Article and Photos by: Abigail Buckler
Las Vegas, NV — You have to respect a band like Hemlock, a heavy metal group that has been doing this for the past 25 years. They boast no roadies, no manager, no bus driver… but yet they have never given up. They have toured the world and shared the stage with some of the biggest names in metal from Ministry to Slipknot and many in between. Hailing from Las Vegas, brothers Chad and Brian Smith have kept the band going through lineup change over the years and that deserves a ton of respect.
Since this is Las Vegas, it is a hometown show for the band with many friends and family in attendance. The set is filled with songs from their career including fan favorites, “Nobody Knows What a Killer Looks Like,” and “No Money No Love.” Hemlock put out a new album, Mouth of the Swine, in 2015 and of course this album is highlighted here with “Scam Artist,” one of the highlight tracks of that album.
Small stage or big this band is equally comfortable, but they clearly love playing to their hometown crowd, and this is the perfect venue for it. Chad pulls on his dreadlocks in his signature move. James Gelber leaps and spins his head while providing the backing vocal on songs like “Becoming.” Jesse Ceo has recently rejoined the band and he interacts with the crowd on his side of the stage.
Hemlock’s out on the road now driving their signature bus that you certainly cannot miss. If they come to your town, go see them!