Unnatural Born Killers Tour: Six Feet Under, Skinless, Behemoth, As I Lay Dying
Rating: 4.33 Skulls
|
Unnatural Born Killers Tour: Six Feet Under, Skinless, Behemoth, As I Lay Dying
Rating: 4.33 Skulls |
||
|
|
||
Death's Review (11/12/03, The Key Club, West Hollywood, CA):
I got there late and missed Behemoth, which was disappointing. I liked the last album, have enjoyed the band live on previous occasions, and am looking forward to their new record.
Skinless
Photo by HelI did see the mighty Skinless (from Albany, NY, no less, where I went to high school). They were everything they were supposed to be. It had been a surprisingly long while since I caught a Skinless set, and although old drummer Bob B. was pretty killer, now they have the skinbasher from Origin (John Longstreth) with them and this added to my anticipation. The new Skinless studio album showed some serious progression and refinement as well, so I was jacked up to see the band live, in L.A. (Relapse bands never seem to come to L.A., with the exception of Nile), in 2003. They did not disappoint. "From Sacrifice to Survival" was a highlight. My only complaint? Unless I missed it, Sherwood did not jump from the balcony. He did screw around with a rubber corpse though, so I suppose it's all good.
Six Feet Under
Photo by HelSix feet Under were - frankly - kinda boring. I do like some of their stuff, the death and roll thing can be a guilty pleasure from time to time. And while I know it is totally uncool to admit it: (1) I can't get "Amerika the Brutal" out of my head; this has to be one of the catchiest death metal songs of all time; and (2) I actually like the South Park-style video. So I was up for seeing this gig and went into it open-minded (although admittedly pretty tired). Anyway, there was nothing wrong with Six Feet Under's performance, it just never grabbed me and sucked me in like I would have hoped it would. So all in all, it was just OK.
Hel's Review (11/12/03, The Key Club, West Hollywood, CA):
As I Lay Dying
Photo by JotunOnce again, my evening started later than planned. Yes, this is indeed a theme that runs throughout my life. I am constantly finding myself over committed and playing catch up. But, then again, the same can be said for nearly everyone I know, so I suppose I can glean some solace from that. On this night, my perpetual tardiness resulted in missing As I Lay Dying entirely, and just as I made it up to the stage, after arriving at last, Behemoth's final chord rang out and their set was over. It could have been worse. I’ve seen Behemoth deliver very consistent, high quality sets on a couple of occasions recently, so I knew by the few minutes I did see that tonight, the same held true.
Skinless
Photo by HelI was vastly relieved that I hadn't missed any of Skinless. For one reason or another, I realized it had been a couple of years since the last time I saw these upstate New Yorkers live. At one point in time, I felt like I saw these guys play once a week or so. But that was way back when, before I moved to the Left Coast. Since moving here, they have actually been around, but my chronic tardiness prevented me from catching their set. However, the stars must have aligned just right, and as they held the second to last spot of the night, I was actually able to see the entire set. Woo hoo! These guys have always been great performers, but they have improved even more, and the set they provided was nothing short of stellar. The highlight was the direction-changing circle pit, directed by Sherwood's swinging corpse. Nice!
Behemoth
Photo by JotunSix Feet Under was a total yawn in comparison. Not that they didn't put on a great show, but they came off as rather stoic after the blistering, high-intensity, Skinless set that preceded them. However, if you enjoy SFU's music, you’ll certainly have enjoyed their set. I had not previously witnessed SFU live. When they came through NY a couple of years ago, I didn't go, for some unremembered reason, probably illness, and Death and Abyss went without me. I’d regretted that for years, as I always do when I miss a show. So finally, I got to see SFU live, and it was basically what I had expected. They sound very good, and are fine performers. But again, they cannot help but pale in comparison to Skinless. Comparing frontmen alone: Sherwood is manic, running around the stage like a madman, though it seems his days of jumping off high places seem to have passed (a sound decision in my book); Barnes, on the other hand, just sort of stalks back and forth across the stage. One is simply more exciting to watch than the other.
Six Feet Under
Photo by HelBoth were entertaining though. I had a great time, and the less than capacity audience seems to have been in agreement with me. Of course I wish I had caught As I Lay Dying (whom I have not yet witnessed live) and all of Behemoth's surely crushing set, but that's what happens when you can't get places on time. I recommend that you all make sure to be on time whenever you have a chance to see any of them, particularly Skinless! You will surely be entertained, as I was.
Jotun's Review (10/27/03, The Downtown, Farmingdale, NY):
I purposely showed up a little late to the show on October 27. No, I wasn't trying to skip out on the opening acts - on the contrary, I really wanted to see them. I was showing up late because I wanted to avoid standing in the rain outside The Downtown, as they make everyone wait outside in a line before the venue is ready to let them in and start checking bags for weapons at the door. This whole idea never made sense to me, because wouldn't a bar do more business if they let people in an hour or so before the bands are ready to go? By the time the second-to-last act is on stage, people are starving (which is good for your kitchen) and have already packed away a bunch of beers (got their money from them, so don't hesitate to bounce the unruly out on their asses). Well, even though I had to wait outside for nearly an hour after the doors were supposed to open, I did meet another dude who shares the privilege of being named Brian. We shot the shit about work, metal, politics, and all kinds of shit.
