LIVE REVIEW: Hatebreed Brings Summer Slaughter Tour Part 2 to House of Blues Anaheim, by Ruben Figueroa
On Sunday, August 23rd, the House of Blues Anaheim hosted a packed night of heavy music as Hatebreed brought their Summer Slaughter Tour Part 2 to Southern California. The lineup featured an impressive mix of hardcore, death metal, and extreme music, with Creeping Death, Torture, Gates to Hell, Xibalba, Incantation, and Terror joining Hatebreed for…
SCHOOL’S OUT ICE OUT – A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY BENEFITTING CHIRLA WITH THE LINDA LINDAS AS THE HEADLINER, BY DON MARCELO
Summer is always about fun under the sun and even inside a building especially for the young teens and young adults and the young at heart. The Summer of 2026 started off with a Big Bang, celebrating people and diversity and music at two renowned music venues, ECHOPLEX and her sister THE ECHO, where The…
LIVE REVIEW: The Wendolls on August 15th, 2026 at the Universal Bar and Grill in North Hollywood, CA, by Denise Johnson
It was Saturday, August 15th, 2026, but not a typical Saturday, as it was my good friend Dave’s birthday, and he was hosting a show. The location was the Universal Bar and Grill in North Hollywood, CA. There was a sick line up of eight bands, all of which were superbly amazing. A few bands completely blew…
LIVE REVIEW AND PHOTO GALLERY: Rolling Quartz at PhilaMOCA on August 5th, 2026, by Jonathan Lane
My first live Rolling Quartz show, 3 years ago, convinced me this was a great rock ‘n’ roll band – better yet live than on video – I was impressed with their musical chops, their cohesion as a band and their engaging stage presence. Having seen them numerous times since, it is clear they work…
2026 Girlactic Music Fest on August 6th, 2026, by Don Adkins
This past week the 2026 edition of the Girlactic Music fest was held at the Whisky A-Go-Go in Hollywood. Now in its second year this festival is the creation of Pinktastic Plastixx lead singer Kitten Kay Sera whose vision was to create an event where women performers come together to showcase the great female music…
LIVE REVIEW: Mötley Crüe The Return of the Carnival of Sins 2026 Tour
On July 31st, 2026 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ Legendary American metal band Mötley Crüe are in the midst of the The Return Of The Carnival Of Sins 2026 North American tour celebrating two milestones: the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking 2005-2006 Carnival of Sins tour and the 45th anniversary of the…
LIVE REVIEW: Five Finger Death Punch 20th Anniversary World Tour
On August 5th, 2026 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ Hard Rock powerhouse Five Finger Death Punch 20th Anniversary World Tour is moving fast. The massive 48-city tour kicked off on July 20th at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ, and will wrap up in Bristow, VA at Jiffy Lube Live on Friday,…
The Sister Knot performs at the Rock Music Alliance on August 2nd, 2026, by Don Adkins
SoCal based group The Sister Knot performed an intimate show at this year’s Rock Music Alliance summer showcase. The event was held at a private residence in Gardena, California and SLR Magazine had exclusive media access for this this really cool event. The Sister Knot is a four-piece band fronted by Tatiana Erse and Julia…
LIVE REVIEW: The Marvelous Acceptance show, by Denise Johnson
On Friday July 3rd I was scrolling randomly on Instagram when I came across a flyer promoting Emopendence Day, hosted by Mays Music Management. The venue was Bar 10, inside Corbin Bowl in Tarzana, CA. As I scanned the flyer to see if I knew any of the bands, I spotted The Marvelous Acceptance on…
EVOL Walks in concert on July 31st, 2026, by Don Adkins
EVOL Walks, fronted by Aussie rocker Leah Martin-Brown gave a high energy performance at the Three Clubs Hollywood this past week. I’ve had a chance to check out Leah with her own solo projects in recent years including shows supporting her 2025 Love And Other Crimes album, a very polished rock album produced by the…
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE DELIVERED AN EMOTIONAL AND POWERFUL PERFORMANCE AT THE FABULOUS KIA FORUM FOR THEIR SUMMER 2026, “THE SWEAT AND BLOOD TOUR”
