Albuquerque’s Heavy Metal Music Scene

Albuquerque has a thriving heavy metal music scene, and if you’re looking to get your head-banging fix, this is the place to be. From live shows to metal festivals, there’s always something going on.

Introduction

If you’re looking for a city with a thriving heavy metal music scene, Albuquerque is the place to be. With a number of metal bands and venues hosting metal shows, there’s always something going on for fans of this genre.

Albuquerque has a long history of metal music, dating back to the early days of the genre. One of the first metal bands to come out of Albuquerque was Tones of Death, who released their debut album in 1984. Since then, the city has continued to produce a number of successful metal bands, including Mythos, Doomwatch, and Witch Mountain.

There are a number of venues in Albuquerque that host metal shows on a regular basis. The Sunshine Theater is one of the most popular venues, and has hosted shows by some of the biggest names in metal, including Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. Other popular venues include Launchpad and The Dirty Bourbon.

If you’re looking to experience Albuquerque’s metal music scene for yourself, be sure to check out some of the city’sMetal Festivals. These festivals typically feature a lineup of local and nationalmetal bands, and are a great way to discover new music.

History

Albuquerque’s heavy metal music scene has been around since the early 1980s. The city has produced a number of well-known metal bands, including Death Wish, Mechanism, and Witchmountain. Albuquerque’s metal scene is vibrant and active, with a number of local venues hosting metal shows on a regular basis.

Early history

The Albuquerque heavy metal music scene began in the early 1980s with a handful of hardcore punk and metal bands. The first metal shows in Albuquerque were put on by the local punk scene, which hosted national touring acts such as Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, and Fear. These shows laid the groundwork for the metal scene that would develop in Albuquerque over the next few years.

In 1984, the first dedicated metal venue in Albuquerque opened its doors. The Clubhouse was a small industrial space that hosted local and regional metal bands. The Clubhouse quickly became the center of the Albuquerque metal scene, and bands such as Exodus, Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth all played there early in their careers.

The Clubhouse closed its doors in 1986, but by that time there were several other metal venues in Albuquerque including Bubbles Bathhouse and TJ’s Cantina. These venues continued to host local and regional metal bands throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The ’80s and ’90s

Albuquerque’s metal scene began to coalesce in the early 1980s with the formation of local bands like Deathrow, males, and Intruder. In 1986, Deathrow released the Albuquerque Metal Compilation, which featured many of the city’s early metal bands. The following year, Albuquerque hosted its first metal festival, New Mexico Metalfest.

The 1990s saw the rise of nationally-known metal bands from Albuquerque like Vision of Disorder, Liege Lord, and Drain STH. In 1998, Albuquerque hosted the first ever Gathering of the Juggalos, a music festival created by Insane Clown Posse. The Juggalos are a hardcore fan base of Insane Clown Posse and other horrorcore rap acts.

Today, Albuquerque’s metal scene is thriving with local bands like Wake The Dead and White Hell. The city also hosts several metal festivals each year, including New Mexico Metalfest and Juggalo Dayz.

The 2000s

In the early 2000s, Albuquerque’s metal scene was still going strong. The Nu-Metal/Metalcore band Paris After Midnight released their debut album in 2001 and played shows with national acts like Murderdolls, Chevelle, and Otep. In 2003, They signed with Immortal Records and released their second album “Unbreakable”. The band would go on to release one more album in 2006 before breaking up in 2007.

In 2002, the Metalcore band Beneath the Sky formed in Cincinnati, Ohio. The band would go on to release 3 albums and tour with national acts such as Trivium, All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, and Killswitch Engage before breaking up in 2012.

Albuquerque would see the formation of another Metalcore band in 2004 with the formation of Scary Kids Scaring Kids. The band would go on to release 2 albums and tour with national acts such as Pierce the Veil, Mayday Parade, A Day to Remember, and The Used before breaking up in 2010.

The 2010s

In the 2010s, metalcore and post-hardcore began to rise in popularity in Albuquerque. Metalcore is a fusion genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. bands such as Sleeping Giant, For Today, Wovenwar, Fit for a King and Miss May I found mainstream success during this decade.

Post-hardcore is a subgenre of Hardcore punk that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater level of complex songwriting and emotive vocals. Bands credited with pioneering post-hardcore include Fugazi, Jawbox, Quicksand, and Drive Like Jehu. Local bands such as The Story So Far, Letlive.,touché amoré and Serendipity By Proxy found underground success in the 2010s.

The Local Scene

Albuquerque has a thriving heavy metal music scene, with local bands playing at clubs and bars around town. There are also a few metal festivals that take place each year. This scene would not be possible without the support of the local fans.

Venues

In Albuquerque, there are a few places that are known for being consistent in having metal shows. The first and most popular venue is Sunshine Theater. Sunshine Theater is a large venue that has been open since 1994. It can fit up to 1,800 people and has a general admission standing room floor with an upper level balcony. This venue usually has metal shows on the weekends and sometimes during the week. The next most popular venue is Sister Bar. Sister Bar is a smaller venue that opened in 2013 and can fit up to 400 people. It has a general admission standing room floor with an upstairs balcony that overhangs the floor. This venue usually has metal shows once or twice a week. Lastly, there is Launchpad. Launchpad is an all-ages music venue that opened in 2002 and can hold up to 700 people. It also has a general admission standing room floor with an upper level balcony. Launchpad hosts metal shows sporadically throughout the month but mostly on weekends.

Bands

Albuquerque has a number of metal bands that play regularly around town. Some notable bands include:

-Wicked Garden
-Dead Heaven
-Lo-Pan
-Iron Age
-Mastodon

These bands can often be found playing at local venues like The Launchpad, Sister Bar, and Burt’s Tiki Lounge. If you’re looking for a heavier sound, Albuquerque is the place to be.

Conclusion

Albuquerque’s heavy metal music scene is vibrant and alive, with many great venues and bands to check out. If you’re a fan of metal music, you’ll definitely want to check out what this city has to offer.