Mudvayne The Psychotherapy Tour At Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

Heavy metal quartet Mudvayne formed in Peoria, IL, in 1996, its members adopting the unusual pseudonyms sPaG (M. McDonough) (drums), Gurrg (G. Tribbett) (guitar), and Kud (Chad Gray) (vocals). The group’s original bassist was replaced after two years by Ryknow (Ryan Martinie). During their development, the bandmembers began the practice of applying bizarre makeup. After self-releasing their first album, Kill, I Oughta, they were signed by Epic Records and recorded their major-label debut, L.D. 50, which was released in August 2000 shortly after the end of their first national tour opening for Slipknot. The album later went gold and earned Mudvayne the first-ever MTV2 Video Award at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. Mudvayne continued touring and reissued their self-released debut EP, Kill, I Oughta, in November 2001 as The Beginning of All Things to End. A year later the band returned with its official follow-up, The End of All Things to Come, which was recorded at Minneapolis’ Pachyderm Studios with Tool producer David Bottrill. With a new album came new personas, this time as space aliens. The bandmembers changed their names accordingly, taking the new monikers of Chüd (Kud), Güüg (Gurrg), R-üD (Ryknow), and Spüg (sPaG). They embarked on a European tour, arriving back stateside in July to join the Summer Sanitarium shed tour, featuring such heavyweights as Metallica and Linkin Park. In 2005, the band released Lost and Found, their third album for Epic. In September 2007, Mudvayne announced they would allow fans to vote on the band’s website to determine the track selection for the compilation By the People, for the People, released the following month. The all new full-length New Game arrived in November 2008, followed six months later by an eponymous 2009 effort. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi

Coal Chamber broke out of the Los Angeles alternative metal scene in 1997 with a sound often compared to Korn, although both bands formed around the same time and are quality representations of the scene’s overall sound — the heavy, detuned guitars of the murkiest Black Sabbath; grungy, noisy textures reminiscent of White Zombie or Tool; the white-knuckle intensity of Pantera and hardcore punk; and perhaps a few hip-hop-influenced beats à la Biohazard.

Coal Chamber were formed in 1994 by vocalist/lyricist B. Dez Fafara and guitarist Miguel “Meegs” Rascon, who met through a classified ad; the two added drummer Mike “Mikee” Cox and bassist Rayna Foss, the latter of whom heard about auditions through her roommate, Fafara’s future wife. A huge local buzz following gigs at the Roxy and the Whisky a Go Go, along with a demo tape championed by Fear Factory‘s Dino Cazares, got the band an opportunity to sign with Roadrunner Records late in 1994, but Fafara suddenly quit due to disagreements with his wife over the band. By the spring of 1995, Fafara changed his mind and returned, a decision that ultimately cost him his marriage, but a renewed sense of energy helped Coal Chamber regain their Roadrunner deal by the end of the year.

Their self-titled debut was released in 1997; Chamber Music followed two years later. The album was a minor success but its mixture of goth rock imagery and nu metal thuggery made for an uneven album. They toured heavily behind it but by the time it came time to record the next album, bassist Rayna Foss-Rose was gone to raise her daughter, leaving the band with Nadja Peulen. Nadja took Foss-Rose’s place during her pregnancy between the first two albums, but she accepted the invitation to come back as a full-time member during the recording of the next record. The resulting album, Dark Days, was released in the spring of 2002.

By May of that same year, the band had begun to fall apart, sparked by an on-stage altercation between Fafara and Rascon. The following year, after issuing a remix and rarities compilation called Giving the Devil His Due, the bandmembers announced that they had officially broken up, with Fafara continuing on with his new band, Devildriver, with whom he would go on to release six studio albums. In 2011 Coal Chamber began hinting at a possible re-formation, and by 2013 they made it official, performing at Download 2013 and hitting the road with Sevendust, Lacuna Coil, and Stolen Babies. Rivals, the band’s first studio recording in 13 years, arrived in early 2015 via Napalm Records. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

Blood. Spectacle. Lifestyle. Mythology. Costumes. And more blood. When you think of beloved shock-metal outfit GWAR, those words are likely the first that come to mind. And with good reason. At a time when bands have become bland, GWAR stands out for their performances and the intimate connection with their fans. The push-and-pull between GWAR and their fans creates a visceral experience that continues to add to the band’s legend and legacy, one new tour at a time. Few, if any band, can break down a physical barrier with their audience quite like GWAR. Fluids fly, substances spray and the lust for copious amounts of fake blood [and cutting heads off, of course] leaves audiences thirsty for more. The mythological nature of their live shows may be at the forefront of people’s minds, but it is GWAR’s meticulously crafted songs blend (ING) satire, chaos and violence, made them cultural icons.

Masters of, and pioneers in the nu-metal/rap-rock world, Nonpoint has quietly been the biggest and best kept secret of the rock/metal genre. Their songs and renowned performances have had music legends, from all corners of the genre and music industry, standing side stage to revel in the mayhem, to witness magic unfolding and audiences ignited. Hearing the chorus of the crowd as they recite the iconic melodies and lyrics of vocalist and frontman phenom, Elias Soriano. Watching him tentacle his iconic dreadlocks feet from the spinning and flying bodies in front of him and surrounding him onstage. Then with just a look, or wave of his hand, he makes a sea of people transform. Behind Elias, there’s roaring thunder created by co-founder and showman Robb Rivera as he flies through the air just before crashing down with unmatched force into their music. Nonpoint family, rhythm guitarist, vocalist and visual performance master Rasheed Thomas alongside the high-flying, powerhouse on the bass and Adam Woloszyn both bringing force with medusa hair whips and flying guitars; they’ve re-defined the newest incarnation of Nonpoint. Now with the addition of Jason Zeilstra on lead guitar, whose chemistry with the rest of its members has begun to create a concoction that is poised to intoxicate audiences both old and new.

Cementing their spot as metal veterans, Butcher Babies have been crushing stages worldwide with their vicious live performance and explosive energy for nearly 15 blistering years. Their stage presence is a hypnotic spectacle that leaves audiences hungry for more. Frontwomen, Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, guitarist Henry Flury, drummer Chase Brickenden, and bassist Ricky Bonazza juxtapose brutal, aggressive riffs with beautiful melodies that wail with emotional redemption. With three albums and two EPs under their belt, Butcher Babies have reached a new level of maturity solidifying a triumphant return after a brief creative hiatus to write and rebuild. Rather than sit still throughout the pandemic, they released a barrage of singles followed by several groundbreaking tours celebrating the return to live music. The band is set to release their 4th LP in 2023, reflecting their growth as a band. Butcher Babies are ready to take on new heights while they continue to knock down barriers. Butcher Babies have toured relentlessly among the likes of Megadeth, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Five Finger DeathPunch, In ThisMoment, HollywoodUndead, Cradle of Filth, Black Label Society, etc; played music festivals including Mayhem, Download, Hellfest, Knotfest, Wacken, Soundwave, Hell & Heaven, Rock on The Range, Carolina Rebellion, Louder Than Life, Aftershock, Welcome to Rockville, etc. They have appeared in the film ‘Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival’ & the Netflix horror hit ‘Slasher’