Nuoffer Media

Bayside

02/28/2023
Bayside
The Rave 2
Milwaukee, WI

The historic Rave hosted Bayside on their Just Like Home tour on a perfect evening. Nice and cool outside with a sizable line stretching down the street awaiting entrance into the facility. Notably, the age range of fans was vast. At this point, it was obvious they had crossed into the generational territory. With fathers with their kids camped out and everyone singing their favorite Bayside tunes in the parking lot you could say the anticipation of a fantastic heartfelt connection with the band was imminent. 

Entering the venue the room is lightly lit. Seeing as it is in the basement room, Rave 2, it makes sense. The haunted history of The Rave oozed from the pores of the building. Walking through the floor area in front of the stage you come across the merchandise area. You can tell Bayside made it as affordable as possible for their fans to purchase their favorite shirts and other items. One thing I did notice they did that a lot of other artists do not do is they were selling 3 limited edition vinyl variations of their album Sirens and Condolences.

With a lengthy setlist, the band performed at its peak for its entirety. They gave the fans everything they could’ve given. The welcoming and gracious feeling projected by Bayside kept you glued to them and feeling warm. It sent you back to your youthful days and experiencing these songs over for the first time again. Very rarely does one get the chance to dig up those sentiments again in their life. Bayside did it with ease and the ability to enjoy it themselves. Performance wise Anthony Raneri delivered a powerful vocal performance his words and lyrics struck the nerves of those in attendance. The front row filled with long-time fans sang nearly every word all night.  His guitar licks were smooth as he often leaned forward with one foot on the monitor. Next to him, energetic lead guitarist Jack O’Shea delivered tasty riffs like he was out of an 80s hair metal band. Spastic movements and flashy solos led one’s eyes to watch him perform over and over. The rhythm section consisted of bassist Nick Ghanbarian and drummer Chris Guglielmo. Both men were in perfect synergy together. Ghanbarian bounced around his half of the stage with enthusiastic vigor. His thunderous string strums rumble the hardwood floors. Only matched by Guglielmo’s base kick and snare snaps punching you in the chest.

This was a celebration of 8 albums spanning 20 years. These specific songs set a tone for everyone to enjoy. Bayside left the crowd feeling full inside. Their humble commentary in between songs felt like they were on a tour to simply deliver gratitude to a loyal fan base. It was fully reciprocated. Patrons slowly danced to songs and sang out chorus’ at full volume. The room was littered with faces smiling from ear to ear. Everything was about connection and leaving with a warm feeling inside. Bayside succeeded. They succeeded in such a massive way it left everyone hungry for more. Truly a cannot miss show.


Set List:
1. Big Cheese
2. The Walking Wounded
3. The Wrong Way
4. Sick, Sick, Sick
5. How To Ruin Everything (Patience)
6. Already Gone
7. They’re Not Horses, They’re Unicorns
8. Masterpiece
9. Strange Faces
10. Prayers
11. Numb
12. It Don’t Exist
13. Landing Feet First
14. Megan (Smoking Popes Cover)
15. Duality
16. Hate Me
17. Blame It On Bad Luck
18. Montauk
19. Don’t Call Me Peanut
20. Go To Hell
21. Devotion and Desire

Fleshgod Apocalypse

02/26/2023
Fleshgod Apocalypse
The Forge
Joliet, Il

A cool evening in downtown Joliet was the backdrop for this European metal barrage. The cool air was welcomed after a rather hard week. A line of metal heads lined itself down the street and wrapped around the corner. The panhandlers sat on stoops with flutes. No harassment, just a bucket, and music filling the air. The overall mood in line was anxious with hints of delight. A slate of artists that do not regularly tour the US made its way to the Chicago suburbs. The Forge is built for metal shows. The lighting softly illuminates the room. Once you enter the main floor the merchandise booths are straight ahead, and off to the left runs a full bar lit up with blue halogen lighting. Turning right into the room, it opens up and despite the two random structural supports in the middle, the area is fairly large. The stage sits about 5 feet off the ground and is painted entirely black. 

