New England Metal and Hardcore Festival 2006
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New England Metal and Hardcore Festival 2006 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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3 | |
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4 | |
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4 | |
| Gordo's Review | 5 | |
| Nator's Review | 5 |
Abyss' Review (4/28, 4/29 & 4/30/06, The Palladium, Worcester, MA):
Yeah, I know. The lineup was disappointing this year, that's a given. But it's also beside the point, the point being that I had just as much fun at this year's fest than at the others because this event is more than just a concert. It's the best place in the US to gather with like-minded folk and do all the things we can't do separately. It's great meeting new people and having something to talk about right off the bat. A place where we can let our hair down (and thrash it wildly), drunkenly scream out guttural lyrics (and people join in rather than back away) and get fucked up beyond all recognition. It's a good thing. Of course, I, like most of you, do this stuff pretty much every weekend, but it's nice doing it together. And isn't that what metalfest is about boys and girls? Togetherness? Hell, we're even comfortable enough in this situation to comment on fashion with total strangers (“Nice shirt dude!” ... the metal equivalent of "I just love your outfit! It's fabulous!”) and not sound gay. Alright, maybe it's a little gay the way I put it there, but we all do it.
Photos by Hel
ExodusSo because of all this I was still looking forward to leaving NYC, meeting up with my Masshole friends and partying with friends from as far away as California and Minne-fuckin-sota. I was also a little impressed by the fact that there was a good amount of power metal in the form of Gamma Ray, Dragonforce and Wolf, an important genre that is far too often overlooked at American festivals. Of course, I'm one of the guys in the back, drunk off my ass saying how gay they are, but it's still nice to see the promoters broadening things a bit.
WolfOf course, the biggest problem the festival faced is that they didn't really have any solid headliners. Sure Lacuna Coil sells a good amount of records, but at a fest like this, they aren't going to be a main draw, which was evidenced by the fact that the Palladium was nearly empty by the time they took the stage. Arch Enemy is a band that I refuse to put down, but as a headliner they're just far too mundane. I mean, was there anyone in the theater who hadn't seen them at least four times? I doubt it. Gamma Ray as a headliner is a choice I don't really have a problem with, but they played the final night of a three-day festival in a country that isn't known for its support of power metal, so you can imagine how many people stuck around for them.
Maybe I'm showing my age here, but the 20 minutes allotted to the return of doomsters Trouble was a travesty. The band canceled, and who can blame them? Twenty fucking minutes? Are you shitting me? This was easily the biggest fuck-up of the weekend (and this coming from someone who thought ending the night with Jagermeister and Red Bull was a good idea). With all of the death and metalcore, one would think a forty-five minute set of doom wouldn't kill anyone.
DragonforceBut through all the disappointments, there were some spectacular performances. Probably most impressive was Exodus, with Gary Holt leading his band of mercenaries in a massive attack of old school thrash. New singer Rob Dukes not only proved he has chops, he also continuously whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Before their set I thought the young kids in the audience wouldn't appreciate an old 80s thrash act, but the entire theater seemed to enjoy the set. Exodus were definitely my favorite act of the weekend.
I've forgiven Wolf for not playing "The Avenger" (I have a fever, and the only prescription is ... more cowbell!), only because they kicked my ass even though I was completely spent. Their classic metal NWOBHM sound was so refreshing after a weekend of death and metalcore, and they proved to be a great live act. I hope they make it back over here soon.
Dragonforce was, well they were pretty gay. Not bad, just a little gay. One only has to sample their body of work to realize that these guys wallow in a cauldron of stereotypes. Perhaps crinkled hair is cool in England, but it's just plain distracting over here. Regardless of the fact that it's so easy to make fun of them, they are most definitely a tight act and worth seeing for the over the top factor alone. Can't say I'm that big a fan, but I think the 'fest made a great choice in bringing over an act like this.
Gamma RayThe same can be said for Gamma Ray. It's just a good experience seeing a band I haven't seen a hundred times already. One thing you can't say about these guys is that they don't know what they're doing. They were immaculate and professional in every way, and for that alone I think they deserved their headlining slot. I just wish more people stuck around for them.
Of course, the rest of the weekend remains in my memory in different stages of blur. God Forbid kicked some ass, their best show out of the ten or so I've seen of them, and Into Eternity also got my head banging ... although you have to chuckle at the way their singer loves to pose for the cameras...
All in all this festival probably remains the best on American soil, even if they had an off year. One word review: Fun.
Death's Review (4/28, 4/29 & 4/30/06, The Palladium, Worcester, MA):
I think I've been to every one of the New England Metal and Hardcore Festivals held so far. OK, maybe I missed one early on, but I've definitely been right there to observe the growth and evolution of this festival firsthand. I've seen it grow from underground phenomenon in the shadow of the Milwaukee Metalfest to premier U.S. metalfest status. Along the way, I've seen many a future Ozzfest or Sounds of the Underground headliner and Headbanger's Ball stalwart cross the Palladium stage. Through it all, I've come for the friends, the partying, and the debauchery as much as I've come for the music. The concept of a few thousand metalheads all descending on Worcester and staying the weekend together in a few hotels within walking distance of the venue just never gets old, no matter how many times I experience it. So even though I'm now living in Los Angeles, making Worcester just about as far away as you can get within the continental United States, you can bet I'll be there each spring, at the back of the bar spending way too much money, getting way too drunk, and spouting my useless opinions about the year that was in heavy metal to whomever will listen.
