Valentine Smasher

(I like this one the best…!)

A wolf amongst the lambs, legendary RxKxBx trasher 

Valentine metal feast in Shinjuku. As always when talking live metal photography, closer is king and even though Belgian Blast death Metal gods headlined I set out to shoot the local bands last night. A scene I have now been following and shot for 6-7 years. The Japanese underground metal scene is just unbelievably intense and full of creative life.  ABORTED being one of my favorite metal bands and I felt that I had to "see" them and not shoot them, two completely different things. Them being famous and first time in Japan doesn't matter, I know when I should be a spectator and when I should be focusing on my photography. When shooting a live gig of this intense level you have to be "inside" the inner circle to get the best shots and I seldom can both enjoy the music and get the shots I want, either do photography full on or not at all has proved to be the ticket. I can spend a whole night shooting and come out just drained and not have a memory of who played what. I decided to skip chasing images of Aborted and for once enjoyed the gig 100% with an open mind, being able to hear and indulge the raw power the music delivers, man, they were just great. The first 8 shots are of HEMORRHOID CARNAGE (great name!), then GOTSUTOTSUKOTSU (Samurai Metal), From Perth/Australia DEVOUR THE MARTYR and then Shinjuku aggressors OGRE and the ogre freak devil Mao. Awesome to being able to photograph these guys ad also priceless to finally see ABORTED live in Tokyo, I hope you guys come back soon.

p.s All shot with a 5D Mark Nil, 16-35mm f/2.8, 580EX. None of these images has been retouched, tempered with by any imaging software. Straight from the camera to the screen. 

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Ok, here is one shot of ABORTED…one of the best live gig's I've ever experienced…somewhere up there on the scale with Slayer, Napalm Death, Black Dahlia Murder and At The Gates. I'm glad I put down the camera and saw this full on. Sometimes you just have to. Music is Life.

snafu