Rock & Roll Hall of Fame concert – MIDNIGHT, MANIMALS, PURGATORY
AUG 17
7:00 PM
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
$25 GA, $23 MEMBERS, $45 GA PLUS
Midnight
The notorious and prolific Cleveland cult, Midnight, have been slaying the metal/punk underground with their own, highly addictive brand of lust, filth, and sleaze dating back to the band’s inception in 2003. Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, Midnight make music to start fights to. One-man-band, Athenar, has been churning out an ungodly racket, dropping countless demos, splits and EPs, and in 2024 he returns with Midnight’s sixth full-length, Hellish Expectations.
Manimals
Back in the mid-80’s a Cleveland area band called Manimals released an EP and shortly after called it a day. Now, after almost 15 years, original bassist/vocalist Larry the Wolf and drummer Dark have regrouped with new recruit Orlock on guitar to release their first full-length Horrorcore. Drawing a lot of lyrical and visual inspiration from classic horror films, this aptly titled disc is musically a mesh of 70’s metal and hardcore punk bringing to mind early KISS and Danzig-era Misfits. Fans of Rob Zombie and the aforementioned bands should definitely find plenty here to pique their interest. After officially disbanding in 2012 after the Wacken festival in Germany, Manimals have come together for this one off appearance with Midnight at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
Purgatory
From Cleveland, Ohio, and first formed in 1984.
That is the year that Jeff Hatrix (aka Jeffrey Lewis Hetrick, aka Jeffrey Nothing – yes, THAT Jeffrey Nothing – of Mushroomhead) returned to his hometown of Cleveland, after a brief stint as the singer for the Chicago based band White Heat, and NI4NI before that. Reuniting with his former NI4NI bandmate, drummer Ken Easterly, they adopted the name PURGATORY, after filling out the band’s roster with bassist Mark Alexander and guitarist Greg Perry. (Another guitarist, Mike Tucker, was briefly in the band some time in 1984.)
Within a year of their formation, PURGATORY issued a four-song, self-titled EP (streaming) through J.U.F. Records, one that quickly helped them develop a loyal regional following and fan base for its high energy, traditional metal, and shredding thrash ferocity. The quartet quickly followed it with the six-song ‘Purgatory Demo’ that same year (1985), as they worked to galvanize their fans as a go-to support act when upper-tier bands played the northern Ohio region, sharing stages with the likes of Metal Church, Fates Warning, Lizzy Borden, and more.
The hype about PURGATORY was growing to the extent that it soon led to several recording offers, with the band eventually signing with the Medina, Ohio-based Auburn Records. Realizing the advantages of having a two-guitar lineup, they soon brought in a second guitarist Randy Gonce and recorded their début album, ‘Tied To The Trax‘, released in 1986 (European release via Germany’s Steamhammer Records). The album’s dizzying, technical guitars, solid rhythms, and dynamic vocals (ranging from soaring highs to straightforward, aggressive deliveries), were an immediate hit with fans of the band and underground metal in general.
