Nile, Hypocrisy, Soilent Green, Raging Speedhorn, Decapitated Tour
Average Rating: 4.75 Skulls
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Nile, Hypocrisy, Soilent Green, Raging Speedhorn, Decapitated Tour
Average Rating: 4.75 Skulls |
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Death's Review (1/18/06, Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA):
The weeknight trip to Santa Ana for another show at the Galaxy Theater is always a bit of a chore. The Galaxy is a late venue to begin with, not to mention it is a decent drive away from home base in L.A. Getting down there means contending with evening traffic on the 405, getting back often means staying awake. But every so often there is a show there that doesn't come to L.A. More likely, there is a tour you want to see yet you have a conflict on the L.A. night so you go to Santa Ana instead. And for the true metal geek, the Santa Ana / Anaheim / Corona / San Diego / Ventura shows allow reasonable opportunity to catch your favorite tour on multiple occasions.
Photos by Hel
NileThis time, I had a conflict with the Hollywood Nile show, and even though Hel was already going to the Key Club show the next night, she was kind enough to join me for the Nile show in Santa Ana. We waited a while before going down to avoid traffic, which of course meant we missed Soilent Green and Decapitated, which is incredibly disappointing but trust me there was nothing that could be done to avoid it. I liked seeing Hypocrisy. Peter Tagtgren and company have always delivered the goods in the live setting, and their studio output has gotten markedly better over the last few releases. I liked the new material from the Virus album, but as always, "Roswell '47" was the highlight of the set. Definitely cool to see this band again.
Nile was as brutal as ever, and sounded good headlining this mid-sized club. The band truly has developed a larger than life stage presence, and the death metal hordes had come out of the woodwork this night to really lap it all up. The sound was cool, the set list was cool, and the crowd was educated and appreciative. Definitely worth the trip down to Santa Ana, and even though we had to leave right away as things were wrapping up due to the late hour, and even though I've seen Nile many times before, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Hel's Review (1/18/06, Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA; 1/19/06, Key Club, Hollywood, CA):
When I first saw this bill, I knew it was one that I would have to see no matter what. So imagine my delight when I was able to swing going to both L.A. area shows. It had been a long time since I had last made the drive out to Santa Ana, and on the way there I was vividly reminded of why that is. The 405 sucks, plain and simple. There is always traffic. And on a weeknight? Forget about it. So there was just no possibility that I would get to see Decapitated and Soilent Green. I was able to be ok with that only because I knew I'd have another chance the next night. But I was sure hoping we would arrive in time for Hypocrisy.
HypocrisyThey were on when we arrived and past their third song, so I was unable to use the photo pit. But I had received an amazing new camera for Christmas, equipped with a 12x optical zoom for just this sort of occasion. I worked my way up to the second row, and tried my darnedest to keep my long-frizzy-haired neighbor's voluminous locks out of my shots. Again, I wasn't sweating any of it since I knew I'd have another opportunity the next night. This was my first show with the new camera and I was eager to see what I could get it to do, so I was just enjoying that. Oh, that and the amazing band - one of my favorites, whose latest album was number 2 on my top ten list - that was tearing up the stage a mere couple of feet in front of me. I was enjoying that too. It was awesome to see Peter and co. again, and they did not disappoint. I was also thrilled to see a girlie shirt with the classic logo for sale and snapped one up. In fact, I went a little nuts at the merch booth, also picking up a Decapitated shirt and a Soilent Green sweatshirt. All things I really needed, you know. And I've been wearing them all to death, so I have to say I'm pretty happy about that too.
Between bands I got to see a bunch of people I haven't seen in awhile. And made the much-talked-about trip to the merch booth... Finally Nile took the stage and I hastened to take advantage of the photo pit, since the Key Club doesn't have one, this would presumably be my best chance for photos of the band. One of the perks of taking photos is the opportunity, when a photo pit is available, to watch the show standing right smack in front of the band, without being smashed between people. It is something to appreciate, and Nile is a fun band to see up close, between their technical mastery and the emotive triple-vocal attack, it is always a good show. It broke my heart to have to leave before the set was over, but again I knew I'd have the chance to stay as long as I wanted the next night. And with a long-ass drive back home to face with it already being after 1 a.m., it had to be done.
The next day I checked the Key Club website to see what time the doors and start time were, and kept a close eye on the clock to make sure I left in time. I knew Decapitated would go on first and would play a short set, and I was determined to see every note. I arrived at exactly the time they were to start, only to encounter one of the members outside the venue and learn from him that they had gone onstage a half hour before the doors were even supposed to have opened. I was stunned. Shocked. Appalled. Horrified. I still am. It was so unspeakably wrong. A mass screw-over. The far-earlier-than-advertised start time resulting in me missing the following band as well, which didn't really trouble me. I can't even remember who it was.
