I’m baaaccckkk. Did you miss me? I don’t blame you. Aside from our annual winter breaks, this is the longest I’ve gone without posting on here since…well…before this site existed! This mini hiatus/vacation was for good reason too. Last week, I flew out to Sin City for the 2022 edition of Psycho Las Vegas. One of the largest and most eclectic extreme music festivals in the country, PLV was part fest, part fever dream: A luxury resort overtaken by metalheads for 4 days and 4 nights of nonstop music (including Thursday’s Psycho Swim, which I missed). The entire experience was surreal, which was exactly what they were going for. However, like every fest, it had its ups and downs. So sit back, relax, and join us for this extremely in-depth review of the good, the bad, and the ugly of Psycho Las Vegas 2022.
DAY 1 – FRIDAY, AUGUST 19
Sanguisugabogg
The festivities kicked off early, 11:00 AM western time to be exact, with a punishing set from none other than Sanguisugabogg. Despite being one of the hottest bands of the past few years, practically memed to superstardom, this was my first time seeing these notorious death dealers. Their slam n’ groove infused brand of death metal perversion pushed both the crowd and the Rose Ballroom’s sound system to the limit, with riffs so low and heavy, I thought the roof was going to cave in. Like it or not, Sanguisugabogg is a band who owes as much to Pantera and 90s hardcore as they do classic death metal. They’re tough, rough, and unrelenting. Don’t like it? Too bad. Any hangovers from the night before were instantly obliterated the second they took the stage. Who needs chicken noodle soup when you’ve got “Felching Filth”?
Devil Master
A few years ago, I briefly saw Devil Master opening for Power Trip (R.I.P.) and High on Fire. I say “briefly” because quite frankly, they didn’t do much for me. Dare I say they were…boring? Being the open minded listener that I am (or at least strive to be), I decided Psycho would be the perfect opportunity to give them a second chance. Boy did I sleep on these guys. Their unique brand of blackened metalpunk (think Motörhead meets Discharge at a seance) was the perfect thing to keep the ball rolling at the Rose Ballroom. To the members of Devil Master, if you’re reading this, I apologize for ever doubting you and look forward to revisiting your back catalog. You’ve won a new fan in me!
Early Moods
After a couple hours in the Rose Ballroom, it was down to the Dawg House, a sports bar right across from the casino floor, for Early Moods. Considering I had just reviewed their self titled debut a mere 10 days earlier (or something like that), I was very excited for what was in store. Little did I know that what was in store would steal the fest for the day. Equipped with guitars, amps, and a penchant for old school doom, Early Moods made a lot out of a little, conjuring the spirit of Sabbath circa ’72. I’m not just saying this because of their groovy wardrobe either (see above). The power of their music takes on a new level of intensity when freed from the shackles of studio walls. It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re into doom. If you’re into loud, heavy, and honest music, you’re into Early Moods, period.
Marissa Nadler
Go ahead and call me ignorant, but I’m not quite sure what Marissa Nadler’s connection to heavy music is. I just know I’m glad she was on the lineup and that I had the fortune of catching her set. After a few hours of being pummeled by various bands from the farthest reaches of death, black, and doom metal respectively, Nadler’s dreamy singer-songwriter psych-pop was an ideal palette cleanser. Coupling the haunting melodies of The Carpenters at their bleakest (i.e. “Superstar”) with the mind-altering ambiance of early 70s Floyd (i.e. Meddle, Obscured by Clouds), Nadler and her band made even the reasonably sized Rose Ballroom feel like an intimate club. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say it felt like she was singing directly to me. I can understand why metal purists would be disillusioned by her inclusion on such a bill, but…most metal purists are idiots anyways. Only Nadler is real!
