Post your list of your favourite gigs that you suffered through the past 12 months

Making a top gig list of the past year was actually quite easy. I usually struggle with a top album list but this went quite easly. I've seen a lot more gigs this year im leaving out some gigs that were quite good even but just not as good as these ones. (like Satan or Inquisition)

1. Neurosis @ roadburn 1st set
2. Ross the Boss Manowar set @ KIT
3. G.I.S.M. @ roadburn
4. Bohren & Der Club of Gore in Tilburg
5. Fates Warning withJohn Arch @ KIT
6. Autopsy @ netherlands deathfest
7. Gnod @ Eindhoven Psych Lab
8. A Place to Bury Strangers in Eindhoven
9. Varathron @ nuclear war now fest
10. Swans in Eindhoven
11. Repulsion @ Roadburn
12. Manilla Road @ Fall of Summer
13. Infest @ Netherlands Deathfest
14. Follakzoid @ Eindhoven Psych Lab
15. Argus in Tilburg
16. Venom inc In Tilburg
17. Radio Filharmonisch Orkest play Le Sacre du Printemps
18. Magrudergrind @ netherlands deathfest
19. Holocausto @ Nuclear War Now fest
20. Coffins @ netherlands deathfest
21. Demilich @ netherlands Deathfest
22. Morpheus Descends @ Netherlands Deathfest
23. Death Alley @ roadburn
24. Bongripper in Haarlem
25. Jambinai in Den Haag

Conan- sometime in june, forget when.
Tangled Thoughts of Leaving- think I saw them sometime in February. Seen them about 100 times and they're always great.

That's it, that's every live gig I saw this year.

Yes tomcat, I'm pretty jealous that you live in Europe. My work roster this year has been amazing in terms of me being up north EVERY TIME a good band plays, and also not many good bands have played perth this year.

metal refugees welcome

I'm ashamed that I'm posting a list without comments but eh, no time to write some. Here you go:

1) Magic Circle, Cauchemar & Starlight Ritual @Katacombes
2) Angel Olsen @Rialto Theatre
3) Opeth @Metropolis
4) Trap Them,Yautja & Dark Circles @Turbo Haus
5) Blood Ceremony & Cauchemar @Sala Rossa
6) Savages @Corona
7) Rakta & Security @La Vitrola
8) Déréliction Stellaire (Basalte, Entheos, Sovannak Ké & Apraxie) @in the forest
9) Atsuko Chiba & Milanku @Matahari Bar
10) Mgla @Messe des Morts
11) Wolves in the Throne Room, Cloud Rat & Dark Circles @Sala Rossa
12) Big Brave @Bar le Ritz
13) Thantifaxath & Intonate @La Vitrola
14) Mountain Dust & Zaum @Turbo Haus
15) Basalte, Eos & Malebranche @La Passe
16) Magrudergrind & Yautja @La Vitrola
17) Car Seat Headrest & Lucy Dacus @Bar le Ritz
18) Nails & Full of Hell @Foufounes Électriques
19) Kawir @Piranha
20) Desaster @Piranha Bar
21) Blood Incantation @Piranha Bar
22) Phobocosm @Casa Del Popolo
23) Les Soeurs Boulay @Festival Diapason
24) Bell Witch @Turbo Haus
25) King Dude @Turbo Haus

Easily the most memorable one was seeing Taake and getting pepper sprayed at the same time.

Not sure if my memory's good enough for a detailed list but the clear winner was Absu on their headlining tour. Their performance in Columbus, Ohio was one of the most intense experiences I've ever had. I was close enough that I had to be conscious to not fuck up their guitarist and they were just relentless.

Runners up include Vektor (performing Terminal Redux in its entirety), Enforcer (saw them twice, such a blast) and Ghoul (ended the show covered in fake blood).

