Strapping Young Lad and Samael with Cathedral
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Strapping Young Lad and Samael with Cathedral |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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3 | |
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3 | |
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4 | |
| Go to Reader Reviews |
Abyss' Review (9/29/03, Don Hill’s, New York City):
No Sleep Till Bedtime
SYL
photos by HelUgh. A Monday night metal show, is there anything more annoying? One has to weigh their love for the sonic steel with that of a long, long week. On top of that, Don Hill’s always have their shows start unnecessarily late, amplifying the problem. This night would be no different. I got to the venue at about a quarter to nine just in time to see a local Brooklyn band, most likely high school age, take the stage. Which means it would be ten o’clock before any of the bands I came to see would make an appearance.
Cathedral, inexplicably, was the opening act for this show. Being a huge Cathedral fan, this depressed me greatly, as they’ve been a much more consistent and relevant band than Samael. For those of you who have never seen Cathedral live, it is a mesmerizing experience. This band are the thickest motherfuckers out there, plodding thorough a muscular set that puts the heavy in heavy metal. Atlas himself would take one listen to them and say, “Now that’s fucking heavy.” Their set was amazing but all too brief, touching on new material like “Soul Flower” and playing some old favorites of mine, including “Mystery Mountain” and “Hopkins”. Lee was in full command the entire night, his trademark voice grating on top of the doomy hooks and the aural dirges. Cathedral are worth the price of admission alone.
SamaelSamael used to be a favorite of mine in the mid-nineties. Albums like Ceremony of Opposites and Passage spent aeons in my CD player, but I’ve lost a lot of interest in the time since. This would be the second time I’ve seen this band, and while at the first show I was excited to see them for the first time, this time, with that novelty gone, the band is a little less impressive. The fact that they lack a live drummer is something that just can’t be ignored. There’s really nothing like the reverberation felt through the club floor when a double bass drum is being pounded into submission, and a drum machine just can’t mimic that. And while I still appreciate songs like “Rain” and “Baphomet’s Throne”, putting these guys on after Cathedral is just a mistake.
SYLUnfortunately, by the time the mighty Canadians, Strapping Young Lad, took the stage, it was very late, and I could only stay to hear a few songs and get insulted a few times. But hey, hearing “Oh My Fucking God” and getting called names by Devin Townsend is always fun no matter how brief. Hopefully the venue you see this show at is more reasonable when it comes to show times. One word review: Late.
Death's Review (9/14/03, The Whisky, West Hollywood, CA):
SamaelI missed Cathedral, as I was watching the NFL late games and was feeling a bit lazy this night, having trouble motivating. Strapping Young Lad was on next, and they smoked, as always. I’ve seen them several times in support of the SYL album, and never has the performance been disappointing. Gene dominates the kit, Devin self-deprecates, screams and makes us laugh. It is clear that Los Angeles loves Strapping Young Lad and rightfully so. Sure, it’s a goof, but purposefully so. And those jackhammer riffs and killer drumming simply are not funny. They are technical and they are brutal. There is no substitute for an SYL live show, and this night was no exception.
After the set change it was time for Samael. To cop Abyss’ device – one word review: boring. Seriously, I was not into it. Without a drummer the live show suffers. Even long-time, old school fans seemed to be a bit lost. I did like the fact that there were points where at least some serious floor-tom tribal pounding was going on, a la Neurosis, but that was it. I just did not feel this show.
SYLOverall, this one is hard to rate. I LOVED Strapping Young Lad, but missed Cathedral and wasn’t into Samael.
Hel's Review (9/14/03, The Whisky, West Hollywood, CA):
SamaelI’m sad to say that we were running late yet again. I had hoped to arrive early enough to catch local band Artisan. Members of this band are often out at shows handing out stickers and flyers, and I think they do a great job promoting their band. So I was thinking I’d finally have the chance to check them out. To my horror, when we arrived I learned that we had not only missed Artisan, but Cathedral as well.
That really bummed me out. Inasmuch as I would have a “favorite” in their genre, Cathedral would certainly be high on the list. They put on a phenomenal live show that I had been looking forward to seeing again. But alas, there was nothing to be done, the band was over, and I had to move on with my night. And what a way to move on Strapping Young Lad is.
SYLI’ve managed to see this band a number of times in the past year, and I daresay each time is more entertaining than the last. Devy was in rare form once again, and made numerous jokes, insulting pretty much everything coming to mind, and being generally expressive. The performance was energetic, and between the lively banter and Devin’s animated facial expressions, their set was vastly enjoyable. Each time I see this band I like them more and more. I’m so glad Devin dusted this project off and brought it back out to play with us. Thank you!
Samael headlined the evening, and much of the meager crowd dispersed following SYL. The venue was pretty empty at this point, but you wouldn’t have know it watching the band, as they delivered with an intense set. Even so, SYL’s performance was so devastating that Samael’s seemed almost boring in comparison. Regardless, theirs was a show for the fans, and the few in attendance were amply rewarded. My theory is that there was little turnout because the newer fans that have been coming out in big numbers to other shows just have no idea who Samael is. Eternal came out in 1999. Sure, there’s a DVD now, but that’s not something that’s really in the public eye. At any rate, the band’s set was a very good one, but there were few people there to appreciate it.
SYLStrapping Young Lad was, once again, the highlight of the night for me. That alone was worth the trip, even taking into account that we arrived too late to see Artisan and Cathedral. Samael’s set was straight from the heart, which is always a great thing, but the mediocre crowd was sad to see. Though from a photographer’s perspective, this show was a joy, few people to fight with for space, and no time limits to bum out my fun. All in all, it was a great show; more people should have seen it.
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