BY: Rick Lancaster
​
Last Friday 6/20/25 Cody Parks and the Dirty South rolled though The Forge in Joliet,IL.
Their brand of "Country Metal" as they call it, is a unique mix of Pantera, Metallica and
White Zombie to name a few mix with country legends such as David Allan Coe, Hank Williams
Jr. and Johnny Cash. Their unique sound gained attention with their song aptly titled
"ThunderCash 69" which is a mash up of White Zombie's "Thunderkiss 65" and Johnny Cash's
"Folsom Prison Blues". They pulled a fast one by doing a version of Metallica's "For
Whom The Bell Tolls" and the place went crazy. Their high energy show is a non stop
rollercoaster of excitement. The crowd got into their songs "Water In The Well", "Dirt I'm
From" and "Girls and Gasoline". They ended their set with "Redneck Rich" that went into an
outro jam that was shaking the building. If Cody Parks and the Dirty South aren't playing a
biker rally or a private show I highly recommend to go check them out in a town near you.
You won't be disappointed.

To keep up with all things related to them hit the link:
https://codyparksandthedirtysouth.com/home

BY: EVAN J. THOMAS

A glorious Father’s Day Sunday in West Dundee, Illinois at the incredible venue RocHaus hosted a high-energy rock night featuring Las Vegas-based hard rock band Otherwise, along with local acts Lines of Loyalty and Embers Rise.

I arrived a bit late during the Embers Rise set so I wasn’t able to see to much but heard an incredible cover of “Remedy” originally done by Seether.

Lines of Loyalty was the supporting band of the evening and had an energetic performance as they ripped through “Winless War,” “My Addiction,” “Hurts To Be Human” and more.  Led by the incredibly talented Glenn “Nubz” Morrison on vocals and guitar, along with Redo Ianni on guitar/ vocals and Brayden Pike slapping the skins.  This was the second time seeing Lines of Loyalty in the past month plus (Rock Lansing, May 10) and they didn’t disappoint.

Hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada, the gents in Otherwise took the stage around 9pm with their blend of hard rock and post grunge sound.  Brothers Adrian and Ryan Patrick are the brainchild of Otherwise and Adrian was engaging as he always is.  The newly independent band tore through their one and a half hour set with some favorites like “Full Disclosure,” “Die For You,” and “Soldiers” along with their newest track “Permanent Vacation.”  Otherwise had the masses in full throat with two epic covers starting with the Blind Melon classic “No Rain” but this one was much heavier.  They then slowed it down for their version of Billy Idol’s legendary song “Rebel Yell.”

Being Father’s Day and a great Sunday of weather RocHaus pulled a great crowd.  The venue to me is one of my three favorite in the country, one of the easiest places to photograph to go along with incredible sound and vibe.

By: Kat Gullage
Photos: Holly Roy Photography

Xer0 and crew landed at the Toyota Oakdale Theater Dome on a steamy Saturday night with
special guests GWAR, Dope and A Killer’s Confession, to perform a sold out show at the 1800
capacity venue.

Cleveland, Ohio’s A Killer’s Confession was first on deck. The band is the brainchild of Waylon
Reavis, former Mushroomhead vocalist, who sported an intricate mask inspired by the
facehugger from the Alien movies. He was flanked by JP Cross on bass, Steve Watson on
guitar, Daniel Fox on drums and keyboardist Richard “Stitch” Thomas, themselves adorned in
hooded cloaks and less intricate masks. They have four studio albums and one on the way,
Victim 2, but their eight song set were cuts from two of them. They opened with three from
Victim 1, “Purpose”, “Sun” and “Greed”. Their sound utilized clean and dirty vocals and leaned
more on the melodic side. Gave me more of a Sleep Theory type vibe. “Hollow” (V2) sounded
good, I was familiar with the video. “Filth” (V1) gave way to new music “Facts” before a
Mushroomhead cover was thrown in for good measure with “Qwerty”. Their set wrapped with
“Kill Or Be Killed” (V1). I understand the masks, costumes and character development based on
their roots, but I’d be interested in seeing them unmasked with a different line up.

