Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Satyricon Concert
Average Rating: 4.25 Skulls
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Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Satyricon Concert
Average Rating: 4.25 Skulls |
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Death's Review (5/2/04, The House of Blues, Hollywood, CA):
Ahhh . . . there's nothing like the morning after. The morning after a metalfest, that is. The last night's debauchery was a blur (did one of us, heavily under the influence of Jaegermeister, actually scale the side of the Crowne Plaza in an attempt to "fight" some dudes who were partying on a top floor balcony and whom, other than the alcohol, he had no actual beef with?), but we had to spring to action early in the a.m. nonetheless. A quick shower, some rushed goodbyes and we were off, into the rental car and headed for Logan Airport. We got there in time to drop off our friend at his flight, return the car, grab a quick bite, and before we knew it, we were in the air on our way back to California. Lucky for me, I was able to drift off to sleep on the plane . . .
Satyricon
Photo by HelWe landed, jumped in a cab and headed home. We flopped down on the couch, watched part of Opeth's Lamentations DVD, ran some errands (helped out a friend who needed a jump start), and before we knew it, the madness was ready to begin again. Off to the House of Blues - we went to meet up with Sabbath and see some more metal. We got there in time to say hello to folks, get a drink, and get inside to see Satyricon. Now this is a band that is going places. Satyr is a great frontman, and even without drummer Frost (replaced by Trym, ex-Emperor), the band was on fire. Having just seen Children of Bodom at the New England metalfest, my standards for live metal were high. Satyricon would have gone over fantastically at that fest. They owned the stage this night at the House of Blues, and were my favorite performers of the evening. The Volcano material was well-received, and all in all, the band has come a long way since we saw them at NYC's Wetlands what seems like oh so long ago.
Suffocation
Photo by HelI'll admit I was hard on the new Suffocation album, Souls to Deny. Seeing Suffocation live again made everything better. They are masters of the death metal genre and had a great gig here this night. The pit was raging and the fans reacted well to all of the material, both old and new. Death metal is alive and well in Los Angeles, and, clearly, so is Suffocation. Following Satyricon was no easy feat, but Suffocation pulled it off with brutality and finesse, befitting their veteran status.
Morbid Angel came next and well, they were Morbid Angel. Trey was on fire though, and the cool thing about this gig was the sound was good and you could hear Trey's leads cutting through the din. That in and of itself was enough to make this an interesting show, and I sat and stared, transfixed upon the fretboard, wondering what "InstaGIB" meant. After a few songs, however, I hit my proverbial wall. I could not stand in there any longer. I retrieved Hel from the photo pit, slipped out the door, darted home and drifted off to sleep . . .
Morbid Angel
Photo by HelMy three day, 3,000 mile ultimate heavy metal weekend odyssey had come to an end.
Hel's Review (5/2/04, The House of Blues, Hollywood, CA):
When I learned this concert fell on the same weekend as the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, I knew there was only one thing I could do - book my flight so I could be back in time for the show. And so, despite the mutual exhaustion Death and I were experiencing following the festival festivities and the long flight home, I still insisted we rally and go out for one last dose of metal before the weekend finally came to a close. After all, as far as I was concerned, missing my local Suffocation show just because I was tired was unthinkable.
Satyricon
Photo by HelCertain factors were on our side. Because we had taken a direct flight, we actually returned in the afternoon here on the West coast, and therefore we had a few hours to rest before going out. The show was at the House of Blues in Hollywood, so it was reasonably close, inasmuch as any of the L.A. venues are close to where I live, and would end fairly early, so we would be able to be home at a relatively reasonable hour. And I was still pretty revved up from the excitement of the prior two days. When I told Death that I was going to go with or without him, the deal was sealed.
I was also very insistent that we arrive in time for Satyricon, and I was extremely pleased to find, when we arrived at the venue, that they had not yet gone on. As I made my way down to the photo pit, I reflected on the last time I saw Satyricon live, over four years ago. I always find it interesting to compare venues and crowds from different time periods in a band's career. Then, they were headlining the Wetlands (which doesn't even exist anymore) in NYC, with opening acts Immortal and Krisiun. Now, they are the opening act, but the venue they were playing is more than twice as large, and the other two bands on the bill are both death metal bands, a reversal from last time (which was two black and one death, for the genre-challenged).