Nile- saw them at a bar that was packed
Cannibal Corpse/Obituary- probably my biggest anticipated, though it shouldve been in a bigger venue
Grim reaper- only went because I was invited. Ended up being really awesome and met some cool people
Suffocation- I stood 3 feet away from them when they played a greatest hits set. Only shitty thing was the venue was small with maybe 20 people.
Amon Amarth- second time seeing them
Slayer/Death Angel/Anthrax- Probably my favorite.

no specific order:

Tribulation @ Muziekodroom, Hasselt (nice atmosphere (that heavy smell of incense during the entire show, I'm gonna remember that one for quite some time to come, haha), quite crowdy and sweaty though, excellent set)
Necrowretch @ Magasin 4, Brussel (for a fairly new band they managed to attract quite a number of people to this club show, delivered a very enjoyable set, if you don't get the chance to see Necrophobic live, then definitely check this band out! it's as close as it can get to that sound)
Gorguts @ Magasin 4, Brussels (perfect from beginning til end eventhough they laregely ignored the first 2 albums, Lemay was very appreaciative towards the fans that came out in large numbers for this show eventhough this was right after the terror attacks in Brussels, and there was no extra security whatever in front of the doors to that club, but still great show, took all the worries away :/ )
Obscura @ Graspop, Dessel (first time I managed to see Obscura live (and they were a replacement for another band that cancelled, wut ?!), excellent sound, perfectly played)
Iron Maiden @ Graspop, Dessel (last album is very good, and eventhough the big amount of songs of TBoS songs in their setlist, I enjoyed it very much, will catch em again live in Antwerp soon, for the second part of this tour)
Twisted Sister @ Alcatraz, Kortrijk (last European show, fantastic set, I think they encore'd the hell out We're Not Gonna Take It (like 5 times or something), a glorious thing to witness, not so much for the
neighbours living near that festival area, haha )
Ghost @ Graspop, Dessel (love this band, so different from any other band, heavy, slow, soft, mesmerizing, and in front of a large festival audience in the middle of the day, this band is going to become huge I tell you)
Kreator @ Alcatraz (fast tight epic, and a lot fireworks and shit flying around which I did not expect, they're doing alright for a German thrash metal band hitting their 50's soon !
Saxon @ Trix, Antwerp (last show of the European tour, first time I see them in a packed venue, I felt so young among the audience but I loved it nonetheless, Battering Ram is a friggin hard hitting album btw, and these guys aren't the youngest of the class anymore, but they sure think they are when they play live.. I can see why they are a legendary band (though living in the shadows of those other more popular heavy metal bands from the UK)
Amorphis @ Trix, Antwerp ( beautiful played, didn't care at all if the focus was on the material from the mid 90's til the most recent album, they're great composers, damn ! )

man it was amazing, my brain like turned into jelly. One of the most trippy gigs ive ever attended.

Neurosis @ Brutal Assault Festival - hypnotic stuff in the pouring rain and cold, pretty intense set overall... it had the same atmospheric power as their studio works, but times two
Ministry @ Brutal Assault - Jourgensen was mentally present and focused, just a completely manic set with great sound
Lightning Bolt @ Brutal Assault - pure aural demolition, it was great watching this with a metal crowd that didn't really know what hit 'em... neither did I, really, but this was some of the best noise I've heard
Anthrax @ MMC, Bratislava - full house, good sound, great crowd, amazing job by Joey and as much as I'm not a fan of their new material, they just nailed it
Katatonia @ Arena, Vienna - first time seeing my currently most-listened-to band, they had a setlist that featured plenty of my favorites (including a surprise addition of "Saw You Drown"), and while objectively, there were some tiny things to complain about (slightly imbalanced guitar sound), I just FELT IT.

And also some instances when you go see the headliner and get your ass handed to you by the other band(s). Hello, Kampfar.

Lucky bastard!


Those were nice!
http://viviendoapesardelacrisis.blogspot.com.es/2016/04/brutal-assault-2016.html

And Nokturnal Mortum and Graveland at Ragnard Rock Fest:
http://viviendoapesardelacrisis.blogspot.com.es/2016/04/ragnard-rock-fest-2016.html

Nice bunch of pics... it must've been quite a crazy trip . There were many other brilliant sets this year. Are you planning to return in 2017?