Cephalic CarnageThis year was no exception. We took the red-eye flight on Thursday night, and got to the hotel early in the early a.m. where some of our friends were crashing after the pre-fest party form the night before. We slept 'till mid-afternoon, then Hel and I headed over to the venue. I think we stopped first at "Woosta Pizza," and I remember thinking my hot turkey sub was quite delicious. Then we went inside. I mostly just hung out with friends, but made sure to catch the mighty Colorado hessians known as Cephalic Carnage destroy the headlining slot on the second stage upstairs. Highlight for me on the mainstage this night was definitely Necrophagist, which is apparently now a full band. Cool. The Black Dahlia Murder and Lacuna Coil closed out the first night, and the fact that the crowd thinned out significantly for Lacuna Coil proved to me that many people were there for the party as much as the music - most of them left early to get a head start on the hotel parties.
NecrophagistThat first night was insane. End of story. People were going off. We stayed up late and enjoyed the party. Let's just leave it at that in this public forum. I'll keep the names private to protect the guilty.
I woke up about noon or 1 p.m. on Saturday, in time to watch a little bit of the first round of the NFL draft. We then crawled back to life, got some more food, and headed back to the venue. No Irish Times this year - it was way too busy. Inside the venue I caught a touch of Skinless and God Forbid. But the party really got rolling for hometown heroes Overcast, which is one of the first bands of the weekend that I watched from up front. Nice to see those boys (including Brian Fair from Shadows Fall, Mike D from Killswitch Engage, and Metal Judgment's own Requiem) destroy once again. Sure, it's a metalcore thing, but I had fun just the same. But then the real devastation began: EXODUS. My love of the new Exodus album and lineup is well documented in these pages. So suffice to say I loved seeing them go off again here. Me and the boys were escorted up to the VIP balcony for this set, seeing as how we had to have been the biggest Exodus fans in the joint. The new material killed as always, but it was the classic "Brian Dead" that had all of our heads banging in unison with the most force. Wow. Nice to show the kids how the Bay Area Thrashers do it. Great to see a major pit going and people really getting into the show.
I just partied though Chimaira and Arch Enemy, getting myself ready for round two of the real fun back at the hotels. Once again, it was a killer night. Band members and old friends ripping it up in every room of the Crown Plaza. What more could you ask for. Definitely a highlight of the weekend. The details are best left to the imagination, but a great time was had by all.
Lacuna CoilSunday felt chill from the get go. This was power metal day, a nice day to nurse your hangover and kick back to some different types of bands. I had no idea how big Dragonforce had become until I heard the hype building for their U.S. debut this night and saw the kids with Dragonforce written in blue tape on their car parked in front of the venue. I was psyched to see Trouble which was listed on the bill but never showed. That seriously bummed me out, but what can you do. I had been told of the cancellation earlier in the weekend but didn't want to believe it. Anyway, I did enjoy the always entertainment progressive death/power/thrash metal of Into Eternity (Gordo!) and found Wolf reasonably interesting in a retro sort of way. It was nice to see traces of Overkill present in D.D. Verni's Bronx Casket Company (with D.D. singing!). But Dragonforce stole the show, like Children of Bodom did two years ago. Tons of energy and intensity. Lots of fun even though it is slightly cheesy and not as unique as some of the younger fans would have it. Personally, I preferred headliners Gamma Ray, who brought a veteran close to the proceedings. I watched a good chunk of the set before splitting back to the hotels for one more night of goofing around like I was 18 years old.
Of course, I'm not 18 years old, which made for a long rough flight home the next morning. All in all, the lineup at this year's festival should be praised for its increasing diversity, even though the show felt fairly thin on the top-level bands. More effort should be made to get bands like Dragonforce that were unique rather than bands we've all seen 100 times before, but still, I had a blast. I'll be back next year for sure.
Hel's Review (4/28, 4/29 & 4/30/06, The Palladium, Worcester, MA):
Without question, The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival has become the metal festival in the United States. Regardless of the line up, the true draw of the festival has become the attendees themselves, and for some, more so than the actual bands. Indeed, the bill this year turned out to be disappointing for me, but the familiar faces more than made up for that. Since moving to the West Coast, I no longer get to hang out with my old metal chums, except during this annual meeting of metal minds. So I continue to eagerly await the opportunity to reunite with the people who perhaps understand me best of all.
ArsisI had hopes that the red-eye flight would enable me to get to the venue in time for the first band of the festival, and one that was on my "most-anticipated" list: Alarum. This little-known Australian band promised to be a hidden gem of the weekend, and would be the first chance I'd ever had to catch them live. Sadly, being tired and not paying enough attention to where we were going lead to a long and ill-advised detour which got us to the hotel late, and therefore I wasn't able to get my ass out of bed in time to get to the venue when it opened. Instead, I began my day an hour later than planned (the exact duration of our "detour") with another band I was eager to see for the first time: Arsis. I have to say that even though a few things were a bit rough, I heard they hadn't played a gig in quite some time and the early-in-the-day sound glitches didn't help, it was truly a killer way to kick off my weekend. Arisis play a form of death metal that is just the kind of thing I like, and it is always a treat to see a band you like perform for the first time.
The Acacia StrainAfter Arsis, there was a stretch of time with no bands I wanted to see, so I left the venue in search of food and companionship. Worcester Pizza filled my belly and I caught up with a few folks, then suddenly I was worried that I was going to miss Cephalic Carnage. One thing you can always count on happening at this festival: at some point the schedule will start running ahead. Usually it doesn't happen until Saturday, but I long ago learned it was better to believe it was happening than to hope it was not. Sure enough, Cephalic was taking the stage almost 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. I battled my way to the front, and managed to regain the same exact place onstage in the center that I had finagled last year. Again, it was hectic sitting there in the apex of the storm, but for my money, there is no better spot to witness (or shoot) Cephalic Carnage from.
After Cephalic had firmly laid the second stage to rest for the day, I found myself idle, so I decided I may as well head downstairs to shoot the medio-core band-of-the-moment currently onstage. This turned out to be The Acacia Strain, and it was pretty much just what you'd expect it to be. My biggest complaint with the festival's line up this year was the over-abundance of these generically craptacular medio-core acts, though I think I make a similar complaint every year. On Friday both stages were rife with them, the proliferation of them on the second stage Saturday would free me from having to even consider glancing in that direction for the entire day, and that would essentially be the case for Sunday as well.
