Art of Noise 2 Tour: Nile, Kreator, Vader, Amon Amarth, & Goatwhore
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Art of Noise 2 Tour: Nile, Kreator, Vader, Amon Amarth, & Goatwhore |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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4 | |
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3 | |
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4 | |
| Jotun's Review | 5 | |
| Metal Militia's Review | 3 | |
| Sabbath's Review | 5 | |
| Solomon's Review | 5 |
Abyss' Review (10/21/03, B.B. King's, New York City):
Too Late For (Goatwhore) LoveYes, I missed Goatwhore again. I believe, without using hyperbole, that this is about the 10 millionth time that I’ve come too late to see this band. It has me missing the good ol’ days when I could just blame Hel and Death for making me late, but, alas, there’s no one here to blame but… the New York MTA. (What? You didn’t think I was going to take the blame myself, did you?)
This was my first BB King’s show in a while, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I missed this venue. It’s actually a great place to see a show unless it’s packed to the gills. And while this show was generally full, it wasn’t sold out, resulting in easy access to the bar and bathroom. I walked in towards the beginning of Amon Amarth’s set. While I still really like this band, this is the third time I’ve seen them underperform. The long and short of it is that they just aren’t a very good live act. They have a presence on stage, largely due to their Grizzly Adams meets Viking pillager lead singer, but the execution is too loose and haphazard. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy seeing them, but the critic in me remains disappointed. Their usual sloppy performance was hindered even more by technical problems in the form of a broken microphone.
Amon Amarth
photo by JotunVader ruled the show for me, probably because they’re my favorite band on this bill, but also because they played and sounded the best. There was a strong Polish following there, and they made themselves known. Vader were impressive in two distinct ways: not only did they have the strongest catalogue of the night, they spread out the songs they played as well - not lingering on new or old material too much, but presenting a balanced example of their career. Hearing a song from Sothis played next to one from Litany or Black To The Blind gives one an appreciation for where the band has been and where they are going. In many ways Vader is still the same band they were a decade ago, but in many ways they aren’t. The subtle nuances are exciting and interesting.
Kreator was surprisingly effective considering most of the material they played was their more recent, less impressive stuff. Like Vader, there seemed to be a great deal of German countrymen supporting their hometown heroes, and they had the crowd roiling in a sea of hair and denim. It could’ve been 1988 for all I knew, helped mostly because I like the live sound of their newer material much better than the CD’s. The vocals were the highlight for me. Not only did the singer sound really good, but next to all of the death-laden vocals that every other band utilizes, Kreator were a great contrast, giving them infinite character and credibility (and they closed with “Flag of Hate” as a bonus to us old-timers).
Vader
photo by JotunThe show ended with Nile, who I still love, but I admit I’m getting more and more jaded. They just tour so damn much that I end up seeing them ten times for every album that they put out. They remain a technical whirlwind of revolving vocals and shredding guitars, and cemented in my mind that everyone who debases them always come across as trend jumping fools. That being said, I still get goose bumps every time I hear “Black Seeds of Vengeance”. As jaded as I am, I realize that this band is still something special. One word review: Fun.
Death's Review (10/7/03, The Key Club, West Hollywood, CA):
I can’t remember exactly what happened, but it was one of those nights. Whatever it was, we got there late. Really fucking late. So the first half-hour when we arrived at the venue was spent hanging around outside with all of our friends who had already been in there all night drinking and who were now stumbling around outside the venue and partying out back. I was bummed I missed Kreator. That sucked. I’m sure they were cool. But what’s done is done. I went inside and positioned myself in front of the stage for the start of Nile.
Nile
photo by HelBefore the show began, I got the chance to check out the guitar pedals on stage up close. Wow. Lots of effects. The opposite of the “plug in and play” philosophy. That’s cool though, Nile bring a little technology to bear on the live show. I just looked at all the equipment and noted that I for one would never be able to keep up with it all.