Anna von Hausswolff at Dramaten, Stockholm:
Fantastic beginning to the concert year that wound up being the gig of the year. Totally obsessive, loud as hell performance in a huge, classic theatre. Truly the queen of dark music. If you have a chance to see her, do it!

The Crown at Dark Days of Stockholm:
Finally got to see this band after 10+ years of fanboyism. Was worried about the setlist, but they played exactly what I wanted to hear. Got to sing "Total Satan" in the mic too. Awesome night!

Blood Red Throne at Dark Days of Stockholm:
This mini-festival in Stockholm really delivered and Blood Red Throne was especially awesome. Dense riffs and macho attitude the whole way.

Black Breath at En Arena, Stockholm:
Drunkest, most crazed gig of the year where I smashed my eyebrow open on the monitor and still kept going the whole gig. Perfect band for a raging night like that.

Katatonia at Debaser Medis, Stockholm:
My 11th Katatonia gig was one of the best ones so far. Jonas is turning into one hell of a live singer.

Honorable mentions:
Aborted (Brutal Assault), Benighted (En Arena), Chelsea Wolfe (Brutal Assault), Dark Tranquillity (Brutal Assault), Neurosis (Brutal Assault), Vola (Göta Källare).

I only saw three gigs in 2016.

Ensiferum + Metsatöll at 02 Islington
Korpiklaani + Moonsorrow at 02 Islington
In the Woods... and Swallow the Sun at The Dome in Tufnell Park, with a side order of dark ambient from Treha Sektori

All fantastic events. The first two were sensational though. I honestly can't remember having as much fun at gigs in the last few years as I did at those two.

There was only really one special gig for me in 2016 and that was Weedeater/Today is the day/Author & Punisher which was one hell of a show! I have now seen every band that I personally wanted to see live, Weedeater being the last one to scratch off of my list.

For me, two immediately stand out.

Firstly is Dead Congregation in June 2016 at the Crowbar in Brisbane. What a fucking gig. They completely tore the place apart, and their playing and the sound they had was devastatingly intense and heavy. Can't wait for them to come back again.

Next up is Immolation. First time I've ever sen them, and won't be the last if they come back in the near future. Hearing Into Everlasting Fire and No Jesus, No Beast live and loud is not something I'll forget in a hurry.

Cannibal Corpse w/ Obituary, Cryptopsy and Abysmal Dawn back in March. (!)

The night started off quick, pits were already forming for openers Abysmal Dawn, 2 of my friends broke their glasses in the first song, and someone got knocked out cold during their set (the guy woke up 10 minutes later, all was good). Cryptopsy blew my expectations away and closed with Phobophile and the place went crazy. Then Obituary came in with a PERFECTLY BALANCED SOUND, the bass, vocals and drums were mixed in incredibly but the guitars were heavy as FUCK, and the slamming and crowd surfing never ended. For some strange reason there were people there that have only heard of Cannibal Corpse and they couldn't believe how fucking heavy Obituary was, stole the show honestly. Even so it was my first time seeing Cannibal Corpse and I've never seen so many bodies flying everywhere, one of the most vicious pits I've ever been in. Incredible show from start to finish.

Dragged Into Sunlight back in July. (!!!!!!)
Drank like a motherfucker, they had the bass drum synced to a strobe light, and I remembered everything. Simply one of my favorite bands for a while now. Don't know if anyone got a seizure as every goddamn aspect of this show was completely brutal down to the sound as well, and the strobe light made everything look slow, or freeze frame when it wasn't blinding, or whatever they do; point is that it was fucking incredible with the horned skull chalice in front of it... Those howls and screams were inhuman live, just wish they would have played I, Aurora.

Lamb of God w/ Anthrax, Deafheaven, and Power Trip in February (!!!!!!!!!!)

