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with Into Eternity and Scar Symmetry
The Palladium
Worcester, Massachusetts
March 23rd, 2007
On March 23rd, 2007, a quartet of extreme metal bands came to the Worcester Palladium for a night of sheer intensity.
The new Swedish melodic death metal band Scar Symmetry opened up the show. Unfortunately for them, they only had a few fans at the show, but those fans were very enthusiastic about them. Despite their lack of fans, Scar Symmetry played a great show, whetting the crowd’s metal appetite for what was to come. During their final song, vocalist Christian Älvestam, told the crowd to sing along with the chorus. Showcasing their minimal amount of fans, the crowd simply stood there, not knowing any of the lyrics. The crowd was clearly embarrassed, but the crowd found it hilarious.
Canadian progressive death metallers Into Eternity were up next. It’s pretty rare that a band’s setup kicks ass, but this kicked ass. Singer Stu Block tested the microphone by belting out a piercing metal scream. They opened with “Severe Emotional Distress,” and this time the crowd knew the lyrics! Into Eternity followed that up with a disappointingly sloppy “Splintered Visions,” including guitarist Tim Roth coming into the crowd, where he messed up a solo. They closed with the thunderous track “Spiraling Into Depression,” which whipped the crowd into a frenzy. It was only their sixth song, prompting many fans to comment that Into Eternity should have played a longer set.
Gothenburg scene veterans Dark Tranquillity were up next. Without a shadow of a doubt, they stole the show. They come out to an ovation of screams and metal horns, before going into their upcoming album’s song, “Focus Shift.” After the song, vocalist Mikael Stanne asked the crowd how many of them recognized the song. When a substantial amount screamed in return, he smirked and called them “pirate bastards.” Stanne is simply one of metal’s best live frontmen. He even brought Bruce Dickinson’s live presence to mind, running all over the stage, stunning the crowd with his charisma. Multiple times throughout their set, Stanne jumped into the crowd, grabbing the hands of different crowd members, growling the lyrics into their faces. Their setlist featured both old and new songs, including a pummeling version of the recent classic “Lost to Apathy.” These guys came into Worcester to put on a great show, and boy did they ever deliver one!
Before The Haunted came onto the stage, about half the audience left. They were the wise ones. Whoever decided to put The Haunted on last should be fired on the spot. They were awful. None of their songs passed the four minute mark, and they all sounded the same. It seriously sounded like hearing the same song sixteen times in a row. The most entertaining part of their show was after they introduced a song, a drunken fan yelled “I hate this song” (smart guy!). Their vocalist Peter Dolving confronted the heckler, but it didn’t escalate into any sort of confrontation. What a shame that was, an altercation would have made their mediocre set so much more tolerable.
As for a final grade, it is unfair to grade the concert as a whole. Giving Scar Symmetry, Into Eternity, and Dark Tranquillity a grade that factors in the abysmal performance of The Haunted would be an injustice.
D- (The Haunted)
B (the rest) -Adam Kohrman
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The Palladium
Worcester, Massachusetts
March 30th, 2007
Philip Anselmo has become one of metal’s most well known figures. From his popular bands like Pantera and Superjoint Ritual to his more obscure projects like Viking Crown and Eibon, he has maintained status at the forefront of the genre. However, on March 30th, 2007, it was his band Down that took the stage at the Worcester Palladium. For those of you not in the know, Down is somewhat of a supergroup including Phil himself, Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), Kirk Windstein (Crowbar), Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod) and Rex Brown (Pantera).
Even before the show, the Palladium was packed, filling up most of the balcony. Instead of an opening act, Down simply set up a movie screen and played concert footage and clips of them partying for an hour. This got a mixed response from the already restless crowd. There were some classic concerts from ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, and even an obscure video by Cro-Mags! The clips of them partying were, quite frankly, pretty lame. It was funny to see Kirk Windstein passed out, but the crowd simply wanted Down to take the stage! After about an hour, they finally did, to a massive tumult of cheers.
They opened up the show with “Lysergik Funeral Procession,” and the concert was in full force. The floor was intense, as the larger fans pushed their way to the front, while the smaller ones got pummeled by crowd surfers. This was the concert’s main problem: imbecilic moshers. I know that it’s a metal concert, and that metal concerts are always going to have some moshers, but this was simply ridiculous. It gets to a point when enjoying the show is difficult because you are simply fending off moshers; this is when it gets to be overkill. If you buy tickets to a metal concert, sit back and enjoy the show. Don’t ruin it for others!
I digress. Anyway, the concert itself was not bad. Phil had his natural charisma as always (despite moving less due to his recent back surgery), and dedicated a song to the late great Dimebag Darrell. He definitely loves his fans, taking time out between each song and instrumental break to point to a few individuals and thank them for coming. Between songs, he would ramble on the microphone, like he always does. Midway through the show, he announced that they were making a new album, but he wouldn’t tell us when it was being released. The crowd booed him, and he came back saying “Don’t you boo me, motherfucker.” Only Phil Anselmo can say something like that and not have the crowd turn on him! Afterwards, they proceeded to play their newest song, “I Scream.” The song has a hardcore edge to it that was absent in their previous material.
By the end of the show, the crowd was still going wild, to which Phil commended them. The closed with “Bury Me is Smoke,” a popular tune from their first album. Most of the songs they played came from that album. Down’s rabid fanbase continued into the streets of Worcester after the show, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Hats off to Josh from Georgia and Eric from Alabama who drove seventeen hours to come to the show! They were the life of the party!
A- -Adam Kohrman
The Palladium
Worcester, Massachusetts
March 31st, 2007
Peter Steele, Dead Again?
Introing the show with an overextended (and annoyingly maddening) chicken dance song blasting over the PA in typical Type O jokester fashion the band launched into a cover of Magical Mystery Tour by the Beatles to start off the set.
They played a few new tracks off Dead Again, a great album I must say, and then touched upon each album in their extensive catalog including the classics “Christian Woman” and “Black No. 1”. The band was in top shape except for front man Peter Steele who looked and sounded like death warmed over! Having seen Type O many times over the last 12 years or so I know what a Type O show is like and this one didn’t come close! Even Peter’s trademark fat chain link guitar strap was missing and replaced by a skinny leather one.
Now usually Type O has a great sense of humor delivered by Peter’s deadpan voice, but tonight the only funny comments we got from him were, "Sorry it took so long to get back here, I promise you it will be longer next time." Other than that he was pretty nonexistent on stage and his vocals were barely audible through many of the songs he led. If it weren't for his band mates Kenny, Josh and Johnny picking up the slack with lead and backup vocals the show would have been disastrous. Reports of his drug addictions (as chronicled in the title track of their new CD, Dead Again, “No excuse for drug abuse…”) have been circling and apparently the second leg of their last tour (for Life is Killing Me) was canceled due to health problems Peter was dealing with. Other reports were that he had been sick for the last couple of days on this tour (flu?) but wouldn’t you think if he was felling that shitty they would have canceled a few dates so he could recover?
All I can say is, Peter, if you’re battling drug addiction, please get some help because we don’t want you to become another Layne Staley, you’re too talented!
- Matt Smith
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