The Red ChordI was still in the venue when The Red Chord turned up onstage unannounced. There had been rumors of a surprise act, but the schedule I had in hand said nothing about such a thing on this day (there was a TBA slotted on Saturday). On my food run earlier, I had walked past a few members of the band which I had thought was odd, since they were not on the bill, but it is not unheard of for local luminaries to come by and just hang out at the festival, so I dismissed it. Of course it all became crystal clear when they walked out to center stage. It was a brief set, and I thought it was irritating that the singer chose to sing standing on the barricade for the duration, but otherwise they delivered their usual high-energy show to the obvious appreciation of the crowd.
I wanted to get out of the venue one last time before Necrophagist took the stage, so I did so, returning just in time to catch them. They were third of the bands on my list of eagerly awaited first performances to appear, and one I had spent a great deal of time hyping up to people who didn't seem to understand who they were. I was pleased that they did not disappoint. In fact, they seemed to devastate the audience, most of whom were hardcore faithful who clearly didn't expect this death metal powerhouse to tear them a new one. They definitely liked it though. Unfortunately, we were now trapped inside the venue with nothing left but a bunch of bands we've seen a zillion times before and are not really all that excited about. The good news was that we were all trapped inside together, and everyone had a great chance to get caught up with old friends.
A Life Once LostA Life Once Lost busted out the Meshuggah-rific beats, Between the Buried and Me proved that they were different since their vocalist plays the keys too (and at the same time sometimes!), and The Black Dahlia Murder proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that even a metalcore band can't pull off the 1980s Miami Vice look in 2006. Lacuna Coil purged the bad taste of that from our metal mouths with their brand of grace and power, but there were few left to take it in. Either the population of Worcester are a bunch of lightweights or the medio-core fans can't comprehend something as worthwhile as Lacuna, or perhaps they’ve simply played to this same crowd too many times in recent memory. In any event, it was a damn shame there were so few left to witness the first night headliner.
Friday night would last into the wee hours, and eventually we went to bed and rose again, feeling rather worse for wear but knowing there was still much to be done, we set off to begin our day. The bands that I wanted to see Saturday were spread out, and I felt the need to stop by the venue and attempt to figure out where they were at with the schedule, since this was historically the most notorious day for running far, far ahead with the set times. I went up and took a couple of photos for the heck of it, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure which band it was. I think it may have been Since the Flood, but seriously, there's a point at which is simply can't tell those bands apart. I had definitely missed Ion Dissonance and Immolation, the only two bands so far I'd had any interest in, but I still had the chance to see Skinless if I kept an eye on the clock.
Between the Buried and MeThey were onstage when I returned, but I'd made it. Again it seemed the medio-core fans in attendance were amenable to the death metal, and Skinless' ferocious attack went over very well. The band has stayed strong through various line-up changes and I look forward to hearing their upcoming new album. After their set I felt the need to beat a hasty retreat since a couple more of those bands were coming on and I knew my hours of freedom from the venue were numbered. Perhaps the best moment of the weekend for me (and, I know how sad this sounds, but it is true) came at this point - the discovery of a spankin' new Starbucks next to the Hampton. Made me almost wish I was staying at the Hampton... I generally hate Starbucks, but I am a complete coffee addict and there is simply not another decent alternative in the metropolis of Worcester. So with a nearly-acceptable cup of coffee now in hand Death and I decided to find out why we never go to that pizza joint...oh, yeah, now I know...
The epically slow service cost not only Hate Eternal, but God Forbid as well. Sure, I've seen both of them tons of times, but it still hurts to miss bands you want to see. I'd suspected all along that the TBA slot on the bill existed as mere padding, and unless I missed something, that's just what it was. Suffocation went on a FULL HALF HOUR EARLY. How irritating. It was only by virtue of the fact they went on just as people were no longer allowed to re-enter that anyone saw them at all. But the crowd got a full dose of mayhem from these death metal titans, and their enjoyment was obvious.
The Black Dahlia MurderTerror represented for the old school hardcore scene, then local heroes Overcast tore the roof off, to the delight of the assembly. Finally, Exodus arrived to give the kiddies a lesson in old school thrash. Quite a discussion could be had over whether Overcast or Exodus brought down the house more, and really, what does it matter. Back to back amazing performances stand up, regardless of genre, especially in a setting like this.
It had been a long, hard couple of days with still one to go, and it was clear that by the time Chimaira went on the night was coming to a close early. I still can't believe I did this, but I was hungry enough to be convinced to leave before Arch Enemy went on. Again, though, I've seen Arch Enemy so many times in the last few years, I really couldn't muster the enthusiasm to stay and try to work out the logistics of catching up with my crew later.
So Sunday's line up was the weakest in my book, and I was skeptical that the day was going to go the way I wanted. The number one band I was most looking forward to all weekend long was scheduled for a sad little twenty minutes in the middle of the day: Trouble. A freakin' crime. And rumor had been flying that they had actually cancelled weeks earlier but that it had been kept secret because they didn't want it to affect attendance. Well, I never heard if there was any truth in that particular rumor, but the reality was that Trouble definitely did not play. I arrived at the tail end of Cannae (after again insisting on arriving early, which turned out to be the right thing to do).
Since the FloodThe schedule listed Trouble next, so I situated myself in the photo pit, hoping against hope a legend would appear before me onstage. Sure, Byzantine may be legends to some, but that wasn't who I was looking for. I shot them anyway, as they are one of the least objectionable of their lot, and we were now trapped inside for the duration. Byzantine would be the last of the many 'core bands to play this year's festival, but it turned out most of the kids stayed for the power metal parade after all.
