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with Lacuna Coil, The Sword & Seemless
The Palladium
Worcester, Massachusetts
December 9, 2006
I have to admit, I was/am only familiar with two of the bands on this bill; local favorites Seemless, and the mighty Sword. I believe that Lacuna Coil is from Italy, and they have a really hot lead singer chick. Unfortunately, In Flames has no hot chick lead singer, so, they’re pretty much useless. I really try to have an open mind regarding music. I know that just because I don’t like it, doesn’t mean it’s no good. Even though I really don’t like the two headliners, seeing them live certainly proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are, in fact, useless. Of course this did not deter the hundreds of kids at this show from enjoying every minute of their sets. That being said, this review will pretty much concentrate on the only band that mattered on this bill: The Sword.
Way back when, I used to go to shows and point out the old guy and say “Hey look, somebody’s Dad’s here”. Now I realize that I am that old guy. It does have its advantages. I get to park in the handicapped spot right in front of the club, and I get a senior citizen’s discount on tickets. I also get to write reviews like this one, complaining about those damn teenagers and the crappy music that they’re into. Maybe I can’t relate, but, to me it’s just Heavy Metal Elevator Music.
Let’s begin with Seemless. They are actually a pretty good band, and I kinda like them. Their new record’s OK and they certainly have a huge following in their hometown of Worcester. For me the ½ hour, allotted to the opening bands was plenty. It doesn’t take that long to figure out their formula. Loud guitars, then soft, heartfelt lyrics, then loud again with some screaming, then soft again, some more riffs, then the big metal ending. That’s pretty cool, but, to me it’s background music at best. I believe the lyrics to one of their songs goes something like, “Isn’t it sad when all the music sounds the same”. Well, that’s a pretty accurate review. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Now, I think most people loved The Sword’s debut record this year. It certainly made my top ten list, and I’m sure made most of the GASP’ers too. So, I have to say that I was really excited to see them live. And man, they did not disappoint. Absolutely kick-ass brutal from start to finish. "Freya", "Iron Swan", "Winter’s Wolves". It just doesn’t get much better than that. They even played a couple new songs that I thought were great. Ending the set with "Barael’s Blade" just completely pummeled me into submission. These guys are gonna be around for a long time. I was even happy to see the kids (even though they dance really strange) getting into it. The ½ hour set time that was cool for Seemless, was definitely very un-cool for The Sword. I could’ve listened to them all night. Rumor has it that they be back as a headliner in 2007, so we can all revel in their majesty some more. The only band that matters on this bill? Absolutely.
As I mentioned, the other bands after The Sword, are really not worth talking about. (Other than the hot chick singer in Lacuna Coil) To me, good music forces you to pay attention, listen and learn something. In Flames and Lacuna Coil do none of that. Background music at best, but watered down metal is a more accurate description. They are like metal you can bring home to mom and dad, and not be afraid they will send you to a psychologist to determine where they went wrong. Let’s hope that the crowd learned something at this show. That ‘heavy metal light’ will not be tolerated anymore. Then, let’s all look forward to the next time The Sword comes out to tour.
B- -Mark Small
with Suffocation, Hypocrisy & Decapitated
The Palladium
Worcester, Massachusetts
November 17, 2006
Polish death merchants Decapitated took the stage promptly at 8:00 to kick off an evening of killer heaviness. Drawing heavily from their most recent two albums, the band hit the ground running but suffered from a lousy mix throughout most of their 25-minute set. The bass was conspicuously absent for half the set, and Covan's vocals, although delivered with sufficient venom, overpowered Vogg's solid guitar work. For half the set I could hear only Covan, Vitek's jackhammer drum blasts, and some noise coming from Vogg's side of the stage where his fingers moved deftly along the fretboard. This was unfortunate, because an established band this intense on album (especially the most recent 2) really deserves better. No soundcheck is often the fate of tour openers. Still, they had their rabid supporters who were behind them 100%. One fan held up a Polish flag several times, and "Spheres Of Madness" (from 2002's Nihility album) elicited a pretty violent reaction on the dance floor. Aside from Covan's movement about the stage, and windmilling from the 3 members with hair, the overall stage presence was fairly static.
