Mercyful Fate: 8th November 2022- The Fillmore Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD

The Fillmore is a smaller venue with a comfortable-looking balcony on either side of the stage. However, the floor itself is quite small and I felt really far away at my initial landing spot.

I hadn't seen Mercyful Fate since October of 1996, the night the New York Yankees won the world series. Quite a long time.

Highlights were The Oath and Black Funeral, really. The setlist was a bit brief and the new song simply doesn't catch me.

(unfinished review)

1. The Oath
2. A Corpse Without Soul
3. The Jackal Of Salzburg
4. Curse Of The Pharaohs
5. A Dangerous Meeting
6. Doomed By The Living Dead
7. Melissa
8. Black Funeral
9. Evil
10. Come To The Sabbath
11. E: Satan's Fall

Wardruna: 14th October, 2022 - Warner Theather, Washington, DC

A fantastic show with the family. Diverse crowd, some phenomenal songs and a nice speech at the end, before Helvegen. Some drunk woman was being obnoxious, unfortunately. Such a cool night with my wife and kids. I loved this show.

1. Kvitravn
2. Skugge
3. Solringen
4. Bjarkan
5. Lyfjaberg
6. Tyr
7. Isa
8. UruR
9. Grá
10. Rotlaust Tre Fell
11. Fehu
12. Odal
13. Helvegen
14. E: Voluspá (Skaldic Version)

Elton John: 24th September, 2022 - National Park, Washington DC

I purchased these tickets for Erin well over a year ago and the time finally arrived to cash-in on her birthday gift. The drive into the city was an easy one, arriving in just an hour but the search for a parking spot was easily half of that, driving to and fro seeking an available (and affordable) lot. One cost $80. No thanks.

Upon landing a garage, we walked to the stadium, the first ballpark I've ever visited outside of old Yankee Stadium. We were ravenous so we found a small place across the street. Two strong drinks each and some delicious burgers totaled about $100, not as outrageously-priced as I had expected. We finished up, crossed the street and started the long process of getting to our 300-level seats.

We sat on the 3rd-base line, with the stage set in the outfield and with huge screens, we had a great view of everything. It wasn't even five minutes after arriving when Sir Elton John emerged and the long show began.

As Erin is a much bigger fan, I expected to like, not love, this show. I was wrong. He blasted through decades of hits including several I knew - but didn't know I knew - and the 75-year-old was simply rocking. I was impressed throughout at just how rock-and-roll it all was. One highlight for me was Rocket Man, a song I don't particularly like. After the main song ended, it digressed into a peaceful piano piece with Elton John wailing - everything echoing through the massive venue. However, it then grew in intensity before returning back to a fantastic rock-and-roll ending.

The singer took moments to talk to the crowd, to reflect on his history and to properly say, “goodbye,” to the sold-out house. The fitting closer, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was both beautiful and magical and was met with somber-yet-happy response from the thousands of fans, their blinking headsets and unique attire.

(unfinished review)(setlist link)

At The Gates: 29th August, 2022 - The Fillmore Silver Spring, Silver Spring, MD

Progenitors of the much-heralded Gothenburg Sound, my At The Gates experience began with Slaughter Of The Soul, a near-perfect record and one that led to their breakup just as I discovered them. Almost two decades later, their return with At War With Reality was a phenomenal homecoming. Material since has been far more varied and much-less consistent, but I love that they're not chasing the unattainable.

I never got to see the band despite the years of adoration. That is, until Sweden Rock 2019. What a great show. Deep down, however, I don't think they're the best band live. But when it was announced they were playing all of SOTS, that legendary record, purchasing a ticket for the merely-an-hour-away show was a no-brainer.

I met up with Tim, Erin's co-worker from our time in Gothenburg and we caught Municipal Waste. I wasn't impressed. The opener, Enforced was actually really good.

At The Gates emerged with a newer song, one which didn't really inspire the crowd. They then moved into the title tracks of their first two re-grouping records - which are each album's best songs - and a lone, pre-SOTS track, The Swarm. A few more newer tracks got people hyped until the real draw started. Unfortunately, some of the crowd's hype dwindled as the set went on, but that's really a testament to how good the first songs from Slaughter really are.

Municipal Waste's drummer joined the band on Unto Others and the intensity stayed high the entire night, though the crowd was a little less physical than some of my recent metal shows. The circle pit was generally subdued and only during the biggest songs was it at full health. My ankle injury wasn't helped by this evening. See if that stops me from joining the fray at the next metal concert I attend!

They ended with The Night Eternal, one-by-one disappearing from the stage. Love that song.

