Progressive Thrash Metal Pioneers Bring STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre Home to the Bay Area on October 16
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Nearly five decades after forming in the Bay Area, progressive thrash metal pioneers Blind Illusion will celebrate the release of their new live album, STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre , with a special record release show on Friday, October 16, 2026 , at Neck of the Woods in San Francisco, California .
The release-day lineup will feature Blind Illusion, Hemotoxin, and Parabellum , bringing together three bands for an evening of Bay Area metal on the exact day STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre officially arrives through Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records .
Fans attending the show will have the opportunity to pick up a copy of the new record directly from Blind Illusion , while those outside the San Francisco Bay Area can pre-order their copy through Hectic Records.
Pre-order:
www.hectic.com/product/blind-
A LIVE SNAPSHOT OF BLIND ILLUSION’S HISTORY
STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre captures Blind Illusion’s historic 2025 performance at the UC Theatre in Berkeley , featuring the return of original vocalist David White .
The performance took place during a special Bay Area celebration surrounding Exodus’ 40th anniversary of Bonded By Blood and the birthday of late Exodus frontman Paul Baloff , with Blind Illusion sharing the stage with Exodus, Death Angel, and Nukem . The performance ultimately became the foundation for the new live album.
White’s return gives the recording an especially significant connection to Blind Illusion’s early history. During a recent appearance on The Zach Moonshine Show , guitarist and band mastermind Mark Biedermann discussed how White’s return came about and how the band revisited material from its early years for the reunion performance.
But STAGE FLIGHT isn’t a studio reconstruction of an old performance.
According to Biedermann, the album is a completely live recording with no studio overdubs , captured at the UC Theatre by engineer Ivan Garcia and subsequently mixed by Biedermann with the band’s rhythm section.
As Biedermann put it:
“This, I guarantee you, is 100% live.”
That old-school approach makes STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre a document of the band exactly where it belongs: onstage.
NEARLY FIVE DECADES OF BLIND ILLUSION
Formed in 1978 , Blind Illusion has spent nearly five decades developing one of the most distinctive sounds in the Bay Area metal underground.
Led by Mark Biedermann , the band’s history is deeply connected to the development of progressive and technical thrash metal. The band’s landmark 1988 debut, The Sane Asylum , featured Biedermann alongside Larry Lalonde, Les Claypool, and Mike Miner , producing a record that would become an important part of the progressive thrash canon.
Biedermann’s musical history extends well beyond Blind Illusion. His work has intersected with figures including Les Claypool, Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton, Sandy Pearlman, Joe Satriani, and Robbie Krieger , among many others.
During his recent appearance on The Zach Moonshine Show , Biedermann looked back across that history, discussing everything from the formation of Blind Illusion and the making of The Sane Asylum to his early relationship with Les Claypool, his work connected to Blue Öyster Cult’s Imaginos , and an unforgettable story involving his longtime friend Cliff Burton.
The conversation also made clear that Blind Illusion isn’t simply revisiting its past.
The band’s next studio album, Crushing the Universe , has already been recorded, with former Blind Illusion bassist Tom Gears producing, engineering, and mixing the record.
That makes STAGE FLIGHT both a look back at a remarkable chapter of Blind Illusion’s history and a bridge toward whatever comes next.
FROM THE UC THEATRE TO THE RECORD STORE
The timing of the October 16 release is particularly fitting.
STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre was born from a performance celebrating the Bay Area metal community and Blind Illusion’s own history. Now the finished record returns home to the Bay Area for its official release.
Friday, October 16, 2026
Neck of the Woods
San Francisco, California
BLIND ILLUSION
HEMOTOXIN
PARABELLUM
Come out, celebrate the release with the band, and get your copy of STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre directly from Blind Illusion .
For fans who can’t make it to San Francisco, pre-orders are available through Hectic Records:
www.hectic.com/product/blind-
RECENT BLIND ILLUSION HIGHLIGHTS
The anticipation surrounding STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre has continued to build in the weeks leading up to its release.
Blabbermouth recently featured Blind Illusion’s upcoming live album, highlighting the historic 2025 performance, David White’s return, and the band’s continuing evolution nearly five decades after its formation.
BraveWords has also featured Blind Illusion ahead of the release, spotlighting STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre and the band’s unique place within progressive thrash metal.
Biedermann also recently joined The Zach Moonshine Show for an extensive conversation covering Blind Illusion’s history, The Sane Asylum , David White, Les Claypool, Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton, Sandy Pearlman, Blue Öyster Cult, Hectic Records, the new STAGE FLIGHT live album, and the band’s upcoming Crushing the Universe studio record.
STAGE FLIGHT: LIVE AT THE UC THEATRE
Artist: Blind Illusion
Title: STAGE FLIGHT: Live At The UC Theatre
Release Type: Live Album
Genre: Progressive Thrash Metal
Release Date: October 16, 2026
Label: Hectic Records / Bleeding Priest Records
Catalog Number: Hectic 009
Format: 12″ Vinyl LP, 33 RPM
Limited To: 500 Copies
UPC: 810213561508
CURRENT LINEUP
Mark Biedermann – Lead Guitar / Vocals
Martin Lacour – Lead Guitar
Avery Thurman – Bass
Phil Cosentini – Drums
Blind Illusion
Established 1978
Progressive Thrash Metal
For Fans Of: Coroner, Watchtower, Exodus, Heathen
Check them out on YouTube:
Connect:
https://blindillusion.bandcamp.com/album/stage-flight-live-at-the-uc-theatre
https://www.instagram.com/blindillusionofficial
https://www.facebook.com/officialblindillusion
https://www.hectic.com/product/blind-illusion-live
Contact:
David Hecht
Hectic Records
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