Into Eternity followed Byzantine and marked the turning point of the day's musical slate. A little continuity was maintained through their shared use of the clean/harsh vocal formula. However, while the majority of the bands this weekend used hardcore-style harsh vocals, Into Eternity use a death-style harsh vocal. Indeed this band's shtick, if you will, is their melding of death and prog, something that has not yet been seen a ton. The crowd at the Palladium was down, and Gordo's guest vocal stint was a highlight for me.
Wolf kept the momentum of the evening going with their brand of NWOBHM. I had a few friends that were manic about this band and had been listing this as a highlight for months. So the fact that they were pleased should impress you. The band undeniably put on an amazingly energetic show and clearly had fun doing so.
SkinlessThings shifted gears again when Bronx Casket Co. took the stage. Overkill's D.D. Verni has stepped up to frontman with this project, something I was a little surprised to see, and he filled the role very well. Their brand of Type O-influenced doom had a hold on some of the audience, but most didn't seem to know what to think of it and lacked the patience to try.
Next came Dragonforce, a band that seemed to go from obscure to insanely buzzed-about over the course of the weekend. Roadrunner's street-team certainly earned their swag this festival. The gents who took time to decorate their rental car with tape proclaiming "DRAGONFORCE" certainly did their part as well. The much-discussed trampolines were absent for their performance, but they seem to have an ample supply of natural buoyancy, as they spent an impressive amount of time in the air without them. The crowd had clearly bought the hype hook line and sinker, and they ate it up with a spoon.
This finally brought us to the closing band of the weekend: Gamma Ray. I'm sure I wasn't the only person who experienced their eyebrows spontaneously raising they read that little tidbit. There were plenty of reasons why this was a very cool choice, but it certainly seemed odd that a fairly obscure power metal act would be the final night headliner. Dragonforce had certainly primed the crowd, and a surprising number of folks had hung around to see them take the stage, though in the grand scheme again it was a pitifully small crowd. I wouldn't have a clue how many stayed until the bitter end, as I was among the many who ultimately surrendered to ambivalence and general exhaustion and headed out before they ended, though I did stick around for the majority of the set, as some in my party were way into it.
TerrorThe New England Metal and Hardcore Festival has proven itself to be a breeding ground for Ozzfest and the other big summer package tours. I worry, however, that it seems to be in danger of stagnating from the complacency of their success. While the continuity of bands is appreciated, and is one of the things that helped to launch so many of them, the flip side is that at this stage of the game, it is starting to feel like the same festival again and again. Moreover, the bulk of the bands appearing were part of packages already touring around the U.S. and they were all just routed through Worcester on the same weekend. For me, this doesn’t make for a thrilling bill, as I can and have seem most of these bands on those same tours here in L.A. already, and I certainly didn’t need to fly across the country to see them all again... It was nice to see them branch out and include more power metal this time around, I just don’t really like power metal all that much, and in combination with the abundance of ‘core bands on the bill, there wasn’t much I was all that thrilled to see. I’d love to see the promoters embrace death and black metal a little more next year. Because regardless of my complaints about the bill, in the end it is really the people who attend that keep me coming back. See you next year.
Gordo's Review (4/28, 4/29 & 4/30/06, The Palladium, Worcester, MA):
This is the time of year that metal heads look forward to most. Of course I'm talking about the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. It is on this weekend that all of us can get together under the same roof and share tall tales of metal's past while enjoying some of the best bands in the biz at the same time. This is easily the greatest event of the year. Even though the divide is still strong between metal and hardcore, there is so much unity and camaraderie at this event that there is no bickering, no egos, and no bullshit. Sure, me and my fellow metal heads enjoy cracking jokes about the hardcore kids and the power metal geeks, but it's all in good fun, and a good time is had by all.
SuffocationThe "Hardcore" Festival this year was again plagued by just that, hardcore. Way too many hardcore bands for my taste, and I think many people agreed. There were a total of maybe 5 bands on the bill that I really wanted to see, but it's not always about the bands. Seeing old friends and making new ones is what the fest is all about. Anyone who attends can verify this. So if you're reading this review to find out about all the bands and what songs they played and all that shit, don't bother. Here is my account of the weekend.
OvercastNator and I would have to make the long trip from Minnesota, so naturally we did it up right by getting to the Twin Cities on Thursday for some pre-fest chaos. The Vikings were unveiling their new uniforms at the Mall of America on this night, so of course we checked it out. I thought they were pretty cool, but Nator was not so keen on their new brand of purple pride. After this, we had to wait for our pal G-Dogg to get off work since we were crashing at his place. We went to his place of employment, "Masa," a fancy Mexican joint in downtown Minneapolis where G is one of the top chefs. He had his bartenders take great care of us, and within hours we were fucking mangled. After G's shift, more alcohol consumption took place and before we knew it, it was almost time for that 7 am flight. We rested for a few hours and headed for the airport.