The show was a typical Nile aural assault. Big stage, rabid core of fans, long set. I recently saw the “Sarcophagus” video on Headbanger’s Ball and thought it was pretty cool. Still, I’ve seen Nile enough live since their last studio release I think. I felt like others were getting a bit fatigued as well. They need to go away a bit, get a new studio album together and then come back strong. We’ll see if they use the video as a springboard to more touring or if they take my advice. Unless Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse take them out on some kind of ultimate death metal tour, I’d pass on the touring and write some new music.
Nile
photo by JotunAfter the show was as interesting as the show itself. By now everybody was wasted, and the party drifted over the Rainbow Bar & Grill next door. It was post-1am on a weeknight, but the crowd was very rock and roll as members of Amon Amarth and Vader rubbed elbows with members of Slipknot, Fates Warning, and Sebastian Bach. You gotta love Hollywood.
Hel's Review (10/7/03, The Key Club, West Hollywood, CA):
I had this show on my calendar forever, it seems. It was announced a couple of months ago, and of course, liking the music that I do, I was eagerly anticipating seeing this line up come through town. But, as often seems to happen, the night of the show rolled around, and life was chaotic. A late start was inevitable, but even so, Death and I got to the venue much later than expected.
So late, in fact, that as people spilled out of the club as we arrived, we learned Kreator had just finished their set. There was only one band to go: Nile. Shocked, saddened, devastated – pick any, for I was all of them. I knew I was going to miss Goatwhore – I seem doomed to miss this band every time they come around. Last time this happened, I consoled myself with a long sleeve t-shirt (the metal girlie long sleeve being almost a mythological-level rarity), and was glad I had done so, as the band was no longer selling that item. This time, I chose a Vader tee as my consolation prize. In comparison, I was not as upset at missing Amon Amarth since I managed to catch them a couple of times recently, but missing Vader was a real blow. I was also sad to miss Kreator, and bummed that my metal night had such a severely limited lifespan.
Vader
photo by Sabbath
As so often seems to happen in LA, several people left before Nile took the stage, but the house was still quite full for their appearance. Though their last album seems like ages ago, Nile shows no signs of giving up on it, as this tour and the new video for “Sarcophagus” clearly demonstrate. I’ve always really enjoyed this band, but even I am tiring of the material in the set list. I vote they record a new album – who’s with me?! Even so, the band still tore through the set with their usual ferocity, and I never tire of that triple vocal attack.
Nile
photo by HelThe night was soon over, and I left bummed, but happy that I at least caught Nile. I strongly encourage everyone to make an effort to get out and see all of these amazing bands when they next roll through your town.
Jotun's Review (10/21/03, B.B. King's, New York City):I showed up to B.B. King’s a little early and waited outside for my brother in metal Solomon. I was happy to see a group of three guys outside distributing fliers to passersby who looked “metal.” On those fliers, and in the comments these musketeers made, were songs of promotion – informing interested parties of metal shows scheduled in the area, particularly L’Amour’s in Brooklyn. One was the Six Feet Under/Behemoth/Skinless tour, another was the King Diamond/Entombed tour, and the final one was the last date to be finalized on the Dimmu Borgir/Nevermore/Children of Bodom/Hypocrisy tour. It was good to see people spreading the good word.
B.B. King’s is a nice venue, with plenty of space to see the stage from, a nice-sized bar, and more than one room to host many types of clients. I was glad to see that the other room would be showing the Yankees game on a big-screen TV and in surround sound, so I could keep up-to-date with the score while I was waiting in between bands.
Goatwhore
photo by JotunFirst up for the night was Goatwhore. I was really happy to see them get a damn good response from the crowd, even though the room wasn’t near the capacity it would be by the end of the night. The band chugged out a good set of nine songs from their two releases: The Eclipse of the Ages Into Black, and Funeral Dirge for the Rotting Sun. In case some of you are unfamiliar with their material, first make sure you understand that the band contains members of Crowbar and Soilent Green. Just don’t let this ruin any expectations you may have for the band. Yes, they definitely have the New Orleans influence in their music, complete with sludgy riffs and stoner-metal vocal echoes, but Goatwhore also incorporates elements of death metal and black metal in their music to arrange compositions that are, at the very least, catchy and well-executed. They led off with “Nocturnal Holocaust,” followed by “Blood Guilt Eucharist.” The set also included “Desolate Path to Apocalyptic Ruin,” “The Beauty in Suffering,” and the closer “Graveyards and Dead Angels.”
