The Haunted with Shai Hulud, Blood Has Been Shed and Kataklysm
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The Haunted with Shai Hulud, Blood Has Been Shed and Kataklysm |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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3 | |
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3 | |
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3 | |
| Sabbath's Review | 4 | |
| Go to Reader Reviews |
Abyss' Review (6/9/03,The Knitting Factory, NYC):
Hardcore Vs. Metal? Who Cares? It's Hot In Here!Monday night. Monday night after a long weekend of drinking. Monday is the least metal night of the week. I can't tell you how hard this show was to get up for. It wasn't just trying to get enough beers in me to get a little energy. I didn't even want to drink. Even if I didn't have to get up insanely early the next day, I didn't want to drink. This is new ground for me, not sure how it happened or where it came from, but I figured I'd play the straight-edge kid for a night (ha ha, 31 year old straight-edge kid, yeah right). This was the plan until I got into the venue... then the heat hit me.
The Haunted
photos by HelAnd when I mean hit me, I don't mean, "Hey, is it hot in here?" I mean, in one swift moment, your entire body turns wet with sweat. Not drinking tonight wouldn't be possible (bartender, Newcastle please!). Now some of you might say that I could just have easily ordered a soda, but I won't dignify that with a response. Anyway, I got to the show and settled in right before Kataklysm hit the stage. I missed Bleeding Through, which seems like a mistake due to the fact that I overheard both hardcore kid and metalhead alike saying they were pretty cool.
KataklysmKataklysm surprised me with the energy in their set. The Knitting Factory is a small, small venue (made even smaller by the large pit up front), and I just remember thinking, "How can they move around so much? First off it's hot as hell. Secondly, there's no place to move to!" But they started their set with a moving rendition of "Shadows and Dust" that really had the crowd churning. Their sound was quite impressive, even more so in a place with such odd angles. Unfortunately I didn't have the best view of the stage, so I mostly just saw hair flying around. The band also assigned a few minutes for a small drum solo; talented player but it just seemed like he was showing off. This was my first time seeing this band live and they're definitely worth your time. Their set came to an end with a guest appearance by Shai Hulud's vocalist, which got a large cheer from the hardcore scene (I'd would've cheered too, but I had no idea who he was, he looked like Puck from The Real World to me).
Shai Hulud didn't really do anything for me. I guess the biggest reason of this is that they are hardcore, plain hardcore without any real crossover stuff going on. They did play with emotion and vigor, and they got a pretty good response, but I just couldn't really get into them because I'm a closed-minded motherfucker.
Shai HuludThe Haunted continue to impress me every time I see them. They are the perfect example of a band that has got its act together but is also improving. Their new album, One Kill Wonder (which was touched on heavily this night), has turned this band into a leader, not a follower. The live arena is no different. The Haunted have gotten their live set moving like a well-oiled machine. Their sound, their presence, their attitude, it's all coming together to make seeing them live a pleasurable experience. Pleasurable no matter how many smelly, shirtless, slimy freaks are around you. From "Undead" (their closest thing to a classic, discounting "Blinded By Fear") to the new album, they've proven themselves to be deserving of their headliner status. This was the last stop on the tour, so hopefully you've already checked them out, but if not I'm sure they'll be back soon. One word review: Hot.
Death's Review (6/1/03, The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA):
The HauntedWe had some friends in town that decided at the last minute that they wanted to go to the show with us. We figured they'd buy tickets at the door, but when we called the club earlier that day to find out set times, we discovered that the show was completely sold out in advance. Wow, I thought. That says something about metal in LA in June 2003 - 500-ish people saw fit to call up Ticketmaster or whomever and buy tickets to a Sunday night headlining show by The Haunted in advance. Right on.
KataklysmSo we actually got to the venue early, (a) to see Kataklysm, whom we heard would (shockingly) be going on first; and (b) to find our friends tickets. When we showed up, we saw friends out front who were shocked that we were there in the daylight: Hel and Death were actually on time, even early! No folks, Hell has not frozen over. Anyway, we were rewarded twofold for our promptness: (1) our friends instantly scored tix from a friend who had extras (and apparently they got a deal, as people were scalping them for upwards of $40 per out front); and (2) we saw the entire Kataklysm set. Even though it was early, people were fired up for Kataklysm's set, especially the MTV video, "Shadows and Dust," which closed the night. People went nuts and were singing along. Shows you the power of having metal video shows back on the air in the U.S. - Kataklysm are blowing up right now. It is nice to see a veteran death metal act having their brightest day at this stage of their career.
The HauntedAfter Kataklysm we talked and drank and then decided to go out in search of food, not caring so much about the other bands besides The Haunted. Sorry, hardcore kids, that's just how it is. So four of us headed over the Italian restaurant down the block, and had a nice pasta dinner. Mmmmmm . . . pasta dinner. Anyway, then we cruise back over to the club with a few more beers and some good food in our bellies. Just in time: The Haunted would be going on next. We talked to some people, had some drinks, and found a good spot to watch The Haunted. They were cool - opening up with some killer new material (I still think it sounds like "Seasons in the Abyss") and generally owning the fired-up, sold-out Troubadour crowd from the start. People were eating it up, shouting along and going fucking nuts. All in all, it was a great headbanging night. I think I petered out a bit toward the end after a long weekend, after having seen The Haunted recently at the New England fest, and thus I kinda ran out of steam toward the end. All in all, a fun Sunday night out, bookended by some killer performances. I give this show a three for a couple of reasons: (1) Kataklysm should NOT have been first; this left the best band of the night playing while it was still light out and we were all sober; and (2) fair or unfair, the two other bands on the bill besides Kataklysm and The Haunted weren't really my cup of tea, so to speak. Perhaps if I had paid attention I might have found something to enjoy but I wanted to eat instead. That right there should be telling you something about my interest level going in.
