Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Hate Eternal, Silent Civilian Concert
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Arch Enemy, Nevermore, Hate Eternal, Silent Civilian Concert
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Hel's Review (4/8/06, House of Blues, Anaheim, CA):
Photos by Hel
Hate EternalI already had longstanding plans to go with the family to Disneyland on April 8th, and then I learned that Arch Enemy, Nevermore and Hate Eternal would be playing at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney that same night. The stage was set - I would be definitely ducking out on the fam to hit this show. I knew they'd forgive me; that's what families do, after all.
As the day wore on, I checked my watch repeatedly - I was determined to be at the venue in time to see Hate Eternal no matter what. So eventually the time came and I headed out, arriving in time to catch the tail end of one-off openers Silent Civilian. To me, this smells of a band with some serious financial backing...young kids, tossing guitar picks out like they were made of them, I've already seen their video get play... Frankly, I think they sounded like yet another generic medio-core band. And I happen to be of the opinion that medio-core is currently destroying the musical landscape - and not in a good way. So, yeah, they were energetic and sounded fine, but it just isn't what I like right now.
NevermoreThe set change between Silent Civilian and Hate Eternal was one of the shortest and most efficient I'd ever seen at a House of Blues venue. Hate Eternal is clearly a band living on what they make as a metal band; the members themselves tested and tuned their instruments before their set. I was surprised to see Kevin Talley sitting behind the kit testing the drums, a feeling that intensified when, within less than 15 minutes Hate Eternal hit the stage - with Kevin still behind the kit. At was at this point I realized how lame the audience in Anaheim is; in Hollywood, a band like Hate Eternal hits the stage and within three songs people are coming over the barricade into the photo pit, yet in Anaheim, there wasn't even a security guard stationed in the pit. The band spent the entire set trying to get the crowd to mix it up, with Talley even standing up on the kit and waving his arms and Rutan screaming at the crowd sans mic. Finally, during the last half of the last song, a body came flying by. The band delivered a killer set, proving once again they are the fiercest three-piece in death metal, even without their regular drummer. They thanked Kevin for filling in and learning the material in three days - which didn't do much to solve the mystery, so I did a little research and learned that Derek Roddy apparently up and quit the band mere days before the tour. Crazy. It is a testament to the dedication of these guys that they didn't let it faze them, and found a solution instead of canceling. The kids behind me were rabid for a pick from the band, and judging by the condition of one band member's shoes, I'm thinking they can't really spare them. But they did pause in breaking down their equipment to come over and slap hands with them, which made their night. Definitely make the effort to arrive in time to see these guys the next time they're on any bill that may come through your town.
Nevermore were next on the bill, and there were clearly some serious fans in the audience. Honestly, they were the band I was there to see. I'm not sure when the last Nevermore show I saw was, but I do know it was a hell of a long time ago. I did get to go to the video shoot for "I, Voyager" but that was like two years ago, and doesn't really count. So I was psyched to be able to finally see them again. They played all newer material, which was slightly disappointing for me. They were absolutely amazing, and I was sad to be hustled out of the photo pit after the third song. But I was dismayed when I stepped beneath the balcony and heard the quality of the sound instantly degrade into a muffled mess. There had only been one space to stand on my way out, and I knew it wouldn't be there anymore, so I spend the rest of the set wandering around looking for that mythical spot in the club where it would both sound good and I could see. I settled for a spot in the balcony against a pillar next to the VIP entrance where I could see Van and the top of Warrel's head. It really was the best I could do. At least I could see them on the giant screens suspended above the stage...
Arch EnemyI've never been a fan of Chimaira, so for me the last band of the night would be Arch Enemy. I was flying solo and there didn't seem to be anyone I knew at the show, so I elected to take a seat in the photo pit to wait out the set change, which turned out to be quite lengthy. I passed the time chatting with a photographer who had his 13 year old daughter in tow, who I was told he had taken to see Arch Enemy five years before and was now a huge fan. She was a bit of a thing, which of course made me miss my own daughter, who was watching the fireworks in Disneyland with her daddy at about that moment. Soon Arch Enemy emerged to the great joy of the assembled masses. It seemed to me as though most of the crowd was there to see AE, and later I saw a mass exodus, which seemed to me much too early to be following Chimaira's set... I only stayed for my three songs, since I did not want to keep my family waiting for too long, and I have been to many an AE show, so I felt I already knew the final score. Angela sounded pretty good despite her declaration that she had a cold and "needed some help" from the fans - a cold always makes my growl more fierce, I know. I still am saddened to see only one Amott onstage, but the band tears on. All in all, a killer show and one I am glad I was able to make.
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