MetalVice

This week we wrap up our time at Milwaukee Metal Fest 2026 covering day 2 and 3. Of course we cap off the episode with a short chat about our pros and cons of this year's fest and how we think it could possibly be improved next year.

It’s time to kick off summer with a bang as we return to MKE for Milwaukee Metal Fest! For this year's headliners we got Acid Bath, Killswitch Engage, and Ministry with nonstop music all day from some killer bands. Join us in this episode while we chat about the pre-party and day one of this festival that we look forward to each year.

Sometimes more than one show you want to see gets announced on the same day. Other times, you have to juggle several other commitments around a show. You may or may not be able to attend because of this. That was the dilemma we had when both Sepultura and Cradle Of Filth were announced in Chicago. We had to determine what, if any, show we were going to see. Then we saw that these tours  were being combined into one show at the Rave in Milwaukee. And we were free. So of course this made the decision easy for us. 

After years, we finally made it our first Dark Lord Day! This unique event celebrates the release of 3 Floyds Dark Lord. A limited Imperial Stout and barrel-aged variant release with a metal show. This year Crypt Sermon opened the stage with killer performances by Deadguy, Midnight, Gatecreeper and Municipal Waste before the headliner - Napalm Death closed out the day. Join us as we share our experiences of the beer release, beer share, and Metal concert.

For some time Lorna Shore has been one of Karen’s top bands. Whenever they would come to or around Chicago, she would drag Brian along. Brian would often say they are a fine band, but he never had the same love for them that Karen had. That was until this show at the Hard Rock in Gary Indiana. It was a killer lineup with support from Paleface Swiss and another of Karen’s favorite bands, Signs Of The Swarm. Join us for this concert report, the headlines, some long awaited new music from Repentance, and a quick stop at the merch table.

When you are depressed and in an emotional funk, music can be the shining light that helps bring back some joy and happiness to your life. At least that was our hope at the end of a very shitty week. Would Electric Callboy, with their unique sound blending Pop/EDM/Metal, be able to break the depression? How about an Aussie Metal Core band Polaris or Scene Queen with some Bimbocore? Join us in this week's concert report to find out.

After going two weeks without seeing a live show, we were definitely itching for the next gig. And we dove head first into it with four shows over six days. The first; Slaughter to Provel played a headline tour with Whitechapel and Attila in support at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. A few days later we made our way to the burbs of Milwaukee for our first show at XRay Arcade. A small converted house tucked in a quaint neighborhood where we saw Malevolence and Guiltrrip bring their Representing United Kingdom Metal & Hardcore Across North America Tour with support from Chamber and Suffer No Fools. Then the following night at our favorite venue the Rave the Godless IV that are Behemoth, Decide, Rotting Christ, and Immolation let us bathe in the unholy spirit. Finally the next day we took the long drive to Waukee, IA for our first show at Vibrant Music Hall. Where Dethklok and Amon Amarth co-headlined with support from Castle Rat.

Live music is hands down our favorite way to consume music. It doesn't matter what the genre of music is, the energy and emotions of the fans is the same. That's why when you hear about fans at a show getting hurt or losing their lives at a show, your heart sinks. In this episode we talk about the Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy documentary. Trainwreck is a documentary series on Netflix. Covering topics from Woodstock ‘99 to the poop cruise. We share what we can recall from when we first learned of the Astrowold tragedy, some of our past concert experiences, and what new insights we learned from the documentary.

We are back for the third book club episode. This time we take a look at Mark Mortons first book, Desolautions: A Heavy Metal Memoir. The Lamb Of God guitarist shares some of his highest highs and lowest lows as he tells the story of his life so far. From learning to play music as a child to his high school bands and the formation of Lamb Of God. Tag along while Mark shares the inspirations for some of the bands biggest songs and take a look behind the curtain to see how the albums were made.

It's no secret, ticket prices are expensive. Why is that though? Has it always been this way? Business Insider has a video out where they look at just this. They spend time talking to people from Live Nation, StubHub, the DOJ and others. Join us as we watch this video and provide our thoughts throughout.   Business Insider Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN1AVSZyFbY   Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.