Once we got to Boston, we had to deal with some minor travel mishaps that resulted in us having to score a rental car for the day instead of taking the train as originally planned. We were not pleased, but Worcester was waiting for us, so we did what we had to and arrived at the Courtyard by Marriot with a couple of hours to spare until the only band we cared about for the day was scheduled to play: the mighty Cephalic Carnage. We didn't make ourselves too comfortable, since this would be our only night at this fine hotel. The next 2 nights would be spent at the Crowne Plaza, an excellent upgrade if you ask me. We gobbled up a few drinks, and met up with the Metal Judgment crew at the Irish Times Pub across the street from the Palladium. We exchanged greetings, and immediately went inside to watch the Rocky Mountain Hydro Grinders. They were badass, but after seeing them so many times it's hard to review these guys. They played for 20 minutes, and had a solid set list. The absence of bassist Jawsh was noticeable, but the new guy, Nick, filled in admirably. I kept a metal fest tradition alive when I accidentally un-plugged one of the cords and guitarist Zac scrambled to the floor to remedy the situation. He heckled me for it later, but come on, someone has to do it! Usually when they play "Black Metal Sabbath" the guys wear some crazy black metal masks, but one of them was stolen a couple of nights before, and another one was not a black metal mask at all. It was a giant horse head! Definitely one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
ChimairaThe next few hours were spent at the bar towards the back of the club. This would become my favorite hangout over the next few days. While mingling with the Cephalic boys and other chums, the drinks were going down fairly quickly. Lenard from Cephalic, Nator, and myself tried to have a smoke-down in a bathroom stall, but our plans were quickly foiled by security. Lucky for us the guy was cool about it. I do recall watching brief moments of Between the Buried and Me, and The Black Dahlia Murder shortly after the incident. Nothing to write home about, but the crowd was eating it up. At one point I had to sit down and realize that I was way more fucked up than I should be. We bailed on Latuna Spoils, but from what I heard about 75% of the crowd did as well. We went back to the Courtyard to make some party plans, but it just wasn't meant to be this night. I never thought such a travesty could take place, but Nator and I had to call it a night around 1 am and make sure we were ready to go for the next night. Some laughed and ridiculed us for our actions, but I really didn't give a shit. All I cared for was sleep.
Oh what a wise decision it was. I woke up feeling refreshed and energized for Saturday's festivities. Thankfully the football Gods struck down once again by planning the NFL Draft on this very day for the second year in a row! While the true metal geeks awoke early to catch their favorite second stage up and comers play at noon, the real metal warriors took this opportunity to replenish the body with much needed food and water, and a healthy dose of the NFL's second biggest day of the year. The Draft was full of shocking picks and unexpected trades, much more exciting than what the line-up at the fest had to offer. I mean, Immolation always gets me pumped, but the fact that the promoters decided to put this death metal heavy-weight on stage around 2 pm really makes me ponder their decision making process. The same goes for one of my favorite live bands, Skinless, who played sometime around 4 pm. Bands that I've never even heard of are playing after these titans, and this was a major blunder for the fest in my eyes. Unfortunately, I did not get to witness the aforementioned bands due to my desire to take things easy and not feel so rushed. I'm not a big fan of scurrying over to the club to catch 4 songs and then go back to the hotel because the next few bands stink. We opted to lounge in our new pad at the Crowne Plaza and indulge in a plethora of alcoholic beverages while listening to metal and talking about how great Suffocation was going to be this evening. They were the headliner of the evening in my eyes.
ByzantineSometime just before 7 pm, it was time for Nator and I; along with our Jersey friends Jen and Kasha, to enter the club. Just as we grabbed a drink, New York's finest walked on stage and I heard the first pummeling notes of "Liege of Inveracity" and I lost it. I was in the photo pit snapping shots and head banging violently at the same time. I can't begin to tell you how far Suffo has come since their reunion show at this very place 3 years earlier. Every band member was in top form and played their instruments with incredible precision. "Pierced from Within," "Thrones of Blood," and fucking "Funeral Inception”? You just can't beat that. They closed it out with "Catatonia," and the best Suffo performance I had ever witnessed was in the books. I was on such a high after witnessing such brutality that there was no way any band was going to come close after this. Overcast tried, and while the hometown crowd may have disagreed with me, they were just no match for the mighty Suffocation.
I made sure to get up close for Exodus, and they definitely ruled. It was my first time seeing the thrash legends, and they didn't disappoint. Chimaira played next, and I did watch a few minutes worth of their set but that was it. I've seen them enough over the years, and yes they are pretty good, but when you're so liquored up at this point in the night, it's all about hanging at the bar and continuing the carnage. And continue the carnage we did.
Into EternityMetal Judgment writers new and old gathered at the Crowne Plaza for a heavy dose of partying this evening. All I can really remember is that we were surrounded by some pretty cool people. People I am happy to call my friends. Various band members and metal celebs stopped in throughout the night, including Derek Boyer, Brian Fair, Kevin Talley, and "Doc" Forbid. The Worcester Police dropped in too. For the second year in a row, the fuzz had to bust in our room and tell everyone to get the fuck out. Well that's fine with me, cuz when the clock is approaching 5 am; I want all the knuckleheads to get the hell out of my room anyways. It was a great time, and all you guys rule!
Knowing that Sunday's line-up was not attractive at all, it was a prime opportunity to sit around and rot. Even after it was time to awake, a few hours of pure laziness ensued, and Nator and I did absolutely nothing. A much-needed trip to the hot tub was in order, so we soaked it up for a while and healed those aching bones and muscles. We took our sweet-ass time once again, and didn't arrive at the club until around 6 pm. Into Eternity would be the only band worth my time this evening. We have spent the last year and a half traveling just about everywhere to see these guys since our brother Adam started drumming for them in 2004. He has since departed, so this would be our first Into Eternity show without a Sagan sitting behind the skins. If you've ever seen these guys, you know what to expect. Insane guitar wizardry blended with brutal breakdowns, a solid mixture of clean and death vocals, and of course the wild stage antics of singer Stu Block. In 30 minutes they covered a few tracks from Buried in Oblivion, Dead or Dreaming, and a new song that totally ruled. They predictably closed with "Beginning of the End," and I predictably ran out on stage to throw down some guest growls. The coolest part about it was looking out and seeing so many people sing along, and that got me all fired up! I was pumping my fists and trying to increase the crowd's intensity. I'm sure the band didn't need my help, but it was a fun moment and at least some friends saw it and got a chuckle out of it.
