Blind Idiot God

Riot - On Wings of Eagles

Sinister - Diabolical Summoning

Fates Warning - Without a Trace

Unfathomable Ruination - Thy Venomous Coils

Thanatos - Infestation of the Soul

Flotsam and Jetsam - Verge of Tragedy

Primordial - Come the Flood

I'd go. It'll be a good time even if half the rides will be closed and the temperature will legitimately be at "colder than a witch's titty" status, not that everyone won't be wearing at least a hoodie and jeans. Besides, they can set up temporary stands serving coffee, hot chocolate, and cider.

Wolf - The Avenger

Trust me, weekend trips up to NH for Santa's Village plus maybe a cigarette or alcohol run are a very common thing for people from MA. I live in NH, I'd know.

Actually, no, the demographics have a lot of overlap, most of the Santa's Village patrons are townies out on a weekend trip.

Inanimate Existence - Transcendent Absorption Goddammit Joel, why you gotta leave IE fam?

"Brutally cold" by your standards, maybe. Odds are that it'll be in the low to mid-forties around the time that it would happen, which, while definitely not balmy by anyone's standards, aren't what anyone from New England (let alone the Great Lakes or the northern Midwest) could reasonably call "brutal". Definitely hoodie weather, but if the ground is free of any major amount of snow and the skies are clear, it should be just fine.

Departe - Seas of Glass

Phobocosm - Knives in the Senate House

Soooooo I somehow got the night before Thanksgiving off from work (it probably went straight to hell without me, but my boss is a big boy, he can survive without me for one night) and managed to get to see Ulcerate in Boston. God damn. That's all I can say. Phobocosm: Tight and engrossing. Nothing truly earthshattering, but they put on a great performance. It may have also been the last time that I will have ever seen them on tour, as Etienne stated that unless they get a European offer or a North American offer from a huge name, they'll probably just stick to one-offs and fests from here on out. Zhrine: DAMN. This band was something. Never seen an electric upright bass or bowed guitars used in a metal context, and beyond those, the performance was top-notch and the crowd was loving it. It's their first tour ever and things are already looking good for them. Ulcerate: I was absolutely blown away just like I was when I first saw them two years ago. One of my favorite bands of all time and also a top 5 live band at this point. Literally my only gripe was the lack of anything off of Of Fracture and Failure (Michael Hoggard told me straight-up that they will never play anything off of it again), but when the music and performances are that on-point, I can't complain too much.

Immolation - Reluctant Messiah

Cephalic Carnage - Divination and Volition

NE Cyclone was okay at first but got rougher and rougher as the years went on; by 2010, the thing was legitimately painful to ride. I do recall having one of the wildest rides of my life in the very back during a rainstorm, however. Once it got Topper Track, it became a hell of a lot smoother but also seemed to slow down to a positively glacial pace in parts.

Phobocosm - Engulfing Dust

Soooo after a lengthy dearth of "big" shows (last one was like two months ago), the Napalm Death/The Black Dahlia Murder coheadliner hit Boston and I was thankfully able to make it. Abnormality: Excellent like always. They ARE my friends and I've known them since they were a local opener, so I'm wicked happy to see them finally reaping the rewards of years of hard work. Power Trip: Never really cared for them and wound up missing like half their set because a veggie burrito a few steps away was calling my name. What I saw was tight even though they are a little too pedestrian for my tastes. Pig Destroyer: I've wanted to see them for quite a while now and I finally got my chance. They did not disappoint. J.R. Hayes is a monster live. The Black Dahlia Murder: Just an all-around tight and fun band. Trevor is a great frontman and their new lead guitarist is absolutely amazing. Napalm Death: God damn. Seen them once before and they were just as mindblowing this time as they were back around the beginning of last year. Barney Greenway is one of the greatest frontmen of all time.

Anata - Under Azure Skies

Desecravity - False Oath

Abysmal Dawn - In Service of Time

Cryptopsy - Two-Pound Torch