It has been a long time since I have counted down days to see a show. That said, my musical daydreams of one of the most anticipated shows in years finally became reality on Tuesday October 18, 2016 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. The “HELLRZZR” tour featuring Invidia, VYCES, and White Knuckle Riot (with special guest A Mirror Hollow) was finally here. Although I was not very familiar with White Knuckle Riot or A Mirror Hollow, by the end of the night I could say that all the bands that played were worthy of being top of the bill.
I
We arrived 2 hours before doors at the iconic Troubadour. I stood in the doorway of the venue and all of a sudden my eardrums were infused with the beautiful brutality of what is Invidia. I have been following this band since their conception. Their lineup includes: Travis Johnson – Vocals (formerly fronted Flatline and currently handles bass duties for In This Moment), Brian Jackson (formerly of Skinlab) – Guitars, Matt Snell Bass (formerly of Five Finger Death Punch), Marcos Medina (ex-Skinlab ) – Guitars, and Darren Badorine – Drums with Logan Mader (MACHINEHEAD, SOULFLY, ONCE HUMAN) – Producer/Co-writer/Co- Manager.
Invidia will be known throughout the world in no time. Imagine if a volcano, tsunami, comet, and lighting storm were captured in one jar. The energy, the sound, the experience… that is Invidia. They ripped out a full 45-minute set but they’ve only released 1 song and are currently sharing another. Their first release, “MAKING MY AMENDS” is killer. It was not only an honor but in the world of music, it was eargasmic to see this band live on stage. Needless to say, I give this band on a “horns up” scale of 1 to 5, a solid 101!
VYCES
VYCES is: Dave Naruszewicz – Vocals, Evan Seidlitz – Vocals/Keyboards, Shawn Patterson – Guitar, Mark James Klepaski – Bass, & Russell Ray – Drums. This band, in my opinion, has what it takes to redefine what hard rock is now. They give everything they have to the crowd – style points, intensity, sound, image, and all. I was front and center and couldn’t help but dance a bit (that says a lot since I am not a dancer by any means). I was glued to the stage, and this was my second time seeing this band (it will not be my last). Judging by the crowd’s response, they gained a lot of fans at this show.
White Knuckle Riot is another force to be reckoned with and part of the HELLRZZR tour. Meet the guys: Johnny Schizo ECV – Vocals/Guitar, Misfire ECV – Bass, Sam “Sever” Davidson – Lead/Rhythm Guitar, & Brian “Beatdown” Kelly – Drums/Percussion. Vocally, I would say lead singer Johnny Schizo is a combo of Phil Anselmo/Pantera and Chad Gray/HELLYEAH. If that is not enough to make you turn them up let me tell you what their show is like. Bodies on the floor, fists in the air, and face-melting music.
Chris H – Drums, Harry G – Bass, Ricardo G – Guitar, & Cody H – Vocals is A Mirror Hollow. This band kicked off the night and my response was “if this is the opener the other bands better make my skin bubble because this band is on my favorite list as of now!” True story. It is hard to find bands that make you want the set to go on longer than a few songs in the music scene because even though there are countless bands, only a few are memorable. I am happy to say that A Mirror Hollow is a band that falls under the memorable category. They also broke the horns-up meter.
This show made me feel like a girl on prom night. I had waited so long and had built up in my mind how awesome I wanted the bands to be. Could they crush that image or would they fall short? I am happy to say not only did they crush it, they took my opinion to a whole new level. I could go on and on but I will end by saying be sure to check out bands that you do not know yet. In this case, these bands are all capable of being on world stages in the blink of an eye. Support local music and venues, even if the show is on a school/work night. See you at a show soon.