On Friday July 31, 2026 at the Fabulous Kia Forum, American Metalcore band, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE proved to everyone that hard work, dedication, and passion was the foundation for their first American Headline Tour in 3 years for their summer 2026, “The Sweat and Blood Tour.” Opening up for the band, the support acts included…
LIVE REVIEW: Fit For A King Lonely God Spring North American Tour in Albany, NY on May 23rd, 2026, by Ace
Fit for a king celebrated their recently released album “Lonely God” with a second album tour round. The tour featured bands Acres, Ten56, Invent Animate, and Fit for a king. Written and photography by Ace Invent Animate took the stage with an angelic performance. Vocalist Marcus Vik delivered a wide range performance easily transitioning from…
NIGHTBREAKERS – deluxe album release show, by Kristina Bewley
NIGHTBREAKERS played a home town show (Tampa FL) July 24th 2026 for the release of their Deluxe Album – Not Like We Used To. Unlike the original album, this deluxe version has two new songs: “Bloom” and “This Song Should Have Been About You & I featuring Summer Hoop! Who, by the way, made an…
A BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL PERFORMANCE BY KAMIJO FOR HIS SIGNATURE U.S. DEBUT SHOW “SANCTUS OF THE DAMNED”, BY DON MARCELO
On Saturday, July 18, 2026, Angelenos saw and experienced greatness. That greatness is named KAMIJO. On this beautiful night in Downtown LA, Japanese artist KAMIJO delivered a stunning, emotional, powerful, bold and beautiful performance for his KAMIJO Signature U.S. Debut Show “Sanctus of the Damned,” at The United Theater on Broadway in Los Angeles . Written by…
LIVE REVIEW: Bon Jovi Forever Tour residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City, final show on July 26th, 2026
Bon Jovi’s nine-show residency at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden has come to an end. It was Legendary. Nine shows full of fan favorites at the World’s Most Famous Arena. We could only wish this tour could last Forever. Written by Andris Jansons Alright, I believe I smacked plenty of puns in one opening…
LIVE REVIEW: Muse The WOW! Signal Tour North America 2026
On July 22nd, 2026 at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ Muse is currently on their The WOW! Signal Tour supporting their tenth studio album. Tour has almost reached its peak. On July 22nd the band came to New Jersey to play at the PNC Bank Arts Center. Written by Andris Jansons So,…
LIVE REVIEW: Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm 20th Anniversary Tour 2026
On July 13th, 2026 at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ Flyleaf is back! The band is engaged in the comeback tour though North America following their reunion with original vocalist Lacey Sturm. While this run lasts only till the end of the month it includes fourteen shows. This Monday July 13th New Jersey showed…
Death Angel Deliver a Thrashing Night of Chaos at The Observatory with Fueled by Fire, Incite & Vio-Lence, by Ruben Figueroa
The Observatory in Santa Ana was packed on June 19th for a night dedicated to pure thrash metal as Death Angel headlined a stacked lineup featuring Fueled by Fire, Incite, and Vio-Lence. From the opening band to the final song of the night, the energy inside the venue never let up. Fans came ready for…
Keith Emerson Tribute at Ultimate Jam Night on June 16th, 2026, by Don Adkins
For the June 2026 edition of the monthly Ultimate Jam Night at The Whisky paid tribute to The Masters Of The Keys in the world of rock, musicians with mastery of pianos and keyboards. Featured was a delightful evening of keys-based classics from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. The highlight of the evening was a…
JINJER AT THE WILTERN IN LOS ANGELES ON JULY 2ND FOR THEIR NORTH AMERICAN DUÉL TOUR 2026, BY DON MARCELO
The energy on this night was electrifying. JINJER, a progressive metal band from Ukraine invaded the historic music venue on the corner of WILshire Blvd and WesTERN Ave in Los Angeles, the famous WILTERN THEATER. A sea full of fans packed the evening and were ready to have their ears blown out and their hearts…
LIVE REVIEW: Kittie Legacy of Fire Tour: 30 Years of Kittie, by Ruben Figueroa
