Photos

While 2020 didn’t allow for Chicago’s local-focused Forever Deaf Fest to celebrate its third year, it got that chance this past weekend. Check out photos + a recap of the night.

King Woman and Dreamcrusher are sonically dissimilar, but both foster an atmosphere of near-religious proportions in their live performances. Read our live report on their show at Saint Vitus on Friday.

Is live music back? For now, and hopefully for much longer than that. Check out photos and a review of Portland experimental metal duo Wizard Rifle’s stop in Chicago on their tour (they’ve got two upcoming dates supporting The Sword in New York).

IO Editor-in-Chief Andrew Rothmund moonlights as a show photographer (well, not right now of course) — he’s gathered his favorite images from 2019 onward (incl. Bell Witch, Heilung, Sleep, Cattle Decapitation, and more) to help rekindle memories and sensations of being right there.

Here’s the first in a series on the crossover between sneakerheads and metalheads — check out photos from graphic artist and Narakah guitarist/vocalist Chris Smith’s collection, plus his take on musical pairings.

We review the Finnish black-metal-turned-prog-psych band’s latest full-length, an hour-plus monster of a headtrip, and a goddamn fine one at that. Bonus: live photos from Oranssi Pazuzu’s Chicago stop last year.

We captured epic performances from Cult of Luna, Emma Ruth Rundle, and Intronaut at a huge House of Blues show in Chicago.

Two titans bring their own brands of psychedelic and progressive rock to Chicago’s Riviera.

We caught Lamb of God’s super-special Valentine’s Day show at Chicago’s House of Vans, a small skatepark warehouse dwarfed by the stadiums the band has been accustomed to. We also had the pleasure of speaking with frontman Randy Blythe before the set.

The dungeon synth overlord, a ritualized industrial black metal troupe, and power ambient duo cast spells on Reggie’s Rock Club this past January 25th.