The BABYKLOK co-headline tour with BabyMetal, DETHKLOK, and support from virtuoso guitarist Jason Richardson, roared into Las Vegas at the Pearl Theater at the Palms, and what a night! The show was a sell out and the fans were wound up, ready to get started on the “metalocalypse”!
Heavy metal guitarist and multi instrumentalist Jason Richardson came out on stage solo performing his electronic/synth metal prog set, on the heels of his sophomore 2022 album release II. Richardson has been an alumni of All Shall Perish, Born of Osiris, Chelsea Grin, and a current member of All That Remains, while also sharpening his virtuosic skills as solo artist, heavily wound into the synth orchestral genre. Richardson used his Ernie Ball JR signature series guitars, and played mostly from the latest album, including “Tinnitus” and “Ishimura” that you can check out on his YouTube channel HERE.
DETHKLOK was the first on stage for this co-headliner date, and the fans were more than ready! The enormous back screen behind the band showed cartoon antics from Metalocalypse, the Adult Swim series, and incorporated the fictional band from the show, into the real live stage show for a clash of the “Gods”.
The real live touring Dethklok just released their fourth album, Dethalbum IV, the first new Dethklok material in over a decade, and now out on tour bring the impending prophecy to the masses. The music for both the series and live show is by Brendon Small, with added members Gene Hogan, Bryan Beller, Pete Griffin, and Nili Brosh on tour. In the Metalocalpse series, Dethklok is the world’s most popular band, and the Las Vegas fans sure made it seem that way - horns were flying and mosh pits were rolling, as videos played blood and gore while Dethklok headbanged their way through “Briefcase Full Of Guts”, “Aortic Desecration” and more. Check out their new album HERE.
BABYMETAL came out swinging with “Babymetal Death”, with the crowd chanting along screaming their name. Babymetal fans are like no other, the crowd was insane and headbanging from the front row to high seats, and Su-metal had them in the palm of her hand. “Gimme Chocolate” kept the frenzy going, and the band played through an 11 song set showing off new material and hits. It’s hard to explain how hard these girls rock - they have a jpop look but give a real METAL punch in the face. The place was totally nuts and so much fun!
Babymetal’s kawaii metal lineup has a new member, and a new record - Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal), Moa Kikuchi (Moametal), and Momoko Okazaki (Momometal), who just joined the band shortly after the 2023 release of their fourth album, The Other One. Su-metal is the main vocalist, while Moametal and Momometal scream and dance on each side, backed by a masked “Kami” band. The new record is their first concept album, describing a parallel world and alternate realities, and Babymetal played a couple songs off this new album, and also had a surprise new single in the set.
The new “reborn” Babymetal (with the addition of Momometal), played their ferocious new single, “Metali!”, a collaboration with Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine on guitar for the track, their first song out since The Other One. Giant video screens behind the band showed Morello playing and singing along, a hard hitting face paced single that had the crowd moshing in the front. Babymetal wound up their set with “Headbangeeeeerrrr!” and “Road to Resistance” to a dull roar, before thousands made a mad rush to the merch line. What a night.
BabyMetal Photos: Jo Anna Jackson / Stardogphotos.com
DETHKLOK Photos: Jo Anna Jackson / Stardogphotos.com
Jason Richardson Photos: Jo Anna Jackson / Stardogphotos.com
What a great show....my first time seeing Baby Metal and the crowd was totally insane...
That show was banging!!
that new song is killer with ratm
That show was so damn good