We spend too much time this week at the Cemetery Gates when we say goodbye to three people; Matt Krupanski (Boysetsfire), James Lollar (Gost), and Bo Lueders (Harms Way). Thank you all for the amazing art you created and shared with the world. It’s also a double concert report week. The first, the Gwar: Gor-Gor Strikes Back tour with Soulfly and King Parrot in support. Followed by Emperor and Blood Incantation. Two vastly different shows both with highs and lows.

In this week's headlines we take a moment to talk about AI bots listening to AI “music” and getting paid for it. Apparently that's fraud. We also unfortunately make a stop by the Cemetery gates to say goodbye to Ross “The Boss” Friedman. Then we get to this week's concert report of boat alums Lacuna Coil. With Escape the Fate and VOWWS in support.

Right now, Ov Sulfur is one of Karen’s favorite bands. So of course when they, along with Atlas, were announced as direct support of another killer band, Orbit Culture, we knew this was a show we could not miss. There was one small problem. The show in Chicago was at The House of Blues. With us having an active goal to not see a show at this venue we were left with a few options; 1. See the show in Chicago, 2. Miss the show in Chicago, 3. Travel to another city. Option 3 seemed like the correct path given they would be in Milwaukee at one of the greatest venues we have ever been to, The Rave. And… Since we would be in town why not go see the classic rock icons Journey the night before at the Fiserv Forum. Join us as we look back at these two completely different shows.

Fire up those Twin Ion Engines and head to Chicago because the empire is coming to town. Well, maybe not to Chicago, but to West Chicago. Which - believe it or not Brian, West Chicago is not part of Chicago. The band Galactic Empire, consumed by the dark side, and just being general nerds, come to the West Chicago Social Club. A venue we have wanted to check out for some time but the journey seemed far far away. Almost as far as a galaxy. But in the end it was only 12 parsecs. Join the fight while we look at this week's news topped off with the impressive showing of the Empire supported by the one and only Game Genie. 

This year we returned to 102.9 The Hog (Everything That Rocks!) yearly show, HOG Fest, after missing the last two years. The show this year had Three Days Grace at the top of the bill. With support from top to bottom of the bill by I Prevail, Sleep Theory, and The Funeral Portrait. Not only have we seen all of these bands before, but all of them have also played past HOG Fests. It was truly a night full of fun radio metal.

For the main topic this week you can hear Brian/Karen’s constant chatter about the Nothing More show at the Riviera Theater in Chicago. Both were excited to see different bands from the top of the bill to the bottom, which included Catch Your Breath, Archers, and Dobbie in support. Also this week you can catch up on past news featuring the new Iron Maiden doc and new music from Wage War and Lamb Of god. And of course there's the concert calendar with one of the most anticipated show announcements, Metallica at Sphere!

What is Tractor Jazz you may be asking? Well it’s a double concert report episode. The first report is all about our time at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, where we saw K.I.M. (Keeping It Moving). This was our first time seeing a Jazz show, and it was different yet very familiar to other shows we have seen. That same night a friend let us know his cousin was playing a show the next night in a band called Tractor Kings. They were the first opener for Pinebender with Allen Epley as the second support band. Join us while we share our experiences with these two shows along with the news and new music.

A few years back we went to a show that should have had a killer line up, one we would love to see again. Opening was Khemis (our first time seeing them), followed by Mastodon (also our first time seeing them), and to close it out was Opeth (again, our “first” time seeing them). However, we kind of over indulge and left the show mid way into Opeth’s first song. Well- maybe it was the second song, who knows. Their songs can be quite long. In anycase, Opeth went on tour in 2025 to support their album; The Last Will And Testament. Karen had to miss this but Brian was able to go. So when they announced the second part of this tour in early 2026 Karen was excited to finally get to see them.

With so much sickness in this week's news segment we are more than ready to chat about the Left To Suffer show. What would be a night of great deathcore with a pinch of hardcore we got to see The Last Ten Seconds Of Life, LarcEnia RoE, Fr3ak, and the local band Beheading The Icon all in support.