Bronx Casket Co.The next hour or so would be spent in our room back at the Crowne with the Into Eternity boys. Anytime they're around, we show these Canucks a good time. They enjoy partying and a good laugh just as much as we do, so there was plenty of comical wit engulfing the room. Our time with the boys would have to be cut short however, as they were not about to miss "the force." That is, Dragonforce. We went back to the club simply to see the cheese in action. I was blown away at how lame these guys are. I watched in disbelief as they pranced around the stage to an absolutely rabid crowd. The floor was packed to the gills, and chants of "Dragonforce!" kept echoing throughout the building. They are fantastic musicians, and I'll give 'em that. But that's all I'm giving them. All you haters out there can say what you will, but this band is a fucking joke if you ask me. I was laughing much of the time, yet I couldn't look away. I mean, I can see why all of the dorks are in love with them, but I am a metal warrior and this music makes me cringe. I couldn't stick around for the whole set, and I definitely couldn't make it for the headliner, Gamma Ray. It was the last night, so one can only guess what our options were.
Back to the Crowne! Obviously another party was in order since this would be the last night with our comrades. It was rather tame this evening, but it was still a blast and it was awesome hanging with all our friends for one last time. We all discussed the highs and the lows of the weekend and finished off with a bang. It was tough to say goodbyes to all of our metal brothers and sisters, but this won't be our last journey together. We crashed sometime in the wee hours of the morning, and flew back to Minnesota the following afternoon. After all, I had finals the next day. You might be wondering, "Where are your priorities? Is metal more important than school?" I think the answer to that is obvious.
Naturally, 5 skulls
Nator's Review (4/28, 4/29 & 4/30/06, The Palladium, Worcester, MA):
The trip was roughly 2500 miles. I spent well over $1000. It lasted approximately 125 hours. There were perhaps five of my close metal buddies there. It hosted merely four bands of interest to me. And our hotel room was busted by the cops only one time. All in all, I'd have to say that this year's myriad of metal and mush commonly known as the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival was quite a success.
The Men Behind the Dragonforce CarA very early flight from Minneapolis to Boston on Friday morning all but forced Gordo and I to charge up to the Twin Cities Thursday night. It turned oot to be a damn good plan for a couple of rabid yet pathetic Vikings fans as we attended the team's new uniform unveiling held at the Mall of America. It was kinda cheesy but hey, it's the Vikes. Gordo and I fiend 'em, even if they've been a laughing stock of the NFL over the past couple of years. A quick drive up to downtown Minneapolis followed the festivities as we went to pick up Old G from his fancy shmancy Mexican restaurant around 7 o'clock. It was going to be a short night so we could rest up for the grueling weekend ahead. Gary let us know he wasn't quite ready to leave work so we bellied up to the bar for a quick drink. Before we knew what hit us it was 2 am and we were all sorts of liquored up back in St. Paul. Good thing we had to get up at 5:30 to catch our 7 o'clock flight. Sheesh.
Cephalic CarnageOur wake-up call was not a very welcomed one, and we got up to race for the airport. Gordo and I are now seasoned veterans of the fest and have done this several times before. We knew that our excitement for the upcoming weekend would cancel oot any alcohol induced state we were still experiencing. After a short transmitter related delay, our plane finally left the runway at aboot 8 a.m. The path ahead would be quite mangled and certainly not paved with convenience. Our plane lands shortly before noon and our plan was to take a train from Boston to Worcester for five bucks, as opposed to the $150 we normally spend on a rent a car. A 15 minute bus ride to the train station proved futile. It wasn't even 1 o'clock and the next train for Worcester wasn't until 4. No time to waste. A cab was hailed and we were not so swiftly whisked away to Budget rent-a-car. So much for our train tactic to save money. We got the hell oot of Boston and after a few tolls arrived in Worcester in what seemed like minutes. Our usual Crowne Plaza was not the destination on this Friday, so we located the Courtyard by Marriott down the way. A few phone calls and an order of General Tso's chicken later, we found ourselves storming toward the Palladium for a night of drunken carnage and debauchery.
Our agenda for Friday night consisted of only two things. The first was, obviously, to consume booze in large quantities. The second was, clearly, to watch Cephalic Carnage. It wouldn't be a Metal and Hardcore Festival if the mighty Rocky Mountain Hydro Grinders weren't delivering a slaughter of the senses. This was our third New England fest and Cephalic has been at every one we've been to. And as usual, they were limited to the second stage. It was cool the first couple of times, but come on. Get these fucks up on the main stage and let them deliver to the masses rather than cramming them in the airtight hot smelly shithole that they are forced to play in every year. Frontman Leonard didn't let that go unnoticed as he got the crowd behind him in a chant of "Main stage sucks! Main stage sucks!" This turned oot to be a cry of jealousy in fact, for when we were hanging oot after their set, he dejectedly admitted he was disappointed that they weren't able to play in the main room. Well as for their set anyway, it was fucking intense. They crush every time. And their stage antics somehow get funnier every time. A new bass player didn't take anything away from the Cephalic of old as he tore through all of their songs with a fresh ferocity. He might not have been as goofy looking as ex-bass player Jawsh, but his role in the band's stage shenanigans fit quite well. The only disappointing thing aboot their set was the fact that the "security guard" deleted 20 minutes of priceless video footage I had taken. Thanks a lot cock bag.
The Black Dahlia MurderAfter the carnage had subsided, it was back to the bar for Gordo and I. I mean, it isn't like we drank enough the night before. And after Cephalic, there was not ONE band on the bill worth watching, so...drink. We held a quite comical session with our Denver buddies at the aforementioned cantina. After throwing back plenty of drinks and an abundance of hearty chuckles, Gordo, Leonard and I attempted a bathroom smoke-down where burning is clearly a no-no. Since the Palladium is a no smoking venue, dirty hardcore and metalheads creep to a downstairs bathroom to huddle up and puff dirts where they think they won't get caught. But thanks to top-notch security, it isn't as easy as it seems. But when the lead singer of Cephalic Carnage and two Sagan brothers cram into a toilet stall to blaze up, nothing is gonna stop 'em. Except for a security guard. But luckily enough for us, the damage was done and we were already cheeched oot by the time the Palladium's finest had arrived in an attempt to thwart our substance abuse. Yet our lungs were already filled and the damage had been done. HA!