THE LINEUP SOUNDS WEIRD, but this one had to be on the list due to my experiences and of course the bands. Ended up splitting my head during Power Trip's set (holy fuck they were great), and I have a bald spot now that I'm fucking proud of. Blood was basically a waterfall down my chin but the bleeding stopped right before Deafheaven began so I didn't have to go to the hospital. I'm a huge fan of these guys and a lot of people were caught off guard. Some were judgemental, others couldn't believe what they were hearing once they played Come Back (an emotional moment for many great and sad reasons I will always remember). Randy Blythe ended up joining them for "Dream House" as their closer and it was incredible. Then Anthrax came along and by this time the venue was packed, and even though they played a lot of new material, it was still one of their best sets I've seen from them apart from their headliner/standalone show at the House of Blues (RIP). Lamb of God basically brought out the kid in me with Laid To Rest and their other classics, but by far the best part of the night is every band coming out and covering fucking Stormtroopers Of Death's "United Forces." Seeing that it was a show with VERY different bands, having them all come out and cover S.O.D. was the best goddamn closer I've ever seen. Will never forget that night hopefully, you never know.

California Deathfest 2: October (Day 2) (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Nuclear Assault, Razor, The Ruins of Beverast, Our Place of Worship is Silence, Spectral Voice, Unholy Grave

Went there all 3 nights but this night by far was pure, raw apeshit insanity. Ended up seeing a few more bands than I listed for Saturday but these were worth mentioning. Spectral Voice was some truly primal and murky death metal and I think it's 3 members of Blood Incantation who absolutely fucking DESTROYED even though I don't ejaculate over Starspawn. Live was something else. OPOWIS is a SUPER local band and it was great to see them in fucking Oakland. Their set was incredible and the vocalist switched with the drummer for the last song and somehow it was the fastest one in their set. The Ruins of Beverast played to a packed fucking house of people waiting for Razor and many were still impressed by "Daemon" as ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE. Heavy, punishing, incredible set.

Before Razor began I noticed that basically everyone from LA ended up coming here just for this day as I ran into many friends. Felt like a show back home, and once they started I have never seen that many people rush into the pit at once until that day. Right before they played "Violent Restitution" I ended up taking a huge fist to my nose and I thought I broke it, the blood didn't stop flowing until the end of their set and I had a black eye for almost 2 weeks (my nose actually never healed right now that I think about it). Pure fucking insanity from start to finish: endless stage diving, people just fucking flying and raging in the pit, and we had to get yelled at once someone got on the stage and knocked down the guitarist accidentally. APART FROM THE FACT THEY BROUGHT NO MERCHANDISE, it was incredible and basically one of the most violent shows I've ever been to.

Then Nuclear Assault played the best damn set possible, even with a borrowed guitar having 2 strings snap at different times, their sound was flawless and I just wish they could have brought better merch. I saw Nuclear Assault, and they fucking destroyed. Then I proceeded to drink whiskey and vodka for 4 hours straight and ended up paying the price for it a few hours later. Still survived.


Off-topic but the worst show hands down was Sunn O))), the gimmick got tiring after 15 minutes and I only stayed because I was high as fuck and couldn't find the exit since the entire venue was just a thick fog.

It was, thanks! I must think about coming back in 2017 since Hellfest continues with the ticket nonsense and shitty lineup:
http://viviendoapesardelacrisis.blogspot.com.es/2016/12/hellfest-2017.html


I saw them live too in a small venue and remember the strobe too but was not impressed.




P.S: I wish I could have attended to this:
http://militant.zone/AR2016/

Gojira at Bloodstock Festival
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats at Mama Roux's Birmingham
Saxon at The Ritz, Manchester
Elder at Rebellion Bar, Manchester

I've not been as active in the gigging front this year as I usually am but I have still been to some excellent shows. The one's that spring to mind (not in any order):

Kataklysm - Camden's Underworld - February 2016
Machine Head - Hammersmith Apollo - March 2016 (on their 'An Evening With tour)
Immolation - Incineration Festival - The Dome, London May 2016
Enforcer/Destruction - Camden's Underworld - October 2016
Obituary - Electric Ballroom, London - October 2016
Hate Eternal/Vader - The Dome, London - November 2016

That was the second time I've seen Kataklysm and both times they put on a fantastic show. Maurizio Iacono is a great frontman. The entire band was very tight and they played a great setlist.