1. Spectre Of Extinction
2. At War With Reality
3. To Drink From The Night Itself
4. The Swarm
5. Death And The Labyrinth
6. Touched By The White Hands Of Death
7. The Book Of Sand (The Abomination)
8. --Slaughter Of The Soul--
9. Blinded By Fear
10. Slaughter Of The Soul
11. Cold
12. Under A Serpent Sun
13. Into The Dead Sky
14. Suicide Nation
15. World Of Lies
16. Unto Others
17. Nausea
18. Need
19. The Flames Of The End
20. E: The Night Eternal

Testament / Exodus: 30th April, 2022 - Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ

It's been a few years since most of us have seen a live concert and the sensation of revisiting the hallowed (filthy) halls of clubs and seedy venues really is that of jubilance and long-missed familiarity. I drove up after school, a long Friday-evening jaunt to New Jersey and on Saturday afternoon, we hit the venue in the late afternoon. After waiting in the lot with some of Mat's friends, I headed in and missed a pair of Exodus songs. That was OK as I muscled my way through the sold-out Starland Ballroom to land myself front and center as it must be. The short setlist ran through a few new tracks and one from most albums prior. The middle of the set was just fantastic, with a tremendous rendition of Deathamphetamine, a catchy intro to Blacklist and a song I never thought I'd see: Only Death Decides. While the latter wasn't as popular with everyone, I was so psyched to see an Impact Is Imminent representation. The harmony in the middle was just phenomenal and was one of the high points of the night. After another new song which didn't go over too well with those in attendance, the finale was just crushing. Bonded By Blood was short and a crowd pleaser. By this point, the pit was at its peak - a continuous circle moving counter clockwise. Fans were flying over the top. It was fucking brilliant. Toxic Waltz was next, with Gary teasing Cold Gin and Raining Blood before diving into their most familiar track. I was a sweaty mess by this point and the circle continued. The band's final offering was Strike Of The Beast and we fans indulged ourselves with a traditional wall of death. Just perfect - the whole set was brilliant. It must be said that the band was top notch. Zetro has lost weight and was full of energy. Tom was ripped and on fire despite his recent surgeries. Gary and Lee were having fun and the whole band was on its game. This also marks the first band I've seen in four decades: the '90s, '00s, '10s and '20s. I've seen them four times and this may have been the best. However, it's entirely possible the long delay since I've been in a pit may have skewed my opinion. Either way, it was so good. The full setlist follows, with me missing the first two songs entirely.

1. The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
2. A Lesson In Violence
3. Blood In, Blood Out
4. The Years Of Death And Dying
5. Deathamphetamine
6. Blacklist
7. Only Death Decides
8. Prescribing Horror
9. Bonded By Blood
10. The Toxic Waltz
11. Strike Of The Beast

Afterwards, I grabbed two beers for $20, chugged the first and grabbed Mat a shirt as I drank #2. I texted both him and my wife as I returned to the floor to await the headliner.

Testament followed and as I don't love their new one, I wasn't altogether too excited to see them. Dave Lombardo's return to the fold, however, changed that perspective and he was easily the best part of their set. His familiar sound, that consistency and just seeing him behind the throne - all felt great. I like Hoglan and his playing, but I love Dave's style. And I've been a fan for decades.

As a whole, Exodus was the superior set, but there were certainly some noteworhy portions of Testament's output. Unfortunately, they started with a new track and it was really just a disappointing introduction to the second "I've seen them in four decades" band. The next few tracks were hit-and-miss. Pale King = awesome. Practice always bored me. New Order was great! WWIII, while heavy and fast, just doesn't do anything for me.

What followed was a trio of songs from The Gathering. The first wasn't a great live song, but then Chuck told us about Eric and Dave jamming for the first time and coming up with DNR. It really is prime Testament. It gets no better. Well, unless you go straight into Legions Of The Dead - hands-down the highlight of their set. I was back in that pit, fired up, sweaty and roaring. It gets no better than this!!!

But what followed was almost tragic, with three songs I hate and all the energy sucked out of my experience. I felt bored as the crowd somehow managed to mosh to Electric Crown. Damn, that song brings me back to '92 and not in a good way. The song and the album are both terrible.

Fortunately, the trio of finale songs were neither unexpected nor disappointing. I finished the night back in the thick of it - at one point part of a wall of people, shoulder-to-shoulder headbanging as some strange brotherly ritual. The crowd was rowdy here and I took a pair of elbows to the face: one to the nose - I saw stars! - and another to the jaw. No blood, no foul - so back in I went.

As good as the good was, the bad was glaring, and I felt Exodus was just better overall. This was hardly terrible though, as the entire night was killer. I stuck around as the band bowed goodbye, Lombardo smling the whole time, and headed back to the car for the hour-long drive home.

It was the same bands I saw seven years prior - just with some different circumstances and a renewed view of the world. (Much has happened in these past seven years!) But the bay area veterans were all fantastic and I had a spectacular night. It's fucking good to be back!!!

1. Children Of The Next Level
2. The Pale King
3. Practice What You Preach
4. The New Order
5. WWIII
6. Eyes Of Wrath
7. D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)
8. Legions Of The Dead
9. Electric Crown
10. Souls Of Black
11. Night Of The Witch
12. Over The Wall
13. Into The Pit
14. Disciples Of The Watch