Soilent GreenThe good news was that I was in time to see Soilent Green. That made me very happy. I managed to get all the way up to the stage, and I settled in to enjoy. New camera, great band whose latest album was number 3 on my top ten list, front row "seat" - all good. And the band delivered. Ben is an energetic and commanding frontman, and the entire band was dead on. The set was awesome and reinforced my joy at having procured my sweatshirt the night before. I couldn't resist picking up a couple of pins though - somewhere in the fray my Impaled pin had been ripped off, so I needed a replacement, you know.
As the night progressed, the crowd gradually grew and got more and more into the music, as generally happens at most shows. Things began to reach fever pitch as Hypocrisy took the stage. I was able, after much effort, to regain nearly the same spot I'd had for Soilent Green. Things grew more and more hectic both onstage and on the floor in front of the stage, until I was nearly being crushed, and for no good reason, since the big fat guy who was perpetrating the crime was not likewise being pushed...something that irritated me for most of the set. But the music was great, and as I already stated, I love this band, so I was happy to be there.
After having to physically shove the aforementioned jackass out of the way so that I could leave, I was glad to go outside to the relative calm of a small crowd of milling metalheads sucking on butts and generally socializing. I got to see most of the people I didn't the night before, and a few I did. Finally, it was time for Nile. I made an effort to get back up front, but it physically wasn't possible. I like to think I'm pretty adept at working my way through a crowded venue, but it just wasn't going to happen. I decided it was time to give that 12x zoom a workout, and spent the set wandering and shooting from various bird's eye vantage points. Up in the balcony luminaries like Eric Rutan enjoyed the show from VIP booths, and down below chaos reigned. The Key Club crowd loves their death metal, and Nile is a favorite. Standing up above the packed house, looking down at the seething crowd, a cold winter night in New York City and a tiny club called Coney Island High came to mind... The boys have come far since then, and it's always fun to see. Make it a point to see any of these bands the next time they roll through your town!
Gordo's Review (1/29/06, Star Central, Columbia Heights, MN):
I was so relieved when I found out that this tour wouldn't be held at the same old downtown Minneapolis shit-ball venues where metal shows are usually held. Instead myself, Nator, and our friend Troll would be making the journey to Star Central Live in the suburb of Columbia Heights. It's a relatively new club located at the end of a strip mall. Interesting choice for a metal show, but when there is free parking, a game room with pool tables, dart boards, and arcade games, plus an adjoining restaurant/bar that has cheaper drinks compared to those inside the venue, how could one be disappointed in making a friendly visit out to the 'burbs? Due to the quantity of bands playing on this day (I think there were about 4 locals), the show was scheduled to start by 3:00 pm. This does not bode well for three alcoholic metalheads that spent the last three nights enjoying hard liquor until the wee hours of the morning. It was basically time to hit the road for the 2-plus hour drive once we all woke up, and I must say I was not happy about it. I did eventually regain my strength and got ready to do it all over again.
HypocrisyFirst order of business was to stop in South St. Paul to pick up our pal G-Dog. After slaughtering some food at a restaurant down the street from his place, we went to the venue and played some darts while the local shit-ballers (thanks for that one G-Dog) did their thing. The first band we wanted to see was Decapitated, who weren't scheduled to play for awhile yet. After a drink or two, we ran into Vogg, Decapitated's guitarist, and agreed to hang out after the show. He also worked some magic to get our friends on the guest list. Thanks Vogg! Nator and I have partied with the Decapitated camp on a few occasions, so this was standard procedure. So after the guest listing was secure, we made our grand entrance into the venue and watched With Passion play for like 10 minutes. They didn't sound good, they didn't look good, but I guess they played with passion. Ha!
Decapitated was up next and while they didn't sound too great, their intensity made up for it. A lot of people rushed to the front to watch these Polish phenoms in action. I think I heard a track from every album, including a new one from their unreleased disc, Organic Hallucinosis. My only gripe is that they had some American dude playing bass and he had short hair! I'm used to seeing the 3-headed head-banging assault at a Decapitated show, but with bassist Martin leaving the band prior to the tour, I guess this would have to do. They kicked ass for the whole 20 minutes they were allowed to play.
I have never even heard of Raging Speedhorn except for in a Metal Maniacs, so I did not care to watch these guys. Instead, it was time for a drink and round of darts in the game-room. Maybe these guys are really good, but there were still three quality bands up next and sometimes my ears just can't take the volumes of a metal show. So we waited to journey back into the venue until it was time for Soilent Green. FINALLY! I have been scheduled to see these guys on a handful of occasions, but they always cancel due to their van accidents or other mishaps. I must say it was worth the wait. They sounded really fucking tight, and front-man Ben just commanded the stage. I had no idea how many good songs these guys had! My head was banging the whole time, and I was convinced after their performance that these guys just moved into my list of best live bands.
