San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans VIO-LENCE will return to the stage in April 2024 for a special eight-date headlining tour during which they will perform their classic 1988 debut album, “Eternal Nightmare”, in its entirety.
The trek runs from April 5 in Cambridge, Massachusetts through April 13 in Chicago, Illinois. Support at the dates will come from EXHORDER, DECEASED and MORTAL WOUND.
VIO-LENCE‘s current touring lineup consists of classic-era vocalist Sean Killian alongside more recent additions, drummer Adrian Aguilar (EXMORTUS),guitarist Miles Dimitri Baker (VOIDBRINGER, INTERLOPER, ex-RINGS OF SATURN),bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and guitarist Ira Black (VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN, METAL CHURCH).
Notably, some of VIO-LENCE‘s recent shows have featured only Killian from the lineup that played its first comeback gig in April 2019 at the Oakland Metro in Oakland, California. The VIO-LENCE lineup that appeared at the Metro consisted of Killian, guitarist Phil Demmel, drummer Perry Strickland, bassist Deen Dell and guitarist Ray Vegas.
VIO-LENCE with EXHORDER, DECEASED, MORTAL WOUND 2024 dates:
April 05 – Middle East / Downstairs – Cambridge, MA
April 06 – Monarch – Brooklyn, NY
April 07 – Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA
April 08 – The Ottobar – Baltimore, MD
April 10 – The Winchester – Cleveland, OH
April 11 – Legends Bar & Venue – Cincinnati, OH
April 12 – Sanctuary – Detroit, MI
April 13 – Reggies – Chicago, IL
VIO-LENCE played its first show with Aguilar in February 2023 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Aguilar joined VIO-LENCE following the departure of Strickland.
Ten months ago, Demmel addressed VIO-LENCE‘s future in an Instagram Live video, saying it was “kind of weird playing these shows” with “a bunch of fill-ins and me and Sean.” He added that while Adrian is “awesome” and the Whisky gig “was packed”, he is “just kind of really torn right now in the sense of what VIO-LENCE is and what it’s gonna be and what my role is gonna be in that and how I feel about that.” Demmel went on to say that he told Killian he “wanted to shut [VIO-LENCE] down,” but then he realized “that to ask that of those dudes to not do it anymore is selfish on my part.”
In March 2022, VIO-LENCE released a new EP, “Let The World Burn”, via Metal Blade Records. The five-song collection, VIO-LENCE‘s first original release since 1993’s “Nothing To Gain”, was tracked at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS),mixed by Tue Madsen (DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN) and mastered by Ted Jensen (ALICE IN CHAINS, DEATH ANGEL).
Formed in 1985, VIO-LENCE helped define and refine what came to be known as the Bay Area sound, dropping three seminal albums before splitting in 1993. Leaving behind a heady legacy, they reformed briefly a couple of times in the intervening years before becoming a full-time going concern once more in 2019. After playing a string of successful shows, the quintet started to think about new music and delivered “Let The World Burn”, showcasing their first new material in 29 years.
VIO-LENCE‘s recording lineup on “Let The World Burn” consisted of Demmel, Killian and Strickland along with Olde Wolbers and guitarist Bobby Gustafson (ex-OVERKILL).
VIO-LENCE reunited soon after Demmel left MACHINE HEAD in late 2018.
Demmel was in MACHINE HEAD for nearly 16 years, during which time he played on five of the group’s studio albums: “Through The Ashes Of Empires” (2003),“The Blackening” (2007),“Unto The Locust” (2011),“Bloodstone & Diamonds” (2014) and “Catharsis” (2018).
VIO-LENCE played its first show with Black in August 2022 at the Brutal Assault festival in Jaromer, Czech Republic.
Black, who grew up in the Bay Area and previously played with VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN and METAL CHURCH, filled in for Demmel, who was on the road at the time with LAMB OF GOD as the temporary replacement for Willie Adler.
Although MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was part of VIO-LENCE‘s classic incarnation and played on “Eternal Nightmare”, he wasn’t approached about taking part in the band’s reunion.
Photo by Stephanie Cabral