throne and fans cheered as they knew they were getting an encore set. The first encore was The Pentagram Burns. Fans once again went wild and moshed to the music. The final two encores were Fuel For Hatred and K.I.N.G. and they were performed flawlessly. Satyricon finished their brutal set, bowed to their fans, and left the stage to be seen for the final time.
    Review by: Misael Ruiz

  • Trans Siberian Orchestra Takes Over Hershey, PA For A Holiday Show

    Trans Siberian Orchestra
    December 16, 2017
    Hershey, PA

         Trans Siberian Orchestra is known for their insane light shows and beautiful Christmas music but with a twist. The Orchestra has been touring for nineteen years and despite losing a few of their greatest members, the band holds their heads up high and continue to give their fans the traditions and show they all know and love.

    TSO usually plays 2 halves of a set. The first half being their The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve story, and then the second half being non stop music from their greatest hits.

    With story teller Bryan Hicks telling the story throughout the first half in between his narrative, songs that were played consisted of Good King Joy, Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) , Music Box Blues and ended with This Christmas Day.

    After the story Bryan Hicks said his goodbyes and lead guitarist Chris Cafferty took a moment to introduce the whole band/vocalists. As he ended the introduction the band immediately began the second half of the show, starting with Siberian Sleigh Ride. Throughout the second half of the set some songs included Beethoven, Wizards in Winter, A Mad Russians Christmas and ended the night with a reprise of Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24).

    Yet again TSO rocks the roof off the Giant Center and sure managed to get Hershey PA in the holiday spirit!

    Review by: Alyssa Howell

  • Trans Siberian Orchestra Takes Over Hershey, PA For A Holiday Show

    Trans Siberian Orchestra
    December 16, 2017
    Hershey, PA

         Trans Siberian Orchestra is known for their insane light shows and beautiful Christmas music but with a twist. The Orchestra has been touring for nineteen years and despite losing a few of their greatest members, the band holds their heads up high and continue to give their fans the traditions and show they all know and love.

    TSO usually plays 2 halves of a set. The first half being their The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve story, and then the second half being non stop music from their greatest hits.

    With story teller Bryan Hicks telling the story throughout the first half in between his narrative, songs that were played consisted of Good King Joy, Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) , Music Box Blues and ended with This Christmas Day.

    After the story Bryan Hicks said his goodbyes and lead guitarist Chris Cafferty took a moment to introduce the whole band/vocalists. As he ended the introduction the band immediately began the second half of the show, starting with Siberian Sleigh Ride. Throughout the second half of the set some songs included Beethoven, Wizards in Winter, A Mad Russians Christmas and ended the night with a reprise of Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24).

    Yet again TSO rocks the roof off the Giant Center and sure managed to get Hershey PA in the holiday spirit!

    Review by: Alyssa Howell

  • Poynte “Discreet Enemy” Album Review

    Poynte
    Discreet Enemy

            Atlanta, Georgia’s Poynte, release the follow up to their debut album; One More Day with the February 17th release of Discreet Enemy. The 11 title EPK (Released by THC Music/Ingrooves) offers up a fresh take on metal in this undying scene & promises to keep your head rocking from beginning to end. The album opens up with a 1 minute 15 second ominously, eerie intro that sends chills up the spine and Goosebumps along the arms just before lead vocalist Kenny Hathorne, shows us just what he can do during the track Take Control. By this point this photojournalist was easily hooked.
         Discreet Enemy is packed with instant hits, of in-time guitaring & in sync bass guitar & drums that really pull this album together… Picture Frames (A personal favorite) follows the opening track keeping the heads bobbing and the feet tapping as the drone synths begin this savory track, with some Brazilian beat backing the guitars every step of the way. Continuing the album with Hold On. Hold on being one of those Anthem type songs full of quick double bass faster guitaring and somber lyrics sure to strike a chord in the hearts of fans who hear it instantly.  “Every Day Is all the same; there’s got to be more to this life than living this way; Hold on” Following Hold On, with Aberration (another personal favorite) the track opens up with slight winning of the guitar and slowly bringing in the drums for this seemingly softer track. Then once you get use to the idea; BAM some heavy hard hitting guitar & bass punches you in the gut bringing you back to reality. In rapid succession the album kicked major ass with tracks like Erase Me; Nursery Crimes; Coping & What Will It Take before reaching The Villain.
         The Villain starts off with some processed drums and soft melodic synth guitar, slowly bringing you into the inner workings of the track mentally as your body relaxes to the soothing beat. Enter in some soft female vocals backing Kenny Hathorne & you’re hooked instantly. Last Embrace follows The Villain. Beginning the track with some reverberating, processed synth, throw in a slight crunchy yet melodic guitaring, then blows heads off with that heavy metal-core scream. Before I knew it, I had reached the end of the album with In My Head… This track begins like much of the album. Nothing short of phenomenal… Stabbing synths, bleeding in some melodic keys and BAM in your face guitar, bass & drums coupled with the arioso vocals of Hathorne.
          Discreet Enemy has it all; everything a true metal fan could want in one album. From the in time guitaring from Andrew Davis & Matt Bryant, to the syncopated drumming from Josh Fulcher with the phenomenal baselines of Jake O’Donnell. Last and certainly not the least. The many vocal styling’s of Kenny Hathorne, an amazing accomplishment for Hathorne as he survived a horrible scissor lift accident leaving the lead vocalist with a titanium jaw replacement… Those of you who experience this album will not regret one track. If you’re looking for something new, fresh and refuses to stop at unbelievably prodigious? This band and this album is right up your alley. Buy your copy NOW!
    Soundcheck411 Rating: 8/10
    Review by: Jared Wingate 

  • Teutonic Terror with Accept in Los Angeles, CA

    Accept

    September 12, 2014

    Saban Theater- Los Angeles, CA

           Heavy metal legends Accept went on a mini North American tour in support of their new album, Blind Rage. Metal Church was to be the support for the tour, but they dropped due to singer Ronny Munroe undergoing surgery. So instead, the heavy metal band Raven filled in.

    Accept is one of the biggest bands of the 80’s with many singles and metal anthems and have returned after a 15 year hiatus and have brought with them a new singer, Mark Tornillo making Blind Rage the third album with him. Fans of all ages eagerly waited for the show to begin. On September 12, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California at the Saban Theatre, both Accept and Raven were prepared to melt everyone’s faces with their musicianship.

    Raven Started things off nicely with their classic heavy metal-sounding music. The crowd was into them as they raised their fists in the air, sang along, head-banged, and anything else they felt like doing. Once they were finished, the stage was cleared to make way for the metal legends from Germany.

    Accept’s setlist composed of a range from newer material to their best known classics. They opened with the first track from their new Blind Rage album called, Stampede. Other songs for the night included: Restless and Wild, Teutonic terror, Ahead of the Pack, Stalingrad, and Pandemic. The song highlights had to have been their best known hits which were: Metal Heart, Fast as a Shark (which will get whoever is standing around to get crazy), and their metal anthem called Balls to the Wall. The entire time, the crowd was on their feet singing along, head-banging, and raising and pounding their fists in the air. The age diversity had to be one of the best parts. There were young fans, young adult fans, and the obvious Accept fans of the 1980’s. Accept never showed signs of slowing down and it was monstrous song after monstrous song. Accept have a long career ahead of them still and time itself will not slow them down!

    Review by: Misael Ruiz