Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
The Mega-Monsters Tour featuring French progressive metal giants Gojira and Atlanta, Georgia’s very own psychedelic metal kings Mastodon is underway headed across North America. They’re co-headlining this tour and along for the ride opening each night is the symphonic metal quintet Lorna Shore. On this particular night in Inglewood, California at the famous Kia Fourm these bands brought out everything and showed the sold out crowd why heavy metal is as huge as ever right now.
Be sure to get to the venue early to catch Lorna Shore because if you don’t you’re missing out big time. Fresh off the second leg of their The Pain Remains Tour these gents sounded just as pristine as their latest album Pain Remains. Vocalist Will Ramos sounds just as brutal live as he does on the album and leaves some fans with their eyes and mouth wide open. The unique sounds that Will produces helped this band sore to new hights in the last couple years. The talents that these musicians have is insane; Austin Archey on the drums sounds like a machine, Adam De Micco on lead guitar shreds like no other while rhythm guitarist Andrew O’Connor provides those heavy crunchy riffs, and Michael Yager on bass keeping the low end on lockdown. They went viral in 2021 with their single “To The Hellfire” which had the metal community fiending for more and just a few months later they released a three song EP called …And I Return To Nothingness. Their latest album Pain Remains was released on October 14th, 2022 and has been praised by music lovers around the world. These guys keep getting bigger and bigger while making new fans everywhere and they’ve just begun. Don’t miss their set when they come to a city near you!
Experimental metal masters Mastodon was next and they melted the majority of faces off at the fourm. These heavy metal veterans put on a paralyzing setlist that spans their twenty plus year career. They opened the night with a couple tracks off of their third studio album Blood Mountain, “The Wolf Is Loose” and “Crystal Skull”, and followed that up with “Megalodon” off of their most popular album Leviathan. A couple other songs off that album they played was “Aqua Dementia”, “Iron Tusk”, and closing out the night with “Blood and Thunder” which is arguably everyone’s favorite Mastodon track. These guys love what they do and it shows: Bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders plays his bass with style while bending over backwards, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds shows his dedication to his guitar playing while singing his parts of the songs, guitarist Bill Kelliher has fun on stage grooving to the music while producing those catchy riffs, drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor sounds amazing singing while playing his kit that has Darla on the bass drum, and their touring companion João Nogueira on keyboards/synthesizers adds that extra pizazz that brings everything together.
Their latest album Hushed and Grim has seen huge success and become almost a rebirth for the band in a way. Dedicated to their late manager and close friend, Nick John, Hushed and Grim brings an energy of heavy and melodic songs that stick to you like glue. A couple of songs off that album they played was “Pushing the Tides” and “More Than I Could Chew”, both captivating in their own sense. “Fallen Torches” off of their Medium Rarities was played and the audience went crazy as soon as it started. Mastodon brought some pyro to include with their already off the charts show that has green and purple lasers, strobes galore, and badass graphic art projected on stage by the artist Skinner. Anytime these guys tour it’s a must see because they put everything into their performance and it shows!
Gojira was up next and the sold out crowd was anxious for them to start the show. Chants of Gojira echoed throughout the Fourm just before they hit the stage. A huge banner with their name on it covered the stage and a countdown clock in the background started. As soon as the clock finished they began the show with “Born for One Thing”, which is the first song off their latest offering Fortitude, and multiple mosh pits opened up on the floor. The raw force and pure energy that this band gives off is contagious and the whole stadium was rocking out singing along. Next song was “Backbone”, from their album From Mars to Sirius, and the pyro started right away with the song. You could hear the excitement in the crowd as this was happening and it only made them cheer and sing louder than before. “Stranded” was next followed by fan favorite “Flying Whales”. Magma‘s intense song “The Cell” followed and you can’t help but admire drummer Mario Duplantier style and technique during this performance. The only song they played off of The Way of All Flesh was “The Art of Dying” and not a single person in the audience was standing still.
Mario then puts on a one man show while he does an amazing drum solo that left the crowd speechless staring with awe. “Grind” and “Another World” was next off Fortitude and they were played to perfection. The heavy “Silvera” off of 2016s Magma made the mosh pits even bigger than before. Joe Duplantier’s vocals and immaculate guitar playing showed just how good he sounds live, spot on with the studio albums. Bassist Jean-Michel Labadie matches his energy with the crowd and is having a blast keeping the low end flowing free. Guitarist Christian Andreu whips his hair up and down head banging to the crunching riffs and powerful melodies that this band produces with ease. Gojira closed out the night with a couple more tracks off of Fortitude, “Amazonia” and “The Chant”, and ended with “The Gift of Guilt” which is the only song they played off of 2012s L’Enfant Sauvage. What an amazing end to a night that won’t be soon forgotten. This is the tour of the year and shouldn’t be missed. These three heavy metal bands are the biggest in the world right now and are bring the production of a lifetime to you. Don’t miss out! Remaining tour dates:
04/29 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
04/30 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Zoo Amphitheatre
05/02 – Nashville, TN @ Municipal Auditorium
05/04 – Boca Raton, FL @ Sunset Cove Amphitheater
05/05 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
05/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
05/07 – Asheville, NC @ Harrah’s Cherokee Center
05/09 – Richmond, VA @ Virginia Credit Union Live
05/10 – Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Pavilion
05/11 – Reading, PA @ Santander Arena
08/09 – Cincinnati, OH @ MegaCorp Pavilion
08/10 – Cleveland, OH @ Jacob’s Pavilion
08/11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Outdoors
08/12 – New York, NY @ Coney Island Amphitheater
08/13 – Syracuse, NY @ OneCenter
08/15 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple
08/17 – Toronto, ON @ RBC Echo Beach
08/18 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell
08/19 – Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
08/20 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall
08/23 – Milwaukee, WI @ BMO Pavilion
08/25 – Hammond, IN @ Horseshoe
08/26 – Omaha, NE @ Westfair Amphitheater
08/27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Waite Park Amphitheater
08/29 – St. Louis, MO @ The Factory
08/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Azura Amphitheater
09/01 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheater
09/02 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater
Lorna Shore
Setlist:
Sun//Eater
Cursed to Die
Into the Earth
Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames
Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear
Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire
Mastodon
Setlist:
The Wolf Is Loose
Crystal Skull
Megalodon
Divinations
Andromeda
Sultan’s Curse
Fallen Torches
Pushing the Tides
More Than I Could Chew
Aqua Dementia
Steambreather
Iron Tusk
March of the Fire Ants
Mother Puncher
Circle of Cysquatch
Blood and Thunder
Gojira
Setlist:
Born for One Thing
Backbone
Stranded
Flying Whales
The Cell
The Art of Dying
Drum Solo
Grind
Another World
Silvera
Amazonia
The Chant
The Gift of Guilt