On June 12th, 2026 at House of Blues in Anaheim, CA On June 12, House of Blues Anaheim was packed wall to wall for a sold-out night of heavy music as Kittie brought their current tour to Southern California. With support from Gore and Kingdom of Giants, the night delivered a mix of intense performances,…
INFECTED RAIN POURED DOWN SOME MODERN METAL MAYHEM MADNESS AT THE WORLD FAMOUS WHISKY A GO GO FOR THEIR MUTATION PHASE 2026 U.S. TOUR., BY DON MARCELO
Hard and heavy sounds of Metal was the theme once again at the World Famous Whisky A Go Go on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, featuring the headliner of the night with the infectious metal sounds and performance of INFECTED RAIN. Along with this great band from Moldova, INFECTED RAIN had four opening acts and one…
LIVE REVIEW: Leftöver Crack West Coast Tour 2026, by Ruben Figueroa
May 19th, 2026 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA with Informal Society, Human Issue, Spaceman Bob and Union 13 On May 19th, The Observatory became home to a packed night of punk driven chaos and high energy performances featuring Informal Society, Human Issue, Spaceman Bob, and Union 13, before the night closed out with…
LIVE REVIEW: Wage War It Calls Me By Name Tour 2026
On May 20th, 2026 at The Irving Plaza in New York City The swamp rolled through Irving Plaza recently with Wage War’s IT CALLS ME BY NAME tour to celebrate their latest EP of the same title. The tour features bands Orthodox and Nevertel. With swampy decor decorating the stage, it felt like the audience…
FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE STARS PERFORMANCE BY ALL AMERICAN FEMALE GIRL GROUP CALLED fiveALIVE AT CATCH ONE LA AND AT KOLLAB LA., BY DON MARCELO
Hwasa of K-POP all female group, MAMAMOO, once said, “If I don’t fit today’s beauty standards, I’ll become a new, different standard”. Well ladies and gentlemen, there is definitely a new standard and something different in the K-POP world and they are not Korean, but rather they are Asian-Americans. And they are here to create…
LIVE REVIEW: Black Veil Brides North American Spring 2026 Tour
On June 28th, 2026 at The Palladium Times Square in New York City with the support from From Ashes To New, TX2, and As December Falls Black Veil Brides’ seventh studio album, Vindicate, just got released on May 8, 2026 via Spinefarm Records. The band just completed their 24-city North American Spring Tour from April 25 to May 30,…
LIVE REVIEW: Far Beyond Hostile Brings Pantera’s Legacy to Life at Garden Amphitheater, by Ruben Figueroa
On May 29, Far Beyond Hostile took the stage at the Garden Amphitheater in Garden Grove and delivered a powerful performance that paid tribute to one of heavy metal’s most influential bands, Pantera. From the opening notes, it was clear the band came prepared to honor the music with intensity, precision, and the high-energy attitude…
LIVE REVIEW: The Amity Affliction at The Fillmore in Philadelphia on May 17th, 2026
The final night of the tour featuring bands Heveansgate, Boundaries, The Amity Affliction, and August Burns Red ripped through the Fillmore in Philadelphia with a rowdy and fun time. The just over a month long tour was a major success, with many sold out dates to prove it. Written by Ace Boundaries took the stage…
LIVE REVIEW: Alter Bridge What Lies Within Tour 2026
With support from Filter and Tim Montana on May 13th, 2026 at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ On the heels of their new eponymous album an American Hard Rock supergroup Alter Bridge are wrapping up their What Lies Within North American spring 2026 Tour. They are supported by Filter and Tim Montana. This Wednesday…
LIVE REVIEW: Behemoth The Godless IV Tour 2026
On May 2nd, 2026 at The Palladium Times Square in New York City The blackened death metal band from Poland Behemoth are in the middle of its North American Spring 2026 headline “The Godless IV Tour” that kicked off on April 14 in San Diego and running through May 21 with finale in Los Angeles.…
LIVE REVIEW: Sepultura Celebrating Life Through Death Tour 2026
