Concert Review: Judas Priest, Alice Cooper & Corrosion of Conformity – Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA – October 14, 2025
Words and Photos by Scott Martin | Antihero Magazine
Forged in Fire: Three Generations of Heavy Metal Glory at Shoreline
Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheatre was packed to the brim for what felt less like a concert and more like a pilgrimage. The night air carried that unmistakable metallic tang—beer, leather, smoke, and adrenaline—as Corrosion of Conformity, Alice Cooper, and Judas Priest took fans on a three-hour journey through the evolution of heavy music.
From the sludge-soaked swamps of the South to the theatrical excess of shock rock and the divine precision of British steel, the lineup was perfectly sequenced: raw, wicked, and transcendent.
Corrosion of Conformity – Heavy Soul from the Swamps
“C.O.C. didn’t need pyrotechnics—they brought authenticity, heart, and an unfiltered heaviness that felt both human and colossal.”
As the orange glow of sunset fell over the amphitheater, Corrosion of Conformity launched into “Bottom Feeder” like a slow-motion explosion. The song’s crawling groove and low-end rumble set the mood—dark, swampy, unapologetically southern. Pepper Keenan’s voice had a rasp that felt lived-in, like whiskey and heartbreak, while Woody Weatherman’s lead guitar licked through the haze with soulful sustain.
“King of the Rotten” brought the tempo up—a fist-swinging, mid-tempo crusher built on riffs that could grind down concrete. Jason Patterson’s drumming locked in with Bobby Landgraf’s bass to create a swing so deep it could swallow you whole.
Then came “Seven Days,” its bluesy melancholy spreading through the crowd like smoke. Keenan’s vocals rode that lazy riff with both pain and pride—an anthem for anyone who’s ever crawled through hard times and come out scarred but standing.
When “Vote With a Bullet” hit, it was like lighting a fuse. That opening riff cut through the amphitheater with teeth, and the crowd responded in kind—moshing, shouting every lyric, fists punching the air in rhythm. The political edge of the song, still razor-sharp decades later, hit home harder than ever.
“Who’s Got the Fire” followed, and the groove took over again—slinky, swaggering, pure Carolina grit. But the closing duo—“Albatross” and “Clean My Wounds”—elevated the set into something transcendent.
“Albatross” soared, Weatherman’s solo stretching and bending like molten glass, the whole band building tension until Keenan delivered that mournful chorus—“To cast me off before you take me down…” The crowd swayed and sang, carried by its weary beauty.
Then came “Clean My Wounds.” It hit like gospel for the damned, Keenan’s vocals raw and pleading, the audience roaring back the refrain: Help me Jesus, help me clean my wounds. The groove stretched and simmered until the final crash faded into feedback.
C.O.C. didn’t need pyrotechnics—they brought authenticity, heart, and an unfiltered heaviness that felt both human and colossal.
Setlist:
Bottom Feeder • King of the Rotten • Seven Days • Vote With a Bullet • Who’s Got the Fire • Albatross • Clean My Wounds
Alice Cooper – The Master of Shock, The Godfather of Theater
“Alice Cooper remains the ultimate rock storyteller—a master who still commands the stage like it’s his kingdom.”
The lights dimmed. A grandiose overture filled the amphitheater. Then, with a crack of thunder, Alice Cooper rose from a coffin as “Hello Hooray” burst to life. The crowd erupted. Cooper—top hat, tails, and a wicked grin—was in his element, leading his band through a masterclass of rock theater.
“Who Do You Think We Are” and “Spark in the Dark” set the tone: muscular, melodic, and full of swagger. Cooper stalked the stage, twirling his cane and locking eyes with the front rows like a preacher addressing his congregation.
The hits came fast. “No More Mr. Nice Guy” turned the amphitheater into a choir; “I’m Eighteen” hit with ageless rebellion, its chords still sparking that teenage defiance in every generation watching.
The mid-set stretch was pure showmanship. “Feed My Frankenstein” turned the stage into a nightmare lab, complete with bolts of lightning and a 12-foot monster stomping beside Cooper. Nita Strauss tore through her solo like her guitar was catching fire, and the crowd screamed every word.
“Dirty Diamonds” and “Hey Stoopid” proved how tight Cooper’s band remains—hard rock delivered with theatrical punch but no gimmickry. The haunting “Brutal Planet” darkened the mood, its industrial edge pulsing beneath strobes and blood-red light.