Carcass
Back in junior high, Carcass was one of the first death metal bands I fell in love with. I believe Cannibal Corpse was the first death metal band I discovered proper, but they never grabbed me the way Carcass and At the Gates (more on them later) did in those formative years. Yet despite religiously listening to those late 80s and early 90s albums, and purchasing 2013’s Surgical Steel the day it dropped, this was my first time seeing Carcass. I know, I know. “What a poser!” Well if there ever was a time to pop my Carcass cherry (man that sounded wrong), this was it.
The band played a career spanning setlist, opening with the immortal grind classic(k), “Exhume to Consume”. When they played the gory shit, the crowd responded by moshing into oblivion. When they played the melodic shit, the crowd responded equally fervently by shouting along to every word. It’s no wonder Heartwork (1993) is one of the best selling death metal albums of all time. It’s essentially an arena metal album with guttural vocals. This hot take was confirmed last Friday, as I singlehandedly witnessed an arena’s worth of people losing their mind to the likes of “Buried Dreams”, “This Mortal Coil”, and the title track. Junior high Joe was on cloud nine, and 23 year old Joe was damn impressed by the stamina displayed by this band of veterans.
Mothership
And just like that, it was back to the Dawg House for a healthy helping of southern fried boogie metal courtesy of Mothership. Hailing from the Lone Star state, Mothership ain’t just your everyday, run of the mill stoner metal outfit. Heck no, I say! These dudes (and they truly are DUDES) combine their hazy, weed infused riffs with the hard rocking shuffle of ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Status Quo, Foghat…the list goes on, but you catch my drift. It’s classic 70s metal that you can dance to! That’s exactly what the crowd did from beginning to end of Mothership’s high energy power hour set. It’s too bad I missed them Sunday night for their encore performance on the Famous Foods stage, but I’m sure they’ll pull through Chicago soon.
Emperor
Emperor in America? Could it really be? Only at Psycho Las Vegas! For the first time in 15 years, the symphonic black metal pioneers played the States, and to a full house at that. Their 90 minute set focused heavily on their sophomore album, Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (1997), which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. There were also a handful of selections off Into the Nightside Eclipse (1994) (i.e. “Inno a Satana”, “Cosmic Keys to My Creation & Times”, etc.), as well as the classic “Curse All You Men!” off IX Equilibrium (1999). The highlight of the set was not just the impeccable musicianship, but the tremendous sound that truly embodied the phrase “loud and clear”. Time will tell if Emperor ever steps foot in America again. Whether they do or don’t, I’m grateful to have witnessed such spellbinding brilliance.
Nuclear Assault
I’ve been lucky enough to see just about every classic thrash metal band in my record collection. Slayer, Testament, Exodus, Anthrax, Whiplash, Vio-Lence, Atrophy…you name ’em, I’ve probably moshed to ’em. However, one band that I HAVEN’T seen up until this past weekend is Nuclear Assault. The Dan Lilker led thrash titans have been on a never-ending farewell tour for nearly a decade now; a global trek that allegedly wrapped up for good at the AYU Dayclub outside of Resorts World. Yes, this set was advertised as Nuclear Assault’s “last show ever”. So was their set at the Decibel Metal and Beer Fest this past April, but I digress.
“Last show” or not, Nuclear Assault cranked up the energy level of this shindig tenfold with a neck snapping set centered largely around their classic 80s output: Game Over (1986), Survive (1988), and Handle with Care (1989). At times it became unclear where the pool started and the pool deck ended, with both areas boasting ferocious mosh pits and fearless crowd surfers. Needless to say, security and lifeguards (assuming there were any) had their work cut out for them. So did I, breathing in the merciless Vegas air while crushed against the barrier with a few hundred other thrashers. Would I have it any other way? Absolutely not. Rest in power Nuclear Assault…until the next show.