On a cold winter’s night, a perfect way to warm up is with some live music. With some fun creepy goth/rock/metal songs. That's just what we have for our main topic this week, with our concert report from the Lord Of The Lost show. Joining them in support we got to see Wednesday 13 again and The Birthday Massacre for the first time. Also we cover this week's news (stories include the new band doPE), new music (with a killer cover by Uada), and we wrap up with the new concert announcements (including a tour from Dope - the original one you are thinking of).

This week's concert report takes us back to the end of 2025 for our final show of the year. The headliner, American Hustle, played the classic Bat Out Of Hell by Meat Loaf, followed by The Stem Lords playing the classic Billy Squier album Don't Say No. We also take a look at the merch table this week for a very unique EP from Party Cannon along with the week's headlines, new music, and of course the concert announcements.

This is the first week of 2026 where we had more than one show to go to. The first was a bar show at Reggies with some avant-garde metal/rock bands. Headlined by Kayo Dot with support from Straya and William Covert Trio. For the second show, we head out to the burbs, Woodstock to be precise. This event was not only a concert but a market full of everything from music to oddities. This event was put on by Warp Corps, a local non-profit organization with the mission of combatting suicide, overdose and homelessness through music, art, and action sports. This amazing event featured performances by SVNTN, Wings Of Severance, Rotten Mouth, and Strident Escape. Join us as we recap these events and cover all this week's news, new music, and concert announcements.

For our main topic in this episode we talk about Corey Taylor’s first book, Seven Deadly Sins. While it's not necessarily about music it has a few elements that tie back. Mostly that it was written by the lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour. In addition to the main topic we go over the past week's headlines and a stacked concert calendar with new show announcements.

With the start of the new year we decided to change up the format of our main podcast. In this episode we try a few new segments; news/headlines, new music, new concert announcements, new merch announcements, and our concert report for Candlelight’s tribute to Metallica.

With the start of a new year we are going to be playing with the format of our main podcast. Join us as we talk about the upcoming changes we have been thinking about. These changes are not set in stone, just us trying some new things for the show.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, 2025 has come and gone. A year that will be one of our personal biggest years ever. From not only the shows we saw or the places we visited, but for the music and people we met along the way. Join us as we take a look back at 2025 and share our top items in 13 different categories.

In this very special Christmas episode we look back at our last show of 2025, Avatar’s In The Airwaves tour. Well, it’s not necessarily a special Christmas episode, but we do have a new Christmas intro/outro and Christmas tree behind us. We do, though, talk about this Avatar show, where Alien Weaponry and SpirtWorld were the openers. This was also our first time seeing Avatar at a venue in Chicago other than House of Blues. Listen along to hear our thoughts on this experience.

For a period of time in the mid 2010s, Brian found himself not listening to as much metal. Instead he was exploring indie and folk rock. One artist that he took a liking to was Griffin House. The song Better Than Love became an instant favorite between us and has a very special place in our hearts. So when we saw that he was coming to the Chicago burbs we knew we had to make a night of it.

We go to our second Trivium show in under a year. This time for The Struck Dead Tour, formally the Ascend Above The Ashes tour, at the Rave in Miliwakue. While the first time we got the Ascendancy album in full, this time we got a more traditional set. With one small difference, Brian finally got to hear Strife live! In support of this tour we got to see Heriot for the first time and Jinjer for the millionth time. Join us for a look back at our first four stage Rave show. 

Over the years we have seen many new bands and our taste in music have evolved. In one of our very first episodes we saw a show where Omnium Gatherum was an opener. Now, they come to Chicago as a headliner. Before we recorded this episode Karen went back and listened to that episode, so you don't have to suffer through it. Join us as we talk about how our thoughts have changed between that first show and this one.

We set sail yet again onboard another Headbangers Boat. What has become our annual tradition is starting to turn into a reunion. Meeting so many amazing people all with the same goal. Experience great live music with incredible people. This year, like the last two, was an amazing experience. Join us as we look back and share our experience on the third Headbangers Boat.

A sold out show can be a mixed bag. On one hand if you got tickets to the show you may be stoked you were one of the lucky ones going. On the other hand, if you didn't you might be pissed because now you are going to pay out the ass to the bottom feeders known as scalpers. Over the years we have fallen into both categories. For this episode, though, we will be mostly looking at venue capacity, and how a sold out show at one venue can feel much different than a sold out show at a different venue. Some venues just seem to oversell more than others.

