Adrenaline Mob, Selfish Needy Creatures and Hand of Reckoning – Clifton Park NY

Review and Photographys By: Nadine Swiger

If your expecting to hear Dream Theater meets Symphony X at an Adrenaline show, your mistaken. They have gone back to their roots of a classic metal sound, I can only assume that’s where it all began for these guys. They performed a cover of Black Sabbath’s “The Mob Rules” which should be their theme song as it sets the scene of where they have travel to find their sound. The talent that each member brings to the table along with the chemistry between them on stage, you can’t help but think that this Adrenaline Mob does rule! But how could you go wrong with a line-up like this: Russell Allen (Symphony X) on vocals, Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold) on drums, Paul DiLeo (Nena) on bass, guitar virtuoso Mike Orlando (Sonic Stomp) who shreds like no other and mixing it with axeman Rich Ward (Stuck Mojo/Fozzy) on guitars; it’s a solid talented line-up.

We had the pleasure of catching them at Northern Lights Nightclub in Clifton Park, NY. Mike Portnoy posted on his facebook page about the show: “Tonite’s Clifton Park gig, I felt that The Mob finally REALLY came into its own and that we have now become an unstoppable live force…even in a small club in front of only a couple hundred people, the vibe was absolutely ELECTRIC….we’re out for blood and taking no prisoners!!! Stand back…” Mike couldn’t be more right. The few hundred in the room could tell that we were witnessing something great that is about to soar higher than ever! Their set seemed flawless, while you could tell that the band was genuinely having a good time on the stage and truly excited to play together with that chemistry radiating over into the crowd. It was electrifying.

During sound check, Musician Photo Journal got the chance to catch up with Mike Portnoy since we last saw him with Dream Theater/Avenged Sevenfold while meeting Mike Orlando for the first time. The guys told us the story of how The Adrenaline Mob came to be, telling us about the new album and what we can expect in the Mob’s future. You can watch the nine minute chat here.

Opening the show was one of Albany’s favorites: Selfish Needy Creatures and Hand Of Reckoning. Selfish Needy Creature was founded by vocalist Vegas Nacy (built his reputation around the Albany scene when he fronted both The Bruise Bros.and Bonebox. According to their website, SNC wants you to remember “when rock n roll was dangerous, unpredictable, dirty and crude” encouraging fans to “come back over from the dark side and embrace the world of heavy music because rock n roll will save your soul!” They hit the stage hard, with a very raw, yet powerful sound, They just released their new album, “The Hard Way” which was mixed by Corey Lowery (bassist and vocalist, previously of the bands Still Rain, Stuck Mojo, Switched and Stereomud). Their first single off the album, “Rock-N-Roll Will Save Your Soul” features Morgan Rose of Sevendust. You can catch Selfish Needy Creatures playing around New York State in the next few weeks as they will be sharing the stage with some power acts.

Hand of Reckoning, another Capital Region band, brings straight heavy metal to the table. They remind me of a young Iron Maiden or early Judas Priest. Recently, they release of their self-titled 5-track EP. They hired a new lead guitarist Ray Hill (formerly of Downcast) to their live line-up and the band has booked several shows in the Albany area. You can catch the latest from them from their myspace/facebook pages.