NileWhile we waited for Hypocrisy to take the stage I bumped into Decapitated's drummer, Vitek. He remembered our previous encounters, and told me that he was Hypocrisy's drum-tech for the evening. From that point on, he was no longer Vitek to us, but Drumtek instead. At least he had a sense of humor about it. OK, back to Hypocrisy. I've seen these guys at least 7 or 8 times over the years, and they always deliver. This night was no exception. Their new album is one of my favorites of 2005, so I was thrilled to see them play a few tracks from it. There was nothing special tonight, just Peter and company playing all the classics to perfection. The growls were top notch, the set list was awesome, and they sounded quite brutal. Just when I thought they would close with "Roswell 47", they threw in a twist and played "Let the Knife Do the Talking" off of Virus. Hypocrisy could've been the last band of the evening and I would've been satisfied. However, the mighty Nile had not graced us with their presence yet.
So, what can I say about Nile? You either get these guys, or you don't. I do get these guys, and have gotten them for many years, and every time they play I walk away stunned. This was about my 10th time seeing them, and it's the only time I actually sat down and just soaked it all in. You know what I'm talking about. Sometimes you just have to sit down and relax for a while after being on your feet all day. I almost prefer to do this for certain bands so I can just take everything in and not miss a note. Well they didn't miss a note. There's not really much else I can say about their performance except that they played a standard set list, and they did a damn good job. All of their albums got some attention, and the new songs sounded very impressive. Their new drummer George was the highlight for me. He's definitely one of the fastest drummers out there. The aging guitar players and the youthful bass player was quite a contrast, but they all played with equal intensity. Another brutal Nile performance was in the books. But there was still a little carnage left to partake in.
After the bands loaded all of their gear up, we journeyed with the Decapitated boys up to their bus and headed to the back lounge for some partying. Since they were sharing the bus with Hypocrisy, Peter joined us and told us some tales from the road. He is always fun to party with and always has some good metal gossip. After a while, we realized that it was late and the long journey home must soon be made. We made the final rounds to say goodbye to Drumtek and all the Decapitated and Hypocrisy guys and hit the icy roads out of there. It was a good day, and I think this was a 5 skull show before it even happened.
Nator's Review (1/29/06, Star Central, Columbia Heights, MN):
I'll just get this oot of the way now. 5 Skulls. Duh. Look at the fucking line-up. This gig of undaunted proportions was at a club in the Twin Cities that Gordo and I were quite unfamiliar with, but it came as a welcome change from the usual downtown Minneapolis. 'Twas in deed a change for the better as we later discovered. Troll, Gordo and I, along with my old college comedian pal G-Dogg, arrived at the club oot in the 'burbs with plans for some major partying with Hypocrisy and our Polish chums, the "Vek" brothers. My brother Gordo and I go a ways back with Decap drummer Vitek and guitarist Vasek, so we knew they'd be up for perhaps as much partying as ourselves. Old G doesn't listen to metal and has never been to a metal show, so we were looking forward to teaching him the wise ways of metal.
Soilent GreenUpon arriving at the show and making sure all four of us were on the list, the drinking began. Well, with a total of aboot 9 bands on this bill, and a good hour and a half before the aforementioned Decapitated, there is but one option. Corona's and Captain's dominated the late afternoon of shit-baller local bands in anticipation for the good stuff. Our new club was surprisingly pretty dang cool. It was full of places to sit, plenty of room on the floor, and had a couple of bars to choose from. The club was actually attached to another bar with a completely different crowd and musical entertainment. It was here that I strangely ran into Vasek and made plans for a tour bus smoke-down after the show.
So after a multitude of drinks and terrible bands that played "without passion," Decap finally took the stage to my frightful disgust of only 4 songs. Wow. They came all the way from Poland to play 4 songs a night? A big thanks to the fools that gave these eastern European death metal warriors barely 15 minutes to play. And many know that original bassist Martin was unavailable for this tour to attend school so he can avoid Polish army laws. Much was lost without his hair whipping and his fingers shredding along his six string, but his fill-in was definitely able to keep up musically. Regretfully he just didn't have the brutality or charisma that Martin carries. Woefully, after a to-no-fault-of-their-own slightly disappointing set, we figured we'd honor Raging Speedhorn by going into the game room to play darts and, uh, oh yeah, fuckin' DRINK!
Knowing that the band with the worst travel luck in the history of metal was up next, we pounded through our dart game and got back into the club to watch the mighty Soilent. And mighty is a mighty understatement. For those who don't know or who have never seen the Green, Ben Falgoust delivers one of the most commanding and "I'm not fucking around" stage performances in metal. He kept the crowd frenzied with his completely brutal vocals whilst the rest of the band was crankin' out the metal like a finely tuned machine. In between tracks like "Pussy Soul" and "Sewn Mouth Secrets," Ben attempted a little humor with the Minnesota Vikings as his comedy fodder, but didn't fail to take a jab at his hometown New Orleans Stains. This gave the growing crowd something to chuckle aboot in between mosh pits. So combined with the band's crushing set and Ben's whimsical quips, Soilent Green most surely knocked my dick in the dirt.
