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Abyss's Review (2/11/03, B.B. King's, NYC):

Fear, Emptiness, Despair: Tales Of The Guest List Line

Apparently, B.B. King can play a guitar much better than he can tell time. At least that is what is to be believed if one uses his namesake Times Square club as any sort of measure. Normally, when a show is supposed to start at 8:00 p.m. and I arrive at the venue at ten of, I don't expect to miss the first TWO bands. I arrived at B.B. Kings and waited on line as they let people, five at a time, into the venue. This was at least understandable, as I've seen many venues around the city do the same sort of thing. What really pissed me off was once I got inside I had to wait on the GuestList/Will Call line, which just plain didn't move. It was only about 10 people deep, and yet it took me over a half an hour to move 15 feet. This venue has been around for awhile now, they really should have this sort of thing down by now. Anyway, I finally staggered into the packed venue just after Strapping Young Lad finished their set. I'm a big fan and was very disappointed, so I made a beeline to the bar to get some elixir to prevent me from killing something.

Dark Tranquillity Photos by Hel

A few beers later I was awaiting Dark Tranquillity and trying to get in a better mood. DT did put me in a better mood, thankfully, but I was a bit disappointed by their sound. I'm not sure if it was where I was standing, because I talked to Solomon later and he thought they sounded great, but they sounded muddied and the guitars were not nearly as loud as they should've been. Apparently I'm just destined to never see this band with clear sound, as they had the same problems when I saw them last in Jersey. Luckily for me, I'm a huge Dark Tranquillity fan and my sheer love for the material forced me into having a good time. I just can't stay in a bad mood when I'm listening to "Punish My Heaven". The crowd seemed to really dig the band, something I wondered as this band was by far the most melodic on the bill. Sound problems or not, I'll see this band every time they come to town.

Nile

When this line up was first announced I was a little surprised that Napalm Death weren't headlining. And apparently that's the same thing that all of their fans were thinking as well, as that was my most overheard criticism for the night. Now, I've never been that huge a fan of Napalm Death, but they got me pretty excited this night. I don't know if it was the set they picked, or if I was just in the mood for them, but I enjoyed this show far more than any other ND show I've seen before. The band continuously cracks me up, however. From Shane Embury's hair (you gotta love it!), to Barney's schizophrenic antics, I'm always smiling. First off Barney's Birmingham accent is so thick that I'm starting to question if Ozzy is as fucked up as I thought he was, apparently you can't understand anyone from there. And his spastic gyrations on stage make him look like he's got less rhythm than a blind and deaf white kid with Tourette's Syndrome. But they sure as hell sounded good. A nice complement of insane speed and crushing groove, the band really put on a great show. There was also a good deal of older material to satisfy all the veterans.

I'm sick of hearing all the shit people are saying about Nile. Basically in this scene, whenever you have as acclaimed an album as Black Seeds of Vengeance, everyone is going to come out of the woodwork to tell you that they're soooo yesterday. At least the crowd this night, which might have thinned slightly after Napalm, was appreciative. It's getting harder and harder to write about seeing this band live, as I feel like I've seen them a million times already. But I'm always happy as a pig in shit when they are on the stage. Their three vocal attack, excellent musicianship and interesting song structures make them a top-notch death metal act in my book, and a great live experience.

This is a great tour for the sheer sake of the broad spectrum of styles on display. Hopefully when they come to your town it will be a better-run venue than B.B King's

 

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Death's Review (1/22/03, The Key Club, Hollywood, California):

Napalm Death

Late again. We got to the Key Club and Strapping Young Lad was onstage. I only got to see a couple of songs. But what I saw kicked ass. Hevy Devy (Devin Townsend) was in rare form, screaming and shredding away. Drummer Gene Hoglan dominated from behind the kit, sounding every bit the inhuman machine we all know he is (just kidding - he not only plays with god-like precision but emotion and feeling too!). Too bad it was all over so quickly. I missed out, but I do really like SYL and I am confident that this band will back, hopefully with less than three other acts above them on the bill.

Dark Tranquillity was next, and they clearly owned this night. This band fucking rules. "Monochromatic Stains" was a highlight this night, and although the vibe was brought down a bit by the collection of old-school meatheads yelling for Napalm Death that surrounded me, I was psyched. I think the overall feel of the show was better when I saw Dark Tranquillity playing with In Flames at the Glass House in Pamona last fall, but the band is to blamed for none of this. They kicked serious ass once again. Here's hoping they get another shot at a U.S. tour (and I have reason to suspect they will) later in the spring.

