Show Review - 4/28/13

From: http://louderthanhell.net/bands/united-states/live-report/news/2013/05/16/085354/powerman-5000-charges-up-austin-crowd/

Live Report:
Powerman 5000 Charges Up Austin Crowd

by Darren Cowan
Co-Publisher
www.louderthanhell.net

Powerman 5000
Dirty Dog Bar
Austin, Texas
4-28-13
Photography by Kim Stock
 
“It’s about to get 1990s up in here,” said one fan right before Powerman 5000 took the stage.  Some people may not have heard Powerman 5000 since that time.  This time period was certainly the group’s zenith.  Their 1999 opus Tonight the Stars Revolt! Sold over million copies and featured such hits as “Supernova Goes Pop” and “When Worlds Collide.”  In fact, ’99 and ’00 marked the peak of the ‘90s most popular metal style, nu metal.
Even though Powerman 5000 released four albums in the last decade, upon seeing the show’s flyer, many were surprised the group is still active.  Spider and his web of musicians are still active and were actually on this tour to promote an upcoming album.  The night’s performance included a sneak peak of this coming album, but before their fans received this treat, local heroes Powderburn lit up the stage.
While Powerman 5000 contains a ‘90s musical identity, Powderburn possesses more of a contemporary sound.  Their modern metal sound is full of groove and pummeling metalcore passages, but the band pays homage to classic metal and thrash.  The group really igniated during a medly of Billy Idol covers, standing on tables in front of the stage.  (Ironically, just the day before the show, one Facebook fan remarked on how close Spider of Powerman 5000 resembles Billy Idol.) The crowd let loose a tremendous uproar of approval after watching the band’s guitarists trade off leads while standing on the bar.  It’s not clear if this was planned or they just walked through the crowd to grab a shot (which they did on top of the bar); but they elicited a tremendous result.
A dark stage was illuminated only by Powerman’s backdrop that encompassed the entire back wall.  The group entered Dirty Dog’s low-lit hall from the side of the stage.  Dressed in form-fitting, heavy, astronaut clothing the band played an hour-and-a-quarter of body-moving hard rock that conjured images normally seen in a planetarium.  Their bassist helped realize the late ‘70s and early ‘80s science fiction aura through playing a bass with a neck lit up like a light saber.

On the 8^th anniversary of Dirty Dog bar, Spider moved the crowd with his distinct point-finger-move-hip type of swagger.  Much like his brother, Rob Zombie, Spider’s on-stage swagger is something distinct and eye-capturing.  The band’s newest, unreleased track “How to Be a Human” has a cybernetic groove consistent with the danceable rhythms that brought in so many women to this metal show.  Songs such as this and “Horror Show” contained excellent solos to broke up pogo hopping and hip thrusting.  “City of the Dead” was a heavy, thrashy tune that emphasized head banging over head bobbing.   “Super Villain” got fists pumping as did “Super Nova.”  The group left the stage and returned for a three-song encore, culminated by; you guessed it, “World’s Collide.”
With over 20 years in the game, Powerman 5000 didn’t show any wear and tear.  Spider still possesses a great stage presence.  His only problem was with the microphone that kept cutting out.  While The show’s Sunday placement unquestionably kept a few fans at home, the turnout was not too bad considering Powerman’s status is relatively unknown these days.

Powerman 5000 Set List
Show Me What You've Got
Nobody's Real
Stars Revolt
Automatic
How to Be a Human
Action
Free
Super Villain
V is for Vampire
City of the Dead
Horror Show
Bombshell
Supernova Goes Pop
They Know Who You Are
When Worlds Collide

Live Show Review from Ft. Bliss in El Paso

FROM: http://fbmonitor.com/2011/07/20/rock-the-fort-%E2%80%98drowning-pool%E2%80%99-%E2%80%98powderburn%E2%80%99-draw-thousands-to-biggs/

Rock the Fort: ‘Drowning Pool,’ ‘Powderburn’ draw thousands to Biggs

The crowd cheers as Powderburn plays during “Rock the Fort” at Biggs Park Saturday. Photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Wilbanks,1st SBCT, 1st AD Public Affairs.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Wilbanks, 1st SBCT, 1st AD Public Affairs
Thousands of Soldiers, family members and members of the local community converged at Biggs Park for the annual “Rock the Fort” music extravaganza Saturday.
The event featured a car and bike show, local vendors, a beer garden and live bands, culminating in a fireworks display.
The festivities started at 3 p.m. with Sobredosis Del Sabor, a local band and the first act of the night on the main stage. They performed for about an hour as the crowd arrived and browsed the many attractions available at the park.