Hel's Review (6/1/03, The Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA):
Miracle of miracles, we were actually the first ones inside the venue on this particular night. This was a result of a few factors: good planning, good timing, motivation to see Kataklysm, and the day being Sunday. It was a good thing we arrived so early too, as Kataklysm ended up being the first band onstage. I know, sounds strange, doesn't it? But it was true. And to make matters worse, the venue cut their set short because they were fifteen minutes late starting. Poor guys basically rolled up, got off the bus, and walked right onstage. Sheesh. Despite the adversity, Kataklysm delivered the high-energy all-out set you expect from these Canadians. The sound for their set was the best of the night, and the crowd clearly enjoyed every moment of it. Everyone was extremely disappointed by the brevity of the set, but the performance made up for the lost songs. I was thrilled to be there for the whole thing, and spent the rest of the night convincing myself to that I really did need a second Kataklysm shirt.
Shai HuludBecause we had arrived so early, a few of us ducked out at this point to get some food. I had little interest in Bleeding Through and even less in Shai Hulud. So we settled in at the pricey Italian place next door and had a quality meal instead. We got back right at the end of Shai Hulud's set and I dashed back inside to see if I could provide our readers who do care a little photo documentation, and in turn, try to ease my guilt for completely blowing these bands off. It turns out that I didn't need more than one Shai Hulud song to convince myself that the food had been the right choice.
KataklysmAfter an astoundingly long delay, The Haunted took the stage and received an enthusiastic welcome from the packed and sweltering house. I had put myself in position for photos at the front of the stage before the set began, so I was in the first row, theoretically the best spot in the house. I was horrified to realize, a few minutes into the first song, that I couldn't hear the singer at all. In fact, the sound was completely shitty overall. After my battle for photos, I roamed the venue, looking for my companions, as well as for a spot from which it didn't sound so terrible. Alas, there was not a single spot from which it sounded at all decent. Though the sound did improve marginally as the set went on, the heat inside the venue certainly showed no signs of improvement, and it wasn't too much longer before we decided to call this Sunday night quits.
The HauntedOverall, it was a very disappointing night. While both Kataklysm and The Haunted provided the crowd with explosive sets, the venue managed to cripple both bands' ability to give the crowd the best show possible. As an avowed anti-hardcore-ist, I had no inclination to see the middle two bands at all. In some ways, my expensive Vermicelli was one of the best parts of the evening. That, and having my friend convince me that there was nothing wrong with having both the Kataklysm tank top and t-shirt, and therefore convincing me to buy the shirt I wanted. It was a fun night, but ultimately wasn't able to fully live up to its potential.
Sabbath's Review (6/1/03 - The Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA):
Well, well, well... it is time again to review another spectacular show, and one that was completely sold out, nonetheless. Despite the other bands aboard this tour, I was incredibly eager to see Kataklysm, yet again. As said previously on Metal Judgment, Kataklysm is positively one of the most underrated Death Metal bands, but this is all changing rapidly with their appearance on MTV2, and more widespread publicity.
KataklysmKataklysm is a band that has moved away from the Shadows and Dust, and has become a huge Death Metal outfit! These guys have simply stunned everybody with Shadows and Dust, and are going to continue surpassing Death Metal acts, day by day. The musical maturity of this band is totally apparent live, as well as on the last album. Despite the fact that Kataklysm had to take stage first, they played an absolutely faultless set. They opened with songs off of Shadows... and moved on to Epic, then came back to Shadows... with full force, and ended with the title track, which is one of the strongest songs on this album. Keep your eye on these Canadians; they are moving at tremendous speed through the Extreme Metal world. DO NOT MISS THEM!
The HauntedNext up was Bleeding Through, and wooo unfortunately I missed almost their entire set, while eating a grilled cheese. [Wipes sweat from brow.] From what I was able to catch of these guys through all the unorganized clatter, they have a heavy overtone and a potentially good sound. But, this band did nothing for me except intensify my anticipation to see The Haunted. As for Shai Hulud, I didn't get a chance to see them... too busy drinking...
Shai HuludFinally, The Haunted took stage!!! It was pretty early when they went on, and they had a nice, long set. They played numerous songs off of One Kill Wonder and The Haunted Made Me Do It. Although I was a bit intoxicated as usual, I believe they played "Hate Song" as well. The Haunted is one of those bands that has an expected outcome to their shows = utterly jam-packed! However, it was nice to be able to enjoy their set away from the vicious crowds.
In sum, this whole show was a perfect night, minus a few mishaps. The whole gang was out enjoying themselves! When this show comes to your town, make a special effort to get there, if not for anyone else, for Kataklysm. I am so ecstatic they are finally getting the recognition they so extremely deserve.
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