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King Parrot kicked off their North American tour alongside Squid Pisser, Bonginator, and
Master Hunter this past Friday at Black Circle in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Master Hunter is a blunt metal band from Northwest Indiana. Consisting of Tony and Skubie on guitar, Messy on vocals, James on bass, and Zac on drums.
Master Hunter was the local opener for this stop of the tour, and they did not disappoint! Many people skip the local opener, but you can't skip these guys. Their sound and stage presence are to be reckoned with. Not only is their performance tight-knit, but you can tell this band has chemistry.
I'm forever a sucker for absolutely nasty blast beats, and Master Hunter delivers triple over. Vocalist Messy brings the fire with his gutturals, pig squeals, and powerful voice.
I regret not picking up their album at merch, but I'm going to hold out for next Bandcamp Friday to pick up their music! I hope they make their way closer to Tennessee so I can catch them again.
FIND MASTER HUNTER BANDCAMP | INSTAGRAM
Bonginator describes itself as "two-stepping neon weed death," and I can't see a truer statement. The band, hailing from Massachusetts, consists of Erik Thorstenn on guitar and vocals, Joseph Claxton on drums, and Jack Shanahan on bass.
Bonginator took the stage to "All Cops Are Biomechs." Which begins with some very 80's synthy goodness before punching you in the head with stank face-inducing grooves.
Bonginator has been my soundtrack for late-night drives for the past few months. I was delighted to see they were on the bill. With hilarious lyrics and ripping riffs, Bonginator has kept me awake many a night. With songs like "420lb Poop", "Zombie Party Rockers", and their newest song off their upcoming record, "Pizza Time" featuring Vinny from Belushi Speed Ball, Bonginator envelops and perfectly balances face-melting riffs, childish imagery, and kick ass tunes.
Speaking of "Pizza Time!" during their live performance, Vic from Retained Surgical Instrument hopped off lighting duty to do Vinny's part!
Their newest record, "Retrodeath," is dropping October 24th, featuring Big Ass Truck, Fulchi, and Tim Capello. The artwork for this album is done by Dan Goldsworthy! You can preorder it on their Bandcamp, linked below.
FIND BONGINATOR
Squid Pisser is a self-described noise punk band from Los Angeles, California. The band consists of Tommy Meehan (GWAR, The Manx, Deaf Club) on vocals, Seth Carolina (Starcrawler) on drums, Michael Armendariz (Melted Bodies, Duck Duck Goose) and Raz Azraai on guitar, and Corey Wolford on bass.
Squid Pisser's sound is hard to describe to someone who hasn't listened to them before.
There's nothing like watching the sheer confusion of concertgoers as Squid Pisser takes the stage. I can't say much, I was in the same boat; my first exposure to them last year led me to diving into the rabbit hole, googling them profusely during the break between sets, but I found myself picking up merch after their set, and I've been hooked ever since!
An eerie drone begins to play, and a monologue begins to ring out into the audience. These masked mutants take shape throughout the audience, lurching to the stage. Seth takes his place at the drum kit first and stares blankly into the audience. Meehan hands out flowers to the crowd, tossing the rest into the audience before launching into the first song, "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" from their 2024 album "Dreams of Puke."
The band combines elements of hardcore, grind, punk, and noise to create music that dumps a blended smoothie of cephalopods, ancient fax machines, and schlocky horror films on your head. (in the best way possible!)
Squid Pisser's sheer energy is infectious. If you try to stand off to the side, the show comes to you. Literally. Despite their relatively short discography, only sitting at about 46 minutes, their sound grows and festers in the back of your mind. I found myself humming these fast-paced "in your face" guitar riffs on my drive home. They deliver an unforgettable show every time.
Lead vocalist Tommy Meehan takes any opportunity he can to dive into the crowd, climb bars, hang from rafters, play in trash cans, get real close and personal with concert goers, and go anywhere as far as his microphone cable goes. Hell, he went bowling during their set at Nashville's Brooklyn Bowl last November.
I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't heard of them prior. Dreams of Puke is a no-skip album. The music videos are visceral and gross and disorienting and are so fun!
FIND SQUID PISSER
King Parrot is an Australian grindcore band formed in 2010. The band consists of Matthew Young on lead vocals, Ari White on lead guitar, Andrew "Squiz" Livingstone-Squires on rhythm guitar, Wayne "Auntie Slatts" Slattery on bass and newest member, Max Dangerfield on drums.
I went in completely blind for this set. No research, no listening prior. MAN. Did I have a good time! Despite having one one or two moshers' boots planted flat in my spinal column, I found myself wanting to throw a punch or two. This show made me miss local DIY shows back in Alabama, cramped room, little to no stage, you either mosh or throw elbows.
I don't typically care for grindcore, its a bit too much for me. King Parrot perfectly balances elements of grind and thrash that makes the genre palatable and enjoyable for someone like myself. Standout tracks during the set were: "Ten Pounds of Shit in a Ten Pound Bag", "Get What Ya Given", and "Home is Where the Gutter Is"
Vocalist Matthew Young absolutely killed his performance, hitting every scream, growl and holler. His stage presence is absolute insanity, he could yell at me to knock somebody out and I would. He brought out the crowd's inner animal.
King Parrot dropped "A Young Person's Guide To" in June and it curbstomps you into a different century. It's funny, brutal and downright nasty at times. "Fuck You and the Horse You Rode In On" was the perfect closer to this set.
FIND KING PARROT
8/09/2025 West Side Bowl – Youngstown, OH w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/10/2025 Song & Dance – Syracuse, NY w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/11/2025 Piranha – Montreal, QC w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/12/2025 L’Anti – Quebec City, QC w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/13/2025 Dominion Tavern – Ottawa, ON w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/14/2025 Sanctuary – Detroit, MI w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator8/15/2025 – Gamma Ray Bar – Madison, WI w/- Bonginator
8/16/2025 Live Wire Lounge – Chicago, IL w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/17/2025 Bigs – Sioux Falls, SD w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/18/2025 Waiting Room Lounge – Omaha, NE w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/19/2025 Atrium – Ft. Collins, CO w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/20/2025 Utah First Credit Union Ampitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
8/21/2025 Shredder – Boise, ID w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/22/2025 White River Ampitheatre – Auburn, WA w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
8/23/2025 Cascades Ampitheatre – Ridgefield, WA w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
8/24/2025 El Corazon – Seattle, WA w/ Squid Pisser, Bonginator
8/26/2025 Talking Stick Resort Ampitheatre – Phoenix, AZ w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
8/27/2025 Kia Forum – Inglewood, CA w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
8/28/2025 Eli’s Mile High Club – Oakland, CA w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
8/29/2025 T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas NV w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
8/31/2025 Isleta Ampitheater – Albuquerque, NM w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
9/02/2025 Germania Insurance Ampitheater – Austin, TX w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
9/03/2025 Dos Equis Pavilion – Dallas, TX w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
9/05/2025 Ruoff Music Center – Noblesville, IN w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
9/06/2025 Hollywood Casino Ampitheatre – St. Louis, MO w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
9/08/2025 Coca-Cola Ampitheatre – Birmingham, AL w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
9/10/2025 Veterans United Home Loans Ampitheater – Virginia Beach, VA w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
9/11/2025 Coastal Credit Union Park at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
9/12/2025 529 – Atlanta, GA
9/13/2025 iTHINK Financial Ampitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL w/ Pantera, Amon Amarth