Napalm Death is Napalm Death. The L.A. crowd ate it up. They sounded tight, but I grew bored after a while, sadly, and with the place so packed, I ended up wandering outside to hang with Chainheart and Sabbath while Hel fought up front to take photos. Napalm obviously has an extremely loyal following among the SoCal death metal/grind fans, although many of these people seemed at odds with the rest of the bill. So be it I guess.

Nile

Soon enough, it was time for Nile. It was great to see them headline this show over so many other well-respected acts from the extreme/underground metal scene. Nile have truly built a career, in many ways having become a top-tier death metal headliner over the last few years. They sounded killer this night, with a good mix and no real standout technical challenges to hinder them (unlike the last few times I saw them). I banged my head right along until I could not band it anymore. Nile proved themselves a confident act this night, and the death metal legions left satiated from a night well spent.

 

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Hel's Review (1/22/03, The Key Club, Hollywood, California):
Another night of metal awaited us on the Sunset Strip. I was very excited for this show, and was determined to somehow see at least a little of Strapping Young Lad, as I had never before had the pleasure. It turns out that this was a fairly realistic goal, for a change, and we actually entered the venue while they were still onstage. Employing my new and improved, "I'm getting a picture of this band no matter who's in my way" strategy, I plowed straight through the crowd to the front. I had learned my lesson about sold-out shows at the Key Club, and wasn't going to let anyone stop me from at least trying to come up with a photo of the notorious Hevy Devy. Unfortunately, in my flurry, I failed to note what the song and a half I actually heard were. But, it sounded great, and the crowd was appreciative, as was I.

Strapping Young Lad

After my initial flurry, I finally made my way back to where Death was waiting, and we spend the interval chatting with various metal folks we've met since arriving in LA. The Century Media crew was out in force, as were the LA Metal TV guys. Finally, it was time for Dark Tranquillity, and I plunged forward once more. There are basically two major obstacles between the back of the venue and the front. The first are the stairs down to the main level. There are about five steps to each set, with one set on either side of the venue. When the club is empty, this is an aesthetically pleasing arrangement. However, as all short people know, the stairs have the best view, and the venue does not bother to ensure these stairs are kept clear, so when the venue is packed, so are the stairs. The only way to find them under these circumstances is to know where they are. The second obstacle is the fans themselves. For example, the people on the stairs do not hold the opinion that anyone should actually be able to get by. And the fans standing right in front of the stage do not believe that a photographer would actually want to be taking pictures of the band. Some of them, in fact, see the camera, and try to a) shake me as much as they possibly can, or b) get themselves into each and every shot. Neither of these attitudes is helpful.

Getting past these obstacles is only one of the challenges of the evening. Another is the terrible slowness of my flash recharging. The band members always seem to pose just before the flash can go off. Dark Tranquillity is a very photographer-friendly band. All of the members of the front line came right over to me at one time or another, and if my flash was faster, I would have had a ton of amazing stuff. As it was, I came out of the crowd several songs later with plenty of good pictures and the pleasure of having witnessed this great band's energy from the front row. Before I hoisted the camera to serve Metal Judgment, I had always avoided the front lines, and for good reason. A small person can get crushed down there. But my years of metal-going have taught me a trick or two, and now I'm only in there for a few songs, so all in all, I don't mind so much. Particularly if the band is an excellent example of musicianship, as Dark Tranquillity are. I was almost reluctant to leave, except for the whole getting-crushed thing was starting to be a bummer.

Dark Tranquillity

After catching up with Death again, and completing the experience of being mashed into little bits by Dark Tranquillity's awesome performance, we stepped outside for a bit to wait for Napalm Death to go on. One of the fun things about the Key Club is the corner area outside of the club. Mostly, it's just a big empty slab of concrete, and the venue lets people out there to accommodate the smokers, who are not permitted to light up inside, per California law. In New York, you'd never see this big an area of empty concrete in such a busy part of town. Here, it is a serious social scene between sets, and when the heat inside gets to be too much. Odd characters just wandering the Strip will come up and say funny things to the metal fans hanging outside, and all in all, it can occasionally be more interesting than the band inside. Though that had not yet happened on this night.

