The Birthday Massacre

At Amplified Live - March 17, 2022

Review by: Metal Dave

 

 When I arrived I saw a line curled around the venue formed by all the ticket holders waiting to get inside. A few minutes later the doors opened and right about that time a rainstorm struck. For those that don’t know, Amplified is an outdoor venue. The merch tables were outside as well covered by pop up tents but the fans stood in the rain to purchase their shirts and various items. They are dedicated for sure.

 

 Opening the show was Terror Void Complex. They’re an industrial band from Dallas that are gaining some traction recently. They did not disappoint. For a 2 piece band they had a full sound and great stage presence. They currently have a EP out right now titled “The Veil”. If there’s one band that comes to mind when I saw them I’d say it’s kind of inline with Aesthetic Perfection. I must note they have a half body mannequin that moves on its own from time to time and has green glowing eyes. Definitely trippy to say the least.

 

 2nd band to perform was Julien-K from Long Beach, California. Now these guys had lots of energy. 3 piece band featuring 2 past members of Orgy. The singer Ryan Shuck is also the singer for Adema. They recently released a new single titled “Desperation Day” on all major streaming platforms. These guys are really good. They definitely have that old school sound that you’d remember from the first Orgy album only it’s more fine tuned and evolved. They did play Orgy’s biggest song which is actually a cover song originated by the 80’s band New Order called “Blue Monday”. Definitely check them out if you like that type of music and go see them live. Singer/Guitarist, Ryan Shuck, was all over the stage singing his ass off. They went all out and after their set ended they hung out at their merch booth and talked and hung out with fans.

 

The headliner, Canada’s The Birthday Massacre, is a 6 piece rock band. They played 20 songs throughout the night. You read that right. 20 songs. You definitely get your moneys worth going to see them. It’s a nice long set that covers their 2 plus decade long career. 

 

 The fans watched the performance wide-eyed and singing along to Chibi’s vocals. They opened up with Superstition, a song from their 2014 album of the same name followed by Destroyer off the same album. The next song was a crowd favorite. They played “Kill The Lights” which is a great song but it’s even better live. Guitarist Michael Rainbow headbanged all over that stage consistently. Lots of energy from everyone actually. 

 

 The encores didn’t disappoint either. Just when you think the show was over they came back and did 3 more songs. They performed Midnight, Under Your Spell and In The Dark. As you can tell from the photos the fans were very happy. If you are in the path of this tour I highly recommend you catch it. 

 

 Also make sure to stream and/or purchase their latest album Fascination available from Metropolis Records.