Articles by "Nukem"
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At the start of the New Year that is currently 2025, Northern Californian’s Exodus would announce two California showcases for the late spring/early summer time frame. These shows taking place in Berkeley, California April 25th and Anaheim, California April 26th. These two special California shows would be in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their debut album “Bonded By Blood”, released back in 1984! But not only would these shows be in celebration of an anniversary of sorts but a birthday as well, celebrating the 65th birthday of the band’s original vocalist Paul Baloff, who had died of a stroke back in 2002. These set of shows being set around that singer’s birthday of April 25th, what a better way than to celebrate with some showcases, the Anaheim one would feature thrash iconics Death Angel, along with Hirax, and Nukem!

Grabbing tickets just in time, with an added VIP bonus, getting access to the balcony section of the Anaheim House Of Blues was sure a treat, with lots of tricks done by the bands tonight. Lines were forming around the outside of the venue, one for main entry, fast lane, and VIP lines were slowly forming every which way. VIP would be admitted, then all else, once inside, drinks and some food was available in one of the many rooms, with the main music hall being in the next room. After getting up to the second floor, passing through one of the former rooms, making way into the music hall, and getting seated was flawless.

Getting some grub and drinks, the show would start at 7PM, the opening band being thrash Californians Nukem, kicking off the night with such energy it made the crowd purely overjoyed. The slowly forming crowd, would gather around, headbanging, jumping, and running in the mosh pit, showing their love for this particular band. Their performance was captivating and highly entertaining, making their momentum being nothing but music! Even the vocalist said they were going to do nothing but play and not talk and that is how it turned out. The crowd has fun, and so did the band so both sides won.

NUKEM:


Next up would be thrashers Hirax, who rarely play shows as it is sadly. But once they hit the stage next roughly around 7:45PMish, things would go insane! Everyone on the floor would erupted with crowd surfing, stage diver, mosh pit craziness, and total chaos from all sorts. The crowd could not get enough of the angst and energy that came from these guys. Having a recent line-up change and new album release, Hirax threw together a show tonight that made everyone want so much more, but it could not happen sadly enough. But they did not disappoint, being the one’s that tore the place down, getting everybody upstairs and downstairs overly excited and never wanting it to end.

HIRAX:


Following would be thrash icons Death Angel, performing for an hour straight of nothing but headbanging goodness. Their set had the vocalist jumping up and down, to singing his lungs out, giving such a performance it was unbelievable. Such energy was floored literally upon the said floor by the crowd, so much mosh pit action taking place, the band gave it their all. Lots of fast paced momentum that it made their performance that more energetic. They brought a mix bag of material played, with everyone wanting so much more, it made the performance that much more fun.

DEATH ANGEL:


Ending off the evening would be thrashers Exodus, celebrating of course, that they would play working’s off their album “Bonded By Blood”, along with other hits, that again the whole room was into them. Such fierce energy was set off, even the band’s own beach ball’s were thrown into the crowd at the end, everyone being joyous about them, that they were tossed all over the place. So much circular mosh pit action was happening as well, it made their performance amazing to witness. This band was so enchanting that even their merchandise line was out the door. That is how much fun these guys tend to be with their thrashy goodness. It is also worth noting that one of their other vocalists that has filled in named Rob Dukes, made a comeback to take over once more. He didn’t expect it to happen yet hre is is back again and tonight he brought it. Such fierce high powerful angst of energy that it felt good seeing Exodus with him again, not seeing him play with the band since back in 2010.

EXODUS:



 
 
Overall nothing but thrash metal to entertaining the night’s never ending evening. All the bands outdid one another, making the crowd begging for more. It was fun, flawless and endless that this night felt so special in more ways than one. 

