This past weekend my official concert year began and it’s looking to be a long one. With AC/DC, Rob Zombie, and Mayhem Festival to just name a few that are already on my schedule I knew that seeing Killcode and Adrenaline Mob together at Revolution in Amityville was the perfect start.
It’s been a while since last I saw the guys of Killcode both personally and perform. I think the last time was at a tattoo convention at Nassau Coliseum and that was many tattoos ago. So I was excited to see them again. And just as expected they haven’t missed a beat. Still one of the top bands here in the New York area. This was my first time seeing the guys with DC Gonzalez in the line up and if you didn’t know he wasn’t an original member you could never tell. He fits right in.
They ripped through their classics like Tied and one of my Killcode favorites 6 A.M. as well as a ton of new songs. I didn’t catch the names of the new songs because I wanted to focus on how they sounded and they sounded solid. Not new trying them out but new as in ready to go solid. I suspect they have a new album ready to drop anytime now and if the new songs they played live were just a taste of the new album I think everyone will be cranking it.
After Killcode wrapped their set I had to prepare myself mentally for Adrenaline Mob‘s set. It was a year ago I first saw Adrenaline Mob live and with the passing of AJ Pero I was hesitant of what the band would sound like. Sure I read a ton of great reviews online of the bands post AJ shows but it’s still something you gotta prepare for especially when a year previously I was chatting with AJ after the show about his kit.
Adrenaline Mob came out just as I’d expect them to do. GUNS BLAZING!! Mike Orlando, to me, is one of the most underrated guitar players in the rock and metal world today. Am I partly saying that cause I’ve gotten to know him personally over the years, maybe. But I’ve met many people who never met him and say the same thing. Of course they started the set with Mob Is Back with Mike Orlando‘s blazing solo as Russell Allen struts out with the now signature Adrenaline Mob baseball bat (which I want one of my own). Russell‘s vocals right on as you hear them on the albums and totally real. They rolled through the set playing everyone’s favorite Dearly Departed and then my personal favorite Devil Went Down To Georgia Adrenaline Mob style of course. Which of course made my night cause I had told Mike when he was on THE ASYLUM a few months back that I had to hear it live.
Then the elephant in the room had to be addressed as the guys prepared for a little acoustic set. The fact that AJ wasn’t there. Russell addressed what Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider said recently about AJ and to summarize it’s as simple as this. AJ didn’t know he had the heart problem and worked his ass off both in music and in a regular job when not on tour to take care of his family. None of us know when our time is going to come so you’re never properly prepared for it. AJ was a BIG part of Adrenaline Mob and won’t be forgotten. Russell and Mike did an acoustic version of All On The Line, which perfectly fit cause it’s what AJ and many of us do each day for ourselves and our families. And I’m not ashamed to say I shed a tear or two during the song as did many of my fellow concert goers.
The guys came back out to kick things up again and bring the adrenaline back up in the room. Erik Leonhardt is an amazing bassist that Tantric fans know for years and he fits right in as John Moyer left last year. And as they blasted through Undaunted I locked eyes for a moment with Chad Szeliga and I had the moment of clearness. AJ was gone, but is on two of the albums, and while Chad had a huge spot to fill he did it and he did it great. He put his own taste in it without taking away anything AJ did and left in our hearts.
All in all it was a great night of rock and metal. Two great bands I’m not just a fan of but am lucky enough to know on a personal level. It was a great way to start my concert year and check out both Killcode and Adrenaline Mob if you don’t know them already.