Cloak
By the time 1 in the morning rolled around, I was running on fumes. My legs hurt, my head hurt, and I could barely walk. I began to limp my way back to my room, when I noticed from the Famous Foods stage…what’s this? Cloak? I forgot they were even on the lineup! Indeed, the blackened goth metal horde had taken the stage for a late night rendezvous into the abyss. While it’s easy to draw comparisons between Cloak and Tribulation (who was also on the lineup), Cloak is still heavily rooted in black metal, boasting flourishes of melody and epicness akin to Dissection. As I sat and basked in their obsidian aura, I was taken aback by their balance of musical precision and charismatic presentation. They certainly have the potential to become the “next big thing” in the underground metal circuit.
DAY 2 – SATURDAY, AUGUST 20
Great Electric Quest
After being on my feet nonstop the first day of Psycho, I decided to sleep in on Saturday. Besides, there weren’t really any bands who caught my attention in the early hours of the day (Frozen Soul? 200 Stab Wounds? Blood Incantation? Nah chief.) So at about a quarter to 3, I leisurely made my way down to RedTail, the most intimate of Psycho stages, to catch a band I was first acquainted with Thursday night thanks to an impromptu surprise set at Dawg House, Great Electric Quest. This fun-loving band of brothers lies somewhere between fantasy themed traditional metal and doom. When they do pull out the doom card, they lay down the groove hard, reminiscent of Pentagram in their prime. Led by fiery frontman Tyler Dingvell, GEQ rocked their faithful audience with all their might, the coup de grace being a balls out cover of Judas Priest’s “Victim of Changes”. It was hesher heaven!
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
If Marissa Nadler’s inclusion on this bill came out of left field, than Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s came from out of the damn ballpark altogether. The hip hop legends who dominated the mid 90s, scoring three consecutive quadruple platinum albums and even a #1 hit in “The Crossroads”, were now playing in the middle of the afternoon to an audience of headbangers and hipsters. Despite the odds being stacked against them, they absolutely killed it. Their set served as half greatest hits, half tributes to hip hop’s fallen titans (i.e. Eazy-E, The Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac). Had those names have lived, would they too have played Psycho? Considering Bone Thugs and 3/9 of Wu-Tang Clan was featured on the lineup, I guess anything is possible. The #1 rule of Psycho? Expect the unexpected.
Duel
By the time Duel took the Dawg House stage, I noticed a pattern among the acts I was catching there: Here were new bands keeping the 70s sound alive! First it was Early Moods, then it was Mothership, and now it was time for Duel: The proto-metal barbarians whose latest album I reviewed last year. If you’re one for the heavy and heady sounds of Sir Lord Baltimore, Budgie, and so forth (and who isn’t?), then Duel is exactly what you need in your life. My only complaint is their 45 minute set felt all too brief. I could’ve watched them jam and lay waste for hours, but alas, such is life at an event of this caliber. It was off to my next adventure, wherever it may lie.
Ruby the Hatchet
My initial plan after grabbing dinner at the Mulberry Street Pizzeria and rubbernecking it for No/Más’s violent as all hell set at Redtail was to catch a bit of Ruby the Hatchet at the Dawg House before catching Tribulation up in the Rose Ballroom. About 10 minutes into RTH’s set and I realized the latter wasn’t gonna happen. This band rocks too damn hard to deny! I was first treated to RTH’s female fronted spin on Heep metal earlier this Spring, when they opened up for Candlemass here in my hometown of Chicago. I instantly became a fan, exploring their back catalog and eagerly anticipating the next opportunity I had to see them live. Well here we were and they did not disappoint. With a brand new album right around the corner, RTH is bound to be making headlines on this and other worthwhile metal webzines for months to follow!
Suicidal Tendencies
You can’t spell “Psycho” without “cyco”…or something like that. Although the Event Center was not nearly as full for Suicidal Tendencies as it was for Emperor the night before, the crossover kings made themselves right at home as the headliners for Saturday night’s festivities. Considering this band was the soundtrack to my wild youth, yours truly reverted back to being 13 years old all over again, moshing as if there was no tomorrow. My body paid for it in the form of bruises, aches, and pains, but it was totally worth it. It’s a crying shame Suicidal doesn’t tour as regularly as their peers, but it only made the occasion that much more special. From the opening explosion of “You Can’t Bring Me Down”, to the closing riot scene of “Pledge Your Allegiance” (in which hundreds attempted to hop the barrier), Suicidal dominated and reminded us why indeed you can never bring them down.
