On January 28th, The Machine Shop in Flint, MI, was host to Hell Has No Mercy tour featuring The Crowned, Sumo Cyco, Wednesday 13, and Finish gothic rock legends The 69 Eyes. This was the first time the band appeared at the club, and along with the other acts, made sure they put on a show their fans would never forget. Since 2002, The Machine Shop has continually managed to impress with their line-up of talent coming to town and I’ll be honest, it’s my absolute favorite place to see a show. The staff is fantastic, on the ball, and always makes sure everyone has a good time.
The Crowned is a four-piece metal band from Austin, Texas and one I wasn’t familiar with. It’s always a pleasant surprise to see a band live you know nothing about only to have them catch you off guard. They put on a high-energy show with songs that hit hard and go for the throat. Dressed entirely in white, vocalist/drummer Marc Coronado leads the group in a way that’s sort of unique. There have been plenty of vocalists who have doubled as drummers, but that’s no easy feat. Usually the singer is free to run around the stage, but in this case, there’s nowhere to go. He has to stay behind the kit but was able to take time in between songs to lead the audience in a chant about their ability to perform coitus in an exemplary manner. The rest of the band (Lead Guitar: Anthony Carrillo, Rhythm Guitar: Dan Abbot, Bass: Johnny Danger) threw inflated condoms into the audience while a blow-up doll was tossed around. It was the perfect stunt to break down the crowd, everyone was laughing, and the crowd was instantly into them. Their set flew by but for thirty minutes, they owned that stage, ripping through set with a vicious intensity. A few standout songs were “Murder,” “Nobody,” and “Your Promise.”
Sumo Cyco is a band I’ve been waiting to see for quite some time now. They’ve built quite a following on their own, producing and directing their own videos, and releasing two killer punk/metal albums Lost in Cyco City and Opus Mar, with a third currently in the works. Vocalist Skye (SEVER) Sweetnam commands a crowd in a way that’s very rarely seen. She has a real presence on stage as well as off. She made it through the crowd (more than once), hit the bar, and managed to get the entire club crouching with her until the song had everyone jumping up and down. Each member of the band has a unique stage presence, which is cool because while Skye may have been in front, the guys accompanying her were just as memorable. Bass player Oscar Anesetti brings a traditional rockstar stage presence while drummer Matt Trozzi never misses a beat (or a chance to smile). Lead guitarist Matt Drake plays with extreme precision taking the music to another level, even taking the time to stroll through the crowd with Sweetnam on his shoulders. Their music is so infectious and catchy, playing tracks from both their records, Sumo Cyco scored brownie points with me by playing a couple of my favorite tracks, “Fighter,” “Moving Mountains,” and one of their new singles “Run with the Giants.” Killer band and so much fun to watch, I’ll be seeing them again without question.
The ‘Duke of Spook’ Wednesday 13 never fails to please his fans. I’ve seen them at least a dozen times at this point and I enjoy seeing how he’s changed and evolved his stage show. The man is a brilliant performer, he says few words but will have audiences eating out the palm of his hand within minutes. Having just released his latest album Necrophaze in September of last year, the band was able to bring song of those songs to the stage. As main support for The 69 Eyes, they were only able to squeeze in about nine songs, which wasn’t enough for me, personally, but the made those nine songs count. Most were from the last three albums, while “I Want You…Dead” and “Scream Baby Scream” go a little further back in the catalog. They opened their set with two songs from the new record, which was great to see since I’d never heard those songs live yet. “Zodiac” really stood out as Wednesday 13 himself stalked the stage in a ski mask and swung a knife around. Near the end, he busted out “Decompose,” which just so happens to be my personal favorite off the new album. This current line-up, they’ve been together for quite a few years now, is by far the best he’s had. There’s a vibe between that that just oozes from their pores when on stage. With Jack Tankersley and Roman Surman on guitar, Troy Doebbler on bass, and Kyle Castronovo on drums, they’re incredibly tight and perform like a well-oiled machine.
Since 1989, the ‘Helsinki Vampires’, The 69 Eyes have morphed and changed their style of music. What began as something more akin to glam rock, their sound is best described as guitar-driven goth ‘n’ roll! When they took the stage at The Machine Shop, the excited crowd erupted, tearing through “Two Horns Up,” the debut single from their latest album West End. Their setlist was an eclectic array of tunes spanning much of their thirty plus years together, and they couldn’t have sounded any better. Vocalist Jyrki 69 has a voice that sounds so perfect, you would have thought you were listening to a recording. With Bazie (lead guitar), Timo-Timo (rhythm guitar), Archzie (bass), and Jussi 69 (drums), these guys should be conquering the world. With a new album that completely slays, their live shows just go to show they’re not going through the motions, they still have plenty of juice up their sleeves and out play bands half their age.
If the Hell Has No Mercy Tour comes to your town, run out the door, get their early, and check out this completely killer line-up. Shows like this don’t come around very often and you won’t want to miss it.
The Crowned Official Website
Sumo Cyco Official Website
Wednesday 13 Official Site
The 69 Eyes Official Website
All photos by Corey Danna.
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