Mushroomhead capped a usually-aggressive-but-sometimes-oddly-eclectic four-band bill at Empire Live on October 11. They drenched the venue in heaviness, figuratively and literally. Psychostick‘s humor somewhat broke the mood of the other three acts, while Black Satellite demonstrated they are clearly destined for much bigger stages. Openers Mind Incision were intense from the first note to the last.

Review and Photos by Pat Rogers for NYS Music

Mushroomhead at Empire Live in Albany, N.Y. (October 11, 2025) – photo by Pat Rogers for NYS Music

Everything is deliberate, even the madness. The masks, the water, the revolving lineup, it’s all part of the mythology now. They’ve survived label wars, lineup fractures, and decades of reinvention. You don’t last this long by luck. You endure because you’ve turned pain into performance, and rhythm into ritual.

– Pat Rogers for NYS Music

Photos of Mushroomhead by Mark Kurtzner for 518scene.com

Mushroomhead at Empire Live in Albany, N.Y. (October 11, 2025) – photo by Mark Kurtzner for 518scene.com

Photos of Psychostick by Mark Kurtzner for 518scene.com

Psychostick at Empire Live in Albany, N.Y. (October 11, 2025) – photo by Mark Kurtzner for 518scene.com

Photos of Black Satellite by Mark Kurtzner for 518scene.com

Larissa Vale of Black Satellite at Empire Live in Albany, N.Y. (October 11, 2025) – photo by Mark Kurtzner for 518scene.com

Photos of Mind Incision by Mark Kurtzner for 518scene.com

Jason Neil of Mind Incision at Empire Live in Albany, N.Y. (October 11, 2025) – photo by Mark Kurtzner for 518scene.com