Rock on the Range 2018: Lineup Analysis

We are ONE WEEK away from the festival of all festivals. For many of my hard rock and heavy metal bretheren, May represents the beginning of festival season. There are many great festivals all over the country that give fans a great chance to experience a weekend packed full of great shows. The biggest, and arguably the best of any of these is the almighty Rock on the Range, which takes place May 18-20th in Columbus, OH.

We snagged our tickets prior to the lineup announcement, which occurred late in 2017. This will be the tenth consecutive year that we make the trip from Indianapolis to Columbus to take in the weekend, and I have to tell you – I cannot wait.

I know that all of you are like me – you’re having trouble focusing on anything else as you look forward to one of the best weekends of the year. In order to support that obsession, we are releaseing a last minute line-up analysis for Rock on the Range 2018. The analysis below is for people who may not know all the bands in this years lineup and are looking for an opportunity to catch a new band that may become a favorite. However, it’s also for those who know every song of every band, and are just looking for an excuse to think about Rock on the Range for an hour. 🙂

The Rock on the Range 2018 Lineup Analysis below provides a detailed look at the landscape for this year’s ROTR. We provide commentary on what you might expect based on previous experiences, other shows and tours we’ve seen, and the current status of the bands. The bands are grouped by the slot they were given: the headliners, the top-tier bands, and the mid-tier bands. In addition, we include some bands that have something to prove, and suggest some can’t miss shows that may not be on you radar.

2015 Album Awards!

I don’t really fancy myself as an album reviewer (guys over at sites like Sputnik do just fine at that). However, I have a real passion for sharing music, and love the thought of putting something in front of people out there that might not have heard it yet. Because of that, and because the albums I love fuel my concert decisions, I wanted to share some of my favorite albums from 2015. Last year featured releases by countless big names in the industry – names like Trivium, Sevendust, Three Days Grace, Halestorm, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson, Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God, Bullet for My Valentine, and on and on. However, many of these releases landed somewhere on the scale between mediocre and very good. None of them, however, really stood out as impressionable.

However, 2015 was definitely not void of spectacular albums. As I looked back at my catalog and reviewed countless other “top albums of 2015” lists to make sure I didn’t miss any albums, I had a more difficult time than usual whittling down to the top 5 albums. In fact, I couldn’t, and so what you’re left with below is 5 really great runners up, and one album of the year.

Hope you enjoy!

Concert Review: 10 Years / Nonpoint

10 Years / Nonpoint
When The Sky Cracks Open Tour – Friday, July 17th, 2015
The Vogue – Indianapolis, IN

As my music tastes have matured, I have really started gravitating towards what I like to call mid-major bands. Taken from world of college athletics, my analogy alludes to bands that may not be as well known as some others, but have no trouble standing toe to toe with any of the powerhouses. Sure, I love catching bands like Muse, Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack, and Machine Head in front of 10,000 fans. But for my money, a small venue show of a band like Clutch, Aranda, Shaman’s Harvest, Foxy Shazam, or Crobot can be equally as entertaining. There’s just something about these smaller bands that seems more personal, and easier to connect with.

This tour featured two great mid majors – 10 Years and Nonpoint have both been around for a decade, and are a great example of smaller bands that do absolutely everything right. I’ve been a fan of both of these bands for years – I remember my introduction to 10 Years in 2006 at a local festival, (which caused me to sing Wasteland for two months straight). I also remember my first Nonpoint show – a mud-soaked, sweat-drenched, nonstop mosh pit party on the Jager stage at Rock on the Range in 2010 that I will never forget. A rare chance to catch both of these bands at a great small venue 20 minutes from my house? SOLD!

Concert Review: 10 Years

Cutting Like Knives Tour
The Trocadero Theater – Philadelphia, PA
October 22nd, 2012

Let’s pretend it’s 2006. I’m a Junior in college, and just getting into the hard rock and metal scene. I walk into one of my first festivals early in the day, and head to the little bitty side stage, with no expectations what-so-ever. The first band walks out, with a dude that has dreads hanging below his shoulders leading the way. I have no idea who they are, but immediately I like their sound. By the third song, I was hooked, and their last song (Wasteland) would soon become one of my all time favorites.

Fast forward 6 years. I now know that band is called 10 Years, and I have been listening to them ever since. In fact, I’ve learned that for the past decade, they have created quite a name for themselves in the mid-market hard rock genre, and they are only getting better. Earlier this year, they released their strongest album to date, called Minus the Machine, which highlights their signature intense yet reserved vocals, but with a much heavier spin than albums in the past. The album also features an increased usage of backup screams that works very well, and overall, the album sticks out as one of 2012’s best.

Music Pill Update: October 2012

Greetings and Salutations!!!

Well, it’s been a really, REALLY long time since I’ve posted anything on this blog. My wife and I were blessed with our first child on July 20th, an awesome baby boy named Luke, who is already a rocker at heart. While it’s been one of the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me, it has left little time for blogging. SO, my goal over the next few weeks is to get caught up and release some blogs about the shows I was able to sneak out to.

But first, I wanted to post about what’s been going on in the last few months, and what I’ve been listening to. There are several really good albums that are out that have been active at The Music Pill during midnight feedings and through headphones while walking Luke to sleep. 🙂

Concert Review: Rock on the Range 2011 Day 2

Day 2. The previous entire day was spent drinking, pushing, screaming, singing, and standing for about 14 straight hours. We woke up tired, sore, sun-burned, dehydrated, and with our ears ringing. Usually, after a day like that, I’m usually debating whether I will ever step foot at a concert again. But not this weekend. This is ROTR baby.

Let’s do this.”

While Sunday’s entire lineup was really good, my excitement for Day Two was really focused around three bands: Bullet for my Valentine (an all-time favorite), A Day to Remember (a new and upcoming favorite), and All that Remains (some Phil Labonte redemption). However, I was also bummed because at the last minute Stone Sour had to pull out of the lineup (and got replaced by Puddle of Mudd, blegh) because Ray Mayorga had a stroke a few days before ROTR (he seems to be doing fine now).