Melodic Death Metal | DCHeavyMetal.com

Darkest Hour benefit for the Black Cat

When the COVID-19 pandemic came to town in March it shut down all of the area’s live shows, including metal shows. However at 7pm this Saturday, September 26th, Darkest Hour will be streaming a performance that was just recorded at the Black Cat! The show itself won’t be live because there are many guest performers involved who had to be recorded playing from their own locations since it isn’t safe to fly them in right now. However there will be a live chat during the stream where fans can interact with the band and guest musicians in real time as everyone watches the stream. The audio has also been professionally mixed and mastered so the sound quality will be closer in quality to a live album than a regular livestream. On top of all that, everyone that buys a ticket will get an invite to the virtual afterparty on Zoom with Darkest Hour members and some of special guests after the performance ends!

Tickets to watch the stream (which includes access to the Zoom afterparty) are available from Veeps.com (here) for $10 or at the same link you can buy a bundle that comes with an exclusive shirt (shown below) made just for this performance for $35.

I spoke with Darkest Hour guitarist and founding member Mike Schleibaum and he told me that this event ties in with the band’s 25th anniversary (which was on Wednesday, 9/23). Along with some of the band’s most popular songs, the setlist will include some of their oldest songs performed with guest appearances by former band members. Other performing guests include Doc Coyle (Bad Wolves, God Forbid), Mark Heylmun (Suicide Silence), Buz McGrath (Unearth), Fella Di Cicco (Dreamshade) and more! Mike Schleibaum went on to say, “all of the Darkest Hour parts were shot on the Black Cat stage with multiple cameras.” When pressed about exactly how much of the ticket price went to the venue, Mike said, “100% of ticket sales go to the Black Cat. So when you buy a $10 ticket they get all of the $10. There’s also going to be a donation feature while the performance is streaming so people watching can also donate that way.”

This isn’t a live stream but it sounds like they’ve really upped the production value for this using multiple cameras, top notch sound quality and out of area guest musicians to make this closer to something you’d see on a band’s live DVD release. And while I’ve watch several band live streams they do kind of all seem like you’re just watching a rehearsal with poor sound quality. This event sounds like a great way to do something bigger for the fans, celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary, and donate to one of Washington DC’s live music institutions. If you can’t watch it when it starts or you just want to replay the show, a ticket purchase will grant you access to it for 24 hours. You can check the event’s Facebook page here for info and once again you can get tickets here.

The Veeps stream layout with the chat shown on the right

Here’s some videos Darkest Hour put out that you can get even more info from:

September 25, 2020
Categories: Black Cat, Coronavirus Quarantine Days, Local Band Info, Melodic Death Metal, Metalcore, Shameless Promotion, Washington DC / Maryland / Virginia Metal Scene . Tags: Benefit Show, Black Cat, Buz McGrath, Darkest Hour, Doc Coyle, Fella Di Cicco, Livestream, Mark Heylmun . Author: Metal Chris . Comments: Leave a comment

Battlecross to headline benefit show at Atlas Brew Works

Bring A Guitar To The Bar Fundraiser

In September 2016 our area’s metal scene was shocked to find out about the sudden passing of Witt Black, guitarist for local metal band Yesterday’s Saints. The Witt Black Music Foundation was formed in August 2017 by his bandmates and siblings in memory of Witt, and this show is a fundraiser for his namesake’s charity. You’re encouraged to bring a gently used guitar to donate, or donate money as well, to the third annual Bring A Guitar To The Bar fundraiser at Atlas Brew Works this Saturday, October 12th. All ticket proceeds will go to the charity as well, which gives guitar lessons to at-risk kids who might not otherwise be able to afford lessons or an instrument. Students that complete the first round of lessons get to keep their guitar. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization so you can get a tax credit for your donation as well. If you can’t make the event you can still donate a guitar to the foundation here or you can simply make a monetary donation here.

This isn’t just a charity event though, it’s also a metal show! Battlecross is a melodic death metal band from Detroit and they’re coming down to play this benefit show. Not only that but they’ll be auctioning off guitarist Hiran Deraniyagala’s Jeff Hanneman ESP JH-600 Eclipse guitar with proceeds going to the foundation! You can see Deraniyagala playing it in the band’s video for “Never Coming Back” at the end of this post, he’s the guitarist on the right. Also performing at the benefit will be Eyes Of The Nile, a local Iron Maiden tribute band fronted by Iris Divine vocalist Navid Rashid. Local metal band Gloom will be returning to Atlas for the benefit as well. They are one of the bands that played the first metal show ever at Atlas Brew Works back in December of 2016! Virginia based metal band No Tomorrow will be kicking things off for this show as well. All in all, this is a great line up at a great event at a great brewery for a great cause! More details about the event can be found on the Facebook event page here.