Next up was Amon Amarth, who is still new to plenty of Americans. In all honesty, this was the band that I was most looking forward to seeing, having seen them only once before when they played the New Jersey Metalfest earlier this year. They opened their set predictably, with “Death In Fire,” the lead track off their newest album Versus The World. Predictably or not, they still kicked ass the whole time, despite problems with singer Johan Hegg’s microphone and a short set (possibly a result of the sound problems). The band cut through the crowd with additional songs from Versus The World, including “For The Stabwounds In Our Backs,” and “Where Silent Gods Stand Guard,” before throwing themselves into one of the songs I was hoping to hear: “Masters Of War” from 2001’s The Crusher. But here is the problem. Johan’s mic started cutting out on him into the second verse, and despite all his attempts at fixing it, the damn thing just wouldn’t work for more than one entire line in the song. He continued to have problems in what he said would be their last track, “Vs The World,” but the mic problems would get worse, including nearly an entire verse and chorus without vocals. Luckily he was able to salvage the piece of shit in order to sing the final verse and chorus of the song, to end on a decent note. My final review of their set would be that the band played a fist-pumping set that was unfortunately hindered due to the ineptness of the stage crew. Sure enough, they didn’t have another microphone for Johan to use, but were able to run another line in time for Vader’s set.
Amon Amarth
photo by JotunNext came the two bands that I wasn’t too familiar with. I had never listened to Vader before that night, and all I knew about Kreator was that they were pretty old school. Vader took the stage and thoroughly impressed me with their brutal sound. Their set was a thrash-tastic one, full of elements of death and black metal too. The lead singer/guitarist Peter showed an expert axe-wielding ability as he frequently let his fingers work the frets and slowly climb up the neck of his guitar. This is not to say that he was the exclusive talent of the band. The rest of the group certainly held their own and did their part to contribute to the overall massive sound that came from the sound system. Although I don’t really know the names of any of their songs, the one I did catch was “Carnal.” Then, on their final song of the night, they broke into a sick cover of “Raining Blood.”
Kreator was exactly what I expected. I was just waiting for lead singer/guitarist Mille Petrozza to yell out to the crowd “Scream for me New York City!” I believe he did that too, before the end of the night. Their music, for those like me who have never listened to them, is a combination of old school metal. The vocals are old school too, complete with scratchy high-scale notes, but minus the multi-singer vocal harmonies. There was also a small dose of modern death metal guitar harmonies, but that may just be a result of the fact that they’re European. Petrozza also played off the crowd quite a bit, having them trade chants with him between a number of the songs. Their set list included “Extreme Aggression,” “Pleasure to Kill,” “Betrayer,” and “Flag of Hate.” While I am not a huge fan of old school heavy metal (with the exception of Iron Maiden), their set was a lot of fun and their live performance certainly did rock!
Kreator
photo by JotunConcluding the night was Nile. Now, I had a long trek back to Brooklyn that night, so I didn’t stay for their entire set, but the quality of the start of their set was right up to par with the other times I have seen them – at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in 2002 and again, later that year, on tour with Arch Enemy, Origin, and Hate Eternal.