The stage setup is incredibly simple and spread out across the entire stage. Despite all of that, the props that are set up are decorative. The mic stands are made of wood. The appearance looks like something out of a mid-evil vampire film. The piano looked rustic with a dusty look to it. Not only that 3 candles sat on top of it projecting an aura over it. Lining the front of the stage stood small boxes with FA painted into the wood. The boxes stood there for the performers to lean on. At the back of the stage, a riser ran the entire width of the performance area. The drum kit sat in the center of the riser. The stage consistently had a smokey haze drifting over it. The ambiance was perfectly set up for this explosion of symphonic death metal.

The Italian metallers delivered on their unique brand of ear pleasure. The dreadful feeling looming over the stage and floor, Fleshgod Apocalypse appeared one by one when their specific parts to the opener Fury fired up the room. An instant shift in the barricade upfront occurred and a small pit opened up. Bodies moved violently and thrashed their way around the front of the floor space. Having been away from the States for 3 years, Fleshgod Apocalypse unleashed everything one could imagine. The macabre artistry established the mood with extreme accuracy.  The band was anchored by two very different vocalists. Francesco Paoli is of the death metal variety and Veronica Bordacchini is the operatic style. Both alternated their powerful vocals. They were fully engaged with the audience in front of them. Often pointing and waving toward them. Paoli also carried rhythm guitar duties next to Fabio Bartoletti on lead. Bartoletti wasn’t one to move around, but his complex riffs made that ability a tough item to accomplish. He expertly ripped through the strings with perfection. It was a sight to behold. Bassist Paulo Rossi was a violent hair-swinging madman. His ground-shaking bass licks were quick and bone-shaking. They were only matched by the double-kick bass slams of drummer Eugene Ryabchenko. Ryabchenko slayed his massive drum kit. The precision of his play drove the entire band’s tempo. Finally, came hypeman and piano maniac Francesco Ferrini. His presence was felt throughout the entire performance. His play added layer upon layer. When he was smashing his piano tucked along the side stage he was all over the stage whipping the crowd into additional frenzy.

Overall, it was an impressive display of art blending with metal. The dark, smokey ambiance that filled the air set the mood effectively. Once the evening ended many left in amazement. The others like myself stood in the merch line waiting to pick up a shirt or album. The Italian metalers came and conquered Joliet. Their brand of music was a unique take upon the standard death metal coming from Europe. There was no doubt they have mastered their craft. With a handful of releases to their name, one thing is clear, they are masters of their specific craft. Needless to say, Fleshgod Apocalypse is a must-see performance.


Setlist:
1. Fury 
2. Healing Through War
3. Sugar
4. No
5. Minotaur
6. The Praying Mantis Strategy
7. Monnalisa
8. The Violation
9. The Fool
10. Epilogue
11. The Forsaking


Stand Atlantic

11/08/2022
Stand Atlantic
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Setlist:
1. Hair Out
2. Switchblade
3. Jurassic Park
4. Pity Party
5. Deathwish

Jinjer

11/07/2022
Jinjer
House of Blues
Chicago, IL

On a blustery and chilly evening in the Windy City, things were going to be heating up very quickly. Nonetheless, a line grew seemingly out of nowhere. This line was littered with band t-shirts and heavy eyeliner. The classic House of Blues venue was the location for one of the most anticipated returns of one of heavy metal’s soon-to-be heavyweights, Jinjer. Jinjer had their entire lives turned upside down when their home country of Ukraine had been invaded. This forced them to pull out of their much anticipated showing on this past Summers Knotfest Roadshow tour with the legendary Slipknot. Since then their focus has been on home and rightfully so. All of the sudden, out of nowhere they were allowed to leave the country and play festivals in Europe which eventually led to this monumental return to the US. 

As patrons rushed into the pirate-themed room they either headed to the front row or up the stairs to the merch booth. The back hall was packed wall to wall with patrons all night. The merch booth had been filled with tour shirts and the return of 2 old shirt designs from their very first US run. They also carried a plethora of knick-knacks and vinyl copies of their latest release Wallflowers. An album the band is currently out on the road promoting. There was a real buzz about the new album in the conversations all around. A lot of the chatter focused on how much of the new album they were going to play. Inevitably, time would only tell that story. This 4 piece delivers nothing but pure energy and fire. From the first moment, the band takes the stage a buzz filled the tightly packed room. The stage itself was large and fairly deep. Running along the back of the stage ran a long digital panel that blasted a visual display synced with the songs performed. The rest of their setup was bare bones. Simply just necessities.  