NYC’s Industrial Metal band, Dope, kept it rollin as more fans filed into the Dome. Founder Edsel Dope flaunted his unmistakable vocals with Virus on guitar, Daniel Fox on bass and Chris Warner on drums.  Dope has seven studio albums and their nine song sethit on five of em. The band has quietly sold over a million albums worldwide. Title track “BloodMoney” Part 1 was the opener followed by “Bring It On” and “Bitch” off of Group Therapy. The
music was good, but completely drowned out the vocals. Edsel addressed the fans “Make some
fuckin noise you mental patients! I know I’m in Connecticut. I know Hartford and Norfolk. Who’s
smokin weed out there? What are you called, Connecti-cunts?” “To all the bands and crew,
thanks so much. Anyone come here to get rowdy tonight? I wanna see the floor bouncing like
it’s 1999!” There was an embarrassing amount of participation. We got “Debonaire” from Felons
and Revolutionaries, misspelled Debonair on the official setlist. “Get your fists in the air like it’s
1999!” He singles out an enthusiastic Dope fan up front. “Hi! You look very excited! Nice to meet
you!” “Listen motherfuckers, you really here to get rowdy? We’re pulling out dinos and blood and
all sorts of shit, let’s get this pit going!” The pit did commence as the band performed fan favorite
“Die MF Die” off of Life. Two from No Regrets kept it goin with “I’m Back” and “6 6 Sick”,
followed by “Burn”. The set wrapped with my favorite Dope cover, Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me
Round (Like A Record)”. Dope definitely fit into the line-up, but the fact that I couldn’t hear the
vocals made the set lackluster for me.

Over the top shock rockers GWAR (shortened from the original band name
"Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh") filled the stage with their gigantic off putting costumes. The band is known
for their controversial depictions peppered with graphic violence that tend to spray the audience
with fake blood and various body fluids. They have a cult following and the diehards were there,
dressed completely in white - including a guy sporting a chef’s hat, hoping to get splashed.
Unbeknownst to them, the venue had requested that GWAR keep all fluids on the stage and not
ruin their rug. GWAR is not known for following the rules, so I watched closely too see what
would transpire. This version of the band was lead vocalist Blothar the Berserker (Michael
Bishop), rhythm guitarist Balsac the Jaws ‘O Death (Mike Derks), bassist Beefcake The Mighty
(Casey Orr), lead guitarist Grodius Maximus (Tommy Meehan), drummer JiZMak da Gusha
(Brad Roberts), co-vocalist and nemesis SawBorg Destructo (Matt Maguire) and bodyguard /
backing singer Bonesnapper (Bob Gorman). GWAR has fifteen studio albums with one on the
way and their ten song set penetrated eight of em. They opened with “Fuck This Place” from
The Blood Of The Gods and immediately brought out a fake Elon Musk, complete with DOGE
shirt and chainsaw, and decapitated him. Lust In Space’s “Metal Metal Land” was next and it
churned up a steady stream of crowd surfers. Fan fave “El Presidente” introduced a character
that was a mash up between Trump and Fat Bastard (from Austin Powers). Faux Trump danced
enthusiastically with the band at first, before he was skinned and stabbed. Normally, this would
have led to the loyals being sprayed with fake blood, but not one drop crossed the threshold
(womp womp). Smoke cannons shot off intermittently during “Womb With A View” (War Party)
and “The Salaminizer” (Scumdogs Of The Universe). I couldn’t imagine how hot these guys
were in their massive costumes that had them towering over everyone. “Slap U Around” from
This Toilet Earth flashed images of real life Taylor Swift on the back wall while a fake pregnant
Taylor emerged draped in a Travis Kelce jersey. The very distasteful bit was full of derogatory
language and disgusting mannerisms. It made me want to walk out, but that’s just my opinion. I
understand that GWAR fans are drawn to their contentious humor and that’s fine, to each their
own. The show rolled on with “Immortal Corrupter” (Violence Has Arrived) and “Lot Lizard” from the upcoming release The Return Of Gor Gor. A song about a “crack-addicted cross-dressing
dinosaur prostitute that shreds weiners at truck stop pickle parks”. “Gor Gor” off of America Must
Be Destroyed introduced a ginormous T-Rex that required expert choreography to fit it on stage
amongst the imposing players. This was some impressive Jurassic Park trickery. GWAR
wrapped with “Sick Of You”. There you have it! A GWAR show will have you offended and
impressed at the same time. The music was fairly solid but I don’t think I’d be interested without
the costumes and fanfare. GWAR has extended their brand to include comics, games, clothes,
skateboards, coffee, toys and the ugliest looking sex toys ever made. Check out their website!