We return to the ever changing venue that is The Salt Shed. This time, for a metal show and Karen’s first Fair Grounds show. With it being late October in Chicago though, we knew it was going to get moved inside, and it did. That didn't matter all that much because we also knew Lorna Shore was going to put on a killer show regardless if it was inside or outside. Joining in support we got The Black Dahlia Murder, Shadow Of Intent, and Peelingflesh. While this isn’t Brian’s go to sub genre of metal he was excited to see how the Salt Shed has changed since his last visit. Join us as we discuss the show and the venue.

Earlier in the year we had tickets to the 40th anniversary of Dream Theater. On the same day, however, Disturbed was in town for their 25th anniversary show. With Disturbed being one of the cornerstones in Karen’s musical journey, and the fact that this was a home town show for them (possibly their largest), she ditched Brian. Luckily he had a friend he could take so he did not have to go alone. We did a whole episode on this (Episode 129: Two Shows One Night) if you want to check it out. Ever since then though, Karen has wanted to see Dream Theater based solely on the stories Brian and his friend told. Both Karen and Brian assumed they would get that opportunity at some point, Just not a handful of months later, but they did when Dream Theater played The Venue in one of Chicago’s south east burbs, Hammond, Indiana.

We have seen Signs Of The Swarm a few times now, but never as a headlining band. Until their To Rid Myself Of Truth tour. Making a stop at Reggies with a very heavy lineup it was going to be a long brutal night. Opening we got the chance to catch sets from Mental Cruelty, ten56., Carcosa, and Face Yourself. For Brian, it was a night of good, albeit in his option, similar sounding death metal. For Karen, it was one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

Welcome to MetalVice, a podcast where we talk about all things music. While- the things we care about. For us that means we talk mostly about metal and live concerts we have been too. But there are other types of music, live and otherwise. One such type is the musical. A form we personally do enjoy, but rarely experience. However, we picked up tickets right away when we heard about the new play, REVOLUTION(S) written by Zayd Ayers Dohrn, opening at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. The main selling point for us was that it promised to be a one of a kind performance melding punk, hip-hop, and our favorite genre metal. To write this music and lyrics the legend Tom Morello was tapped. Join us as we share our thoughts on REVOLUTION(S).

After many years gathering dust on a shelf somewhere, Vimic’s Open Your Omen is finally released. To celebrate a very special release show was held at the Teragram Ballroom in LA. Not only was this to celebrate the release of the long awaited album, it was a celebration of the life and legacy of Joey Jordison. Opening the celebrations we saw Wednesday 13 not only play his solo music, but also songs from Murderdolls; sharing stories between the songs. We were not expecting to make it to this show. However, using airline miles and hotel points, we were able to make the quick trip to see this very special show.

Many festivals, including Riot Fest, have late night or after party shows. While this Mac Sabbath show was technically before the start of the fest, it was our first time attending one of these late night shows. Hosted at Reggies it was a night of many different musical styles. Starting with Mikey Classic, from The Goddamn Gallows, playing some folksy punk. Followed by Descartes A Kant, or DAK, from Mexico with their blend of Alternative/Indie Rock. Then finishing with the aforementioned Mac Sabbath, and their groundbreaking style of Drive Thru Metal.

For people, like us, who grew up in the early 2000, there are a lot of key albums with major anniversaries coming up. One such album is L.D. 50 from Mudvayne, which turns 25 in 2025. Like most bands celebrating key albums Mudvayne took to the road, bringing Static-X and Vended along for the party. Join us as we look back at this album and party in its honor.

Call them Nu Metal, Alternative Metal, or even Progressive Metal, there's no question that System of a Down was and is a cornerstone of Metal. Especially for those of us who started our music and Metal journey in the early 2000’s. They don’t play many live shows anymore. Which is why when they announced their 2025 North American tour with only three shows we knew it was going to be something special. These shows quickly sold out, before the general public sale even took place. Adding an extra show to each stop brought the total count to 6. Luck for us, one stop happened to be in our home town of Chicago. Not only would this be our second opportunity to see SOAD, but it would be our first time getting to see Avenged Sevenfold, as well as Polyphia and Wisp. Of course, the price tag left a lasting sour taste in our mouth that definitely impacted our mood going into the show. As did reading the experience the crowd had from night one with the venue security. Join us as we look back and share our feelings on the overall experience.