One last congregation of Sagans and Cephalics ensued and after a few more cocktails, we said our farewells to the boys and made some tentative plans for a trip oot to Denver in the near future. Ol' Cephalic. Good bunch o' guys. Now I'm sure that the three of you who are gonna read this review are getting sick of me talking aboot how much we drink. But, well, that's what we do. And that's what we did this Friday night. So much in fact that after plenty of consumption and mingling with the likes of our super pal, the one and only George of Century Media, and Metal Judgment Lords Hel and Death, we couldn't even make it to the end of the fest. Bands played late, and the drunken stupor continued long into the night as well. Gordo nor myself would be in attendance. From the Thursday night before up until this point, it had been a long, arduous, and crunked up journey from the Heartland of Minnesota. There were still two days left, and we needed to be in fine form for the rest of the weekend. We were passed oot by 1 a.m.
During SkinlessSaturday would no doubt, be another day of unrest and substance abuse. But first, we started the day off perfectly by driving aimlessly around the nasty bottomless pit of Worcester. Our rental car from Boston needed to be returned and our directions to the drop off point were less than spectacular. But with the help of our hardcore pal Alan, we were able to get our car back just in time before we starved to death. Lunch was my treat as we bellied up for a hearty afternoon meal and some NFL draft surprises that left Gordo, Alan and I in a state of vexation. The Broncos swept the Vikings quarterback of the future Jay Cutler away from our waiting arms while Alan's Patriots gobbled up our hometown Gopher favorite Laurence Maroney. Curses, I say!
This was a day of metal, however, so we shall continue on. After lunch, Gordo and I scooped up our belongings back at the Courtyard and hauled them over to our usual hotel, the Crowne Plaza, which would be our abode for the next couple of nights. We checked in and it was time to meet up with our ladies from last year. We connected with our favorite Jersey Bitch Jen and her fellow Jersey Bitch Kaisa. Drinks were mixed down in their room and we were introduced to their friend Vinnie who happens to be the Program Director for Headbanger's Ball. He was a really nice guy and had lots of cool inside news aboot the show and some behind-the-scenes info. Vinnie was also swell enough to let Gordo and I use some extra all-access laminates, which was a nice step up from our photo passes. Thanks Vin! We finished our hotel happy hour and got ready to hit the Palladium for what was to be one of the mightiest performances ever witnessed at any Metal and Hardcore Festival. The Kings themselves, Suffocation.
Saturday AfternoonNow granted, this year's line-up was terrible. Unless you like extremely bad hardcore (which most of it is) or absolutely god awful power metal (which most of it is). The one of few bright spots, however, was the aforementioned Suffocation. When they played this festival back in 2003, it was their first live performance in several years and it really showed. Their original bass player Josh "Skeletor" Bahron was so scrawny he could barely bang his head. And new guitar player Guy Marchais had to play close attention to his fretboard as to not mess up and couldn't really deliver a punishing live performance. Oh, how things have changed. I have seen Suffo several times since their coming oot party a few years ago and they have been finely tuned into the technical masterminds they once were. The addition of bass maestro Derek Boyer a couple years ago and the matured guitar slaying abilities of Guy have turned this Long Island quintet into the mightiest and most intimidating death metal band on the planet. And if I didn't actually know that Frank Mullen is a very nice fellow, I would've been scared shitless by his performance. I was so engrossed in their set this afternoon that I didn't even pay attention to what songs they were playing. I was busy taking several snaps and videos in utter amazement at what I was seeing. The horde was aboot as large as it was going to be all weekend and they did not fail to disappoint the capacity crowd. Pits were oot of control and security was quite busy handling crowd surfers. After the usual three-song limit on photos, Gordo and I went around and watched the mayhem from the safety of the stage. Now this is where the full scale of the band's sickness truly shined. A perfect view of the full Palladium with Suffo in the foreground was one of the most amazing sights I have witnessed in all my years of live shows and listening to death metal. They still even sounded good from behind the PA's and monitors. The pits didn't stop and neither did the death metal gods. When they were through kicking the shit oot of the crowd, guitar player Terrance approached his rig, turned it off, removed his guitar and said, "Whew. Time to fucking DRINK!" I couldn't have agreed more.
SuffocationNow the rest of this evening starts to get very hazy from here. A continuous barrage of booze with George, Death, Hel, Abyss and another old pal Pestilence was the main focus of the night. I can't even tell you what bands played the rest of the night or how late we were at the club. A motley crew was assembled and we sallied forth back to our hotel room. I can tell you that back in room 910 of the Crowne Plaza, the shit was aboot to hit the fan. Gordo and I had an actual cop bust our hotel room party last year. But this year we swore it would be different. Random people kept invading our room, hearing "rumors" that there was a party there. Well, there was. People were blazing up, the bathroom was six people deep most of the time and they were not actually going to the bathroom, so use your imagination. There was everything from cans of PBR to bottles of E and J Brandy and everything in between. Members of Overcast and God Forbid (ugh) decided to crash our party. At one point when I was just aboot to kick everyone oot and go find Gordo and George in another room, the boys in Suffo showed up for a little partying of their own. And since we're pals with Boyer, I couldn't say no. Wow. Aren't we cool. Having all these metal bands in our room was so radical! Aboot as killer as last year when we had twice the amount of people and bands in our room and we ultimately had the fuzz toss everyone oot of our room. I had this in the back of my mind all night until the inevitable happened. I was on the balcony when my buddy Alex informed me that "we have a little problem." Sweet! The fucking cops are here! Now the weekend would be fully complete. It wouldn't be a New England Metal and Hardcore Festival hotel party if Nator and Gordo's room didn't get busted by the cops. Luckily enough, the pig just kicked everyone oot and didn't even ask who's room it was. A pounding on the bathroom door and a threat of "ladies, I know you're not all going to the bathroom in there" was enough to make the door fly open and the bugged oot liquored up cattle was herded from our room faster than at a slaughter house. Now that was the end of this party. But actually, it wasn't. People were hiding oot on the balcony and even after we got squeezed, people kept filing through our room like it was a fucking tourist attraction. After a few more hours of partying and asking people to shut up because we already got busted, we finally kicked everyone oot of our room at roughly 5:30 a.m. But not before we found a hole in the wall, footprints covering a broken toilet seat, and a bathroom towel bar hanging from the wall by a couple of screws. Good fucking night!