Whilst I am aware of and can somewhat understand the level of criticism Machine Head receive generally, I can definitely say I am a fan of most of their albums, which is Burn My Eyes and Through the Ashes of Empires through to Bloodstones and Diamonds. Their 'An Evening With' show was, to put it bluntly, stunning. They played for damn near three hours without waning or losing any of their energy. A few numbers played belonged on the albums I'm not a fan of but this really didn't bother me too much. They come over much better in a live setting anyway, but for the vast majority of the set it was banger after banger after banger. Just fantastic.

First time seeing Immolation, after years waiting. I actually purchased the ticket to this festival solely for Immolation. They absolutely killed it! I don't think I've ever seen such intensity from a frontman as I did from Ross Dolan that night until Hate Eternal (more on that later). Again a great setlist. I even met Ross Dolan and had my picture with him whilst he was checking out one of the other bands on the roster, De Profundis. Also on that line up was Origin, whom really impressed me with their energy.

Enforcer/Destruction was simply a great night of old school German thrash and old school speed metal worship. Not much more to be said - I love both Enforcer and Destruction and it was a solid, headbanging set by both. Flotsam and Jetsam were also on this bill and they were great, but after Enforcer the crowd's energy seemed to have been used up, which was a shame. Plus the vocals seemed lost in the mix for most of the set. Still, a great night.

Obituary - Fifth time seeing them and they're still just earth shatteringly heavy. I love Obituary so maybe a little biased but they're probably my favourite live band - I've never seen them play a bad gig in those five times. Classic songs were played, intermixed with some new ones from Inked in Blood and their most recent EP. What topped it off was they encored with Dethroned Emperor and Circle of the Tyrants! And of course Slowly We Rot.

Hate Eternal/Vader - This was my last gig of the year and what a way to end it. HE is another band I've been wanting to see live for some time now and they did not disappoint. Erik Rutan was simply a beast live! So much aggression and intensity. He seemed generally happy to be there and it showed in his performance. Vader just tore it up as usual. This was the second time seeing Vader in 2016 as I saw them open for Overkill but their headlining set was much better. Just pure, unbridled death metal!

Hopefully 2017 can compete.

Unusually for me, I only went to a handful of shows in 2016. Here's how I would rank them:

1) The Cure - Wembley Arena: First time seeing them and they did not disappoint. Played pretty much all their hits and plenty of other good songs. I'm surprised how little Robert Smith's voice has changed over the years. Definitely the best gig of 2016 by far.

2) Deftones at Rock Im Park: This was my first proper festival experience (as I turned 30 last year, I felt it was about time I finally attended one) and Deftones were easily the best band there. The set was strong and the band just killed it. As for the other bands, Amon Amarth were good fun and I liked their stage set up. Black Sabbath were solid even though the set list could do with a bit more variation. Enjoyed hearing them play Hand of Doom though. Red Hot Chilli Peppers were a lot better than I thought they would be and Tenacious D were also entertaining.

3) Opeth - Wembley Arena: I was not planning to see them again after catching their show in London the previous year when they played Ghost Reveries in its entirety but when I heard they would be playing material from Deliverance and Damnation, I couldn't possibly turn that opportunity down. I've seen Opeth six times now and the Wembley show was one of their best. The Albert Hall gig in 2010 was better but this one was damn close.

4) Converge - Electric Brixton: This was one of their Blood Moon shows where they collaborated with Chelsea Wolfe and others and played a different set from their usual shows. I'd seen Converge some years earlier and I was impressed with them so I thought I'd check this show out. The focus was more on their slower material but I was fine with this as they played songs I really like such as Plagues and Grim Heart/Black Rose. I thought the guest performers worked well with the rest of the band and it was an interesting and unique set from Converge that I am glad I had the chance to see.