I think this would be a good time to mention a thing or two about the band, particularly to paint a picture for those who have never been to a Nile show or seen pictures of the band. Although it has probably been said before, it must be stated here, on the record, that the Jon Vesano, the lead singer/bassist of Nile, is built like a brick shithouse! I mean, come on – he looks like some kind of Amazonian tribal leader moreso than some sickly, youthful Egyptian pharaoh. The guy’s forearms are the size of my calves, he’s got long black hair that reaches down to his elbows, and, dressed in all black all the time, looks menacing as all hell. He can’t have more than .5 percent body fat and he probably gets all the big-haired, tight leather-dressed metal groupies. But with him is an interesting amalgamation of DNA as I’ve ever seen. Guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade looks like a slightly more metal version of Laslo, the guy who lives in Val Kilmer’s closet in Real Genius. Karl Sanders, the other guitarist, laptop sampler, and terror-mummy vocalist, sort of comes across like a techie version of Homer Simpson with long flowing blonde locks. I bet he likes beer a lot (then again, what metal band doesn’t?). He also dresses rather plainly, opting to skip the tight, boot-cut leather pants, the black T-shirts, and the leather and metal spike-encrusted jewelry. Finally there’s the drummer. I can’t tell if this guy was the same drummer they had last time I saw them, because that guy didn’t look anything like the person I saw behind the kit on October 21. This dude was sporting muttonchops and two braided pigtails sprouting out from either side of his head. He looked more like a nu-metal drummer, but it doesn’t really matter what his look was, because he rocks along with the best American death metal drummers.
Nile
photo by JotunThe band was delayed in starting their set, due to some more sound problems. Once they did get started, I heard a handful of songs, including “Sarcophagus,” “Barra Edinazzu,” and, apparently for the first time ever live, “Unas, Slayer of the Gods.” Although I didn’t hear them with my own two ears, I can almost guarantee that they played “Black Seeds of Vengeance” and most likely “Ramses, Bringer of War.” Overall, their sound was solid, and it proved to be a killer way to end the night.
I was a little displeased with the sound problems during Amon Amarth and Nile’s sets, and I have to say that Kreator was the oddball out when it comes to the styles of music on this bill, but there wasn’t anything that really irritated me. Add in the fact that I got to see Derek Jeter tie the game for the Yanks in the other room, and I can’t help but give this show five skulls.
Metal Militia's Review (10/21/03, B.B. King's, New York City):Well well well, another midterm coming up and another all-night concert the day before. I guess I just have all the luck. Well, considering the strength of this line-up, and the great time I had at last year's “Art of Noise” tour, I couldn’t pass this opportunity up. While the line-up wasn’t as strong as last year, the tour certainly did have its appeal. Kreator, the greatest thrash group to come out of Germany, and the Polacks from Vader were the bands I was most interested in seeing.
I arrived to the venue in time to catch the last half of Goatwhore’s set, and it was phenomenal. Blistering black-sludge-death metal set the tone for the night and Goatwhore, while not drawing a huge crowd, certainly impressed the few that watched with their blasphemous brand of sonic art. They ended their set with “Graveyards and Dead Angels,” the best track of a set that included highlights such as “Blood Guilt Eucharist,” “Desolate Path to Apocalyptic Ruin,” and “Baptized in Storm of Swords.”
Goatwhore
photo by JotunUp next was Amon Amarth, whose set was mercifully shorter than the last time I saw these Viking losers. Every song sounded the same; each song was “For drinking more beer to!” (imagine in a thick comical Swedish accent) and worst of all, the big fat ass of a singer insisted on taking his shirt off. This is entirely unacceptable: big fat tall sweaty hairy Vikings need to keep their fucking shirts on, no exceptions. Of course, given the stupidity and predictability of ninety five percent of metal fans, these guys were extremely popular. I guess liking shitty death metal bands who claim to be Viking warriors is one of the trends of the day, or maybe Amon Amarth fans are just a bunch of homos with no taste who wanted to see a tall fat guy with no shirt on? Either way these guys almost ruined the rest of the night for me. I was relieved that this mess of a band had a relatively short set list because their music is horrifically painful to sit through.
Vader came up soon after and obliterated the shit stench from the air that was left by the Swedish shit fest before them. Even though the set was short, it contained many of Vader’s best work including “Sothis,” “Xeper,” “Wings,” and of course, an amazing cover of “Raining Blood.” Throughout the set the band kept shouting things in Polish, and their compatriots in the crowd always responded. I have always been amazed at the loyalty of the Polish metal fans. They always come in droves when a Polish band comes to town, and seem only to stay for said band. Anyways, Vader was fast, abrasive, and heavy, everything a death metal set should be. Best set of the night.