As I Lay Dying
Photo by JotunBy the time I was getting in, someone relayed down the line that All Out War was not playing this night, which was a real bummer for me cause this would have been the first time I got to see them since they got back together. I was only a little upset though, because it would mean I could get home that much faster later that night.
After some waiting, the show finally opened with As I Lay Dying. Now, even though this band got a so-so review here at Metal Judgment, I have to say that, being a fan of hardcore and metal, I was pretty happy with their sound and very happy with their live set. Sure, there were one or two spots where I thought there was too much breakdown in a particular song, but the thing that moved me was that they actually have a really good rhythm section. See, along with all the breakdowns, the two guitarists mix in these sweet melodies. Not the oft-mimicked Euro-metal riffs, although they reared their heads once in a while too. No, these were genuine melodies, played by using chords and finger positions that were just barely different than anything that any other metal hardcore bands are doing, therefore making it stand out. Add a real metal drummer and a great throat, and you’ve got a winning combination.
This is the second time in a row, but only the second time in a while, that I have heard a band for the first time in the live setting, and immediately proceeded to buy their recorded album from the merch table. Most of the songs were off this Metal Blade debut, with one or two coming from their earlier unsigned demo.
Behemoth
Photo by JotunNext up was Behemoth. This was probably one of the first times that most of this crowd had seen, if not heard of, Behemoth. I was lucky enough to have seen them at this year's New Jersey Metalfest, so I knew the crowd was about to be blown away, regardless of their musical tastes. Behemoth is so new to the states that when I interviewed Nergal later that night, he said he recognized me while onstage from the time he and I spoke in New Jersey. At any rate, he and his crew of hyper-picking death and black metal masterminds took the stage and beat the crowd into submission. There wasn't too much hardcore dancing or moshing. I couldn't tell if that was because people weren't as interested in them (they were the most technical band on the bill). I honestly think it was because Behemoth was so impressive that people couldn't help but stand there in awe. For instance, if you, the reader, are familiar with the track "No Sympathy For Fools" off Zos Kia Cultus, understand that the band was playing the live song even faster than they do on the album. As impressive as their rhythm section is, no one in that band is as impressive as Inferno, the drummer. Just during warm-ups, he was testing his kit out and as he kicked blast beats and snapped his snare drum like an automatic weapon, one could see that his body was barely moving in the process. Their set was a nice balance of songs from many of their albums. Some of the songs included "From the Pagan Vastlands," "Decade Ov Therion," "As Above, So Below," and "Chant For Ezkaton 2000."
After Behemoth, I didn't think that anyone would be able to surpass their set, and I still contend that they were the best band on the bill that night, but the two headlining acts sure did hold their own.
Skinless
Photo by JotunSkinless came up third and knocked the crowd on their asses. Tapping most predominantly from their newest album From Sacrifice To Survival, they literally pummeled their instruments and listeners throughout their approximate 30-minute set. I can't remember exactly what songs they played, but I know they did play "The Optimist," complete with the recorded sample "Life sucks, and then you die!" And I think they played "Smothered" and "Battle Perpetual Will," but I can't promise anything. Regardless of their set, seeing Sherwood Weber bounce around the stage and gut-out his lines, and watching John Longstreth completely and utterly demolish his kit was impressive as hell. Also, for the first time, I heard tiny bits of hardcore influence in their music. While hard-line metalheads will scathe at this, it stands to reason considering the area (Troy, Albany, Saratoga Springs - in New York) that the band calls home and the musical battles that occurred between styles like death metal, tough-guy hardcore, and straight edge hardcore. In a few places, that mélange of style was heard. The crowd got quite out of control during their set, but I guess that was to be expected. I will admit that in my later years, now reviewing and shooting photos at shows, I never get physical at shows anymore. I remember when I was your age…
Six Feet Under
Photo by JotunFinally, ending the night was Six Feet Under. They took the stage under the cover or near darkness and tore into the crowd's limp, dying bodies with "Bringer of Blood." It must be said that anyone whose seen Six Feet Under or Barnes-era Cannibal Corpse can get the gist of this live set. SFU's brand of brash American death metal is tough as nails, but as common as a box of ‘em in a Home Depot superstore. Not to knock the band, but there are very few ways to present that style differently. With that being said, their live set was a knockout punch - a statement that was supported by the masses of fans moshing and growling along. Their set also included "Hacked To Pieces," "Suffering in Ecstasy," "The Day the Dead Walked," and "Tomorrow's Victim."
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.
