Headbangers Ball the Tour: Shadows Fall, Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage
Rating: 4.5 Skulls
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Headbangers Ball the Tour: Shadows Fall, Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage
Rating: 4.5 Skulls |
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Death's Review (11/19/03, The Henry Ford Theatre, Hollywood, CA):
Killswitch Engage
Photos by HelI’d never been to this venue before. It had its ups and downs, but the rooftop bar / smoking area with the video and audio from the stage projected on the side of the building was pretty cool. Killswitch was first for this gig on this rotating bill, and they were cool. But, like all of the bands on this show, they did come across a bit road weary. In fact, the theater was big but it was not sold out. I was kinda surprised, because I had been thinking about this tour being a real powerhouse back when it was first announced. But all of these bands are at or near the end of their touring cycle for their current records. Maybe Lamb of God hasn’t been out that long, but Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage have been touring for a long time on their respective records, and thus I think people had seen most of these bands several times recently as part of other tours. And the same audience probably would have come out for a headlining show for any one of these three bands, so I’m sure their audiences were all that complimentary.
Shadows Fall (L) & Lamb of God (R)Anyway, back to the music, mainly Killswitch. They are a pretty killer live band, and I kinda got into because I wanted to more than because the performance demanded it. I started thrashing around, but then later in the set I was talking to a friend who wasn’t that into it, and she made me realize what I already knew deep down – that Killswitch Engage just isn’t metal enough, although Shadows Fall is. I love the new Lamb of God. This show was pretty killer, but I have seen better from them. The room had a strange “cavernous” vibe, I guess. Anyway, I moved up front and thrashed around and banged my head to classics old and new like “Eleventh Hour” and “Black Label”. I had a great time, and the wall of death is always entertaining. Shadows Fall headlined. Pretty much the same set I’d seen from them the last few times they’d come through town. Cool, but I’m definitely ready for a new album.
Hel's Review (11/19/03, The Henry Ford Theatre, Hollywood, CA):
Killswitch EngageDespite MTV2’s apparent insistence on shoving crappy pseudo-metal down our collective throats, as demonstrated by the ever increasing amount of pap getting airtime on the re-instated Headbanger’s Ball (i.e., special guests on the 11/29/03 edition: Poison the Well, E. Town Concrete, Sick of it All), someone along the way picked an underground friendly roster for this tour. Kudos to those responsible for making the Tour something the show is increasingly failing to be – moderately relevant to the modern metalhead.
Lamb of GodFor our leg of the tour, God Forbid filled the opening slot. The first leg featured up and comers Unearth in the lead off position, and again, this counted as a good choice in my book. God Forbid is also a solid selection, but in a roster full of bands I have seen time and time again, I may have actually previously witnessed these guys even more often than the others. They have a long history of putting on high-energy sets and providing the audience with rousing good times, but my disappointment in missing them on this night was minimal. I feel like I can run through their set with my eyes closed at this point, so while I know it was a good one, I also know pretty much just what it was. At this stage, what I’d like most would be for God Forbid to put a new record out. This, above all, would have provided me with the additional motivation to get there in time for their set. As it stands, I know what I missed, and I recommend anyone who has not had the pleasure yet to exert a strong effort to check them out the next chance you have.
Shadows FallI’m told by those in the know that the three featured bands on the tour (Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, and Shadows Fall) rotated each show. The aforementioned order is the sequence they fell in for our show. I arrived at the very beginning of Killswitch’s set. While this band has always been my least favorite of the three, I’ve long felt that they put on a highly entertaining stage show. Tonight they would prove this yet again. Ripping through the usual set list, their antics were as silly and over exaggerated as always. Clownish behavior is often the order of the day with these boys, but their musicianship always maintains the high standard displayed on their records. This combination makes them an audience favorite, and has slowly been endearing this band to me, far more than their albums alone ever would. I give these guys a lot of credit for being able to stand out on this bill, despite being, in my opinion, the least absorbing musically. The highlight of their set for me was watching the drum kit nearly bounce right off the riser as the drummer abused it mercilessly.
Killswitch EngageLamb of God was next on the rotation this evening. My fondness for this band has been extremely well documented by this point. One thing that has always made this band stand out in my mind is the nearly inhuman skill of their drummer, which is best experienced in a live setting. For that reason, and several others, including the intense energy they never fail to muster, I find that their live show never loses its luster for me. No matter how many times the vocalist jumps into the crowd, it never gets old. Tonight, I was treated to a new twist. As devoted fans will have noticed, the new albums by both Lamb of God and Shadows Fall each contain a song with the line “destroyer of senses.” When LoG’s song reached that point, I noticed dreads fly through my camera’s viewfinder. Finding that strange, since none of the guys in this band have them, I looked up just in time for the Shadows Fall vocalist to finish sharing the mike, then leap into the crowd. Bonus! Once again, Lamb of God had the crowd participate in the “Wall of Death” – a concept that was unusually difficult for this particular audience – to end their set. Lamb of God proved yet again that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Lamb of GodThough all three of the core bands on the tour played sets of similar length, so there was really no “headliner” distinction in that regard, it still seemed only right, in my book, for Shadows Fall to wrap up the evening. Why? I don’t really know, except for a vague feeling in my gut that, of the three, this is the band that is blowing up the most, and will continue to do so. Whatever the reason, no matter how many times I’ve seen them in the past, whatever their position on any given bill, Shadows Fall is always the highlight for me. I think it has a lot to do with the triple vocal attack, which is finally perfectly miced these days. Many, many times in the past I have seen but not heard the backing vocals, lately though, their stature seems to have finally increased to the point that the sound people pay appropriate attention to the mics on the sides. Their performance, as it always seems to be, was absolutely intense. The crowd, which was astonishingly sparse but had been energetic throughout the evening, was enthusiastic. As he usually does, the vocalist called for a circle pit, and again, the crowd had difficulty with the concept but joyously participated once they finally grasped it. Lamb of God’s vocalist reciprocated the cameo performance with subsequent dive from the stage, though he was apparently late for his appearance. Shadows Fall’s onstage antics are also familiar, but again, they just never get old. As always, the band gave a stellar performance.
Shadows FallI’m not surprised that I had a great time. This was a very good bill overall. The venue was new for me: The Henry Ford Theater, but the outdoor rooftop balcony made it enjoyable. A decent venue needs to have a place for you to hang out in-between bands, particularly when they don’t allow you to leave, as this one didn’t, and despite the evening chill, this was a nice place to catch some air and let the smokers do their thing. For a change, I left without anything to really complain about. If that’s not the mark of a great night out, I don’t know what is.
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