October 9, 2019
Categories: Atlas Brew Works, Local Band Info, Melodic Death Metal, Shameless Promotion, Washington DC / Maryland / Virginia Metal Scene . Tags: Atlas Brew Works, Battlecross, Benefit Show, Bring A Guitar To The Bar, Charity, Eyes Of The Nile, Gloom, Iron Maiden, No Tomorrow, The Witt Black Music Foundation . Author: Metal Chris . Comments: Leave a comment

Behemoth ticket give away

Behemoth at Fillmore Silver Spring

Poland’s masters of the dark arts, Behemoth, return to the Fillmore Silver Spring on Friday, November 2nd, with a killer line up that includes At The Gates and Wolves In The Throne Room. We’re so excited about this show here at DCHM that we’re going to give away a free pair of tickets to one of you lucky readers. To enter: just leave a comment on this post telling me which of the three bands playing you’re most excited to see. On Wednesday, October 17th at 5pm EST the contest will close and a winner will be chosen at random (using Random.org) from all valid entries. The winner will get two free tickets the show! Be sure to enter using an email address you check regularly so I can contact you if you win. Don’t worry, I won’t add you to any spam lists or sell your info or anything sleazy like that, I hate spam too. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 24 hours another winner will be chosen at random. If you can’t wait to see if you win or the contest is already over when you read this, then you can get tickets from Live Nation for $29.50 here.

Behemoth just released a new album, I Loved You at Your Darkest, on Nuclear Blast Records this month. Now, after a successful summer performing as one of the support acts for Slayer’s farewell tour in North America, they’re returning to the US for a proper headlining tour. At The Gates is one of the most important bands from the famous Swedish Gothenburg death metal scene. They will probably always be most remembered for their masterpiece album Slaughter of the Soul but they also put out a new album this year, To Drink from the Night Itself. The opening band is probably the most influential US black metal band, Wolves In The Throne Room. They’re from Washington state and are one of the bands that helped make atmospheric black metal popular with a wider audience. Now go check out the videos below by these bands and leave a comment telling me which one you’re most excited to see at the Fillmore Silver Spring on November 2nd!

Behemoth – Wolves ov Siberia

At The Gates – To Drink From The Night Itself

Wolves In The Throne Room – Born From The Serpent’s Eye

October 15, 2018
Categories: Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Contests, Fillmore Silver Spring, Gothenburg Sweden, Melodic Death Metal . Tags: At The Gates, Behemoth, Fillmore Silver Spring, WITTR, Wolves In The Throne Room . Author: Metal Chris . Comments: 50 Comments

In Flames ticket give away

In Flames at the Fillmore Silver Spring

Regardless of how you feel about the election results this week I think we can all agree it’s been a long and stressful election and we all could stand to blow off some steam. On Monday, November 14th, we’ll get the chance to do just that when the Swedish melo death masters In Flames perform at the Fillmore Silver Spring! We’re going to be giving away a pair of tickets to this very show to one of you lucky DCHM readers, whether you have an “I Voted” sticker or not! To enter: just leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite metal band from Sweden is. It can be a Gothenburg band like In Flames or anyone else from Ghost to Entombed to Amon Amarth. At 5pm EST this Friday, November 11th, a winner will be chosen at random (using Random.org) from all valid entries to win the tickets. Be sure to use a valid email you check regularly so I can contact you if you win. Don’t worry, I won’t add you to any spam lists or sell your info or anything sleazy like that. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 24 hours another winner will be chosen at random. If you can’t wait to see if you win or the contest is already over when you read this, then you can get tickets from Live Nation for $29.50 here.

In Flames is probably the most famous of the melodic death metal bands that rose out of the Gothenburg, Sweden, area in the 90s. They’re have a new album out this Friday, titled Battles, and this show will be a great chance to hear some of those brand new songs live! Also on the Forged In Fire Tour is Hellyeah! from Dallas, Texas. Formed by Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul and former Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray, the band has made a name for themselves in their own right. The opener of the show is a new band from Pennsylvania called From Ashes To New. Their debut album came out in February this year and charted at #53 on Billboard. Now check out these videos by the bands playing as you leave a comment below telling me what your favorite metal band from Sweden is!