Drummer Vladislav Ulasevich is the first to take the stage. With his kit sitting on a drum stand about a foot above the stage he leers out and waves to the eager crowd. This performance alone is worth the ticket. The ease of his arm motions and the cleanliness of his snare slaps are the polar opposite of his calm demeanor. The level of violence performed upon his kit is a mastery of his craft. The rhythm section’s other half Eugene Abdukhanov delivers ground-shaking and soul-penetrating bass riffs. He makes it look extremely easy. Hovering over a metal stand on stage left, he whips his tied-back hair around his head while remaining focused on his finger placement. Sonically they are an in-tune unit and drive the band’s devastating pace. 

Across the stage, Roman Ibramkhalilov, the highly talented riff master, often looked over the swooning crowd. Foot stomps accompanied every brutal breakdown he laid out between his frequent walking around. The area he roamed was limited as he frequently walked back and checked his tuning and tone. This extra area provided one of the best vocalists in metalcore, Tatiana Shmailyuk, room to prowl and rumble while commanding the adoring audience’s attention. Her vocal range was on full display.  Her effortlessly singing, genre changes, and time signature diversity were equally matched with a ton of ferocious growls and deep and at times guttural screams that resonated throughout the classic venue. Tatiana was so active despite small issues with the in-ear monitors that her trademark movements had her swinging her hair in a circle while head banging and leaning way back with one foot up on a metal platform at center stage screaming into the air. All in all, they were in peak performance mode.

Jinjer always seems to know how to capitalize on their technical abilities in live performances. Their catalog of music is all about dead-on timing and precision. As a band, they are second to no one in their overall impact on those watching. You physically feel the power and vibes being dished out. Armed with three EPs and three full-length albums with their current lineup, it gives fans of all lengths of time something to love within their diverse set list. 15 songs all with contrasting styles. The synced lighting was immaculate. it shot over the raised hands and swirling mosh pit. Nothing they performed was uniform either. Whether it was the reggae-like Teacher, Teacher!, or the ballad to death metaled Vortex, Jinjer had the captive audience eating out of the palm of their hand. There was no doubt that Pisces was the clear fan favorite and overall best singalong of the evening. Jinjer is the band that keeps on giving. Everything they put on albums is gold. Their talents are undeniable. Every time they tour they bring out a rowdy and well-produced metal shindig. Clearly, the word is out. Their shows generally sell out within a day or two. A lot of this has to do with once you see them you know you have to see them again. The show is an experience one doesn’t forget.


Setlist:
1. Sit Stay Roll Over
2. Teacher, Teacher!
3. Copycat
4. Homeback
5. I Speak Astronomy
6. As I Boil Ice
7. Judgement (& Punishment)
8. Dead Hands Feel No Pain
9. Vortex
10. Who’s Gonna Be The One?
11. Sleep of The Righteous
12. Call Me A Symbol
13. Perennial
14. Pisces
15. Captain Clock

POD

11/07/2022
P.O.D.
House of Blues 
Chicago, IL

Setlist: 
1. Revolucion
2. Boom
3. Murdered Love
4. Rock The Party
5. Sleep Awake
6. Sound Boy Killa
7. Youth of The Nation
8. When Angels & Serpents Dance
9. Drop
10. Southtown
11. Alive

Narcotic Wasteland

10/13/2022
Narcotic Wasteland
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

On a brisk evening, The Rave parking lot was quite active, with tailgaters blasting all sorts of metal tunes. The atmosphere was festive. The beer and drinks were flowing. The line to enter the venue moved quickly. Entering the basement room of The Rave you see a stage straight ahead and merchandise stands off to the left. Both sides of the room had bars open and full of patrons. 