The venue continued to fill in, more people made their way down to the front, and 20 minutes after Decapitated finished, Swedish extreme legends Hypocrisy took the stage to an ominous keyboard intro. Assaulting Worcester for the next 40 minutes and enjoying a proper mix, Peter Tagtgren & company stepped up to the plate and delivered in a big way. Playing as a 4-piece, the group benefitted from the occasional sequenced synth track to enhance the experience of otherwise great songs. "Eraser," from 2004's The Arrival, featured some tasty harmony leads. The members were more animated than Decapitated, and Tagtgren's varied vocals--deep, guttural sounds giving way to high shrieks and mid-level, savage growls--added to the depth of the material. Oldie "Osculum Obscenum" (title track from the 1993 album) elicited a feverish response from the pit during the thrash part. The speed and intensity built with each song for the first half hour, culminating with "Warpath" from 2005's Virus disc. Then came the epic, crushing "The Final Chapter," (title track of their 1997 album) and set closer "Let The Knife Do The Talking," a mid-paced track (overall) off the newest album. Well, I was impressed...despite the idiotic couple standing next to me sucking face nonstop since 8pm (it was now 9:25 and the woman hadn't even faced the stage yet). A couple of guys in front of us stepped away, so I was able to stand a bit forward of the amorous simians.
It was soon time for my personal faves, Long Island death kings Suffocation!! They took the stage a short 15 minutes later, and the crowd was ready to be pummeled. Opening with "Thrones of Blood," it was clear that there would be nobody left alive when they were done. Complete and total thunderous, blasting brutality. Vocalist Frank Mullen obviously loves his job. He knows he sings for a sick band (he's sick himself), and it is awesome to watch him freak out on stage with his sympathetic body movements, broad grin, and "blast beat hand waves." Next up was "Abomination Reborn," a killer track off the new album, which totally destroyed. Then came "Breeding The Spawn"--played a good clip faster than the album version(s)--and then the opening track of Effigy of the Forgotten, "Liege Of Inveracity." During the next tune, another new one called "Bind Torture Kill," I turned my attention to the mind-blowing drumming skills of Mike Smith, who not only plays extremely difficult parts with surpassing precision and organic flow, but he also lands blows to his drum kit like he's swinging 5-pound hammers! Jaw-dropping. "Jesus Wept" followed, then "Pierced From Within" and "Catatonia" ("the first song Suffocation, me and Mike, ever wrote all those years ago," said Frank). Closing this blistering 45-minute set was the devastating "Funeral Inception." I shared three thoughts with my friend Matt as the crew broke down and made way for Fear Factory:
1) I don't know how anyone plays one song the way Suffocation does, let alone a whole set, without fingers seizing up and falling off.
2) I would HATE to be Fear Factory and have to follow Suffocation every night. It's a short list of bands who could follow and stand a chance to give them a run for the money.
3) I think I'm going to change my listening habits to all Suffocation, all the time.
Well, I listened to Fear Factory's newest album, Transgression, once, and it was enough to conjure the similar feeling of disappointment I felt when I first heard Digimortal. Ah, well. I was supposed to stay and review the whole set, so I would just sit and wait to see what they had to offer. After about a half an hour, the lights went down and Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast" was cranked up on the P.A. and played in its entirety. The grindy "Crash Test" intro followed and I perked up. Opening with the classic "Martyr," things were off to a rocking start. Burton's growly voice was ABSOLUTELY MONSTROUS throughout the set. I can't emphasize that enough. Then came "Leechmaster" and "Self Immolation" and "Scapegoat"(!!), which received a manic response from the pit dancers. Following this great start were a couple of tunes off 1995's Demanufacture album. During the title song, my shirt was visibly shaking by the volume of the mid-tune synth pulses. The crowd joined the end refrain in a feverish fervor. Then came "H-K." Nice. Continuing the chronological approach, masterwork Obsolete was the next album to address. The one-two punch of "Shock To The System" and "Edge Crusher" was worth the admission price. The bass drops in "Shock..." were so massive I really did wonder how it didn't take down the entire power grid.
The set didn't continue in strictly chronological order after this; and I don't own Digimortal or Transgression, so I can't tell you what tune came next. I think it was off the latest disc. FF delivered it with just as much conviction, but it didn't receive the same response. BCB strained to keep the higher-register melody in key. The next tune was also a heavy hitter and fared a bit better. "Slave Labor" and "Cyberwaste" from 2004's Archetype followed, and the crowd was totally back into it. Given that this is a FF review, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that drummer Raymond Herrera has some of the best footwork around. "Linchpin" followed, and then they closed with "Replica," another great tune off Demanufacture. Fear Factory's was the loudest I've ever heard at the Palladium, including Manowar. The mix was good, and the surging synths were used for the maximum powerful effect. The fact that the set was so well selected renewed my faith in Fear Factory. A great night.