As if we weren’t already pumped, the lead in song for Static-X was Pantera’s “Walk” in it’s
entirety which resulted in a full venue sing a long. A countdown clock appeared and ticked off
eleven seconds to lift off. Original Static-X members took there respective positions:
Tony Campos on bass, lead guitarist Koichi Fukuda aka The Osaka Assassin (love watching
this guy play!) and co-founder / drummer Ken Jay. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Xer0, from
fictitious Otsego Industries, climbed the steps to a raised platform, his red eyes aglow. Their
sixteen song set pulled from seven of their eight studio albums and began with a deeper cut “I
Want To Fucking Break It” off of Start A War. The sound quality was on point, pretty flawless.
The fans are into it at this point, I had a hard time taking notes cuz I had to play defense with
some drunken wanna be moshers next to me. Xer0 disembarked his edifice. “Hello
Connecticut!” He got a decent response. We were then fed title track “Cannibal” and “Terminator
Oscillator” (Project Regeneration, Vol 1) during which Xer0 called for “Everyone to fucking
jump!” and they did, for about twenty seconds. Static-X then dipped into the LP that started it all,
Wisconsin Death Trip, with “Love Dump”, “Sweat Of The Bud”, the title track, “Fix” and fan
favorite “Bled For Days”. My observation at this point was that the crowd seemed tired or hot or
just too chill for a Static-X gig. I’ve seen em on multiple occasions and we’re usually bouncing
the whole time. However, the fans did seem to know the songs, even though it wasn’t my
favorite setlist of theirs, and there was a smallish circle pit. A couple from Machine were
churned out with “Black and White”, where we got a lone crowd surfer, and “Get To The Gone”.
Xer0 asks the audience to “Sing this one with me!” and they surprised me by giving full
participation for “I Am”. A giant FrankenStatic creature appeared during Z0mbie from Project
Regeneration Vol 2 and we were showered in confetti snow. Shadow Zone’s “Destroy All” was
on deck and the sixth crowd surfer of the set passed by. “Connecticut, are you having a good
time?” Valid question. He got a passable crowd response. We got a perfect rendition of “Cold”
off of Machine. I figure this song is as close as we’ll get to a love song from Wayne, it carries a
bit of a Deftones vibe. Smack dab in the middle of the tune we got the story of how they all
loved their treasured friend, Wayne Static, and images of the Evil Disco King flashed on the
screen. The fans showed their appreciation with a resounding roar. The band exited the stage
and came back after a quick moment. Then it was back to WDT for “I’m With Stupid” where we
got more snow confetti and they dropped giant balloons emblazoned with the Static-X logo on it.
Xer0 addressed us one last time, “Thank you so much for comin out to the show tonight. Thank
you for making me feel so welcome in the Static-X family. I do appreciate it. Wayne Static was
my old friend, these are my old friends (he gestured to bandmates), you (the fans) are our old
friends. Thank you old friends for spending your Saturday night with us in Connecticut.” “We got
one more song, you’re gonna get one more song.” The weary crowd attempted to placate him. “I
don’t know, some of you sound not so sure.” The fans gave it their all. “Are you ready for one
more fuckin song?!?” “This song is called “Puuuusssshhhh Iiiiiittttttttt!”. Everybody woke the fuck
up and jumped around and the circle pit grew in size.
​
I am 100 percent sold on the current Static-X line up. Xer0 looks like a terminator type cyborg
clone of Wayne Static. Having met Wayne (RIP Evil Disco King) a few times, I wholeheartedly
believe that he would approve and be fuckin psyched that his music is still being revered. This
quote from one of my besties that attends all the Static-X gigs with me, sums it up: “What a
fuckin awesome show Static-X was. Unreal. Absolutely killed it.”

