A rainy evening didn’t dampen the fire that was about to be unleashed on Scandals Live this Sunday evening. Scandals is a small to mid, 250-300 capacity concert venue that people on bigger tours like to play in between dates. Tonight that was the case with Bad Wolves and Norma Jean who are currently out on the road with P.O.D. When these shows happen the promoter, Cutthroat Concerts and Shattersound Productions enlist local and regional talent to support the show. For tonight’s gig, the nod went to Virginia locals The New Mutiny and Magg Dylan along with New Jersey based Uncured, a band I had heard a little about, but this would be my first time seeing them live. And as I’ve said before, I am always looking for new bands to listen to and get stuck in my head. Let’s see how this goes.
First up tonight was The New Mutiny, a hard charging 4-piece metal band that I have seen several times. Their “in your face with no remorse” style will leave you wanting for more and set the tone for the night to come. It was only a 20-minute set but, it was hard and fast and loud.
THE NEW MUTINY
Next up on the bill was Virginia Beach, VA (USA) based Magg Dylan. I’ve been a fan of these guys for a few years. They are a female fronted, four-piece band that I would describe as alternative metal. I have seen them in support slots, headlining slots and at festivals. They have an infectious sound that will draw you in with soulful melodies and a metal style that will get in your feels. Once again it was a 20-minute set that would have been worth the price of admission. Magg Dylan are:
Brucifer Jordan – Guitar
Suzanne De Iulio – Vocals
Alexander Wolfecastle – Bass
Adam Hoye – Drums
MAGG DYLAN
Next up was a band I knew the least about on the bill. Uncured. They are not new to the game. They started touring in 2017 and have shared the stage with many notable artists, along with appearances at numerous US based festivals. They currently have 2 Eps and 1 LP out and a new LP, Warpath, soon to be released. The band is comprised of brothers Rex Cox (vocals and guitar) and Zak Cox (lead guitar), Betto Andrade (bass) and Zachary King (drums) But, you could realistically just call them FIRE. There is no one in the band that is not entertaining to watch. This show was the trial run of many of the songs on their forthcoming LP, Warpath, and the day it drops, it will be in heavy rotation for me. Their setlist for the night was:
- Bleed Me Dry
- Fall in Line.
- Detonate
- Perfect Specimen
- Crucify
- Opium Den
- Mask of Sanity
UNCURED
And then it was time for Norma Jean, a 5-piece metalcore band hailing from Douglasville, GA (USA). Norma Jean formed in 1997 and has been melting faces throughout their career. While there are no original members still in the band, their sound has not changed much and is still a fun show to experience. They currently have 9 LPs out with another slated to be in the works following their tour with Bad Wolves and P.O.D. The band consists of Cory Brandon on vocals, Mark Marquez on drums, Michael Palmquist and Philip Farris on guitar and Clay Crenshaw on bass. Tonight, the fiercely hit the stage opening with I. The planet and had a 9-song set which included:
- The Planet
- 1,000,000 Watts
- [Mind Over Mind]
- Reaction
- Sleep Explosion
- Sword in Mouth, Fire Eyes
- The End of All Things Will Be Televised
- Organized Beyond Recognition
- If You Got it at Five, You Got it at Fifty
NORMA JEAN
And to close out the night, Los Angeles based Bad Wolves. They have had some membership changes over the years, but that has been reported exhaustively in the past. This is about what they brought to the stage on this night. They currently have four LPs out and are on tour with P.O.D. throughout the US with festival stops along the way. Tonight, they opened with Bad Friend, charging through their 13 song set closing out the night with their cover of The Cranberries hit, Zombie. There is something to be said about a band having 3 of the five members having been there since the beginning. Doc Coyle on guitar, Kyle Konkiel on bass and John Boecklin on drums have developed a sound that is solid and well represented. They are joined by AJ Rebollo on guitar and Daniel “DL” Laskiewicz on vocals. Their song selection for the night was:
- Bad Friend
- Die About It
- Killing Me Slowly
- No Masters
- Comatose
- Knife
- If Tomorrow Never Comes
- Legends Never Die
- I’ll Be There
- Hear Me Now
- Savior
- Lifeline
- Zombie (The Cranberries cover)
BAD WOLVES
All in all, a fun night. Got to see some bands that are friends (The New Mutiny & Magg Dylan), got to make some new friends with a band I hadn’t really looked into yet, but am solidly onboard with (Uncured), got my face melted by Norma Jean, and closed out the night with Bad Wolves. Catch any of these bands if they come near you. You won’t be disappointed.