4) Pixies - Brixton Academy: Saw them 7 years ago at the same venue where they played Doolittle in its entirety and they were great. Unfortunately, they were rather less impressive second time around. Played everything from their new album, which I'd not heard prior to the show, and played just a handful of their good songs. Not the worst show I've ever seen but very disappointing.

Went to seven shows this year (a few more than usual), and four of them stand out as being among the best I've seen, period:

Voivod with Vektor, Eight Bells, Vorator at Strange Matter in Richmond, VA - I've been a Voivod fanatic since high school, so being able to see them play a headlining set (I think their first headlining tour in twenty years?) in a super intimate venue supported by my favorite newer thrash band was a dream come true. Met and talked to Away before the opening bands started playing, super mellow and interesting guy, and all the guys in Vektor were grade a chaps as well. The sound mixing was among the best I've heard in a small venue, and despite their short set Vektor pulled out some material I didn't expect (Forests of Legend). Voivod was as great as expected, and hearing them dust off Killing Technology stands as one of my greatest live experience. All-around superlative gig.

Swans at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC - Much has been said about Swans recent live shows, and they do not disappoint in this regard-- for lack of a better, less-trite word it was one of the more transcendent live performances I've been privy to. Hard to really encapsulate it in words, but if they're touring anywhere near you in the next year, drop everything and get tickets.

Blind Guardian with Grave Digger at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC - Another band I've been into since high school that I only just now have seen-- it's everything you'd expect if you're a fan of the band. Singing along to every chorus, Hansi's hilarious and personable between-song banter-- and hearing IFtOS in its entirety was something else. Drove nearly five hours, spent way too much on merch, talked with the band after the show for around an hour-and-half-- and it was all so worth it.

Vektor with Black Fast at the Pinch in Washington, DC - Vektor round two for 2016. I guess this ended up being the last show they played with the original (at least as far as the albums) lineup, and despite not knowing that at the time it was still an exceeding memorable gig. Never been to the Pinch before, but seeing them live in a cramped, sweat-soaked basement bar made for one of the best crowd experiences at a show. Very fitting that my last show of this year was hearing in its entirety my favorite (and apparently, MA's favorite) album of the year.

Honorable mentions (the other three shows I went to):

Enforcer with Warbringer, Exmortus at the Canal Club in Richmond, VA
Black Sabbath with Rival Sons at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA
Toxic Holocaust with Bat, Noisem at the Metro Gallery in Baltimore, MD

Saw this tour in the US in November of 2015 and it was every bit as good as you say. Just a nonstop fun show where the whole crowd seemed to love each other and also wanted to slam into each other.

I heard about that. You must be local to Sacramento?

Agreed. The atmosphere in the arena was fantastic. What makes this kind of concert experience unique is, due to the set up, the entire place is filled with Machine Head fans (as opposed to say, fans of a support band whom stick around for the headliner). Everyone came for no other reason than to see Machine Head so the love in the room was palpable. I think it helps the band's energy levels too, playing in front of venues which have sold out entirely due to them.

Great night.

Clutch at Off Festival
Grand Magus in Cracow
Dawn of Disease in Cracow
Amon Amarth in Cracow
Napalm Death at Off Festival

Wasn't good with tracking the shows I went to in 2016, so will try to go from memory. May edit later if something comes to me.

From memory my favourites were:

Satan (with Cauldron + Manacle) @ Coalition - Think this might be gig of the year for me, just amazing.

Entombed A.D. (with Amon Amarth + Exmortus) @ Danforth Music Hall - Definitely a top one for me, was so jazzed that they played so much old Entombed stuff.

Monarque + Délétère (Briefcasefest Day 2) @ Coalition - I would kill to see both these bands come back to Toronto soon. Délétère just came out of the blue for me and I was totally blown away. Vocalist was also a great performer. Monarque same thing, great performance and stage presence, plus remember being supremely happy with the setlist.

Nervosa + Suspended (with Luthero + Apokalyptik Warrior) @ Coalition - Even if on CD I don't get into them as much, Suspended were a ridiculously awesome live band. Amanda Castillo especially just gave it everything and even after having to lengthen their set when Nervosa was delayed they took it in stride and kept putting on a kickass show. And to follow them up, Nervosa was just intensely amazing. The intensity these women show on CD was only magnified times ten on stage. Was a great night.