During ExodusNow Sunday was going to prove to be a bit more laid back, but there was still plenty of mayhem. After rising, Gordo and I utilized the Crowne's amenities and went down to take a refreshing dip in the pool and soothe our aches and pains in the hot tub. This was a welcome relief from last year when the Crowne's pool and hot tub were shut down for improvements. But enough bitching forced the hotel to take over $100 off of our bill for the weekend. Back to the present metal fest. This day was basically the day of all the power metal bands. Gross! My younger brother Adam's ex-band Into Eternity was the only band that we wanted to see. And not only see, but hang oot with of course as these Canadian power/death metallers are a great bunch o' guys. We've partied with these boys many times over the past year and a half that my bro was in the band so we were pretty excited to see our old chums. After a late arrival to the club and a round of booze we got in touch with Into Eternity's lead vocalist Stu Blockhead. We chilled for a bit until they took the stage with a devastating performance. I have never actually seen this band live withoot my brother, so it was a bit strange. And long-time guitar player Rob didn't make the trip so they had a temporary fill in on guitar. Collin is a great musician, but he had nowhere near the aggression and stage presence of Rob. His hyper brutal vocals and guitar mastery were surely missed on this night. But to cut Collin some slack, he had only two weeks to learn all his parts and again, he did an excellent job. Bass player Troy and lead Into Eternity wizard Tim were both on top of their game, as usual. I'd have to say I was impressed by old/new drummer Jim Austin but as I mentioned earlier, my brother was truly missed. But not missed enough to stop Gordo from gracing the stage to help with some backing vocals on the classic "Beginning of the End." I was supposed to accompany him on this vocal assault, but I wasn't drunk enough and I wimped oot so my brother got all the accolades. Stu continued his usual comedic stage antics and after an energetic set from the Canadian five-piece, we mingled back into the fairly small crowd to find our pals and contemplate our next move.
Into EternityOur next move. Hmmmm. Let's see. Our next move...DRINK! I made a quick pit-stop at Into Eternity's RV and slaughtered a beer as we walked back to our hotel room for some more alcohol and substance abuse. It sure wasn't like the previous night, but we had to be slightly careful as to not get busted again and it was still fairly early. After an undetermined amount of time and mind altering substances, we hoofed back to the Palladium to witness a power metal feat gayer than anything we had ever seen. Apparently, it was Dragonforce's first time in the states, and unfortunately it won't be their last as they have since secured a spot on the main stage of this year's Ozzfest. I mean, I knew that these guys would basically be nothing more than a Hammerfall / Kamelot happy melody dogshit clone because they're power metal and they all suck. George tells me Dragonbreath is huge and they're selling oot everywhere they play. It reminds me of how the biggest douche bags get the hottest chicks. It's like comparing Nevermore with myself. I'm awesome, as is Nevermore, but I never get the hot chicks. Just like Nevermore opening for Disturbed in Europe and touring with a bunch of "Dead, Dying, Bleeding, what-the- fuck-ever hardcore bands in the states. Why isn't Nevermore playing Ozzfest or getting on better tours? All the good stuff gets no recognition, and Dragonballs gets to play in front of thousands of people a day. What a cruel world. On with the finale of the fest!
Lacuna CoilNow that we had our fill of Dragoncock, it was back to our hotel with Into Eternity, the Jersey Bitches, and a group of our metal buddies that was thankfully nowhere near the size of the previous night. It was a strict VIP only in 910 this evening. We welcomed The Boss (Hel), The Lawyer (Death), The Drunk (Abyss), The Tongue (Pestilence), The Connection (George) and a few stragglers cool enough for us to invite back. This includes you Alex! We love ya baby! It was basically a final farewell of partying for what was a very long weekend. Many snapshots were taken to help fill in the voids of memory that might certainly be hard to recall after a weekend as such. There was still a fairly sizeable amount of highly unhealthy morsels to be consumed so with no time to spare, everyone combined forces and by 4 a.m. there was nothing left to ingest and it seemed as if everyone was on their last leg. Stu and crew went back to the RV for their upcoming gigs with Gamma Ray and the Judgment Crew eventually made it back to their hotel to call it quits. As relieved as I was, it was still very saddening to see it all come to an end. I knew I wouldn't see most of these people for another year and it made me realize how excited I was to come back again in '07. Thanks again to Hel, George and Vinnie for the Photo / All Access passes! And also thanks to Debbie Sellnow for trying. Hopefully we'll catch up next year!
Monday morning came and it was time to check oot of the old Crowne and prepare for a grueling travel day. Our Jersey Angels were sweet enough to drive us oot of their way and take us back to the airport in Boston. Thanks lovelies! Gordo and I love you! Then we had our flight to Minneapolis, the airport pickup by Old G, a pit stop at his boy's house, a quick smoke-down back at his pad, and another couple of hours south back to Winona. Whew. Being the true traveling metal warriors that Gordo and I have evolved into, I can only say with certainty that we will do it again next year.
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