Narcotic Wasteland took the stage and the floor in front of the stage was filled. There was no room to stand. Off to the left side of the stage had tables and chairs. Patrons stood on them to get a view. Frontman and founder Dallas Toler-Wade casually took the stage and laid into the first riffs of the night. The lead man is a veteran of the metal scene. He knows what it takes to put on a great performance and he did just that. Through his raspy and scratchy vocals, the lyrical content hits a nerve. With nothing but an honest description of the times and tales, we weave in these shaky times it surely turned heads. Toler-Wade’s guitar playing stood out. Shredding through chord progressions with ease. His fellow guitarist visually gave off shades of the great Dimebag. Wavy hair draped over his face while holding his guitar upright he slashed through the speedy riffs in a defiant way. Across the stage, on the left, bassist Chris Corcione, went full America on everyone while sporting American flag pants that shined brightly in the darkened room. His playing though was brutal. He laid down the room shaking low end while hugging the front of the stage. Absolutely relentless. Smashing away on the drum kit directly behind Wade-Toler center stage was touring drummer Joseph Howard. With his headphones on he laid waste to his kit and at times delivered backing vocals when needed. The technical prowess of his abilities was on full display. The entire pace of the show depended on his capabilities and he delivered. 

All in all, Narcotic Wasteland brought its brand of thrashy goodness to the famed Rave venue. They blasted the anxious crowd with face-melting sounds. The crowd reciprocated the love with some slam dancing in the pit and screaming up front on the barricade. With a set list that covered both of their releases 2014’s Narcotic Wasteland and 2017’s Delirium Tremens. These South Carolina metallers meant business and cashed in. Hell, afterward they even hung around and treated fans by sticking at their merch booth. These days it is a rare occasion to see that. Narcotic Wasteland is worth the price of admission. No cheap gimmicks, just straightforward metal.

Setlist:
1. Pharma Culture
2. Keeping Up With The Joneses
3. Bleed and Swell
4. Killed By The Algorithm
5. The Best Times Have Passed
6. You Will Die Alone
7. Anthem For The Mentally Scarred
8. Coastal Killings
9. Return To The Underground
10. Introspective Nightmares

Trivium

10/11/2022
Trivium
The Sylvee
Madison, WI

Trivium roared into Wisconsin’s capital city, Madison, WI on a  cool and rainy Tuesday evening. The streets in front of The Sylvee were bustling. With concert-goers fully waiting in a line that pushed down the block and around the corner, the anticipation of pushing through the security gates to position themselves along the front barrier was at a fever pitch. Once entering the facility the bar was at least a few people deep. Around the corner, the merchandise stand was packed full of specialized tour shirts, flags, vinyl, and even a jacket. All very quality buys. Once you finish up shopping and grabbing a drink the main floor is behind you. Heading down the stairs and into the pit the room opens up. Above the main floor, two more levels with seating and suites present themselves. The hardwood stage runs the entire length of the main floor. The ceilings are high and hold extensive lighting equipment. Every band is fully back-lined on the stage because of its massive depth. 

This Deadmen and Dragons tour brought the band back to Madison for the first time in 6 years. They are coming off releasing their newest album, In The Court of The Dragon back in October 2021 to massive critical acclaim within the hard rock and metal world. To many, the release is their best piece of work. The stage decoration ran the entire length. The drum platform sat above the main stage with an emblem of a dragon in gold coloring in front. On each side of the drum kit ran a small walkway that had red canvases over them. At the front of the stage, stone-like pillars were formed into the shape of dragons. The stage aesthetic was perfect.

Heading onto the stage the band was met with an explosion of applause. With a few hand waves and smiles, they jettisoned themselves into the first song of the night. Trivium features two incredible guitarists Corey Beaulieu and vocalist Matt Heafy. Beaulieu often head bangs and whipped his hair around while shredding his custom 6-string Jackson guitar. His backing vocals were loud and overpowering. Often he switched lead parts with his ultra-popular frontman. Matt Heafy is known for a few things; he shreds with ease and sticks his tongue out while doing it, then delivers punishing vocals. Vocally, it was a riveting performance that lead to plenty of moments for the crowd to sing along. This was extremely noticeable during The Heart From Your Hate. The frontman often pulled back from the center microphone and walked up to the front ledge of the stage to his unique riffs. While leaning over towards the front row, Heafy would have his tongue out nodding his head up and down. His fingers worked ultra-fast and cleanly picked through the intricate riffs. The guitar Gods came to the Badger state and displayed a level of expertise that very few have. The rhythm section consists of Paulo Gregoletto on bass and Alex Bent on drums. Paulo was phenomenal. You felt his bass thundering and room-shaking licks vibrate through your body. His energy was infectious and often supplied a multitude of smiles to the already enthused crowd. Often he provided backing vocals as well. In Waves, the closing track gave him the opportunity to flex his vocal capabilities and the bassist slayed it. Perched above the stage, drummer Alex Bent rolls through his kit with ease. He snapped on the snare with lightning-fast efficiency while delivering booming double-bass kicks in rapid succession. There was no doubt left behind that he kept the foursome in time with the recorded versions of their songs. 

