March Metal Beatdown at Trash Bar

On Saturday March 5th, 2011, Horns Up Rocks and Brutal Bitches Productions presented the "2011 March Metal Beatdown" at The Trash Bar in Brooklyn. The event was hosted by Kara Pain from Sirius XM Liquid Metal and it featured live performances by: Empyreon, Resolution 15, Fenrismaw, Alekhine's Gun, Flames Of Fury, Slam One Down and special guests The Hixon. Additionally, Horns Up Rocks founder Jo Schüftan delivered an epic DJ set in between sets, and the "Queen of Brutal" Alissa Shimansky (Brutal Bitches Productions), provided some sick entertainment which included an evil clown and a sexy hula hoop dancer. Here is what went down from 7 PM until 2 AM!

Empyreon kicked off the night with some furious Metal and despite some technical difficulties, they destroyed! Here is what the fans had to say about their set:

"Really enjoyed seeing your show last night, you guys are awesome!" - Samantha from Connecticut

"Sick show last night! Can't wait till the next one." - Stefan from the Bronx

"So happy to see you guys again... the technical stuff didn't even phase the crowd. You guys sounded great!" - The Crusher (Singer of Alekhine's Gun)


Next up was Resolution 15, who in our opinion are one of the most original bands within the New York Heavy Music scene. Their violin Metal proves that they can shred harder than most bands who actually have guitars. The highlight of their set was having drummer extraordinaire Kenny Grohowski back in town, after he recently laid his father to rest. Not only did Kenny groove the hell out of the Trash Bar but he performed with his other band Hung at Ace of Clubs that same night. Here is what Kenny had to say about this:

"Thank you all who came out to either the Resolution 15 show, the Hung show, or both! (Steve Ventura, Snarky Mamacita, Todd Dupee). It was a magical, albeit, painful night, but i can't think of a better way to come back home. See you guys at the next one!"


Then it was time for the mighty Fenrismaw to deliver their furious demonic Death Metal to a hungry crowd! This was Alissa's pick for the show, and needless to say they were brutal, tight, and very heavy! Check them out:



Nobody was save once Alekhine's Gun pulled the trigger on a crowd of 200 Metal heads who were immediately supplied a lethal dose of dangerous Metal! We could write a whole page on this amazing band (and we have) but we rather show you a picture that truly speaks louder than words:


Once Flames Of Fury took center stage, The Trash Bar was a war zone! The band brought their "A game" and throughout their set they kept everyone on their toes and headbanging. They definitely are a band to keep a close eye on! Here is what the band had to say about their set:

"Thanks to all the friends, and fans of Flames of Fury for coming to our show last night! Although we didn't get to play a full set for you, you guys definitely made it worth the effort :-) - See you soon!"


By the time The Hixon destroyed The Trash Bar with their thrashing chaotic Metal, it was evident that New York City today, has some of the most dedicated and brutal fans when it comes to Heavy Music! Here is what The Hixon's singer Marc Hixon had to say about this:

"New York City is shitting on the Philly and South Jersey Heavy Music scenes and its not even 9:30 yet."


Headlining the "2011 March Metal Beatdown" was Slam One Down! This guys bring the Pantera style of partying and jamming wherever they go. We have no idea how they manage to sound so tight on stage after funneling beers and being the life of the party. We want to thank them for all their help and for putting the pedal to the Metal!


Here is what the Heavy Music familia had to say about "The 2011 March Metal Beatdown":
"The March Metal Beatdown made me feel 14 again. In the PIT, chugging beer, and just having an all around good time with some AMAZING people and incredible musicians! I wish every month was March!!! Thanks to Horns Up Rocks and Brutal Bitches Productions for allowing me to MC this FACE MELTING event! \m/ HORNS UP!" - Kara Pain (Sirius XM Liquid Metal)

"Last night was AMAZING! Sharing the power of Heavy Music with my friends is what makes Horns Up Rocks keep rising! Thanks to ALL the bands, Alissa Shimansky from Brutal Bitches Productions for always having my back, the awesome staff at The Trash Bar, the fans, and the amazing Kara Pain for being a kickass host! \m/ -Jo Schüftan (Horns Up Rocks)

"There has been a significant growth in the NYC Metal Scene over the past year or so. We are seeing the rise of new promoters, new social networking sites/event sites, new blog sites, new bands and talents, more shows, more attendees, and more of a welcome for our market in local venues from Brooklyn to the Bronx, yes, even the Bronx is burning with Metal. "The March Metal Beatdown" was an immense (inebriation) celebration of all of these aspects coming together, showing the city that we are here, and we are not going nowhere!!! I think it was a significant landmark in time for our scene, and it only foreshadows more great times to come. The more we keep it up, the more we inspire people to come out, the more we inspire them to get back into their roots and slam down with the rest of us like-minded people. Our shows are a place with no bars held. A place for Metal heads of all realms to come out, get drunk, forget their woes, and throw the fuck down to some awesome heavy Tri-State Area Metal Badness. Stay tuned my Metal friends, the shits only just hit the fan." Alissa Shimansky (Brutal Bitches Productions)


"Amazing show last night! The guys from August Infinity and myself had an amazing time! Thank you for having us. Keep up the great work. Much respect!" - Tim Martinez (A.K.A. DJ Tim No 37)

"Saturday’s show reminded me of the sense of community that should always exist amongst bands and fans alike. And though I’m not above playing large venues, the, dare I say it, intimacy of this show was like a chamber music concert to me. A large enough crowd to electrify the room, but small enough that it didn’t feel sterile and processed. There were opportunities for direct interaction from the stage to the pit. In many ways, this is the ideal. Another thing that struck me was the diversity of Metal represented. It’s kind of a thing in the Metal world for people to niche their tastes, and so shows tend towards the monochromatic. Not so on Saturday, and I really enjoyed that. Further, two of the bands were fronted by women who kicked serious ass, which is a welcome trend in Metal these days." - Earl Maneein (Resolution 15)

"Wow! Last night at Trash was absolutely insane! A true night of Metal, amazing bands with a killer crowd. A big thanks to Horns Up Rocks and Brutal Bitches Productions for being the ringmasters of the evening." \m/ Daniel Martinez (Alekhine's Gun)


"Thanks to Horns Up Rocks, Kara Pain, Brutal Bitches Productions, all the other bands, The Trash Bar, all our NYC friends and of course Duff's Brooklyn for a stellar night!" - Wellz (The Hixon)

"The energy of the night is unlike anything I've felt in years. I can't remember the last time I felt that. Almost felt like old school CBGB's or the old ghetto fest shows in the Bronx." -Rene (Photographer)

We want to thank EVERYONE who came to this amazing event and rest assured that we have many more events lined up for 2011! HORNS UP!!!



Photos courtesy of:
BetYouIdid (BetYouIdid@yahoo.com)
Roughnight Studios
Cristina Palumbo

Related links:
Brutal Bitches Productions
The Trash Bar
Liquid Metal
Slam One Down
The Hixon
RESOLUTION 15
Flames Of Fury
Alekhine's Gun
Fenrismaw
Empyreon