Napalm Death was where this all changed for me. I like Napalm Death well enough, but they've never been in my personal top echelon of bands. I was already a bit put off by the fans, some of whom had been chanting "Napalm Death" at very inappropriate moments throughout the night. Once Napalm Death took the stage, those fans became much more than simply obnoxious. Not even my most aggressive moves were getting me close enough to the stage for decent pictures, and I wasn't even able to circle around to the other side for a second attempt. So after trying most valiantly, I surrendered to the obnoxious fans, and fled the overcrowded, overheated conditions for the momentary refuge outside. Not that I didn't think they were doing a great job, the band was great, with tons of spirit. But the fans were completely over the top, in a way that I've rarely seen in my dozen years of slogging the metal concert trenches. These fans were rabid, and there were a lot of them.

Napalm Death

A few of those fans departed following the close of Napalm's set, but many more stayed to witness Nile's assault on Hollywood. In the past, it had often seemed the first song of two of Nile's set could be a little rough, while they sorted out the computer sampling glitches. But it had been quite a while since the last time I saw this foursome live, and it was clear that this time around, there were no glitches. They sounded completely fantastic, and the energy in the room was at an all-evening high. The newest member seems to have been an excellent choice, both musically, and as a "frontman," though the usual meaning of the term does not truly apply in this case. Every note was perfect, and they were simply amazing.

I know there are a lot of Nile non-believers, and if they have not seen the live show, I encourage them to. Talk shit about them after you've gotten up close and absorbed it all. Until you've done that, you just don't get it. If you're still saying it after, well, then, I guess you just don't get it! The entire night was fantastic, with my impatience with the Napalm Death scenario being the only un-perfect aspect. Close enough for five skulls in my book.

 

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Metal Militia's Review (2/11/03, B.B. King's, NYC):

Let me start of by giving a big "Fuck You" to the people over at B.B. King's for not knowing how to handle a freaking guest list. The way it works, I give you my name and my ID, then you check my name off of the stupid list and you let me in. You don't recheck the list a dozen times and ask me whether or not I won the tickets in a contest, that's none of you business, thank you very much. Because of the morons running the ticket station I missed the Berzerker's (the band I wanted to see the most) entire set. What a shitty way to start a concert.

Strapping Young Lad

Well my mood got a lot better when Devin Townsend and Strapping Young Lad came out. Of course before they started playing Devin had to say some cheesy stupid shit about something or another, but hey he's a quirky guy and as talented as Satan, so I'll let him make his lame jokes and weird comments. After his little spiel they ripped into the most awesome version of "OH MY FUCKING GOD" that I have ever witnessed. My jaw hit the floor as they ripped through a brutal rendition of this classic. Bodies were flying, fists were pumping, and heads were banging. By far the best song played that night. They played some songs off of the new album, which I am not yet familiar with, but if tonight was any indication the new album should not disappoint. They played a couple songs off of Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing. All around a great set, but not enough was played off of City, Townsend's greatest work to date.

Dark Tranquillity came up next and they were terrible. Absolutely horrible. I have never enjoyed the "Gothenburg" sound. And live, this was just bad. The guitars were weak, the vocals lame, and the keyboards amazingly corny. All I need to say is at one point during their set they had the audience clapping their hands in unison, like a soccer game or something. I will never understand the appeal of the Gothenburg sound, it sucked when it first appeared, and now it's worse than ever. Worst band of the night.

Nile

Napalm Death stole the freaking show. They came out of nowhere and delivered one of the best live sets that I have ever witnessed. Track after track of relentless brutality and chaos. Barney was running all over the place and the crowd fed off his obvious passion. The entire crowd was bouncing off the walls. They played some great tracks from all era's of their career, from Scum to Order of the Leech, they covered all the great tracks. The highlight of the show was when they play their famous cover of "Nazi Punks Fuck Off." At that point the crowd gave the last of its energy and created a slamming pit. Unbelievable energy, amazing set. Best band of the night and the show stealer.

By the time Nile set up, a good deal of the crowd had already left. Well, it was their loss. Nile played a superb set, and although I didn't catch all of it, it was one of the tightest musical performances I have seen. The biggest compliment I can give is that they sound better live than they do on disc. Truly an amazing musical performance. Unfortunately Napalm Death wasted the crowd and they didn't give Nile the reaction they deserved. There was cheering but Nile should be playing to a crowd of crazy fans tearing the venue down. I left right after they finished an impeccable performance of "Ramses Bringer of War." A perfect end to a great night. This show would have definitely received 5 skulls if I didn't have to sit through that abortion of an performance by Dark Tranquillity.