Suffocation
Photo by HelTonight, a sizable audience, receptive to the pro-black metal rhetoric accompanying the set, greeted Satyricon with enthusiasm. The band delivered a blistering set of a mixture of old and new material, and between songs talked up black metal, and metal in general. It was clear that the band was pleased with the reception they were receiving in Hollywood on this Sunday night, and rewarded us with a truly inspired set. Corpse paint occasionally peeked out from behind the flying hair of the band members, as the band incessantly gave their all with every song.
Suffocation, the reason I was really here, was up next. At last year's New England Metal & Hardcore Festival I had been treated to my very first live Suffocation experience, so it seemed fitting that I would see them again right on the heels of returning from this year's festival. The crowd was absolutely insane from the moment the band took the stage. The set was everything I hoped it would be, with a selection of new and old tunes, delivered with a maniacal ferocity. I was downright giddy when I saw them selling Despise the Sun at the merch table for $10, since I had just picked it up at the fest for $5. Seeing that, and the killer set from the band, was the cherry on top of my weekend. The performance alone was definitely worth the early flight back!
Morbid Angel
Photo by HelMorbid Angel closed out the evening. Trey and his hired guns once again performed with their usual precision, and the crowd, who had been enthusiastic throughout the night, seemed to be entranced. I was certainly being entertained, but the long weekend was beginning to take its toll, so I didn't stick around for the entire set. At this point, I've seen Morbid live enough times to know what to expect from the rest of the set, and there is something about the way the line up is constantly shifting that annoys me. So, all things being equal, I decided leaving a little early was preferable to staying until the bitter end.
So, everything worked out the way I had hoped, and I got to see Suffocation. My crazy scheme of packing one more show into a chock-full metal weekend went off without a hitch, and I had a great time. Missing the first band on the bill, Premonitions of War, didn't make me even a little bit sad, because I couldn't figure out for the life of me why there would be a hardcore band on this bill anyway, and I'd already had more than enough hardcore for one weekend already. The goal had been to see Suffocation and Satyricon, and to check out Morbid Angel as well. Mission accomplished.
Metal Militia's Review (4/18/04, B.B. King's, New York, NY):
Well, another weekend comes to pass and that means another excellent metal show that is not to be missed. This past weekend it was Suffocation, who for some ridiculous reason were opening up for over-the-hill borefest Morbid Angel at one of the most annoying venues in the city, BB Kings. BB Kings is basically the antithesis of every metal club you've ever been to. Six dollar beers, security guards who won't hesitate to take away cameras or throw concert goers out for passing out fliers in the venue, and on top of all this they are atrociously slow at letting ticket holders into the place. Fans can wait in line for upwards of an hour even though the doors are open and bands are playing. If you really want to catch an opening act then you need to arrive EARLY. Basically, BB Kings sucks, and if it didn't have worthwhile shows then it would be nothing more than another shitty tourist trap in Times Square.
Satyricon
Photo by Hel
Suffocation
Photo by Black SheepBy the time I actually got into the venue I had missed Premonitions of War, and Satyricon was setting up. I've never gotten the hype behind this band, sure some of their early stuff was decent enough black metal, although it wasn't anything special, and their recent output is irrelevant. Despite all this there was a sizable crowd screaming along with their songs. The set focused almost exclusively on their recent material, so I wasn't all that interested, but they ended with "Mother North", which on its own is a fucking excellent song, and it redeemed their entire set.
Suffocation came on next, and I don't even need to think I need to write again how awesome their live set is. Just look at any of my previous reviews of them at the New Jersey Fest or the New England Fest and it's basically the same quality. There was one major difference this time around: this was the first time I was actually annoyed with their set list. It's been almost exactly the same the past four times I've seen them, and while it's an awesome selection of songs and the new ones sound amazing I just need to say one thin - PLAY "FUNERAL INCEPTION". Please, just once play this fucking song live so I can be satisfied that I have heard all the best Suffo songs live. Other than that these guys rule, and the new album is going to destroy everything in its path.