I've seen Satan four times now and every single time they were fantastic. Definitely one of my favourite live bands.

I even had the pleasure to meet the band at an after party the last time I saw them in Birmingham in November 2015. A great bunch of guys.

Oh nice, how was that like meeting the band? I get the impression Brian Ross would be a super cool and nice guy to meet.

I've seen Satan four times now and every single time they were fantastic. Definitely one of my favourite live bands.

I even had the pleasure to meet the band at an after party the last time I saw them in Birmingham in November 2015. A great bunch of guys.[/quote]

Oh nice, how was that like meeting the band? I get the impression Brian Ross would be a super cool and nice guy to meet.[/quote]


The entire band was extremely cool and relaxed. Very fan friendly. Brian Ross seemed genuinely excited to meet his fans. I was gutted to miss them in 2016 but will make every effort to see them if/when they tour the UK this year.

1.Grand Belials key at hells headbash in Cleveland
2. Mystifier at Maryland Deathfest
3. Venom inc in Chicago
4. Dragged into sunlight at Maryland deathfest
5. Archgoat in Chicago
6. Der Stürmer In Chicago
7. Goatmoon in Chicago
8. Angelcorpse in Chicago
9. Razor in Chicago
10. Bulldozer in Chicago
11. Mayhem at Maryland deathfest
12. Antichrist in Chicago

Actually forgot to mention Municipal Waste w/ Terrorizer, Repulsion, Ghoul, Nervosa and more. It was a crazy show from start to finish, there was no barricade and at least 4 people were carried out unconscious before Municipal Waste's set. Every goddamn band kicked ass.



Would have included this in my list if it wasn't for my friend who was passed out for Exmortus in the bathroom, had to take care of him until he was able to walk on his own right before Amon Amarth. We drank so much that day it was ridiculous.

Metal Threat Fest - Literally everything I could ask for. Bulldozer, Spectral Voice, Undergang, Exciter, Razor, Absu, Uada, Savage Master, Cardiac Arrest, Destroyer 666, Ares Kingdom... the list goes on!

Hells Headbash - Grand Belial's Key, Profanatica and Morbosidad were fantastic.

Chicago Domination Fest - Visceral Disgorge especially. I have not seen a set that violent in some time. They also killed at Maryland Deathfest this same year.

Visigoth - They opened for Night Demon after Ragnarokkr fest in Chicago and were easily one of the best bands I've seen.

Demolition Hammer/Blood Feast - Brooklyn, NYC - Demolition Hammer killed it and MDF and were twice as good in NY. Best band I've ever seen live.

Demilich/Hooded Menace/Vastum/Triumvir Foul - Seattle, WA - The lineup kind of explains itself there.

Damn, real jealous about that one. Would love to see those guys live, imagine they'd be great live.

Absolutely. They played in the small bar area of Reggies, I can't even imagine how good they would be in the main venue.

I think my favorite thing about that Visigoth show was that it was on Sunday night and the was maybe 30 people max there. The room isn't that big to being with but seeing them with almost nobody there was surreal for sure.

As for my favorites of the year:

As mentioned above Metal Threat Fest was absolutely killer, amazing line up and just a great party from start to finish.

Both times I "saw" Demolition Hammer this year. First time being in Chicago but I was so drunk I don't even remember them. Second time being Denver Black Sky and yeah, they kicked ass. Also at Denver Black Sky fucking Weekend Nachos destroyed everything and it was possibly one of my favorite sets ever.

Messe des Morts, even though the Saturday show got cancelled it was still an absolute blast being in Montreal again and the Thursday, Friday night shows were great. Plus I caught Ulcerate, Phobocosm, and Zhrine again that Sunday night at home.

2016 in general was an amazing year for shows for me throughout. There's so many more that come to that I'm not even going to bother listing. Suffice to say it was the best gig year I've ever had.