SETLIST:

1. Bonded By Blood
2. Exodus
3. And Then There Were None
4. A Lesson in Violence
5. Metal Command
6. Pleasures of the Flesh
7. Brain Dead
8. Hell's Breath
9. Piranha
10. No Love
11. Deliver Us to Evil
12. He's a Women - She's a Man (Scorpions Cover with Death Angel Vocalist Mark Osegueda)
13. Impaler
14. Strike of the Beast
12:23 PM
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Death was an American death metal band that was formed in the early 80's. Having been active since 84 up until 2001, when their main man guitarist/vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, passed away of glioma and pneumonia. But while he may be gone now, the remains have been an enduring influence on the heavy metal scene as a whole.

And with that, "Death To All" was created, a tribute to Chuck, with the remaining members of the original Death band. Death to All’s current lineup is drummer Gene Hoglan (Death, Testament, Dethklok), bassist Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Testament, Control Denied) and guitarist Bobby Koelble (Death). Live Cynic guitarist and vocalist Max Phelps will handle second guitar and vocals. The poster shows that it is a 30th anniversary commemoration of "Individual Thought Patterns", the band's fifth album released back in 93.

Thus, this poster would indeed be an actual tour taking place in the spring time, running from March to April, with support coming from Suffocation and Nukem! With this tour barely getting it's start in March, it's Los Angeles stop would happen March 8th 2023, out in Downtown LA at The Belasco. One of the very few theater venues still standing around, showcasing numerous events over the years. This one being one, that would have doors open at 6PM with the opener's of the evening being thrash metal act Nukem!

Nukem kicked off the night right on time at 7PM, playing for a good 40 minutes, having the audience be pleased yet entertained, that even the mosh pit opened up briefly. It may have been brief but still a good performance overall. The music was thrash metal at it's finest, being fast, heavy, and enjoyable really. Each of band's songs was catchy and very upbeat, never skipping a beat but keeping the music upfront yet intense, being fun through and through.

NUKEM:





Next up was co-headliner's Suffocation but due to technical difficulties they would be setting up their set-up for a good 50 minutes! When most in-between bands set changes would be anywhere from 15-20 minutes perhaps 30 at the max. But Suffocation have some faults in their arrangement, causing the crowd to be disappointed and rather rowdy too. Some calling out that they would hurry up or get off the stage and not even play. But after straightening things out and being called out minor, the band gathered together to play after all. Playing for the next 30 minutes straight, never skipping a beat of any of their songs played. The crowd was then well entertained and kept the mosh pit well advised yet fun. All in it, kept the energy flowing throughout the entirety of their set. Lots of cheers and excitement came from the audience, with all there being more thrilled that they had managed to play after all. Making note at the end that they would be back for more, on the next round of a touring cycle.


SUFFOCATION:





Lastly would be death metal legends Death. Or Death To All the tribute to Chuck, performing for a good hour and a half, with about close to 20 songs in total! A lot being from their assortment of albums, including "Individual Thought Patterns". Some of the tracks played live included such as "Bite the Pain", "Trapped in a Corner", "Suicide Machine", "Symbolic", "Zombie Ritual", and "Pull the Plug", among many others in their extensive list. The audience and its mosh pit was truly never ending. Lots more cheers and shouts occurred with lots of happiness throughout. Quite a few people in the crowd were thrown into the air, crowd surfing to the front, if not atop one's shoulders running about, with others falling face first or onto their back sides down in the pit. All there were just having so much fun, enthralled to hear the classic Death tracks that were so historic yet legendary at that.

DEATH:





All in all though, Death To All was a tribute success that would continue to trek onward, bringing much more smiles and shouts, that will live on with the spirit that is late, legendary Death frontman Chuck Schuldiner. 


SETLIST:

1. Overactive Imagination

2. The Philosopher

3. Bite the Pain

4. Spiritual Healing

5. Zero Tolerance

6. Evil Dead

7. Leprosy

8. Trapped in a Corner

9. Jealousy

10. Symbolic

11. Secret Face

12. Living Monstrosity

13. Lack of Comprehension

14. Suicide Machine

15. Voice of the Soul (Played from Tape)

ENCORE:

16. Flattening of Emotions

17. Zombie Ritual

18. Spirit Crusher

19. Crystal Mountain

20. Pull the Plug

10:52 AM

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