Morbid Angel
Photo by Black SheepMorbid Angel finished up the night, and they really didn't have much of an impact. Suffocation performed with such ferocity and their set was so relentless that the laid back old fogies in Morbid Angel never really had a chance to compete. The crowd for the most part was into it, but I was bored, maybe if they played "Altars of Madness" and "Blessed Are The Sick" all the way through in order I would have given a fuck, but they didn't, so I left early.
Sabbath's Review (5/2/04, The House of Blues, Hollywood, CA):
Just by looking at this bill, one should already know it is going to be an amazing night. A bill consisting of: an incredible Black Metal band whom have never toured the States yet [Ed. - Satyricon toured the U.S. in 2000.]; a legendary Brutal Death Metal band who are icons of their time who have "reunited . . . and it feels soooo good"; and a classic Death Metal band who has inspired countless people into starting bands, and simply loving and appreciating good American Death Metal. Needless to say, before I even got to the House of Blues I was very excited, and the energy pouring off of the crowd was wonderful!! You could tell that everyone who attended this show was extremely enthusiastic about just being there, and having a good time with other Heads of Metal.
Satyricon
Photo by HelPremonitions of War was the first band to start this night out, but I missed their set due to some problems I encountered with the photo pass people, and managed to make it in right when Satyricon began to play. In addition to these Norwegians and their fantastic live presentation, the House of Blues is known for its incredible sound, and ability to really make these bands come alive. Satyricon played their classic track "Mother North" and a few other tracks including new material from their latest release Volcano. I was very impressed with their set. Satyricon gave an outstanding performance, and really delivered satisfaction to the crowd who came to see some Norwegian Black Metal!!
Suffocation
Photo by HelNext up was the band I had arrived for - SUFFOCATION! We all know their story, and have heard it numerous times, so there really is no need for me to go into their background in depth. However, any Death Metal fan - or, for that matter, anyone who likes Metal in general - should know the household name of "Suffocation." In a nutshell: this band pummeled the 90's American Death scene with their unstoppable releases, and then they broke up and broke every Death Metal fans' heart. Now they have regrouped, released a new album, and are touring on top of it all!!! What a fucking story this is!! I was lucky enough to have seen the newly reformed Suffocation with original members (minus Derek Boyer) at Las Vegas Metal Fest a few months back, and I was blown away then. And just when I thought Suffocation could not blow me away with their performance any more than they already had in Vegas, boom, they did it again! They played a flawless set, and with new addition - the real dynamo of Death Metal bassists - Derek Boyer (Decrepit Birth, Ex-Deprecated, Ex-Vital Remains, Ex-Deeds of Flesh, Ex-Dying Fetus, Ex-Disgorge-USA) on the scene, they kicked twice as much ass!!! This boy Boyer has quite a hefty, remarkable resume!! I suggest to everyone that you make this show; it is imperative to your Metal lifestyle that you see this show. If you do not go see this show for whatever lame excuse or reason, you are an extreme douche bag who should be shot 20 times in the liver area, or kidneys. I will not state what songs they played, just so everyone keeps guessing and awaits their set in anticipation!
Morbid Angel
Photo by HelBy the time Morbid Angel took the stage I was pretty fucking drunk, too bowled over by Suffocation's set, and I needed to take a breath of fresh, yet smoggy, California air. I came back in, caught a few songs of Morbid, and then the show was over. It started and ended early, pretty much. There is not much I can say about Morbid Angel that everyone doesn't already know. They kick ass, and are accomplished veterans of Death Metal, however, I was very saddened to see Morbid without Erik Rutan. It was weird to say the least, but something I was expecting all along. It was just a bit disappointing to actually see him gone.
In retrospect, this show was perfect, action-packed, and intense. I loved all the bands that I saw, even though in my personal opinion Suffocation blew everyone out of the water and hung them out to dry in the blistering sun! Cheers to another great show, and many more to come. Next up, ICED EARTH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, and EVERYGREY . . . it is going to be a good month.
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