All in all, Trivium gave the crowd every ounce of energy they had. Their passion for performing in the live setting was well received by The Sylvee’s crowd. Trivium has always delivered deep cuts within their setlist and always picked songs for themselves other than what most would expect. Songs like The Skyline’s Severance and Shogun are rare treats to the dedicated fan base. One would never expect them to perform those tracks with such an expansive catalog of radio singles to choose from. It is a big reason why attending a Trivium show is so special. You never know what you’re going to hear from them. The business approach to performing is refreshing, but they take time to give commentary between tracks. These breaks are often comical moments or shouts of appreciation. They gave their hearts and talents to the evening. Judging by the number of circle pits and crowd surfers that kept security busy the mass of metalheads noticed. Pretty safe to say, that if you weren’t there you missed out on an amazing experience. Trivium is the cream of the crop when it comes to performance.


Setlist:
1. IX
2. What The Dead Men Say
3. Into The Mouth of Hell We March
4. The Sin and The Sentence
5. The Skyline’s Severance
6. Amongst The Shadows and The Stones
7. The Shadow of The Abattoir
8. In The Court of The Dragon
9. To The Rats
10. The Heart From Your Hate
11. Shogun
12. Like Light To The Flies
13. In Waves

Cavalera

10/06/2022
Cavalera
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

On a cool Thursday evening in Milwaukee, Wi The Rave parking lot was littered with people waiting in lines decked out in patch-laden vests and black clothing. That crisp air never mattered to those partying in the lot. The line stretched down the and into the parking stalls. Once the doors opened the line filed through the historic Rave doors and into the basement room. The room is large and at one time was a bowling alley. The floors are hardwood and run the entire length of the room. On both sides of the room are bars that are always packed full of patrons. This night was no different. At the merch table, the line was long but it moved quickly. The variety of tour-specific items and shirts was plentiful. The room filled up quickly and the bodies were packed in tightly. Various Soulfly and Sepultura shirts were being worn. The fandom showed up in droves.

On stage and a huge banner was draped across the length of the back of the stage. In orange type, it simply spelled out Cavalera. The brothers Igor and Max Cavalera, the namesake and masterminds behind the early years of Sepultura have no issues letting you know they are the talent. In the realm of the metal universe, everyone knows but loved the Cavalera signage everywhere. The brothers took the Cavalera road show out across the country to celebrate two albums they created together while in Sepultura. The albums “Arise” and “Beneath The Remains” were to be performed in full. This creative force delivered a performance for the ages. Partnered with their 2 touring companions Mike Leon on bass and Daniel Gonzalez on lead guitar they pulverized the anxious crowd. With Igor’s massive drum kit set up in front of the backdrop, you could barely see him over the top of the chrome framing holding his kit in position. When you did get a glimpse of him he often unleashed snarls and views of his clamped teeth. He moved with efficiency and power. The snare snaps resonated through the celebrated music venue while the rapid firing of his bass drum pounded away and shook the floor. From the start, his play motivated the mosh pit’s rowdiness.

With bodies flying around the room, Max was up on the center-stage mic stand projecting out the lyrics to the classic songs they wrote back in the late 80s and early ’90s. His voice was pristine and full. He screamed so loud it often projected well past the front of the stage on its own. Obviously, he had a ton of pent-up energy to let loose on the evening. He looked like the Max of years past. His fingers were ripping through guitar riffs and forcing the audience to respect the greatness they were witnessing. The smiles and grins while head banging and foot stomping was noticeable from the get-go. He moved freely around the entirety of the stage and often commented and thanked the whipped-up crowd for being there. In reality, though they should’ve thanked them. This was peak Sepultura and it was undeniable.