BY: Evan J. Thomas

We were in for a treat this past Thursday Night at RocHaus in West Dundee, IL as we had an eclectic four band lineup that had it all from grunge (Sloth), metal (From Ashes To Embers), rock (The Almas) and goth rock (Living Dead Girl).  For $10 bucks on a gorgeous night I walked in and had an incredible time seeing some new bands I've never seen. 

Sloth kicked off the evening with a bevy of original music that was a throwback to 90's grunge.  This band probably wasn't around when the grunge era was in its heyday but they ripped it through their 30 minute set.  It was cool seeing the family of the gents on stage off to the side taking video and singing along.

From Ashes To Embers took the stage next and were without 1/2 of their dual threat singing duo as Rick Soeprasetyo was MIA due to a work related issue so Emily Marie picked up the slack taking over as Q & Mikey did the backup vocals.  FATE ripped the stage and had the masses singing back to them throughout.  Their stage presence and catalog of bad ass music has solidified FATE as a top must see in the Chicagoland area. 

Hailing from just north in the Cheddar Curtain of New Munster, Wisconsin, The Almas were the supporting act and were incredible as they thrashed about the RocHaus stage with their new single "ALL F_CK'D UP" along with "CAGE".  Vocalist Crystal Teigland had a big smile throughout and I was watching her young daughter in the crowd rock out to her mom on stage, it was a great sight!  Guitarist Frank Slifka was a beast as he was thrashing on that guitar of his.

Headlining on this evening was the Canadian metal band Living Dead Girl fronted by the incredibly talented Molly Rennick.  Jordan Storring strings the bass, Steve Haining slaps the drums while Jonni Laww shreds on the guitar.  With songs like "Ugly," "Poltergeist," "Beautiful" among others Molly took over and showed what they do best.  

It was an incredible evening of ORIGINAL music at RocHaus and those who attended were all in on the music.  Keep ORIGINAL MUSIC ALIVE!

BY: BREANNA WORKMAN​

On March 2nd, Ded hit the road in support of Butcher Babies once more since their 3 week
run back in 2024. Much like when they arrived on the scene 8 years ago, they
did so with a bang.

The duo kicked things off at the beginning of the month far away from home in Tyler, Texas; a
few days before heading to Destin, Florida where they later joined the rest of the crew to
officially kick off The All American Rejects Tour. Their 4 week trek spanned across 14 states,
and 24 different cities in just 31 days but their journey was far from over.
After the official All American Rejects Tour had come to an end in Tampa, Florida, the two
talents united solo yet again to finish off their independent run and headed to South Carolina,
where I was fortunate enough to catch their first appearance so close to my home at one of
Columbia's most profound venues - New Brooklyn Tavern. Upon my arrival, the room grew dark
as the crowd quickly migrated toward center stage and so started the prelude signaling the start
of the show. The audience cheered as each member stepped out one by one.
The night's lineup gave us an eclectic glimpse into the bands discography, which included
favorites like ‘Ghost’, and ‘10 Minutes Underwater', both from their most recent album School for
Thought released in 2021, and hits from their 2017 debut album Mis°An°Thrope, such as
‘Rope’, ‘Anti Everything’, ‘Hate Me’, and ‘FMFY’, which pays homage to where it all began for
the budding nu-metal quartet.

The highlight of the night was the much anticipated performance of the troupe's brand new
single ‘Until I Die’ featuring Chris Motionless, released just 3 weeks prior to the performance and
has quickly become a crowd favorite, and well on its way to 50,000 plays according to Spotify
just one month after its release.

