MetalVice

We first saw Mother Of Graves at their first show outside of Indianapolis opening for Khemmis, and we were hooked from the start. A little while later they announced they were working on their second album, The Periapt Of Absence. Around the same time, the Chicago band Immortal Bird, also released their new album, Sin Querencia. Both bands teamed up to celebrate with two album release shows. The f...

Karen went to her first show roughly 20 years ago. The very first opener that night was 10 Years. The only other time we have seen 10 Years was at RockFest 2023. So one show every 10 years or so. Well, when they came through Chicago as part of their most recent tour we decided that was a tradition we wanted to break. We made our way once again to Subteranian’s upstars venue for 10 Years, Keith Wal...

Mother of Graves is definitely one of our favorite bands we have discovered. Every chance we get we will go to see them. So on a blisteringly cold night in late January we ventured to Cobra Lounge to see them. They were not the headliner, but they were the main attraction for us. Headlining the bill was Trouble with Fer de Lance as the first opener. Just like the many many subgenres of Metal, it t...

In late 2024 Karen finally made it to her first show of the year at one of our favorite venues in Chicago, Radius. It happened to be our first sold out show at this venue too. Headlining was Lornashore, playing their album Pain Remains in full. Along for support we had Whitechapel, Kublai Khan TX, and Sanguisugabogg. With the show being sold out, we got to experience this venue in a whole new ligh...

We start 2025 off working on one of our goals for the year, see more cheap shows around Chicago. So, over the first weekend of the year we were able to catch two shows for only $15 each. No fees, just $15 at the door. For the first, we saw a Zeppelin tribute band, Kashmir, at Reggies. The second saw us checking out a venue for the first time, Live Wire Lounge. The show was headlined by Wraith, wit...

In 2024 we saw more shows than we ever have in a single year, 67 shows in total. That's more than one a week. While a few of our episodes did cover more than one show, we did not do a Podcast on every show. In this episode we briefly recall each of these uncasted shows. At least we recall what we can, in some cases it's not a whole lot. In others, there were some fun moments we almost forgot.

With 2024 in the books, we can look back and reflect on the year that was. Again, we saw more shows than ever in a single year. We discovered some amazing new music, and met many beautiful kind souls along the way. We saw new places and new acts in killer new venues. We did this all while pursuing one of our biggest loves, music. Happy New Year and let's hope for an even better 2025!   Concert Set...

Music is a huge part of Christmas and the holiday season. Everyone knows the classics and everyone has their own favorites. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra introduced their take on some of these classics, with some of their own music too, nearly 30 years ago. Their show and music instantly became a holiday tradition for many people. For us, it has been a show we have wanted to see almost as long as t...

Beer and music go hand and hand. Unless - of course you don't drink. In that case you can just enjoy killer music. That's just what Decibel offers twice a year when they meld two great types of festivals into one. Join us as we look at our time at the 2024 edition of Decibel’s Metal and Beer fest.

We return again to the Subterranean for a vastly different show. The first time we were here, just a month earlier, was for a hardcore show. This time it was for some metal infused darksynth with a little electronic pop. While we knew what we were getting ourselves into with Dance With The Dead, their opener, Korine, was a surprise for sure.

When Hatebreed announced their 30th anniversary tour, Chicago was left off the list. At first we were a little disappointed, but then we calmed down because we would be able to see them at MKE Metal Fest. Sure not quite as good as seeing them at their own headlining show, but at least we got to see them and help celebrate 30 amazing years. However, at MKE Metal Fest, Jasta announced that two more...

We made it to yet another show for a band from both the OG Headbangers boat and Jasta’s first MKE Metal Fest, Dying Wish. Since both of these killer fests, Dying Wish has been through Chicago a number of times, and we just miss out every time. This time though at Subterranean… Well the show sold out too. But! There was a second show added that we were able to get tickets to. With Dying Wish we got...

After seeing Gatecreeper a number of times at festivals, we finally got an opportunity to see them on their own headlining tour. Supporting Gatecreeper on this journey we had Frozen Soul and Worm. While the music was great this was one show where the crowd energy and pit took us out of the show some.