On an abnormally cool, technically summer, night we found ourselves at Northerly Island in Chicago for the Black Keys show. A venue with one of the best views of the city. Joining The Black Keys in support was Gary Clark Jr., complementing the bill with his blues/rock vibes. Since this was not a Metal show, Karen expected a certain type of crowd, while Brian expected something a little different.

We head up to outdoor amphitheater in downtown Milwaukee for Billy Idol. Located on the Summerfest grounds right up against lake Michigan feeding into the Kinnickinnic River, it was a perfect night for a concert, or a White Wedding. Joining Billy on stage in support we had amazing classic rockers Joan Jettt & The Blackhearts. While it's not metal, it was a fun night of live music.

We head to the United Center in Chicago for night 1 of Nine Inch Nails on their Peel It Back Tour. Brian has only seen NIN one other time and recalls it being one hell of a show. This would be Karen’s first time seeing them live. With their new album, the soundtrack for Tron: Ares, the house lighting definitely gave off Tron vibes. In support we had Boys Noize, who’s set ran directly into NIN set with no cutover time. From the unique way of going from opener to headliner, along with the practical effects, this show definitely showed what a live show can be.

Seeing Linkin Park with Chester was something we unfortunately never got to do, and never thought we would be able to see Linkin Park after his passing. Then it was announced they were back. With a new singer and new music. Like many people, this left us with competing thoughts and feelings. While we were excited to finally get the opportunity to see Linkin Park, we went in very hesitantly. Join us while we look back at this show and try our best to explain our feelings. One thing is for sure, Chester left a lasting positive mark on the world and his art is still very much alive.

Summer Slaughter has been around for some time now, and honestly it hasn't been on our radar at all. Maybe it popped up for a little in 2024, we can’t remember. But it definitely hit our radar in 2025, when it was announced Jamey Jasta was taking the reins. He has not let us down with Milwaukee Metal Fest, so we had high hopes for this. Just like MKE Metal fest, Summer Slaughter was going to be stopping in Milwaukee playing the Rave on two of their four stages. Making this a true traveling festival. At least for our show.

We have had this idea of a music related road trip for some time. Evolving year over year. Well, in the summer of 2025 we were finally going to take the road trip. Stopping at a new city each night, seeing some sort of live music at each stop, ending the trip at a festival. However, due to other shows coming up we had to abandon this plan. For now. Join us as we talk over the plans we had for this trip and how the concept of our road trip has evolved.

A number of music festivals offer camping. This is an experience we have never had, but have wanted to give it a try for some years. In 2025 we made it our mission to do just this. While the weather was not 100% perfect, the experience was one to remember. Join us as we talk about this unique music experience.

Summer festivals are a key part of many people's concert schedule. We plan our years and summers around them. For a long time a Danny Wimmer festival has been at the top of our list, and this year we went to our first one, Inkcarceration. We have heard nothing but great things. Join us and see if the hype we have heard was worth it.

Metal is truly a world wide community. What started in Birmingham has spread to every corner of the globe. BABYMETAL proudly showed us just how far Metal has come with their 2025 North America tour. Three bands (BABYMETAL, Jinjer, and Bloodywood), from three different countries (Japan, Ukraine, and India), with three distinct sounds and takes on Metal music. Join us as we look back at this show and appreciate the diverse community that is Metal.

A few years back, Slayer said they were done. At the time we had only seen them at Riot Fest, and we left early to beat the crowd. We never thought we would be able to see a full set again. Then, like most every band, they came back. Not touring, but playing a few shows here and there (but mostly there than here). So when they announced they would be in London at Finsbury Park the day after Back to the Beginning we jumped on the tickets. We were already going to be there and this just gave us an additional live show in England. Opening was Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed, and Neckbreakker (which we missed).