Fozzy at The Mercury Ballroom in Louisville, KY 31-MAR-23

April 7, 2023 Michael Deinlein Concert Reviews, US Comments Off

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Fozzy holds nothing back in Louisville with Seventh Day Slumber and The Nocturnal Affair.

“Heavy Metal” music is often characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic rhythms, dense bass-and-drum sound, high energy, and vigorous vocals. Friday evening in Louisville a classic demonstration of “Heavy Metal” music was on full display as Fozzy rolled into the Mercury Ballroom on their “Save The World” tour. This tour was originally scheduled to come through Louisville in late 2022 but was thankfully rescheduled for late spring of this year. Fozzy is touring in support of their 8^th studio album, Boombox, which was released in May of last year and featured the hot single “I Still Burn”.

Fozzy, Fozzy, Fozzy was the chant heard as the house lights dropped and the guys bounced onto the Mercury Ballroom Stage and straight into their opening song “Sane” from the aforementioned Boombox album. Fozzy front man and founder Chris Jericho, once characterized the band by saying, “If Metallica and Black Sabbath had a bastard child, it would be Fozzy.” and I couldn’t agree more. With all the energy, guitar riffs and solos imaginable, Fozzy rolled through a lively and thoroughly entertaining set which spanned the band’s almost 20 year existence. Chris Jericho is the model “metal” front man with his soaring vocals, fan interactions and all the chutzpah you could ask for. Surrounded by stellar bandmates Rich “The Duke” Ward and Billy Grey on guitar, bassist P. J. Farley and demonstrative drummer Grant Brooks, this evening is really what “Heavy Metal” is all about. For the next 90+ minutes Fozzy rolled through a set primarily focused on 2022’s Boombox album including “No Where to Run”, “Purifier” and the huge hit “I Still Burn” along with classics “God Pounds His Nails” from the 2010 album Chasing the Grail and “Enemy” from 2005’s All That Remains album.

Fozzy closed out a fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable evening in Louisville with mega hit “Judas” before treating fans to a raucous Ramones cover of “Blitzkrieg Bop”.

Providing primary support were Nashville, TN based, legendary hard rock band Seventh Day Slumber. Tearing through a set covering several songs from last year’s Death by Admiration album including “Fatal Love”, “Halos”, and “What I’ve Become” Seventh Day Slumber was a beacon of energy and positivity. With many of the songs centered around band members’ individual battles with addiction, putting on a front for fear of being rejected, hypocrisy, betrayal and self-destruction, the strong underlying thread was of survival and positive outcomes. A memorable performance of the band’s hit “Caroline” was a prime example of this message and left an indelible mark on everyone in attendance. Seventh Day Slumber is guitarist Weston Evans, Blaise Rojas on drums, vocalist Joseph Rojas and Ken Reed on bass.

Opening the evening was alternative/dark rock project, The Nocturnal Affair, headed by singer/songwriter Brendan Shane. With a set drawing heavily on 2022’s (META)MORPHOSIS album Including “Exoskeletal,” “Thousand Ways to Die” and “Beyond the Wall of Sleep” The Nocturnal Affair were nothing but pure energy. Their all too short set included a couple of surprises along the way as a crazy good Haddaway cover of “What Is Love” came rolling off the stage and video was shot of the bands last song, “It’s No Good” for an upcoming music video.