Here in part two we wrap up our experience on the 2024 lamb of god Headbangers boat. On the last few days of the cruise we were able to catch some great sets and some fun Halloween pits. In this episode we also take a look at some loot we found and just give our overall final impressions of the journey. With all of the schedule and line up changes how will this compare to last year's ship? And of...

It’s time to set sail again with the Headbangers Boat. For the second year in a row we left Miami, but this time we make port in the Dominican Republic at Puerto Plata. Of course this cruise was captained by lamb of god with support from Dethklok, Chimaira, Poison The Well, Carcass (they replaced At The Gates), Soulfly, Exodus, Napalm Death, Corrosion Of Conformity, After The Burial (they didn’t m...

There're many ways to consume music. Our favorite is live. For us, the live aspect of music offers so much more. From the energy of the crowd to the unique performances a band will bring to help enhance or even bring their music alive. This is definitely the case with Till Lindemann. Till’s solo shows are very much an extension of his other small band, Rammstein. Bringing very much the same energy...

Kittie comes to Chicago! Joining them in support at Concord Music Hall we also got VCTMS and Conquer Divide. It was definitely an anticipated show for us, as we have never seen any of these bands before and have wanted to see Kittie for quite some time. It was definitely a fun night for metal.

We're back at Bottom Lounge. This time, for Norma Jean and their 1994 North America Tour. Joining them in support was Darkest Hour and two local Chicago bands who tore up the stage, We Weren't Invited and Suncrusher. Join us for our second show in a row at Bottom Lounge where the majority of the acts were from our home town of Chicago.

Every band says goodbye at one point or another. After 40 years, it's that time for the metal lords from Brazil, Sepultura. To celebrate their career and to say goodbye to their fans, Sepultura embarked on a multi year multi continent tour. Aiding in this celebration they brought along their friends in Obituary, Agnostic Front, and Claustrofobia. We were lucky enough to see the first show of the 2...

Power metal is not always our go to subgenres of metal. However, the shows can be an absolute blast, and that's just what we got when we saw Powerwolf for the first time. It was part of their second US tour, with support from Unleash The Archers. The Riviera Theater was packed with ravenous fans who let their voices be heard all night long. It was the first time Powerwolf played Chicago, and given...

When Slipknot announced the return of Knotfest Iowa we were a bit weary to say the least, after the shit show that was Linefest Iowa 2021. Also, we already had tickets to see Slayer at Riot Fest. That, though, turned out to be a cluster too. So the first opportunity we had, we got a refund for our Riot Fest tickets and picked up some for Knotfest. It had to be better this time around, right? After...

As part of their M72 tour, Metallica set out to takeover each city they stopped at. An ever expanding concept that started as part of their S&M2/40th Anniversary shows. Each takeover allowed for unique experiences where fans could dive not only into the vast history of Metallica, but also the city they were in. One such experience was a Metallica tribute concert. The show we saw was headlined...

On this episode we are heading home after a quick trip to Omaha. There, we caught the last show of Lamb of god and Mastodon’s co-headlining tour, Ashes of Leviathan. Where they played Ashes of the Wake and Leviathan in their entirety. To our surprise, this was not only the last show of the tour, but also the exact day both corner stone albums were released, 20 years prior. Supporting this amazing...

Episode 100! To celebrate we talk about our biggest adventure, in terms of live music. Our recent trip to Madrid to see Metallica on their second European leg of their M72 tour.  While we were definitely there because of Metallica, and the show was so much fun, we found that the people were the key to this trip. Join us while we look back at this amazing experience.

What's better after a long drive home? A concert of course. We just couldn't pass up seeing our first Orbit Culture headlining show. While we have missed past opportunities to see their headlining shows, this one was not going to be one of them. Joining Orbit Culture at Bottom Lounge in Chicago, we got two local bands; Repentance and Burned In Effigy. Both new to us. Well, so we thought. This amaz...