A member of Powderburn steps into the audience during one of their songs. Photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Wilbanks / 1st SBCT, 1st AD Public Affairs
Sobredosis Del Sabor was followed by Larry Bagby, a musician who described his style of play as California country. The music, which mixed equal parts rock and modern country, drew a large crowd to the stage with its patriotic tones and memorable beats.
Following Bagby was the band Outbreak, also El Paso natives. Outbreak performed a mixture of cover songs from the late ’90s and early 2000s. These talented musicians more than did justice to the mix of alternative and rock songs they performed. The band was excited to play Rock the Fort and mentioned that, although this was not their first performance for a military event, this was the largest event they had ever played.
As the temperature finally went down, the next act, Powderburn, turned the volume up. Powderburn is an Austin, Texas, band that has played Rock the Fort three times. The band took the stage to a roar from the crowd and then whipped them into a frenzy with a blistering set of hard rock and metal music that inspired an impromptu mosh pit. The band expressed their love for playing for Soldiers and how happy they were to be invited to play this event.

Larry Bagby, a self-described “California country” musician, performs during “Rock the Fort” at Biggs Park Saturday. Photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Wilbanks / 1st SBCT, 1st AD Public Affairs
The headlining band, Drowning Pool, took the stage as the sun went down and played a long set featuring their new material and selections off their older albums. The band finished their set with their well-know song, “Bodies,” as fireworks exploded over Biggs Park.
“The event was awesome,” said Spc. Claudio Palmisano, a military police Soldier with the 591st MP company. Palmisano said that events like these keep Soldiers on post and out of trouble. Everyone has a good time and it would be great to see more events like this, he added.

Short URL: http://fbmonitor.com/?p=5894

One Fix Album Review

From: http://psynde.blogspot.com/2012/04/light-keg-powderburn-has-arrived_06.html



Friday, April 6, 2012
Light the Keg, Powderburn has arrived




As some of you know I am not known for being a new-school metal fan, but recently a couple of close friends made me aware of a metal band out of Austin, Texas called Powderburn. Since my middle name is skeptical, I didn't hold out for too much, but boy was I wrong! Without trying to be too cliché here, Powderburn is essentially a breath of fresh air in a stagnant genre.

I acquired their last EP One Fix and while not every song is perfect, the ratio of good to bad is heavy on the good. They posses real music competency, something I look for in a band regardless of genre. Not just a hook and three chords in a revolving cycle. This band veers away from the metal formulaic screaming and gives the listener some real depth. Pertinent lyrics and honest musicality give them a healthy mainstream appeal.
Vocalist Ken Lockman isn't a one trick pony at all, he carries melodies well and along with guitarist Eric Anthony and bassist Greg Enkler real harmonies are up and carried through. Drummer Pat Swift is the heartbeat of the band.( Swift has since left the band)
Slowly Divide is a song that has Santana flavored influences, and is methodical in its relentless force. It's like driving on a dark road in the rain; you can't help but watch for the curves thrown at you. This is shot of Bushmills in the album, smoky and sweet, it goes down hot.

The Lights Go Down is clearly the most accessible song on the album. It worms its way into your brain, and you find yourself singing it at the oddest times. Emotional lyrics and headbanging music (omg did I just say headbanging... gasp...) make this song a winner.
The Descending is anthemic in its stompy-ness... Anthony's relentless guitar coupled with Enkler's torturous bass put together the stuff horror soundtracks are made of. Sneaking up on you, and grabbing you by the neck, this song demands your attention. Lockmans vocals are spot on too. This is my favorite song on the album. Beautiful and creepy. Love it.
Rumors in my neck of the woods ( you know those creepy ones where “things” sneak up on you) say they are releasing a new EP quite soon. But in the meantime, pick up One Fix to tide you over.

You can find it here.
http://powderburn.bandcamp.com/album/one-fix
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-fix/id336816634
OR~
you can find and follow the band here
twitter ~@Powderburn
on facebook~ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Powderburn
or their website http://www.powderburn.net


Posted by synde at 1:52 AM

CD Review - One Fix

Powderburn "One Fix". The name alone gives you a pretty good idea what to expect from "One Fix", their new 10 song release. But you'll find more here than you anticipated from this talented 4 piece. Sure it follows the tired and true heavy rock format: riff driven songs, frantic double bass drumming, grownling vocals, and the obligatory 'change of pace song' (Slowly Divide). However, it's a format that still works if done well...and Powderburn does it well.

The cd kicks off with "Black Untold", a brutal and not so subtle political commentary. The hard hitting title track follows. It's not too often that you hear a heavy rock song with a memorable hook, but "One Fix' falls into this category.

More mayhem follows. Great vocal arrangements, slick dynamics, and an effective melody highlight "The Lights Go Down." Lockman shows off legitmate vocal chops on "The Descending", a dark take on human relationships.

One of Powderburn's strongest elemetns is the lyrical sophistication they display on such tunes as "Observe" and "One by One". The words, while aggressive, are powerful, deep, and just vague enough to leave the songs open to intereptation. This allows for an even greater percentage of listening audience to relate to the music and the message.

