Machine Head, God Forbid Concert
Average Rating: 4 Skulls
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Machine Head, God Forbid Concert
Average Rating: 4 Skulls |
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Death's Review (5/22/04, House of Blues, Hollywood, CA):
The House of Blues in West Hollywood was the scene of the crime once again, for the second time in three days. Iced Earth and Bodom on Thursday, followed by Machine Head / God Forbid on Saturday. The action was coming fast and furious. But the battle was freakin' on this night and the drunken metal warriors were out in full force. Saturday night in Hollywood, on the cusp of the full-on summertime. The Iced Earth tour had wrapped up here in L.A., and most parties associated with it were still hanging around. The Rainbow was packed, the strip was hoppin' and all was right with the world. And although it was an early show, God Forbid came out and ripped the roof off the place to set things off right. Killer guitarwork, great freakinâ songs. People were into it too. Nice work. Can't wait to see them tear up the Ozzfest stage this summer.
God Forbid
Photos by Hel
Machine HeadMachine Head were great too. I loved them at the New England fest, and they kept me entertained all the way through their set for the second time in a month. Sure, I wanted the reunited Flynn/Demmel Vio-lence guitar team to start thrashing out to "Bodies On Bodies" just as much as the next guy, but I was hanging out drinking and eating and having an awesome time with the show they gave me. C'mon now, dude - the food that you can order from the side bar downstairs to the right of the stage at the House of Blues rocks, and is there anything like jamming on a gourmet cheese steak sandwich and fries while throwing back cold imported beers and thrashing around to classics like "Ten Ton Hammer," "Davidian" and "Blood for Blood," alongside cool new stuff like "Imperium"? I think not. Someone appeared to have gotten hurt in the pit, but everyone handled it well. We were hooked with a few cool covers at the end of the set. The singer of Chimaira joined the band on "Creeping Death," and they even jammed a few Pantera riffs too.
All in all a killer night out. A great tour, even without Arch Enemy, who was originally supposed to have been part of the package.
Hel's Review (5/22/04, House of Blues, Hollywood, CA):
After a long month of concert after concert, I have to admit that as much as I love live music, I was glad to reach the end of this long string. Six shows in eleven days, or seven and a two-day festival in one month – either way you want to tally it, it adds up to a heck of a lot of shows, and a hellish amount of photos to wade through. I’m happy to have gone to them all, but my relief at getting to the end of the run was undeniable.
God ForbidOn this night, Death and I were running behind after having to make an airport pickup shortly before the show. God Forbid was already onstage by the time we arrived, and while I got there too late to take advantage of the photo pit, I had sufficient time to document the destruction they were wreaking upon Hollywood. As always, they astounded and devastated the eager audience, many of whom seemed quite familiar with the band, which was good to see. While I’ve seen God Forbid a whole lot of times, including just a few of weeks ago in New England, they always entertain, and their set never seems to get old. I hope Gone Forever does well for them.
Machine HeadSince Arch Enemy had dropped off the tour, the action moved straight to Machine Head. Interestingly, it didn’t take nearly as long for them to set up this time as it did a few weeks ago… My feelings toward Machine Head are pretty lukewarm these days. I haven’t listened to the new record yet, and while the new stuff I’ve heard them play live so far hasn’t repulsed me, it hasn’t gotten me fired up about the new album either. And the first album was the only one I even liked, so you can see how I’m not all giddy with excitement about the band. Still, despite my ambivalence, I have to admit they put on a very good show, and I cannot dispute the absolute loyalty of their fans.
Machine Head played an extra long set, and was clearly unready to call it a night when the venue finally said it was time to go. They wrapped up the evening with a couple of cover songs, including a special appearance by the Chimaira vocalist for “Creeping Death.” Everyone left the venue satisfied, and it was a night of great performances by both bands. While it wasn’t the bill I had anticipated most highly this month, it still capped off my whirlwind of shows very nicely.
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