With Tribal Gaze, Biohazard and Exodus on April 29th, 2026 at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ Legendary metal band Sepultura from Brazil just kicked off their final North American tour before their deserved retirement. The first show of this epic farewell tour happened in New Jersey at The Wellmont Theatre. On this tour Sepultura…
A POWERFUL LINEUP OF BANDS BLAZED UP THE LA NIGHT FOR THE FINAL SHOW OF THE 2026 HOLLOW CROWN TOUR AT THE FAMOUS MUSIC VENUE, THE VERMONT HOLLYWOOD, BY DON MARCELO
On April 18, 2026, The Hollow Crown Tour made its final stop in Los Angeles at the famous music venue, The Vermont Hollywood. The lineup on this night included six powerful groups, but unfortunately, I only got to cover the first three of the six due to other priorities. Despite only seeing the first 3…
AYVA perform at Bar 10 inside Corbin Bowl, on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, by Denise Johnson
It had been a minute since I’ve had the chance to see AYVA and Sydney live. AYVA is a young, superbly talented, unique singer and guitarist, Sydney always brings her passion to the drum kit, and Raze brought those deep cuts on the bass guitar. Written and Photos by Denise Johnson https://denise-johnson.kavyar.site The set list…
NINI & HER BAND, NINI METAL, PERFORMED IN FRONT OF A PACKED HOUSE AT THE PARISH ROOM OF HOUSE OF BLUES IN ANAHEIM, CA FOR THEIR FIRST U.S. HEADLINER TOUR OF 2026, BY DON MARCELO
It was a jam packed evening inside The Parish Room of The House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. Nini Army gathered early to see Taiwanese Artist, Nini along with her band Nini Metal to conquer the night. And conquered they did on April 12, 2026. Along with Nini came two great support acts: DA Ma/YAMA…
Emo Orchestra at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville NJ on April 16, 2026, by Kevin Healy
Last Thursday night at Starland Ballroom felt less like a concert and more like a full-blown emotional release. Emo Orchestra delivered exactly what the name promises—and then some—bringing together a massive collective of 20+ performers, including members of The Spill Canvas and Greywind, with a surprise appearance by Fred Mascherino that sent the crowd into…
VIAL PERFORMED LIVE ON APRIL 1, 2026 IN A PACKED HOUSE AT THE RENOWNED MUSIC VENUE IN LA, THE ECHO, AS PART OF THEIR U.S/NORTH AMERICAN TOUR, BY DON MARCELO
Vial is an indie punk-rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota whose unique style and sound and energized performances have captivated a wide range of audience from teens to young adults to older adults. Their blend of rock, pop, punk, indie, alternative rock sounds have gained a dedicated number of fans all across North America and are…
Monday Monday at the Hotel Cafe on April 13th, 2026, by Don Adkins
In our continuing series of highlighting the LA Music Scene we now bring you a long-running series called Monday Monday. Created by LA music artist Joel Eckels in 2013 this weekly event takes place on Mondays at the Hotel Café, an iconic venue for indie and national acts. The format is several artists who do…
HARAJUKU-CORE BAND FROM JAPAN, HANABIE., SPICED UP THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES WITH THEIR SOLD OUT SHOW AT THE BELASCO ON SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2026, BY DON MARCELO
Japanese Harajuku-core Metal Band, HANABIE. had an EPIC SOLD OUT SHOW on April 11, 2026 at the famous music venue, The Belasco in DTLA. What was supposed to be HANABIE.’s last show on Saturday April 11th in The U.S. for their 21-Date North American Tour quickly became a 22-Date North American Tour due to the…
Destruction at The Belasco on April 9th, 2026, by Don Adkins
Destruction hits LA! On April 10th German Metal pioneers Destruction played LA as part of the 2026 Thrash Of the Titans. This tour is like a greatest hits of thrash and features Destruction along with Over Kill & Testament. Seeing this show was a full-circle moment for this photographer as one month earlier while in…
Jessy Fury & The Sound at The Hotel Café on April 2nd, 2026, by Don Adkins
LA based Jessy Fury is a music artist I first encountered a couple of years ago on the big stage at the annual Hollywood Independent Music Awards (HIMA) where he performed and also took home the best song award that evening for his song “The Other Boys”. That evening I found him quite good at…