Oliver Brink – Spinning Platters

Show Review: Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars at The Greek Theatre (Los Angeles) 06-16-2026

All The Feelings

Something that may not be entirely apparent, especially given the majority of shows I’ve covered, is that I like more than just metal music. Shocking, I’m sure, but true nonetheless, and as a kid who grew up through the 90s and very early 00s, the wave of Indie rock and indie pop was unavoidable. One thing I did have, however, was a bit of a discerning palate, but when a friend turned me on to Stars and then another to Metric in 2004, it was inevitable that I would go on a deep dive into a then-mostly unexplored genre for me, ultimately leading to a plethora of bands, but specifically to Broken Social Scene. So anyway, when I saw that not both Metric and Broken Social Scene not only had new albums coming out, but were to embark on a tour together, supported by Stars, well, I jumped at the opportunity.

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Show Review: Magic Sword, Dance With The dead, Megan Mcduffie @The Echoplex, 06-22-2026

Sometimes, and perhaps more frequently, bands find themselves moved from an intended venue to another. The common assumption is that ticket sales are not meeting expectations and whether that is the whole truth is something I can only guess at. I was supposed to cover Dance with the Dead and The Magic Sword at The Belasco, but a few days prior to the evening the venue changed to The Echoplex. Fine by me, I like both venues, but I would have preferred to shoot them on that big Belasco stage. So, anyway…

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Show Review: Cattle Decapitation, Aborted, Frozen Soul, Tribal Gaze at The Belasco, 12-20-2025

“Every Body a Host, Every Body Infected”

If there is one Death Metal band that seems to consistently captivate me and grab my attention, it is Cattle Decapitation. Having grown up in a rural area with a progressive background, I couldn’t help but develop a strong sense of respect for environmental ecology. I went to clear cut protests in high school, I’ve been a supporter of indigenous tribal water rights and the movement to remove the Klamath Dam (which thankfully came through a few years ago and has already seen a healthy increase in Klamath Salmon numbers now that their run has been restored), and I’ve been staggeringly aware of man’s effects on our home. So when I wandered by the local record store one day and saw the promotional art for Cattle’s death grind album Humanure, let’s just say I knew I was going to be on board with their mission statement: Earth First, Humans Last.

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Show Review: Boris, Lack of Interest at The Belasco, 11-22-2025

Boris obliterates a sold out Belasco

I first saw Boris performing Pink in San Francisco before the pandemic forever changed life as we know it. To say that it was incredible is an understatement, as I became not only a fan, but utterly obsessed with the band, having covered them numerous times for this publication as evidence. Of course, when this tour was announced, I had to jump at the chance to cover them again.

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Show Review: Cavalera, Fear Factory, Prong, Genocide Pact, and Thrown Into Exile at The House of Blues Anaheim, 10-07-2025

CHAOS A.D.

This was another trek from work directly to the venue, House of Blues Anaheim, where I had gone the previous year to see Hanabie on their co-headline tour with Kim Dracula. While I was incredibly excited for the evening, I was also a bit anxious because the sound mix of the aforementioned concert had left a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the FOH mixers of this evening would prove that anxiety baseless. Let’s get on with it, shall we?

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Show Review: Cannibal Corpse at The Majestic Ventura Theater, 10-03-2025

RESPECT THE NECK

I’ve never been to a concert in Ventura, CA. I’ve also never seen Cannibal Corpse live. So, when given the opportunity to head out to The Majestic Ventura Theatre, a theatre that has seen countless bands over its lifetime, to see one of the progenitors of goregrind death metal, I simply had to take it. Mind you, this was a 50-mile trek for me, but it was a Friday, so I hit that fuck it button, cranked the throttle on my motorcycle, and zoomed off straight from work.

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Show Review: Baroness, Weedeater at The Lodge Room (Highland Park), 09-20-2025

“We’re having a great time up here!”

Upon pulling up to the Lodge Room and parking my motorcycle on the street for the second show I would be covering that week, I made a discovery that is every photographer’s nightmare. In my rush to pack up and leave my house, I forgot to pack my SD cards. This part of Highland Park is relatively small and while there was a camera shop nearby, it had closed an hour or two ago, which meant I would have to haul ass to the closest target, panic coursing through my veins, mixing with adrenaline, where I would find the only SD card they had in stock. A quick purchase and a semi-reckless speeding jaunt back to the Lodge Room later, I had luckily made it with time to spare and also discovered that a guard rail had been set up —a first for my experience with this venue, rendering my previous panic somewhat unnecessary. After a celebratory beer, I readied my camera for a night of heavy metal.

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Show Review: Swans, Little Annie and Paul Walfisch at The Lodge Room (Highland Park), 09-15-2025

“You guys brought earplugs, right?”

Although I gravitate towards, and certainly cover, a lot of heavy and angry music, my tastes are more eclectic than I let on. It’s a bit of a mood thing for me, as I’m sure it is for many, and believe it or not, but my moods fluctuate rather wildly. I may not be the picture of poly-jamorous, but I’m just as comfortable listening to avant-jazz as I am death metal. So, it might be surprising to learn that I have never seen Swans before. I’ve listened to them on and off for years and even been ridiculed by my more obsessive peers for never having made it to one of their performances, so when the opportunity finally lined up, I pressed that go button.

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Show Review: Wardruna at The Greek Theater (Los Angeles), 09-08-2025

“Music Is Culture.”

It was another night of firsts for me. My first time shooting at the Greek Theater in the hills of East Hollywood, my first time seeing both Chelsea Wolfe and Wardruna, and I sure picked an interesting night for it. Thankfully, the temperature had dropped over the past couple of days so at least we wouldn’t be sweating it out with the sun down. The Greek is a seasoned and slick venue, boasting a damn good sound system. With the weather being nice and the wind nearly nonexistent, which is a rarity in outdoor music venues, it was a great experience.

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Show Review: The Sword at The Bellwether (DTLA), 08-30-2025

Big Fuzz Doom Rock Overtakes Los Angeles

I’ve never been to the Bellwether downtown before, but I gotta say I was digging the vibe. It’s a newer venue, from what I understand. Upon entering the stage floor, I immediately noticed that my hair was glowing. The whole room was bathed in blue theater lights, which had the fun effect of illuminating UV-reactive hair dye. The night before, I stayed up entirely too late at a Black Metal show with a friend, as a guest, so my brain was a little fried, but I was determined to rally forth and enjoy some loud, fuzzy music

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