Vader
photo by JotunKreator came up next and I have to say that their set was a little bit disappointing. Granted it was cool to see one of the elite thrash bands play live, but I can’t help but notice how dated their sound is. I’m not sure why, but when I heard tracks from Pleasure to Kill or Coma of Souls (two of my favorite Kreator albums) I couldn’t help but be bored. Maybe they are getting too old for this, or maybe those songs just don’t have the staying power of some of the other thrash giants. I know that classic Slayer, Dark Angel, Exhorder, and Megadeth have never sounded dated or old to these ears, but tonight Kreator sounded old. Disappointing.
Lastly we have Nile. Now Nile is a great band, on record. Live they can never recreate the great atmospheres that are present on their albums. Maybe it’s the fact that they just look goofy on stage (I can’t take anyone seriously who has long hair and is balding) or that they just aren’t a live band. At any rate, whatever my problem with their set was, it wasn’t due to a lack of ability. Each and every song was right on musically, but they lack something intangible in their live show. In any case, they did play “Unas the Slayer of the Gods” which was quite a spectacle in and of itself, but overall the set ending up boring me, and I left right after they finished that song.
Nile
photo by Lenny LaPollaOverall it was an enjoyable night, but probably could have been better spent studying for midterms the next morning.
Sabbath's Review (10/7/03, The Key Club, West Hollywood, CA):This show started out very well, even though I had arrived a bit later than expected. I came in right as Goatwhore had finished, so Amon Amarth was up second. I had a chance to get a few drinks and wait for them to take the stage. The Keyclub was packed. I honestly was not expecting this many heads to show up on a Tuesday night, but it was fucking Goatwhore, Amon Amarth, Vader, Nile, and Kreator. How could anybody miss this show? It is beyond me.
Amon Amarth finally took stage, and they began their set list with “Death in Fire.” (One of my personal favorites live.) These guys are just totally, 100% fucking Metal. All the guys in the band have long blonde hair, a dignified Swedish beer belly, and they almost seem to be in sync while head banging - they most definitely have their stage presence down pat. They played about four other songs including “Masters of War,” "For the Stab Wounds in Our Backs” and a couple others. Their songs and performances are becoming epic in sight and sound and they really stood out for me in this show. I came to see Amon Amarth and Vader mostly, and left completely satisfied knowing that I have seen both of these bands again. What I have noticed about A.A. is that no matter what the situation or circumstance, they always give their best to the crowd, and that is always well respected among their friends and fans! Cheers guys!
Amon Amarth
photo by SabbathNext up… Vader! These Polish boys are back, finallllllllllyyyyyyy, and I was incredibly excited to see them play with new addition Novy (bass, ex-Behemoth). Last time I saw Novy he was on tour with Behemoth, Deicide, Amon Amarth, and Vehemence about 6 months ago. It was great to see him with Vader back in the states. Vader’s set fucking ripped! They have designed a classic sound that many bands have attempted to follow throughout the years, and Vader just knows how to take charge and throw the whole crowd into a metal trance. The sound at the Keyclub was phenomenal, that is one reason I keep coming back to this venue. Put The Keyclub’s kick ass sound together with Vader’s crushing set, and you have total destruction. The pit was fucking out of control for these guys. In my humble opinion, Amon Amarth and Vader stole this show hands down. I cannot seem to break it down any further than that… sorry. All I know is they better come back to the states reallllll fucking soon, or else!!!!!
Then we have Kreator. And unfortunately, I missed almost all of their set. I saw these guys earlier this year and I assure everyone that these veterans of Metal are amazing live. A band not to be missed!