Spending an evening watching two of the classic Sepultura albums being performed by the original writers almost 30 years later is a priceless experience. The brothers Cavalera struck a chord with those who came to celebrate. The mood was rather joyous on the way out. The comments from patrons were completely positive and expressed how great it was to see these albums being performed. Whether the Cavalera brothers make future runs performing other albums or not this moment in time will be forever cherished. If you were not there then you missed out on an epic experience.

Setlist:
1. Beneath The Remains
2. Inner Self
3. Stronger Than Hate
4. Mass Hypnosis
5. Sarcastic Existence
6. Slaves of Pain
7. Lobotomy
8. Primitive Future
9. Arise
10. Dead Embryonic Cells
11. Desperate Cry
12. Murder
13. Altered State (with War Pigs and Territory mixed in)
14. Infected Voice
15. Orgasmatron (Motorhead cover)
16. Troops of Doom (Raining Blood intro)
17. Intro
18. Beneath The Remains/Arise


Bewitcher

10/06/2022
Bewitcher
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Touring in support of Cavalera

Setlist:
1. Ashe
2. Death Returns
3. Satanic Magick
4. Speed Til You Bleed
5. Cross, Too Fast
6. Hexenkrieg
7. Valley of The Ravens
8. Black Speed
9. Sin is in Her Blood
10. Bewitcher


It Is Dead

10/06/2022
It Is Dead
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Local opener for Cavalera

Setlist:
1. Black Swarm
2. Hell Is Now
3. Cathedral
4. Fields
5. Crucify
6. Womb

Spite

10/05/2022
Spite
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Setlist:
1. Lord of The Upside Down
2. Caved In
3. Made To Please
4. IED
5. Snap
6. Psychopath
7. The Root of All Evil
8. Kingdom of Guts
9. Hangman
10. Dedication To Flesh
11. Despise
12. Kill or Be Killed
13. Crumble

Carnifex

10/05/2022
Carnifex
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

On a dark and chilly Wednesday night in Milwaukee, WI, a line of people dressed up in black with chains and their faces painted waited in a line stretched across The Rave parking lot. The fans were there for the chaos of Carnifex. The Rave 2  was the perfect room for this performance. The large and wide hardwood space is dimly lit and once the stage smoke started building up the overall atmosphere set in and the temperature rose. The stage was hazed over, but a simple row of 6 lights ran across the back and shined orange and red. On the front ledge, three metal risers were accompanied by smoke machines releasing the smoggy mist into the space.

Vocalist and band founder Scott Ian Lewis arrived on stage looking almost to have floated to the front and unleashed a hellish growl. Through the orange and strobed lighting, the glimpses of Lewis dishing out gestures related to lyrical content. His voice was full and angry. Off to the right of the stage, Niel Tieman the newest member slashed through riff by riff. His precision and technical prowess were matched by his counterpart across the stage. Corey Arford has been a stalworth at the lead guitar spot for this lineup and it showed. He picked his way through the classic album’s track efficiently and delivered it all with a grin. The pair were mightily impressive. The rhythm section delivered and fast pace and booming performance. Fred Calderon smashed his feet down and dropped low head banging and shaking the room on bass. His Acacia Gladius 5-string bass hummed and vibrated. The dark smoke-filled stage rarely gave a glimpse of drummer Shawn Cameron, but he demolished the skins. The snare pops filled the air while his double bass kicks rocked the historic floorboards of The Rave. 


Carnifex was on the road to honor 15 years of their first full-length release “Dead In My Arms”. The death metal journeymen have rocked the Rave a multitude of times. This time though the celebration delivered a unique experience. A front-to-back playing of their freshman debut. Frontman Scott Ian Lewis at one point informed the hellish crowd that they are even performing “A Winter’s Remorse” a song they have never performed live as a band until this tour. Special moments. Anniversary tours have turned into the best performances and dedications to one’s fan base and an artist’s work. This spectacle was absolutely worth attending and those that attended knew it as well.

Setlist:
1. Intro
2. These Thoughts Became Cages
3. Slit Wrist Saviour
4. Hope Dies With The Decadent
5. Lie To My Face
6. Love Lies in Ashes
7. A Winter’s Remorse
8. Collaborating Like Killers
9. My Heart in Atrophy
10. Dead in My Eyes
11. Dead in My Arms
12. Die Without Hope
13. Graveside Confessions
14. Drown Me in Blood
15. Hatred and Slaughter
16. Hell Chose Me

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