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Sabbath's Review (1/22/03, The Key Club, Hollywood, California):

Highlight of the evening: Dark Tranquillity

Finally, another show at the Keyclub arrived, and I could not have asked for a more perfect line-up. The Berserker was the opener, which was not a big issue because I did not get inside until they were finished. [Wipes sweat from brow] Due to The Berserker's last performance I had to witness, I was almost hoping that I missed them. Let's just say I was not disappointed in the slightest that their set was missed. All I could hope for was that they had a better experience than their last show here, with Vader.

Strapping Young Lad

Next up was STRAPPING YOUNG LAD!!!! I am sure everyone is very familiar with SYL and their ingenious, fanatical front man Devin Townsend and his outrageous stage presence. Not to mention that he is one of the most in-demand producers at the moment. This is one band I had missed a while back, and had repeatedly kicked myself in the ass for it. They did not let me down one bit. They played a variety of older material along with their newest, highly anticipated material off of SYL. I can never get enough of this band. SYL is perfected with one of the most dedicated, iconic, and renowned drummers in the Extreme Metal scene: None other than Gene Hoglan. Devin manages to create some of the most intense, and overpowering riffs one could hope for, and his passionate, curdling screams are what give this band diverse style. What more could a fan want? Almost every genre of Metal wrapped into one band, with members that have an important stature and control over the Metal scene. Their set was extremely tight, and the sound was enormous. This is a band you do not want to miss. EVER!

Dark Tranquillity, a band who has dominated the Swedish Metal scene for years and years to come, at last have returned to the states in support of their latest, and quite possibly their best, album to date: Damage Done. They played "Final Resistance," which is one of my personal favorite songs, and "The Treason Wall," as well as material off of Haven. This band has an incredible amount of melody, and they definitely have conquered the art of "The Gothenburg" sound. DT is close to being one of my more favorite bands from Sweden, along with Embraced (rip). Their harmonized riffs, mastered solos, and unbelievable ability to write such emotional music keeps me interested in them as a dedicated fan and avid listener of their music. Dark Tranquillity's stage presence, and actually seeing them live brought all their music to life, and made me appreciate their talent that much more. They surely got the crowd excited!!

Coming from a newer generation of metal heads, I have to say I am not a huge follower of Napalm Death. They are a classic band, which I do like, and they have influenced countless bands, but I was not too into their set that night. However, I do like Utopia Banished, and Enemy of the Music Business. I have seen Napalm Death before, and they always play an implausible live show, and they always seem to hold the crowd by their balls. ND is a band that has never died, and hopefully will not anytime soon. They continue to spread their disease throughout the Metal community, and continue to create new albums. ND is a must see live, don't miss them!

Nile

Due to an unmentionable mishap, I had to leave a bit early from the show and unfortunately missed Nile. I know, I know, but I have seen Nile about four times now, and I know what they are capable of. Nile is one of my favorite live bands, and their level of technicality is so far beyond anything I have ever heard live. Their work is clean, yet distorted... and mosh friendly, yet confusing at the same time. This is what I love about Nile's performances. They always have everyone extremely hyped to see them, and they completely obliterate the stage every wanking time they play. They tour so much, I wonder if they even have homes to go back to nowadays. Their Black Seeds of Vengeance tour had me very excited. Nile is known for bringing out of the crowd this unruly ambiance. It is almost as if they put the crowd into a trance, while taking us on a quick detour to ancient Egypt so that we might feel the wrath Ramses brought upon his people. Nile's level of Metal is hard to explain. Anyone who has heard any of their albums can gather that right off the bat, unless they are an exceptionally retarded person to begin with. I am sure no one has had a second thought about actually going to see Nile live, but if you do, here is your assurance. GO NOW, before you realize what an idiot you are for missing them!!

To conclude, other than receiving the occasional groping/fondling by the lovely "fellow metal dudes" upon my ass at this show, I must say it was a perfect night. With each new show that arrives to Hollywood, there is a new variety of metal heads that seem to emerge from their dungeons. This was, most certainly, a fantastic show with superb bands that complimented each other nicely. I am grateful to have seen this tour at full force.

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