Vader
photo by SabbathLast, but certainly not least, was Nile. I have seen these guys probably five times now, and each and every time they just get better and better. They have risen from nothing, and have become metal idols to many younger bands trying to make it in this competitive scene. First off, the choice of theme for Nile is absolutely perfect and fitting for Death Metal. It takes you away from the monotonous “gore” and “baby eating” themes and gives you a bit more to concentrate on - Egyptology. And secondly, Jon Vesano has done an outstanding job taking over for Chief Spires… uh… Chief Spires who? Anyway, I have been hearing rumors about Nile being “has-beens,” as of late, but I certainly do not agree. They may have already hit their peak in the Metal scene, but by no means is their live performance “weak” or “has been-ish.” I did not see their entire set, but I did see them play “Howling of the Jinn” (which was lucky, because this is one of my favorites). I really hope there is not a Death Metal fan out there that has not seen Nile (at least once), but if there is such a person/thing existing, all I have to say to you is your life is not worth living. Go fucking see them any chance you get!
Note: Although this is none of my concern, hearing people say this was an expensive tour is kind of annoying. Yes, I agree that $26.50 is a lot to pay for a metal show. And yes, I would have to fork it over in order to see a killer show. However, this is half the price you would pay to see any, ANY, mainstream show. So with that, let us all be a bit more grateful that metal shows do not rip you a new asshole - money wise that is - even if you are a poor student and writer such as myself. (laughs)
Well, this show turned out wonderfully. I was originally not positive I could make it, but I did, and I am so fucking glad I kicked myself into going, rather than taking care of serious issues pertaining to life. After this show, many of us (including Hel, Death, and Chainheart) enjoyed some good ol’ fashion Rainbow Room fun on the strip, and then went home. To the selected few who are having doubts about attending this show, worry no further I say: If this tour is coming around the mountain to a town near you, whore yourself so you can go - do whatever it fucking takes to gather the money to get in, because you will NOT regret it a single bit! If you have a shitty time at this show, then you have permission to blame me and send me some hate mail.
Nile
photo by Lenny LaPolla
Solomon's Review (10/21/03, B.B. King's, New York City):
I hesitate to even call this a "Nile" review since I was a big weenie and bugged out before they came on. No offense against Nile, but I'd already seen them several times recently and the late night/early morning trek back to south Brooklyn was not going to be fun on a Tuesday night as it was. That, and I had already spent the previous night engaged in all sorts of debachery at the Pet of the Year party at the Penthouse offices in NYC. Ha, now I know why I got involved in the music industry, hehheh. Where was I? Oh, yeah, Goatwhore opened the show with some Southern US-styled black/doom metal. Funny, the band sounds pretty loose for such an evil pose, a blackened Down, especially with vocalist Falgoust's (Soilent Green) Anselmo-ish slant, but the song titles reek with dead-on, pretentious black metal grimness. "Nocturnal Holocaust," "The Serpent That Enslaves What Is Worshipped," "Sky Inferno," "Desolate Path to Apocalyptic Ruin," "Graveyards and Dead Angels," holy fuck, did Dimmu enter the room? Haha! Not bad, but Amon Amarth came on next and cleaned house. I kind of almost expected them to, considering they were on the Metal Gods bill earlier this year and I thought they were one of the best acts that night, as well. AA knows what's up, and the five horsemen of the Swedish apocalypse galloped through a relatively brief set of melodic death metal, a familar neck of the woods for most metal fans, but they do it their own way, and I tend to like 'em better live than on record, anyway. Vader was a treat, as I had never seen this Polish sensation before, and their own brand of thrash-ified death metal was just as potent in its own way. The choice of Slayer's "Reign In Blood" to round out the set was a little cliched, but who can complain with that tune? Live Kreator was a first for me, as well, and the group emerged from a sea of smoke to pound LOUDLY through "People of the Lie," "Extreme Aggressions," "Betrayer," "Flag of Hate" and other love songs. Definitely powerful thrash, but I still think Amon Amarth still ruled the evening, cheers to them. A night of quality thrash/death metal all around.
Kreator
photo by Jotun
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