HypocrisyNow the fact remains that Hypocrisy has toured the states countless times in the past several years. I'm quite sure I've seen them at least once on every tour (and not to forget their first ever US appearance back in '98, if my memory serves, which it rarely does.) One might ask why I was so fuckin' pumped up to see them this time. Well, because their new album kicks some serious ass! Looking back at their last couple of sub-par albums. Virus brings Hypocrisy back to the forefront where they once were, as one of the premiere acts in metal. I felt last year's performance at the New England Metal Festival left them flat, and I wondered if they could ever bounce back. Well, they bounced back like a goddamn racquetball on meth and tore some shit up! By the time they came on stage, the crowd was as big as it was going to get all night. They predictably but brutally opened up with "War Path" and I snapped. All my pent up liquoredness was let loose at once as I pushed my way to the front and started thrashing and singing like I was in the fucking band! The entire crowd went nuts throughout their whole set, which included one of my old faves, "Impotent God," all the way to their encore of "Let the Knife do the Talking." I swear that recruiting Horgh on drums after Immortal broke up was the best thing that ever happened to Hypocrisy. He brings so much more to the table than original drummer Lars Szoke, and it is so evident both on the new record and live as well.
After their set, I felt completely refreshed and at peace, as if I just lost my virginity again and I could die the next day and know my life was complete. Sounds a little over-dramatic, I know. But hey, it's fucking true. And as brutal as Nile is and as much as I love 'em, I knew they wouldn't be able to follow Tagtren and Co. I needed to re-hydrate something fierce after such a blistering set, so it was back to the bar. And even though I new Nile was up next and their new album also punishes, I just couldn't get my adrenaline going again. Hypocrisy drained me of all my strength. Well, physical strength, but not drinking strength! After a couple more drinks I took to the backstage area to find the Vek brothers and get situated for some after show partying.
I certainly don't wanna take anything away from Nile here. They were totally brutal as always, but I knew what I was in for. Blast, blast, blast. As predictable as ever. If anyone ever expects anything else from these guys, they're nuts. Like I said though, I don't wanna take any credit from these guys. I LOVE Nile. But live is a different story. Their style isn't very conducive to playing live. It's hard to catch a beat and thrash, or sing along, or any of that shit, really. Please, don't anyone get me wrong here. And no offense to Nile. I just wish I could bang my head while listening to them live without getting a damn migraine. Plus, I was getting antsy to assemble the crew and get a big smoke-down going.
NileWe waited at the bar next door for Vasek and Vitek to break everything down and load up. It was at this very bar that I witnessed one of the greatest alcoholic feats of my life. Old G's adrenaline level had risen after such a profound display of the first metal greatness that he had been exposed to, as did his blood-alcohol content. He told me that if he pounded his pint of Old Pyle in less than three seconds, that I had to buy him another one. I told him he couldn't do it in five seconds. The bartender overheard this and said if he could do it in three, she'd buy him another beer. After some shit talking and a couple of deep breaths, G-Dogg opened his throat and that beer was down the hatch in EASILY less than three seconds. Before he even had time to brag aboot it, the bartender was already pouring him his complimentary beer. Nice work Gary. Nice work. But the carnage was nowhere near over.
An invite to the Hypocrisy/Decapitated bus ensued. The Four Horsemen (Gary, Troll, Gordo and myself) boarded the transport unit along with a small entourage of band members. We all knew that nobody was leaving the parking lot without a heavy dose of the chronic. A circle grew in the back lounge and it got quite hazy (no pun intended) henceforth. Peter joined the fold for a spell and spun many a metal yarn that kept the busload of crunks entrenched in continuous comedy. While bragging aboot Vasek's (Vogg's) guitar mastery, Peter mentioned that they were going to try to take Decap oot on the road again in September and I sarcastically begged them to bring Bolt Thrower with them. He calmly explained that the tentative plan was to be that line-up indeed. Then I actually shit myself. I've been impatiently waiting for Bolt Thrower's return to the states, for they, along with My Dying Bride, are my two favorite bands I have yet to see before my eyes. So you may have heard it here first. September. Hypocrisy. Bolt Thrower. Decapitated. 'Nuff said. After some fond farewells to our Vek brothers and the Hypocrisy crew, we stumbled off the bus and our sober mate Troll was ready to get us to our destinations safely. Old G and I were dropped off in South Saint Paul before Gordo and Troll geared up for the two-hour drive home. Gary and I, however, had just enough time to slaughter a few more cocktails before abstaining from booze for at least the rest of this night. After all, I had a Wild/Redwings game to attend the following night.
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