The CD is called "One Fix" and the band is Powderburn. My guess is you'll be hearing more about both in the near future.

www.powderburn.net

That's all for now folks. See ya next time and keep those CDs and promo packs coming!

Comments, questions, contact Hollywood Steve at www.2ndwind.cc

Mass Movement (UK) - Interview with Ken

Show Review - Houston, TX - Ghostlaborradio.com

Fitzgerald's 01-24-2009 Show Review On Saturday, January 24th, 2008, Ghost Labor Radio attended the LSPS/ "Leave Your Genre At the Door" concert series at Fitzgerald's in Houston, Texas.  The bill included many awesome Houston, Austin and Galveston area bands, including LSPS and Melovine, and hip hop acts such as Perseph 1.  First, I would like to commend Fitz for putting together such a diverse show with wide ranging acts.  As a former music executive, one of my passions is to not box in performers solely based upon their genre.  Why shouldn't a hot local area Rock Band be allowed to co-exist during a concert performance with a scorching hip hop talent? As long as the acts have a balance and provide music that the crowd enjoys, let's just enjoy the music. We were able to witness several acts: Sad Gorilla Wings Burn Away Perseph 1 Powderburn Sad Gorilla was the first act of the night and I must say that their style is not one that we would generally cover.  If I had to label their style I would say that it was an eclectic mix of Pop, Rock, Blues, and Soul.  I am not sure that mixing all four is a good thing, but they definitely had their own vibe and crowd following.  Interestingly enough, one of the band members also performed during Perseph 1's act later in the evening.  If I were to offer anything of use to the band it would be that they should find a definitive style and try to stick with that one style.  Sometimes when you mix too many styles you get an output that is often out of sync with a strong performance and that is the feeling I left with. Wings Burn Away was the next act we observed and I was a bit more impressed with this Metal band.  The song that we were able to check out was "Shipwrecked". The lead singer immediately got the crowd involved with the familiar "I can't hear you" refrain and showed great showmanship, playing with one finger on his keytar.  The electric guitarist was definitely into his set, taking off his shirt midway through, although that probably played better with the ladies than it did with me.  Although their set was short, they definitely were a great opening act for LSPS who would play later in the evening. Perseph 1 was the next act that we were able to check out and she came right out ripping non-strained hip hop jewels to the audience.  The thing that impresses me most about Perseph 1 is how quiet she is off the set and how she goes straight at the crowd the next minute.  The biggest drawback I can see for Perseph is that her version of experimental hip hop may be over the crowd's head that she is playing to.  Houston is known for our slow southern music, Screwed and Chopped of course.  Perseph has an incredible range with her style and would probably be a platinum selling artist if she could get to the West or East coast.  The live drums that she enlivened her set with along with the band member from Sad Gorilla playing on the vocoder/voice box, made for a show reminiscent of something you would see on VH1 or MTV.  The song "Heavenly Life" was a memorable opening performance and the rest of her show did not disappoint. The final act we saw that night was the Austin based Metal act, Powderburn.  Immediately from watching these guys and judging by their Jagermeister sponsorship, you could sense that they are an act on the verge of being a mainstream rock act.  First I want to say that I love the local Houston rock scene, and I definitely think we have a scene.  I say that as if I am holding a loaded grenade, because as much as I think we are ready to blow up nationally, I think Austin is just that one step ahead of where we are.  That is not to say that we lack talent, but I think the live music scene in Austin allows bands such as Powderburn a place to hone their craft.  The song that was probably my favorite was "Echoed In Red'.  The guitar riffs and incessant pounding of the drums was definitely a great jump off for that set.  I loved how the lead singer threw koozies into the crowd.  Giving away free gifts to your crowd can never hurt guys!   All things being equal, I would love to see more mixing of crowds like this.  There is no reason in heck that Hip Hop and Rock can't coexist, ya hear!

RateYourMusic.Com gives "Echoed In Red' 4 out of 5 stars!

Echoed in Red is a strong and compact EP with 6 energetic power metal tracks. Powder Burn gets you started with the title track "Echoed in Red", it contains an enormous catchy drive. All of the songs are quite lyrics orientated and some of them do remind me of Linkin Park, when it comes to the explosive energy. There are even some moments on Echoed in Red that make the 80s hardrock come alive for a short while.

The guitar playing is overall quite indestructible , but it has it's lush moments also. These lush moments make Echoed in Red a well balanced album for those who like to hear instruments being "tortured" on one hand and on the other hand also like to hear exceptionally refreshing sounds from the guitars and percussion.

All the songs are written before there were lyrics, except the song "Oceans" where the lyrics came first. The intro of "Oceans" is kind of a short break, what seems to be a resting point on the cd, but in fact it's a prelude to another outrageous outburst, I think it has something to do with the story behind the lyrics. Well just watch the DVD and you'll know what I mean ;-)

Though there are no keyboards credited on Echoed in Red there is a marvelous intro on "Here and After" something that asks for more.....

:-)