A- -Mark Fields
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with Leaves’ Eyes
The Palladium
Worcester, Massachusetts
December 1 , 2006
On December 1st, 2006, power metal innovators Blind Guardian played at the Worcester Palladium. Fans circled around the club’s walls outside waiting for the show to begin. The sidewalk was packed with metalheads an hour before the show began.
After a long wait, the female-fronted power metal band from Germany Leaves’ Eyes took the stage. It was quite apparent that no one cared. EVERYONE was there to see Blind Guardian. A few people tried to get into the band, but in the end they just weren’t that great. The backup singer for the band thrashed around the stage with hair down to his knees, which was the only redeeming quality of Leaves’ Eyes.
Once they finished, the crowd grew restless waiting for Blind Guardian to come onstage. After what seemed like an eternity, the lights went out. The ever so familiar sounds of clashing swords and narration that Blind Guardian fans know as “War of Wrath” began to play. The fans chanted along with the words. Then, Blind Guardian finally came onto the stage and blasted “Into the Storm”. The crowd went nuts! Smaller fans (such as I) had to get off the floor to avoid being crushed! It got to the point that Hansi actually had to tell the crowd to calm down after the third or fourth song. “We are a very peaceful band,” he proclaimed.
Not surprisingly, the band’s set list was dominated by their newer material. Despite the fact that the crowd chanted for them to play “Majesty” all night long, the only true old-school track they played was “Valhalla”, which is of course a mainstay at Blind Guardian shows. Like usual, the crowd sang the song’s chorus long after they had finished the song.
The slew of classics that Blind Guardian did play for us included “Nightfall”, “The Script for My Requiem,” and to-be-classics like “Fly.” Like all of their shows, the crowd sang along with every word. For many choruses, Hansi simply let the crowd do the singing. The band announced “And Then There Was Silence” as their last song. It was simply amazing. Blind Guardian displayed their musical virtuosity by playing the difficult 14+ minute epic flawlessly. It was the quickest fourteen minutes of my life.
The band then left the stage amongst chants of “one more song!” Needless to say, the band obliged. Once they returned, Hansi told us that they would not only be playing one more song, but three more songs. They began with “Imaginations From the Other Side.”
After that, they played the beautiful “The Bard’s Song—In the Forest.” Many people reading this who have not seen Blind Guardian in the flesh have perhaps heard how incredible this song is live, but you must be there to truly experience its majesty. The crowd sings almost all of the song without Hansi’s accompaniment. It’s an indescribable experience.
Before their final song, fans were shouting out their favorites that had gone unplayed. For the last track, Blind Guardian played “Mirror Mirror.” It wouldn’t have been my choice, but I can accept it.
A- -Adam Kohrman
with Goatwhore & Frozen
The Palladium
Worcester, Massachusetts
November 5, 2006
The opening band, Frozen, are a local group from Townsend, Massachusetts. Unlike many of The Palladium’s local openers, these guys were quite good. Unfortunately for them, only about thirty or forty people had arrived by their set time.
Next up were the mighty blackened death metal band Goatwhore. They have some intense stage presence, as their frontman, Ben Falgoust, carried the show with his frantic movement on stage. That isn’t to say that their music was no good by itself, but you got the feeling that Falgoust was trying to make up for it. At times, you couldn’t hear their guitar solos. Moreover, their bass was practically inaudible. The band was obviously honored to be on the tour. Between songs, Falgoust paid homage to Celtic Frost, saying that one would be a fool not to respect such a venerable band.
Finally, after an extended period of anxious anticipation while sets were changed, the legendary Celtic Frost came out to a thunderous reaction. They opened with “Procreation (of the Wicked),” to which the crowd chanted along. To everyone’s delight, Frost’s setlist featured music from their entire oeuvre. They brought out classics from To Mega Therion like “The Usurper” and tracks from their new album, Monotheist.
Celtic Frost sure knows how to put on a live show. Tom Warrior’s demonic presence set the tone for the entire show. He normally remained still, but this added to the moody atmosphere created by his growled, almost spoken vocals. In addition, Martin Ain looked possessed onstage. He moved around spastically—stomping all around the stage—and all the while, never missing a note. After leaving the stage, they sadly did not return for an encore; however, that was only a slight problem. It seemed as if the Celtic Frost enthusiasts were more than satisfied.
B+ -Adam Kohrman
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