Crobot
I’d like to preface this part of the review by saying I was NOT planning on catching Crobot. The plan, after Suicidal, was to make my way to the AYU Dayclub and catch another staple of my youth, At the Gates. Mind you, not just At the Gates, but At the Gates performing Slaughter of the Soul in full. Unfortunately, a few thousand others had the same thing in mind as I, because before long, tragedy struck. The Dayclub hit max capacity. As 3,000 people were treated to one of the greatest death metal albums of all time performed live, another 3,000 stood outside hopelessly in a line that stretched as far back as the inside of the resort. To say this was a snafu would be an understatement. Why At the Gates didn’t play the main stage, if not headline outright, is beyond me.
Disappointed beyond belief, I made my way back to my room, head hanging low in despair. It was only the glow of slot machines and retro rockin’ sounds of Crobot that raised my spirits at roughly midnight. I had heard Crobot’s name in passing for quite a few years now, but never got around to checking them out. Although I much would’ve rather have been screaming my heart out to “Blinded by Fear” and “Suicide Nation”, the Zeppelin inspired sounds of this hard rocking quartet suited me just fine in this late hour. And while the Zeppelin comparison is rather easy to make, by no means are Crobot as blatant about it as Greta Van Fleet. For every moment of “baby baby” sex-driven hedonism, there’s a colossal, doomy Sabbath riff to even the score. You can’t go wrong with that, or bed, which is where I headed as soon as Crobot finished.
DAY 3 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 21
Crematory Stench
For those of us who weren’t up early enough to catch powerviolence powerhouse Violencia (TJ) in the Rose Ballroom, Crematory Stench marked the beginning of our day. Some would say 12:45 PM is far too early for a band who sounds like the bastard offspring of Autopsy and Cianide, blurring the lines between death and doom, one knuckle-dragging riff at a time. To which Crematory Stench politely says, “Fukk off!” I’m just surprised these guys aren’t more hyped among the OSDM trendies. Or maybe they are on the west coast? Regardless, their set went over very well, with the icing on the cake being a repulsive cover of Impetigo’s “Boneyard”. Job well done cretins!
Undeath
It was nearly 2 years ago that I predicted Undeath would be among a new generation of death metal headliners. Their midafternoon set at Psycho Las Vegas cemented this prophecy. Playing to a jam packed crowd in the Rose Ballroom, the band absolutely decimated with a roughly 40 minute set of Cannibal Corpse worship done right. On record, Undeath dares you not to headbang. Live, Undeath dares you not to mosh. And how could you not? Every cut is just riff after riff, hook after hook, pound for pound death metal g(l)ory! These maniacs deserve every bit of success that has come their way, and I wish them nothing but the best going into the future. Just don’t let those royalty checks go to your heads!
Samael
Samael in America? That’s about as common as a cow jumping over the moon. Yet right before me stood one of Switzerland’s finest black metal exports, live and in the flesh. It’s too bad that the first few songs of their set were plagued by technical difficulties. Guitars and vocals came and went, leaving a cringe on not just my face, but many of those around me. These screw ups would only become worse during Katatonia’s set, or so I was told. Thankfully, by the time the band got onto “Baphomet’s Throne”, things seemed rather stable, and remained such for the rest of their set. Although I wasn’t overly enthused by the spruced up symphonic reimaginings of “Into the Pentagram” and “…Until the Chaos”, it was still a trip to hear them played live in any capacity, especially alongside so many classic cuts off Ceremony of Opposites (1994).