Then the set dove deep into the macabre: “Ballad of Dwight Fry” saw Cooper in a straitjacket, collapsing as his nurses dragged him to the guillotine; “Only Women Bleed” followed with heartbreaking sincerity, his voice tender and raw under blue light.
When the familiar riff of “Poison” arrived, the amphitheater ignited again—tens of thousands shouting the chorus back at him. But the grand finale—“School’s Out” blended with “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2”—was pure rock ’n’ roll theater. Balloons burst, confetti rained, and the band introductions turned into a joyous celebration of survival and showmanship.
Cooper’s genius lies in his balance: horror and humor, tragedy and triumph. At 77, he remains the ultimate rock storyteller—a master who still commands the stage like it’s his kingdom.
Setlist:
Hello Hooray • Who Do You Think We Are • Spark in the Dark • No More Mr. Nice Guy • House of Fire • I’m Eighteen • Muscle of Love • Feed My Frankenstein • Dirty Diamonds • Caught in a Dream • Hey Stoopid • Dangerous Tonight • Poison • Brutal Planet • Ballad of Dwight Fry • Cold Ethyl • Only Women Bleed • Second Coming • Going Home • School’s Out (w/ “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2”)
Judas Priest – The Metal Gods Stand Eternal
“Rob Halford’s scream remains the gold standard of metal vocals—proof that the gods are still alive and roaring.”
The curtain dropped. The stage glowed molten red. Judas Priest exploded into “All Guns Blazing” with blinding lights and sheer velocity. Rob Halford emerged in studded leather, chrome shining beneath the pyros, voice slicing through the air like a blade—still powerful, still perfect.
“Hell Patrol” followed, the twin guitar attack of Richie Faulkner and Andy Sneap firing on all cylinders, riffs colliding in flawless harmony. By the time “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” hit, the entire amphitheater was shaking—fans of every age screaming every line as if chanting scripture.
“Freewheel Burning” was a runaway train, Travis’s drumming relentless, Faulkner blazing through solos like his guitar strings might ignite. “Breaking the Law” was pure joy, a unifying anthem shouted from the front barricade to the back lawn.
The mood shifted with “A Touch of Evil.” The stage bathed in deep blue and crimson, Halford’s voice dropping to a chilling whisper before soaring into the stratosphere. The song’s sinister groove wrapped around the crowd like smoke, mesmerizing.
Priest dug deep into the archives with “Solar Angels” and “Gates of Hell,” rare gems that fans relished. The atmosphere turned cosmic—majestic and ominous all at once. Then came “Electric Eye,” lasers firing across the crowd as the song’s iconic riff hit like a shockwave.
“Giants in the Sky,” dedicated to the band’s fallen comrades and heroes of the genre, brought a moment of reverence before chaos resumed. “Painkiller” was pure annihilation: Travis a machine, Faulkner a lightning storm, and Halford proving—beyond doubt—that his scream remains the gold standard of metal vocals.
Then, the roar of an engine. The unmistakable Harley rumbled from backstage as Halford rode out for “Hell Bent for Leather.” Flames erupted, fists flew skyward, and the amphitheater erupted into metallic euphoria.
The encore, “Living After Midnight,” turned the night into a party—smiles, horns raised, arms around shoulders. Halford stood center stage, looking out at the roaring sea of fans, nodding with quiet satisfaction. The gods were still alive, and they knew it.
Setlist:
All Guns Blazing • Hell Patrol • You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ • Freewheel Burning • Breaking the Law • A Touch of Evil • Night Crawler • Solar Angels • Gates of Hell • Electric Eye • Giants in the Sky • Painkiller • Hell Bent for Leather • Living After Midnight
Final Thoughts: Three Visions, One Legacy
“Fans didn’t just leave with ringing ears—they left with proof that heavy music is timeless, communal, and holy.”
The Shoreline show was a living museum of heavy music’s evolution—each act not just revisiting history, but embodying it.
- Corrosion of Conformity brought the dirt and humanity, every riff soaked in southern sweat and sincerity.
- Alice Cooper transformed the stage into a living theater, his songs the blueprint of every rock spectacle that followed.
- Judas Priest proved themselves eternal—precision, passion, and power still unmatched after five decades.
By the time the lights came up, fans didn’t just leave with ringing ears—they left with something more profound: proof that heavy music, at its best, is timeless, communal, and holy.
Under the California stars, metal didn’t just live—it soared.
Corrosion of Conformity
Alice Cooper
Judas Priest