The small talk between songs was kept to a minimum though the set felt more so as if we
were being treated to a VIP performance, the way the stage hovered a few feet above floor level
barricade free, and each member kept it personal by engaging with the audience through fist
bumps, eye contact, and smiles. As the final note of the set faded out, the crowd chanted,
demanding an encore which Joe regrettably announced was not part of the show this time,
though informed us of where to find him to meet and engage with everyone on a personal level
and as promised, the band delivered.

I watched as Joe headed straight for the merch table, which proudly displayed an array of
clothing and one of a kind hand drawn drum heads, where he interacted and spoke with those in
attendance. A few moments later the rest of the band appeared all smiles as they hung behind
for photos and happily signed merch while connecting with fans.

Towards the end of the night, I had the pleasure of running into Matt, where he recalled our
last encounter 7 years prior at Epicenter in Rockingham, NC, which just goes to show the
amount of attention the guys put into the people they meet along the way. You can tell by their
faces the fans mean everything to this band and they are so grateful for their support. To Joe,
Kyle, Alex, and Matt—well done all around, from the theatrics to the fan experience.
If you have a chance to catch Ded I would highly recommend it. The crew absolutely brought
the Arizona heat.

BY: EVAN J. THOMAS

The iconic techno, industrial group Lords of Acid infiltrated a sold out Bottom Lounge in Chicago, IL on Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd.  The “Praise The Lords” tour has been expression of one’s true self, an embodiment of sexual freedom and a sensory overload from the provocative performances and industrial beats.


DJ Alley Kat & Xris Smack set the tone for the night with their body moving DJ sets.  The sultry Lucia Cifarelli (KMFDM) took the stage for her first show of the tour.  She strutted across the stage with her mesmerizing presence.  Lucia’s set was a mixture of electronic melodies and industrial undertones that set up the ambiance of the evening.


Next up was the daring and sex positive dance troupe Little Miss Nasty, as their dark visuals, their burlesque style choreography took over the stage blending their erotic dances that at times would make some cover their eyes.  LMN rocked out to metal, industrial and electronic sounds whipping through the venue.  Little Miss Nasty’s boundary pushing experience brought a raw and empowering flair for an unforgettable night like no other.


The throngs of fans were anticipating the legendary group Lords of Acid, who are featuring new lead singer Carla Harvey (Former Butcher Babies singer).  The band took the stage just before 10pm as they unleashed an onslaught of bangers including “I Sit On Acid,” “Rough Sex” and “Pussy.”  Mastermind Praga Khan donned the synth keyboard while DieTrich Thrall manned the bass, Creighton Emrick ripped on the guitar and Galen Waling wailed away on the skins.  The masses were emersed into the frenzy as a handful of blow up dolls were being tossed around the floor.  Carla brought a provocative dominance to the stage as she gleefully thrashed about the stage ripping the songs that made her fall in love with Lords of Acid when she was 16.  Carla’s seductive look has enhanced the overall presence of the band and has made this tour a must see!!   It was an incredible evening across the board and I may find it a bit tough for me to post some of the photos due to the sexual poses and looks.  Ahh fuck it, you will get the best images from my set!

When Lords of Acid finally took the stage, the venue erupted, bodies pressing toward the front as anticipation reached its peak. This show was their first time in Denver with the addition of Carla Harvey, former co-vocalist of Butcher Babies, now the fierce new voice leading the band. From the moment she took the mic, her presence was undeniable—commanding, electric, fully immersed in the chaos. Her vocals tore through the heavy synths, sharp yet hypnotic, breathing new life into the Lords’ signature sound while staying true to its decadent, provocative roots. This wasn’t just an introduction—it was an evolution, and the crowd felt every pulse of it.

Throughout Lords of Acid set, DieTrich Thrall on bass and Creighton Emrick on guitar put on a display of their musicianship along with an exhilarating stage presence that the photographers couldn’t get enough of. (see photo gallery)  The band powered through a set packed with fan favorites, each track keeping the momentum high. When “Worship the Lords” kicked in, Little Miss Nasty returned to the stage, holding up a double-sided sign--Praise the Lords on one side, Fuck the Rest on the other. Their spirited dancing and rebellious gestures added to the show’s unapologetic edge, embodying the night’s free-spirited atmosphere without overshadowing the music.