Drain
I’ve been to hundreds of shows in my lifetime. I’ve seen hundreds of bands spanning all genres and scenes of metal, and I’ve seen some pretty insane mosh pits. And yet I have never seen a pit open up so fast in my life as I did within the first 20 seconds of Drain’s set at Psycho Las Vegas. Before you could even blink, the lights were on, kids were jumping on top of each other, and a pit the size of a Major League Baseball diamond took charge of the Rose Ballroom floor. At times, it was less of a set and more of a riot, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. For a band that can best be described as “Slayer, but only the breakdowns”, Drain has a bright future ahead of them in the worlds of both hardcore and thrash (punk enough for the punks, metal enough for the headbangers). Mark my words: What Power Trip was to the 2010s, Drain WILL be to the 2020s. I’ve seen the future and it’s “California Cursed”.
High on Fire
Much like Crobot, I was NOT supposed to see High on Fire. No, the plan was to catch Cirith Ungol at the Dawg House. Yes, you read that correctly: 80s metal gods playing a dinky sports bar. What could possibly go wrong? Is my sarcasm showing a bit? How could it not? 16 hours later and I was witnessing a repeat of At the Gates! The Dawg House was capped and there was nothing I could do about it. To which I ask the programmer of Psycho Las Vegas: What on earth were you thinking? First off, how did you not see this as a golden opportunity to put Mercyful Fate and Cirith Ungol back to back? Second off, even if that wasn’t to be, how do you justify putting one of the most beloved cult bands in metal history on a stage fit for up and comers?
Frustrations aside, I used this disappointment as an excuse to head over to the Event Center to grab a good spot for Mercyful Fate and to catch an old high school favorite, High on Fire. In all honesty, I’ve lost track how many times I’ve seen Matt Pike and company live. I just know that whether they’re playing a sweaty club, a street fair, or an arena sized room such as the Event Center, they never disappoint. Their set was chock full of “hits” (“Snakes for the Divine”, “Fury Whip”, “Rumors of War”), but also a healthy dose of deep cuts for the diehards (“Baghdad”, “Madness of an Architect”). Almost 25 years on and HoF is still a force to be reckoned with live. Here’s to 25 more!
Mercyful Fate
As the clock struck 10, my heart raced, sweat dripped down my forehead, and the hair on the back of my neck stood tall. I’ve only been waiting for this moment most of my life. So have the thousands of others packed into the Event Center. Suddenly, the lights went dark and the intro to “The Oath” played over the PA. It was time…and it was happening! Mercyful Fate’s first American show in 23 years! Now I’ve seen King Diamond live twice, and both of those shows were nothing short of incredible. But this? This was a life altering experience. To hear all those epic songs off Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath performed EXACTLY like the record; songs that I never imagined I’d hear live short of two-bit tribute bands.
King Diamond sounded otherworldly. He always kills it live, but tonight he was on another planet. Equally brilliant was Hank Shermann, who nailed every riff, melody, and solo with the exact finesse as he did 40 years ago. Together, the two metal pioneers took the crowd on a trip back through time, treating us to a greatest hits evening. King egged the crowd on to sing, no, SCREAM along to “Evil”, “Come to the Sabbath”, “Black Funeral”. And we did, poorly, but dammit we did! Closing it all out was a brilliant encore of “Satan’s Fall”. The 11 and a half minute opus that sees Fate at their proggiest was performed faithfully and fiery, every twist and turn executed with ease. And that delicate “Innocent lovers it’s a lie!” passage? I felt myself ascending.
As I walked out of the Event Center and into the resort, I retired to my room for the night and the weekend for that matter. Sure, there were bands playing into the wee hours of the night, but what on earth could top that? Nothing. In fact, I don’t think any show I’ll ever see in my life from here on out will ever top that experience. In closing, while Psycho Las Vegas had its lackluster moments, all in all the event was a tremendous success. With Maryland Deathfest on hiatus next year, it will be anticipated more than ever. Who on earth will play that can outdo this year’s lineup? That remains to be seen. Either way, I’ll be there and ready to rock. VIVA LA PSYCHO!!!