About the author  ⁄ Mike Law

Opening with your “whoa” song is a bold move, and when August Burns Red started their set with “Empire,” from the 2011 album Leveler, the pit turned into a sing-along shove-fest. To further light a fire under the already-active crowd, singer Jake Luhrs ordered a chicken fight. Not wanting to disappoint, audience members mounted each other’s shoulders and went at it in the pit. No injuries were reported. Lots of fun was had. All shenanigans aside, the band sounded amazing. ...

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New Year’s Heave at the House of Blues started off right with Vegas’ very own Holding Onto Sound. Playing many of their newest and most inspired songs, HOTS opened the evening for a mix of locals and dedicated out-of-towners looking to start the party early. ...

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Visiting from Great Britain, Sylosis made the most of their 25 minutes of stage time, with back-to-back intense, harmony-driven thrash. Making sure that everyone's hearing was adjusted, the locally popular Motionless In White brought a positive message through melodic, aggressive pieces and a taste of synchronized dancebanging (new word, use it!). Additionally, I must point out that, it was during Motionless's set that I realized that you have to be pretty badass to look like you’re having an all-out amazing time playing keyboard in a metal band. Later in the evening I had about a minute to say hello to singer Chris Motionless who, like most "metal guys", is way nicer than the growling and thrashing may lead us to believe. ...

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The decision to have Animals as Leaders open for Between the Buried and Me deserves honorable mention itself. Enjoying this pairing requires only that you A) enjoy heavy music and B) can be inspired by precision. With a hint of theatrics, Animals as Leaders greeted the House of Blues Las Vegas stage by means of “An Infinite Regression,” the introductory track from the recent album Weightless. ...

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