As the final notes echoed through the venue, the crowd erupted—cheers and applause rising in a unified plea for more. The band lingered for a moment, shaking hands, exchanging nods, and soaking in the electric afterglow of their performance. Before making their exit and with a few final waves to the crowd, they departed a stage they had commanded from start to finish. 

For everyone who has been following Lords of Acid over the years, the night was a sensory overload of pounding industrial beats, provocative visuals, and high-energy stage presence. The tour goes on till the end of June and is a must see show! 
In my opinion—and I believe many would agree—the addition of Carla Harvey has brought a fresh energy to Lords of Acid, enhancing their stage presence and vocal dynamics in a way that elevates their live performances.

Lords Of Acid members:
Praga Khan – keyboards, programming, backing vocals
Galen Waling – live drums
DieTrich Thrall – live bass
Creighton Emrick - live guitars
Carla Harvey - Vocals

Set List:
Voodoo-U
Do What You Wanna Do3
Lover4
Drink My Honey5
Mr. Machoman6
The Power Is Mine Coda7
(A Treatise on the Practical Methods Whereby One Can) Worship the Lords8
Rough Sex/Take Control9
Rubber Doll10
Pussy11
I Sit on Acid12
Scrood Bi U13
Let's Get High14
The Crablouse

Encore5
Get Up. Get High6
Out Comes the Evil

​

I have had the pleasure of covering Ministry’s show’s four times over the years and tonight being the 5th time and what the band had planned for this tour, I was very excited! What did the band have planned? Well, as the band made their way onto the stage and with a deafening roar from the crowd, Al Jourgensen, mic in hand, yelled out, “DENVER! Always so good to come back, yeah”! Al continues, “you all ready to take the hot tub time machine down memory lane”! With a loud cheer from their fans, the band starts their set with “Work for Love” from their 1983 album, With Sympathy and AL was on the move. 

The first song set the tone for their night and the energy level in the venue was on the rise as Al moved about the stage. The music was mostly from Ministry’s early days with albums, With Sympathy from 1983 and Twitch from 1986, and their fans loved every song. As a photographer Ministry is always a fun band to photograph. Their stage presence is second to none and keeping an eye on Al and his facial expressions and those moments when he stops and poses are priceless. (see photo gallery) The stage at the Mission Ballroom is very roomy for band members to move about and with the lights dancing everywhere and the large video screen in back of the stage constantly changing colorful designs, makes for some interesting photographs.

In the middle of the stage were The Squirrely Girls, two lovely ladies dressed to kill on backing vocals and had their own moves to go along with their singing. As Al would move across the stage, at times looking like he was stalking someone then he would stop and looking out into the crowd, another strange facial expression would appear. He would move back to center stage, stop, raise his arms, sometimes crossing his legs and pose. At times it seemed that everyone on stage was on the move displaying their skills and wowing their fans. Myself and the other photogs were on the move trying to capture “that shot” and I know I was smiling the whole time because I was having so much fun with a great band!

Rounding out their night, Ministry finished their set with an encore of two covers to top off a great night of sight and sound, “Ricky's Hand” (Fad Gadget cover) and “Da Ya Think I'm Sexy”? (Rod Stewart cover) (Revolting Cocks version) Ministry said good night to a very loud roaring crowd showing their appreciation for an amazing show.

Ministry members:
Al Jourgensen – vocals/guitar
Cesar Soto - guitar
Monte Pittman - guitar
Paul D'Amour - bass
Pepe Clarke Magaña - drums
John Bechdel - keys
The Squirrely Girls

Set List:
Work for Love 1983 With Sympathy
Here We Go 1983
All Day 1986
Same Old Madness 1982 Chicago 1982
Just Like You 1986
Over the Shoulder 1986 Twitch
We Believe 1986
Effigy (I'm Not An) 1983 
Revenge 1983
(Everyday Is) Halloween 1987 Twelve Inch Singles (1981–1984)

Encore:
Ricky's Hand
(Fad Gadget cover)
Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
(Rod Stewart cover) (Revolting Cocks v

​