In Flames – The End

Hellyeah! – I Don’t Care Anymore

From Ashes To New – Through It All

November 9, 2016
Categories: Contests, Fillmore Silver Spring, Gothenburg Sweden, Melodic Death Metal . Tags: Fillmore Silver Spring, Forged In Fire Tour, From Ashes To New, Hellyeah, In Flames . Author: Metal Chris . Comments: 12 Comments

Amon Amarth ticket give away

Amon Amarth at the Fillmore Silver Spring

Amon Amarth is bringing their warship to the Fillmore Silver Spring on Thursday, April 21st of 2016! Since we want to get as many of you viking metal fans out to this one as possible we’ll be giving away a free pair of tickets to this very show! To enter: just leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite Swedish metal band is. At 5pm EST on Friday, April 15th, 2016, the contest will end I’ll pick a winner at random (using Random.org) from all valid entries to win the tickets. Be sure to use a valid email you check regularly so I can contact you if you win. Don’t worry, I won’t add you to any spam lists or sell your info or anything sleazy like that. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 24 hours another winner will be chosen at random. If you can’t wait to see if you win or the contest is already over when you read this, then you can get tickets from Live Nation for just $27.50 here.

Amon Amarth are a Swedish band know for their brutal yet catchy death metal songs about viking history and lore. They always put on a highly entertaining show and with their latest album, Jomsviking, just released last month we’ll be getting to hear some new songs too! Also on board are fellow Swedes Entombed A.D. who are basically the remnants of Entombed but had to add the A.D. since there’s a legal dispute over the name. Regardless they’re still going to bring that death n’ roll they’re so famous for. The opener is Exmortus, a melodic death/thrash band from California that’s up and coming right now. Be sure to check out these videos of all three bands below and then leave a comment telling me who your favorite band from Sweden is!

Amon Amarth – At Dawn’s First Light

Entombed A.D. – The Winner Has Lost

Exmortus – Metal Is King

April 11, 2016
Categories: Contests, Fillmore Silver Spring, Melodic Death Metal . Tags: Amon Amarth, Entombed, Entombed A.D., Exmortus . Author: Metal Chris . Comments: 30 Comments

Review of Slayer at the Fillmore Silver Spring

On Saturday, March 5th, the Fillmore in Silver Spring hosted a sold out show headlined by the masters of demonic thrash, Slayer. This bill was pretty stacked as the two support bands, Bay Area thrashers Testament and UK based melodic death band Carcass, have both headlined the Fillmore in the past. The line to get in wrapped around the building early and the place was already pretty packed before the first band took the stage.

Carcass started things off with a short set, they only played for 40 minutes, but managed to get through 10 songs in that time. The band didn’t talk much between songs and really made the most of their time. Their set consisted of songs from Heartwork (2), Necroticism (3) and their latest album, Surgical Steel (4) plus “Genital Grinder” from Reek Of Putrefaction. Their set was short but sweet and the band kept it tight, you really weren’t going to see a better set from these guys in just 40 minutes and I wondered how Testament would look by comparison going on after such a great set by Carcass.

Testament followed with a set that wasn’t quite as energetic as the one Carcass played but the audience still went nuts for it. Vocalist Chuck Billy was doing his best air guitar throughout the set while Alex Skolnick showed off his impressive actual guitar skills. Testament’s set consisted of just eight songs with a focus on their best hits from the 80s and 90s. They are always entertaining live and Testament can still shred but I still think of the three bands that played they were the least compelling. Testament’s set was also 40 minutes and when they finished a big curtain went up in front of the stage while Slayer set up.

Finally the curtain fell and Slayer launched into “Repentless,” the first of five songs they would perform off their newest album of the same name. I know the current Slayer line up has its doubters but I’m not one of them after having seen both the original line up and the current one several times now. The band is still very tight and intense live and this night was no exception. Paul Bostaph really punches it behind the kit and Gary Holt is always very animated on stage; you can tell he’s having a blast up there. He brought out that crazy looking guitar that is painted using several pints of his own blood too (see photo below). When Slayer played the Fillmore Silver Spring last, in November 2013, their set list was a sort of “best hits” while Saturday’s show certainly had more of Slayer’s material from the past decade in there. That said, they played for an hour and 45 minutes so there was plenty of time to get many of those classic older Slayer tunes. The final four songs they played are pretty hard for any metal band to match, “South Of Heaven,” “Raining Blood,” “Black Magic” and “Angel Of Death.” Some people were hoping for an encore after that but seriously, what more could you ask for? Slayer might be older and have a different line up now but they really haven’t lost a step or any of that demonic intensity they’re known for and this show just proved it, once again.

Below are my shots of the bands that night, you can click on any one of them to see it full sized or click here to see the entire set (including photos of the set lists).

Carcass: