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Andrew Bird + A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Some people have a way of making you feel like an asshole - people who seem to use every ounce of their energy radiating good vibes and generally make every effort to be singularly awesome. Andrew Bird is one of those people. While his idiosyncratic brand of string-laden, densely layered indie-pop surely isn't to everyone's liking, his instrumental prowess, boundless energy and lyrical dexterity are, at the very least, noteworthy. By comparison, even impressive performers can seem ordinary.
Take openers A Hawk And A Hacksaw, for instance. Now we're talking about a duo led by one Jeremy Barnes, who used to be in Neutral Milk Hotel, here doing the triple duty of lead vocalist, accordion player and percussionist (using a pedal-operated drum.) He's accompanied by a prodigiously talented violinist, Heather Trost. Their songs, which lean heavily on Balkan folk melodies and are evenly divided between instrumental and vocal works, display remarkable dexterity and passion - but after a 45-minute set of their material, their relative lack of range became obvious.
Not too long after Barnes and Trost left the stage, Bird, along with percussionist/programmer Martin Dosh (who put out a solo record as Dosh last year) and several other crack players, arrived to kick off what would wind up being an incredibly diverse set drawn principally (though not entirely) from his last two LPs, Noble Beast and Armchair Apocrypha. Bird showed off his trademark instrument-swapping skills early - most tracks would feature a violin part (or several) which he'd play live, then loop back only to set the instrument aside, swing his hips to bring his guitar forward and then play a set of chords, without missing a beat. Oh, and he's usually whistling or singing at the same time, if he's not throwing in some keyboard or glockenspiel work. Even more impressive was the fact that these well-worn moves were in support of the Noble Beast material, songs so labyrinthine you'd assume Bird must have hashed out simpler arrangements - instead, every minute pluck and shift in songs like "Not a Robot, But a Ghost" and "Masterswarm" present and accounted for, albeit with a bit more vigor. All of this, even more remarkably, was pulled off with an off-the-cuff feel, with Bird often throwing unexpected curveballs in his vocal approach. By night's end, he was performing alone with a sprightly rendition of Weather Systems highlight "Why?" not having lost an iota of momentum or interest. That, my friends, is what separates the men from the boys.
Osheaga Festival
This year's Osheaga music festival went off without a hitch.... well, with the exception of a headlining act cancelation, torrential rain and ankle deep mud. This didn’t stop concert goers from flocking to the island however, with Saturday night capping at a whopping 30,000 spectators. Having Coldplay round out the evening will have that effect.
I first attended Osheaga in its first year, and it was nothing to scoff at. However, mediocre line ups and overlapping schedules always made me think that I would never again pay to stand around waiting for the one or two bands I wanted to see within a lineup of bands that didn’t seem to really fit. This year I was fortunate enough to land a press-pass, and so I gave it another go.
Once again this year, the line up and the schedule were disappointing. With the festival falling after All Points West in New Jersey, the bookings seem to follow those of the festival. However, none of the bands I was hoping to see managed to appear above the border. When Beastie Boys canceled, All Points West landed Jay-Z. Osheaga landed….no one.
In any case, there were some highlights. Saturday saw The Roots, being the typical party band, play an average set but a fun set. I have to salute the kid with the Tuba, who pretty much made their whole performance worth watching.
Lykke Li was a huge surprise. I’ve enjoyed her album, but found it ordinary. Live however, her band and her stage presence added a whole other dimension to the music that could not be ignored. If her album was anything like it was live, it would have won over so many more dusty hipsters than it already has. Also of note was emerging band The Rural Alberta Advantage who I predict will be the new Canadian band to watch for à la Wintersleep. Coldplay played an impressive set which was to be expected. As commercial as they are I still can’t help but love them and they pulled out all the stops.
Sunday’s heavy hitters included Cursive, Crystal Castles, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Anyone who’s ever been to Jean Drapeau after a heavy downpour knows what kind of state the rain leaves the island in. Cursive’s stage area had become one giant mud puddle, resulting in a hipster muddy dance party. The band played a great set with the mud being a bonus for some. I sat out Crystal Castles having seen them before and having never seen Yeah Yeah Yeahs before.
I’ve always hated The Decemerists. I find their music average at best and their set did nothing to make me think differently. I feel the same way about Arctic Monkeys but couldn’t avoid them as I found myself waiting by the empty stage during in an effort to get a better spot for Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs played a set worthy of a headlining spot. I always wondered if Karen O would be obnoxious on stage but alas she seemed incredibly happy to be there. Filled with energy, the songs off the new album, It’s Blitz came off bigger and better than expected and the old songs were classic and wonderful all at the same time. The set was everything I could have hoped for from that band that you’ve always wanted to see but never had.
And thus Osheaga wasn’t quite a wash—even despite the rain. But I still wouldn’t pay to attend. I’m hoping next year’s line up will change my opinion for the better.
Cradle of Filth + Satyricon
On Saturday, January 17th, I took the 55 bus through the frigid, negative-something weather, and wound up in front of Metropolis to be greeted by a swarm of black t-shirted, long haired fans -the tell tale signs of any self-respecting metal show.
Cradle of Filth, formed in 1991 and hailing from Suffolk, England, took the stage with their usual barrage of theatrics: a projection screen of flickering images rife with sexual, morbid, Satanic and Christian references, a dancing woman with industrial sparks spewing from her wrist, a skeleton dangling from the mic stand, and gothic torches.
However, all these things take a backseat to lead singer Dani Filth’s presence. Standing on several inches of platform boot and draped in a long leather skirt, the frontman is one of the few performers out there who manages to maintain theatrics throughout the entire show. Even during stage banter, Filth speaks in a vocal affectation that can only be described as a demon about to burst into laughter. However, Filth’s platform-shoed trip on the stage stairs (almost resulting in a full-on face plant) early on in the show reminded fans that he is only human, after all.
Ironically, Cradle of Filth’s self-aware, over the top attitude does not at all stifle their true sincerity and love for their fans. “It’s good to be in Montreal,” growled Filth, “Despite the shitty fucking weather.” Later, before playing crowd favorite “Nymphetamine”, the lead singer dedicated the song to “all the pretty women in Montreal.”
Though they do not play the tightest of sets, it is arguably the band’s unique blend of lyrical goth-metal, coupled with their self-aware, clichéd dark theatrics and actual love for what they do, that generates many die-hard Cradle of Filth fans. Fans, like the friendly Halifax-local who sat next to me and excitedly told me about the long hours he’d driven to see Cradle of Filth live (since “they don’t visit the Maritimes much”).
The band played about ten songs that night. They lead off the show with “Shit Out of Hell” and went on to play many favorites such as “The 13th Caesar” and “The Principles of Evil Made Flesh” (off their 1994 debut album of the same name.) Dani Filth’s bird of prey-like shrieking and calmer, melodic sequences had fans moshing or swaying virtually the entire time, creating a constant air of excitement and energy. When their set was done, the fans had clearly not had enough and cheered on until they played two encores: “Her Ghost in the Fog” and “From the Cradle to Enslave”.
The show was supported by a solid, Norwegian black metal set from fellow Roadrunner-signed Satyricon (named after a Latin book of prose and poetry.) Created in 1990, Satyricon is currently promoting their seventh album, The Age of Nero, which was released in November 2008.
Also promoting their seventh album, Communion, was Septic Flesh. This symphonic metal band was formed in 1990, in Athens, Greece. Septic Flesh set the tone for the rest of the evening by separating the crowd into two groups, and, at the beat, having them merge together to create a massive clash of excited moshers.
Theory of a Deadman + Rev Theory
Theory Of A Deadman is no one's favourite band. I'm glad I got that statement out of the way at the onset of this review, as I feel like it accurately describes the concert experience I recently flung myself into.
However, if Theory Of A Deadman is no one's favourite band and TOAD's a shitty copy of a shitty idea (Nickelback) about what rock and roll should be, then where does that leave its fans? What kind of people flock to Le National to witness such Canadian lite rock staples like “Gasoline” and “Santa Monica”?
The idea behind the excursion was to gauge what, exactly, made TOAD (which, incidentally, is an apt acronym, fitting for the music I was subjected to) fans tick. Were they entranced by the run-of-the-mill musicianship and songwriting, did the shatteringly hollow lyrics ring true for people? Was it their (non) explosive stage show that made people fall in love? All of these questions were left very unanswered, even after mingling with several attendees.
In true scientific fashion, I quizzed people about their reasons for attending the show before the proceedings got underway. The most common one I got was that the music was "enjoyable" and "somewhat catchy", that the vocalist seemed to have a "good voice" and that they had nothing better to do on a Thursday night in January, and that the price for tickets was just about right. The room was still largely empty as I continued to make my way around it.
I switched gears. "Would you say that Theory Of A Deadman is your favourite band?" I advanced the theory, hoping to give the people I informally interviewed an out. Not one of the ten people I talked to answered in the affirmative. They were people's third or fourth choice, generally, after heavyweights like Nickelback (oh the irony), U2, Metallica and Pearl Jam. No surprises there, unfortunately. Just as I was about to probe more, the lights dimmed and the evening's musical entertainment got underway.
The Rev Theory (who were last heard of as no-shows at last June's Heavy MTL metalfest) put up an uninspiring opening slot. Lead single "Hell Yeah" inspired a few scattered cheers and generally the crowd was very receptive to a band that seemed like a tepid mix in-between latter-day Papa Roach and Buckcherry, only blander, with neither band's penchant for irking out an enjoyable song once in a while.
The sauntering and fake sense of danger that most bands try to create (using the f-word repeatedly, snarling menacingly and trying to come off hard as nails) continued to crumble as at one point during their set they launched into a half-heated cover of Nine Inch Nails' “Head Like A Hole”. The band generally tried to stir up a true sense of high energy (the singer, at one point, wandered into the crowd) but it felt trite and soon déjà vu set in.
The headliners hit the stage a half-hour after Rev Theory cleared out and started with “Crutch” and it was all boring stage banter and same-sounding songs for the rest of the evening. As boring as Rev Theory came off as, TOAD were even better at sapping up the crowd's energy. Singer Tyler Connoly seemed jovial enough, but lacked the presence of a true frontman as he juggled in-between singing and playing rhythm throughout the night's set, unsure which role suited him better. In the end, neither did, as he fulfilled both roles marginally well.
Being forced to listen to FM radio at work, I came to recognize some of the band's singles – they were better in a live setting, but still leagues below being able to redeem the songs as listenable in a non-forced (read: non-radio) way. The best thing I can say about their show was the fact that they had a competent light show. The band played songs from all three releases, favouring none and trying to make fans of their discography happy. “Better Off” got a surprisingly loud response as the mostly mute audience refrained from doing much of anything. The tossed-off encore of “Santa Monica”, “Bad Girlfriend” and “Hating Hollywood” put a merciful end to a night that would be best chronicled as forgettable.
Meshuggah + Cynic
Back in 1994 Cynic released their debut album, Focus, one of my favorite albums of all time, and one of the albums most important to the development of intelligent progressive metal. They are often credited as being the first band to successfully merge jazz fusion with death metal, and are without a doubt some of the most virtuosic musicians to ever grace the metal scene. But as is all too common for bands that make challenging and truly progressive music, the importance of what they had done was not understood until many years later. After Focus, Cynic disbanded for the better part of 13 years and the members of the band turned their energies towards various progressive rock projects. They decided to resurface for old time’s sake in 2007 to do a reunion tour, and the major outpouring of fan support and excitement led to a headlining spot on the Wacken: Open Air festival in Germany. Cynic went from being booed off the stages of tiny clubs to headlining the biggest metal festival in existence- and all without any self-promotion or activity on their part. The fans finally got it, and now that they have it they’re crazy about it.
This tour they’re supporting their latest album, Traced in Air, which was released in late 2008. Most people seem to agree that it’s not quite as good as Focus, but it’s possible that it’s just even more difficult to understand. The two albums differ in what they’re trying to accomplish: the tracks on Focus are composed around psychedelic, dynamic melodies, whereas Traced in Air makes use of frequent and abrupt changes in mood and tempo, juxtaposing harsh dissonance with cosmic ambience. Regardless of what you think of the album, the new songs are very well suited to Cynic’s live performance style and sounded amazing at the concert.
In contrast with most technical metal bands which attempt to make their live sound as identical as possible to their album, Cynic is solely concerned with capturing the vibe of their songs. As mentioned above, this approach worked well for the songs off Traced in Air. They sounded beautiful- that’s really all there is to say. That whole part of the set was a beautiful wall of psychedelic sound. The tracks they played off Focus were also awesome to behold, but the looser approach didn’t work quite as well and certain parts came across as being somewhat sloppy. Despite this, the crowd was very into the whole set, and even seemed to appreciate frontman Paul Masvidal’s hippy proclamations about how attachment to ego is a form of psychic violence, as well as various pieces of wisdom about the importance of cosmic love and being receptive to positive spiritual vibrations.
This is my second time reviewing a Meshuggah concert for CJLO, so instead of putting the band and their new album into context I’ll just cut to the chase: the show was perfect.
The entire show was filmed for a DVD, so the sound engineers really took their time to do a thorough sound check- it was at least 45 minutes long- but it made everything sound unbelievably good, and the mixing just kept getting better as the night went on. It was so good; in fact, that with this performance I would say Meshuggah is even better live than on CD.
All of the guitars but particularly the bass had an amazing tone- like primordial swamp sludge. It sounded similar to something you’d find on old Primus records, except instead of sturgeon fishing it conjures up images of the primordial cosmic sea and the emergence of consciousness from cosmic chaos- which is of course exactly what Meshuggah is lyrically concerned with and experientially trying to produce. They create the kind of soundscape that you can feel reverberating throughout yourself, offering to carry you to a higher plane of existence.
Meshuggah and Cynic are perfect bands to put together on a tour bill for exactly that reason. Both bands are into promoting philosophical and spiritual progression, and try to use their music to create the experience of transcendence. Cynic comes at it from a positive direction, whereas Meshuggah comes at it from a much darker place, and together they balance each other out extremely well.
In my last Meshuggah review I noted that the crowd was very aggressive and there were quite a few people clearly out to hurt others, but this show was completely different. Maybe it was all the hippy talk, but despite filming for a DVD (which usually makes crowds crazier) everyone was extremely relaxed. I even had a guy apologize to me for slightly bumping into me. I’d say it was one of the best crowds at any show I’ve been to...people were just there to enjoy the music.
Witch + Earthless
Ah, Earthless, the perfect soundtrack for a frigid February night. All precise, pummeling, instrumental rock, erring more on the bong hit rather than acid trip side of psychedelic. Trekking out to see them somewhere in the wilds of Brooklyn in 2007 is one of my fondest memories from that year's CMJ festival, and I knew that if this show would be anything like that one, I was in for a treat. The night before that CMJ showcase, guitarist Isaiah Mitchell somehow seriously damaged his wrist, and yet the band still played a blistering, unbroken 45 minute set, his bandage slowly unraveling all the while. That dedication to their craft, as well as their incredible musicianship left me extremely impressed that night, and I was not to be dismayed again here in Montreal.
Now, I believe that in order to be a great instrumental band, you have to work twice as hard as any band with a vocalist. After all, it's easy to distract people away from poor song structure and instrumentation with antics, banter and lyrics... any lyrics, even bad ones. With instrumental bands, however, the music stands alone. Holding the attention of a crowd can be difficult unless you're very skilled, so most fledgling bands should be prepared to soundtrack their audience's conversations, beer runs and bathroom breaks. It takes extraordinary musical craftsmanship to keep a crowd glued to their spot, and Earthless had the room doing just that. They played on endlessly, seamlessly blending together songs into one continuous track that ebbed and flowed and eddied out, only to rush back with a roar. One would think that after 45 minutes, non-stop, it might lose some appeal, and yet the prodigious display of skill onstage is riveting.
They lost me briefly during an extended jam, (with drummer Mario Rubalcaba trying to rein the guitarists in and back on track on a couple of occasions to no avail), but despite that thankfully relatively shortlived bout of wankery, they were as tight and on target as possible. Earthless is not a band for everyone. Their bluesy, ponderous, psych-inspired rock doesn't appeal to all, but if you like heavy music, this threesome strips it down to its barest bones with surgical precision, and that's mastery all music lovers can understand.
Up next was New England's Witch. Having seen them on two previous occasions all the way back in 2006, once supporting the mythical Blue Cheer here in Montreal, and shortly thereafter with Teeth of the Hydra at CMJ in New York City, I was looking forward to a rematch after all these years. I couldn't wait to hear my old favorites from their first self-titled record, and get an introduction to their latest album, which I have managed to avoid since its release. "It's really not that good," I had been told, over and over, and knowing that some stuff sounds better live than on record, I decided that going in fresh was perhaps the best way to try the new material on for size.
From what I gathered, Witch's new stuff is a pretty radical departure from their debut album, and I was unhappily surprised to discover that the band has matched their live sound to the new record. While the first album deftly tapped into the sound and atmosphere of a funeral dirge signaling the end of the Flower Power movement, the new songs have lost a lot of fuzz in favor of fast, messy, angry execution. I was surprised to hear a song or two even dipping into rolling punk rock beats, undoubtedly comfortable Dinosaur Jr. territory for J. Mascis on drums, but not the vibe suited to the much-loved tracks from the first album. Earlier songs that once swelled and sprawled under soaring elfin vocals are now filtered through a layer of grit and rage, and lead singer Kyle Thomas' once sweet, haunting Bolan-esque vocals have been replaced with grating, strident shrieks. On their own, the new songs are probably not that bad, but when you show up expecting to hear Black Sabbath, and get Black Flag instead, you're either going to get your mind blown, or go home disappointed, and I think a lot of fans of the band's first release aren't cleaving to the new album for just that reason. Similarly, I left disappointed that night, if only because what I once knew as a rare, shining diamond of throwback psychedelic drone has morphed into just another generic rock band. That said, the band's last song that night was the mighty “Seer”, the standout track from the first record. That one last taste somewhat sweetened the otherwise bitter quality of that performance... it was a final reminder of just how good it once was.
Finally, the CJLO magazine has been subjected to a lot of bitching on my behalf about Les Saints, and while I could mention the abominable state of the venue, which is steadily sliding from upscale rock club to dive bar (seriously, I dig the fancy fountain sink in the women's washroom, but it'd be even nicer if it, you know, worked), I will mention that I had a really pleasant time that night. The staff is always very polite and courteous, and for the first time in a long time, so was the crowd. Of course, doom/drone shows are always the best for that kind of thing, since at these sausage fests overt appreciation of the music beyond head-nodding is generally non-existent. Oh, and girls, if your ideal man is long-haired and/or bearded and/or flannel clad, there are some good pickings at these shows, as the lovely Steph from Twee Time will attest to... "So this is where all the hot guys are!" The music ain't that bad, either.
Underoath + Norma Jean +Innerpartysystem
Call me an old fogey, but I’ve been attending hardcore and pseudo-hardcore shows for close to a decade, spent many sweaty nights at L’X and Café L’Inco during my time, and have come to watch the scene somewhat closely, and during that time, I’ve noticed the degeneration of “the scene” (as the kids refer to it as) into a muddled mess of wayward children who care more about their bandanas and cool kicks (often looking like a terrible biker gang than true fans of the music they’re there to listen to.) Although this has been happening for years, Thursday night served as a reminder of the disintegration of a once-enjoyable genre of music ruined by the idiocy of the majority of the current fan base, much like how I believe that modern prog rock (think Dream Theater and Tool) is ruined by the rabid, crazed fanbase.
The thing is, though, that every scene goes through the same transformation and degradation that leads to an eventual downward spiral of generic
Things, though, started off rather serenely as the first band of the evening hit the stage of Club Soda promptly at 7. Innerpartysystem, the quartet hailing from Pennsylvania, surrounded themselves with a dizzying array of lights and toys and gave a set that wasn’t entirely un-enjoyable.
Coming out and playing the first two tracks off of their self-titled debut LP, the band was all flash and some substance, as a markedly complex light show was undertaking, bathing the audience (and most of the band, save for drummer Jared Piccone, who spent most of the night in darkness) and sometimes inundating the senses to the point of sensory overload. Their half-hour set was marked with intense electronic interludes, drowned-out vocals and missed marks.
Singer Patrick Nissley (the band’s primary songwriter) seemed to have taken notes while watching And All That Could’ve Been, as his stage persona was a clone of a watered-down Trent Reznor, clutching the microphone as if falling off a cliff and swinging the mic stand with vigour, at times.
The band’s mix of electronics (comprised of a bevy of keyboards and drum machines) and live instrumentation (in particular Piccone’s great tone, which added an edge that is largely absent on the band’s self-titled outing) came off well, although a little too well planned-out and theatrical to be considered a fully live show.
Having seen Norma Jean in a live setting numerous times, I have to admit that their move towards a more melodic direction left the audience (who largely identifies with their chugga-chugga-Botch-loving persona) rather confused. Everything was okay during set-opener (and first single from their newest album, The Anti Mother) “Robots 3, Humans 0” (which had the audience singing along, even as singer Cory Brandan Putman’s mic suffered numerous technical difficulties) and onwards as selections from both 2005’s O God, the Aftermath and 2006’s Redeemer kept the crowd moving. In the middle of the half-hour set, the band launched into their pseudo-signature song “Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste” off of their 2002 initial LP Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child. The response was near-euphoric as most of the floor of Club Soda surged back and forth, and a battalion of hardcore dancers did their thing, catching butterflies and pounding the pavement in time to the breakdowns that mark the song.
Unfortunately, though, the band followed that up with the lead-off track off of The Anti Mother, “Vipers, Snakes, and Actors”, a song whose (relative, for the band) musical complexity confused the kids who would hardcore dance and then abruptly stop as the band switched gears towards a slower downturn. Much of the crowd was unsure how to react to such a composition that found itself switching time-signatures and go from balls-out hardcore to quiet, introspective verses, but points go towards the band’s adventurous new direction, as they carry with it a “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” predilection: how do you branch out into something new without totally fucking over your fanbase? I think the answer is gradually, as the band managed to slip in some different moments in-between breakdowns. They closed off their set with an awesome rendition of “Bayonetwork” (interspersed with some of Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child track “Creating Something Out Of Nothing, Only To Destroy It”). The entire club helped the band chant the now-familiar refrain of “like bringing a gun to a knife fight” until the entire band stood still, a wall of feedback washing over the audience.
I’ll be upfront: I’ve always had a problem with Underoath. Apart from the clean vocals by drummer Aaron Gillespie, a lot of the band’s catalogue sounds entirely identical to me. A friend who had accompanied me to the show had remarked that apart from a mini drum-solo, a lot of the instrumentation was rhythmic in nature: there are two guitarists, but they largely mimic each other. There is no interplay in-between the six-stringers and very little lead guitarwork being displayed, and the same can be said of the rest of the band, musically: solid rhythmic work that strays very little from its original concept. Don’t get me wrong: I happen to think that they have a good song (yes, singular), but the song marked by a sameness that brings the compositions down. I honestly can barely tell any of it apart, and I’ve tried numerous times to get into this band.
The band brought with them an impressive collection of videos that served as both interludes and driving points of the set, as they kicked things off with a spooky video featuring a post-apocalyptic encounter in-between two people before launching into “Breathing In A New Mentality”, the lead-off track from newest effort Lost In The Sound Of Separation. From then onwards, the band’s hour-plus set featured great audio-visual elements that offset the bland nature of the parade of songs played. A lot of the audience seemed to be really into them, though, as lips moved along with every word screamed.
I can see the appeal of a band like Underoath, but was largely left unimpressed by their set, which seemed satisfying on a very basic level but the lack of the band’s ability to diversify left me rather empty otherwise.
Lamb of God + Children of Bodom
On April 17th I threw on my well worn, black t-shirt bearing a lightning bolt down the front -a shirt that has survived countless brutal slams in the pit and has been soaked in buckets of other people’s sloppily spilt beer. Wearing this shirt out could only mean one thing: I was going to a metal show.
I shimmied my way through tons of metal fans and eventually planted myself by the stairs at CEPSUM. Sitting by the stairs during the show would allow me to witness numerous people tripping and sometimes falling while they attempted to navigate through the darkness as they traveled up or down said stairs, often juggling a few beers to boot. Note to CEPSUM: light the stairs better. More importantly, this spot also allowed me to witness a truly fantastic metal concert. A concert that would showcase old and new personal favorites including Children of Bodom and of course the headliners, Lamb of God.
Finland's Children of Bodom played right before Lamb of God did and paid great homage to their loyal Montreal fans saying (in broken French), “Yesterday we played in Toronto. But we think you’re a better crowd, right?” This was followed by a sea of horns and intense cheering, of course. Also, they continuously told the crowd to, “make some noise” and “drink it up,” adding in an impressive amount of expletives while doing so...perhaps the most I’ve heard from any one band.
The band played almost ten songs –a large set for an opener, which put the fans into a frenzy. Suffice to say that crowd surfing, moshing and cheering were in abundance. During their set they played several crowd favorites including “Hellhounds On My Tail”, “Bodom Beach Terror”, “Blood Drunk” and “In Your Face”. However, “In Your Face” was played in a tempo that was a bit too fast for my taste, but this may have been an intentional means to pump up the audience. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Additionally, COB’s set was rife with audio samples, creating edgy introductions to their songs. A particular favorite was extracted from cult classic film American Psycho. The oft quoted, sadistic lines uttered by Patrick Bateman are as follows, “All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it, I have now surpassed. My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone, in fact I want my pain to be inflicted on others” …intense.
Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb of God, on tour promoting their February-released, sixth studio album Wrath, took the stage and played a few more than a dozen songs. The third song they played, “Walk With Me In Hell,” off their 2006 release Sacrament, compelled loads of fans to jolt out of their seats and into the pit. Other crowd pleasers included: “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For”, “Ruin” and “Laid to Rest”, which the band introduced by saying, “You may have heard some shitty version of it in a video game.” (That video game being, Guitar Hero II.)
Like Children of Bodom, Lamb of God appeared to vibe off Montreal’s audience quite well. “This has been a great way to end our Canadian tour. You are singing louder than anyone else. Did you have a good night with Lamb of God tonight?” They also dedicated one of their songs to “everyone (they) drank a beer with at Foufounes.” This was a sure way to connect with the audience, whose vast majority, I can safely assume, has at least once or twice ambled through the bar’s iconic, giant-spider gate.
For their last song, Lamb of God asked for a circle pit. Montreal fans responded by immediately flooding the floor at CEPSUM, erupting into a mass of black t-shirted bodies, flowing in a counter-clockwise motion. The friends I was with yanked me down the flight of stairs I had seen so many people stumble on, and into the screaming, vibrating, electrical current of the pit. It was there that my lighting bolt t-shirt got drenched in other people’s beer and other people’s sweat. If the music hadn’t yet convinced me that I was at an excellent metal show, it was this.
Testament + Unearth
On May 21st, seasoned metal veterans Testament played to a packed crowd at Metropolis, with openers Unearth. Watching a band with such a massive and age-diverse fan-base could only be compared to being devoured by a giant whale. In the belly of the pit, I weathered a sea of sloshing and moshing, horn-bearing metal fans. It was a rocky ride, and I was tossed about relentlessly amongst wave after wave of crowd-surfing, moshing, diving, spinning, kicking, punching, pushing, circling, and any other kind of enthused metal outburst. Yet I survived to tell the tale, like some old, half-mad sailor too sun-drunk and dry-mouthed to properly convey a story. However, I’ll try.
While waiting for the show to begin, Metropolis’ speakers began booming out Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” This song reminds me of two things. One, the season finale of The Sopranos, which I was NOT disappointed by, and two, riding in a car in a small, Italian town called Ripi. Vincenzo (of the family I stayed with) only kept a Journey tape in his car, which is what I listened to repeatedly, as he drove through lush mountainsides, and through the town’s dusty markets and cobbled stone. But I digress. While this song is obviously near and dear to me, the fans at Metropolis did not seem to take as kindly to it, flooding the venue with “Boos.”
Boston’s Unearth opened the show with an instantly intense set, yelling, “Let’s get fuckin crazy,” and releasing a flurry of double-kick drumming so thunderous it might have made the Norse god Thor jealous.
The band was promoting their fourth studio album, The March, which was released on my birthday, October 14th of last year. The album is conceptual, exploring the evil and hopeful aspects of human nature. They played several songs featured on The March, including “Crow Killer” and “We Are Not Anonymous.” Unearth also payed homage to headliners Testament by dedicating a song to them, reminding the audience of the band’s twenty plus years of experience. They closed their set with “Black Hearts Now Reign,” a hit off their celebrated 2004 album, The Oncoming Storm.
During the break, I could not help but notice a few bewildered stares coming my way. It was at that point that I looked down and realized that I, foolishly, was wearing a red and white striped t-shirt. Little had I known that for a great portion of the show, people had surely been playing ‘Where’s Waldo?’ with me, as I was surrounded only by black shirts, and maybe a few dark grey ones. This was a tad embarassing, to say the least. Again, I digress.
Soon enough Testament’s stage backdrop was set up. It bore an image that was a sort of Romantic-style painting, depicting angels bearing swords. It’s easy to parallel images of angels and their swords with musicians and their instruments. At least, it’s easy to do at a metal show. Musicians like Testament take the stage as though it were a battle ground, and mercilessly give it everything they’ve got. This is especially impressive considering the fact they’ve been around since before I was born.
The California based band, is promoting, The Formation of Damnation, their ninth studio album, which was released April 29, 2008. They played many crowd favroites, including “Over the Wall” and “Absence of Light” as well as many songs off their new album, such as, “The Formation of Damnation,” and “More Than Meets The Eye.”
Testament’s set was solid. Chuck Billy’s vocals boomed out from under his full-head of long, curly hair, and Alex Skolnick artfully made his golden guitar wail along. It was the kind of tight set that one could only expect from a band thats been around since 1983. However, as I mentioned earlier, what surprised me was the constant level of energy and enthusiasm for their music that this band has maintained. A real testament to their character (sorry, I’ve been pun-crazy lately).
CJLO Comic Review Roundup: Vol. 2
So maybe this one was a little late, but late is frequently better than never (and lets be honest here...late releases are something comic readers should be used to right now.) To make it up to you though, not only have we got some reviews of some of the best comic books to land in the month of February (New Avengers #50 and Eternals #8) from some of CJLO's best and brightest comic dorks, but we also have we have the hilariously jaded debut of "THIS MONTH IN THE X-VERSE!" That's right, curious what the X-Men were up to this month? ALL of them? Wanna know if Wolverine finally had that nose picking accident everyone knows is coming? Wanna see if Jean Grey finally came back from the dead for the 8th time? Wanna know what mutant was senselessly killed for shock value THIS time? Then read on...
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE READING:
1. There was a Civil War amongst the Heroes that divided them into two factions.
a. Registered Heroes recognized by the US government - Mighty Avengers
b. Non-Registered Heroes, considered outlaws – New Avengers
2. Captain America was the head of the Non-registration movement. He decided to turn himself in. On the day of his court appearance he was assassinated.
3. Tony Stark aka Iron Man felt responsible for the death of Captain America, since he was the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. and pushed for the registration act.
4. In a moment of insanity the Scarlet Witch caused the near extinction of the mutant population. She has since gone into hiding. At this time there are less than 200 mutants left on earth.
5. As head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony Stark and others organized the Avengers Initiative to place a super hero team in every State in America. 6.Bucky (Captain America’s Sidekick) took the mantle of Captain America in the absence of Steve Rogers.
7. The Skrulls (an alien race with the ability to shape shift and imitate superpowers) infiltrated every major team in the Marvel universe. They also used the Avengers Initiative to make sure they had an agent on every team.
8. Norman Osborn (A.K.A. The Green Goblin) was made head of the Thunderbolts. Under his command, the team became a group of ruthless monsters.
9. When the Skrulls made their move, everyone in the Marvel Universe joined together to fight them off. The new Captain America, Thor and Iron Man all came together and gave everyone hope.
10. Norman Osborn made the kill shot that took the life of the Skrull Queen. He has since been named the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. replacing Iron Man. As the new head, he renamed the operation to H.A.M.M.E.R.
11. Viewed as a miracle by some, a mutant baby was born following the Scarlet Witch’s decimation of the mutant population. A war was then launched between the X-Men, the anti-mutant Purifiers and the villainous Marauders for control of the baby who eventually ended up jumping into the future with Cable for her own protection.
12. The X-Mansion in New York, home to the X-Men since their inception, was destroyed by rogue Sentinel robots. Rather than rebuild on the same spot, the team decided to start over across the country in San Francisco.
Got it? Good. Lets go...
New Avengers #50
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by too many guys to name (but they’re all good.)
I loved New Avengers this week; the fiftieth oversized issue rocked in almost every way. I’m going to get my one complaint out of the way first and then I’ll lavish it with praise. The cover of the book showed the New Avengers fighting the Dark Avengers and I was really hoping that’s what we’d get in this book, instead we got the NA vs the Hood’s army which would have been a total let down if the fight scenes weren’t drawn and handled in such a creative way. Now that the small complain is out of the way, on to the good stuff. First, the book is hilarious. The opening pages with the NA watching Osborn’s press conference where he revealed the Dark Avengers has some great back and forth dialogue that really showed off some of Bendis’ strength as a writer. Aside from that pretty much the entire book is a giant fight scene, the really neat part of it is that each page focuses on a member of the Avengers and is drawn by an artist closely associated with that character, David Aja for Iron Fist, Gaydos for Luke Cage, Maleev for Spider-Woman and more. It was a great effect and really was a nice way to highlight each of the members as a worthwhile addition to the team. Finally at the end of the issue Ronin goes on the news and tells everyone that the members of Dark Avengers are just a bunch of assassins, murderers and criminals. I like that Ronin/Clint/Hawkeye seems to be stepping up as the leader of the New Avengers, it’s a very strong team where there could easily be any number of people stepping up in charge, but Clint has always been someone I’ve liked so it’s nice to see him in charge of an A-Level team.
This was the first real outing for the New Avengers after Secret Invasion and this issue went a long way to solidifying them as a team to be reckoned with, they don’t have the firepower of the Dark or Mighty Avengers but they’ve got more “real” heroes and that’s what the current Marvel universe needs right now. I’m solidly behind this team when before Secret Invasion I couldn’t care less about them, starting next issue they’re going to be answering some questions about Dr. Strange and who the new Sorcerer Supreme is going to be so I’m definitely on board for at least one more arc, but if it keeps being this good I’m in for the long haul. If you ever had an urge to read the Avengers at all this is a great time to jump on.
-Ryan Closs
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Eternals #8
Written by Charles and Daniel Knauff
Art by Eric Nguyen and Sara Pichelli
The new run of the Eternals by the Knauffs was slow to start and I think it’s because there was a lot of character development, most of which was already covered in the Neil Gaiman/John Romita Jr. mini-series. I guess if you are going to have people reading the new run of Eternals from issue #1, they have to feel like they’re starting it from the beginning. Now in its 8th issue, the story has reached a sort of climax.
Before that a quick look at the last seven issues: The Eternals are divided into two sides; heroes and villains, however there is a third side that is somewhat ambiguous. Ikaris comes across as our main hero, the one who has to make the hard decisions and one decision is to leave the fold of the heroes and attack the villains (a treaty was made in which neither side would attack unless provoked). Both sides have been spending all their time thus far recruiting other Eternals to strengthen their sides. The story comes across like the US and USSR cold war, where you stockpile weapons that you won’t be using. Most Eternals have been in mortal form and cannot remember their past. Druig (head of the villains) has been recruiting members at a much faster rate than the heroes. Ikaris has decided that this is not acceptable and breaks his ties from Zuras (head of the heroes) so that Zuras is not responsible for the act of war. The Celestial (a member of the gods who gave the Eternals their powers) has been communicating to the Eternals through the hero Makkari. However the Celestials have always spoken through the chosen one Ajax, this has created a rift between the two men. Ajax has been acting on his own and although he is a hero we can see that jealousy is getting the best of him. In the mean time Makkari has been informed of the imminent attack by the Horde (an external enemy that has to be dealt with).
Now in issue 8, Ikaris has contacted the X-Men and they are helping him attack Druig and his team of miscreants. The issue is another one of those all out battle issues where it’s mostly just people punching people and not much story to it. For me this works; we’re in issue 8 and finally we’re moving past character development and the lines of division between good and evil. I’m happy to see an aggressive story and it’s always nice to see the X-Men make a cameo. Some might say that the issue doesn’t move the story forward much because you could cover a battle in a two page spread and be done with it but after the progression of the last seven issues I think this was needed. Ikaris gets to let off some steam and was smart enough to not make it fall back on Zuras’ shoulders. Also the build up so far always seemed to be more about the Horde. No matter what had happened thus far, both sides would have to join forces to face something like the Horde. Going into the end of the arc, I’m excited to see how the Knauff’s will handle it all.
I know it hasn’t been easy for the Knauff’s to fill the big shoes of writer Neil Gaiman, or live up to the likes of legend Jack Kirby (who created the characters.) However going into their eighth issue we can see they’re doing it. Taking up from where Gaiman left off in his mini-series, Charles and Daniel have been telling an updated story of the Eternals that isn’t half bad. I’ve mentioned it could be a little faster paced but that’s from the perspective of someone who read the mini-series right before this current run. If you only jumped in for the current run I could see how the development is important.
-Doc Holidae
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February was an interesting month for Marvel’s Merry Mutants as the new status quo they received (courtesy of last year’s smash crossover Messiah CompleX) pushed forward into some new but ultimately familiar directions.
Starting in the X-Verse’s “badasses with guns department,” this month brought us the continuing adventures of Cable, Deadpool and saw the beginning of a new mini for that former X-Man everyone loves to hate, Bishop. Over in Cable #11 we find good ol’ Nathan Dayspring Askani-Son Blend-O-Matic Summers (say THAT three times fast) and the newly named seven year-old Mutant Messiah Hope Summers in some pretty dire straits. Since their time machine broke waaayyy back at the start of the series (issue 5 or so), these two have only been able to jump FORWARD in time in order to evade their would-be assassin, good-cop turned crazy mother fucker Lucas Bishop. So that’s just what they keep doing…except guess what? They eventually run out of habitable Earth to bounce back to. That’s right kids; humanity messes up SO badly Cable and Hope end up in a barren wasteland that used to be Connecticut with no food, water or shelter to speak of. Now, you’d think such a messed up situation wouldn’t be conducive to some of the most heartwarming graphic fiction I’ve read in a while…but you would be wrong. It’s clear that these two have grown to love each other as a father would love a daughter and vice versa, and while the scenario of “Bad Ass Future Cop turned Baby Sitter” seemed a little off-putting and downright cliché at the start of this series, it’s clear with this issue that all of his appearances leading up to now and all of the changes in character and status that came along with them were just a precursor to “Dad” Cable, and I couldn’t be happier with it. Except guess what…at the end, Cable passes out, leaving Hope alone for the first time in her life. DRAMA!
Over in Deadpool #7, the miraculous return of BOB AGENT OF HYDRA! One of, if not the best character introduced in the now defunct Cable and Deadpool series, Bob arrives just in the nick of time to try and rescue his one time pal Deadpool from the clutches of the adorably cliché Tiger Shark but end up getting strangled under water. It’s okay though, as it turns out he wasn’t really getting choked because both him and Tiger Shark are both working for current uber -villain of the month Norman Osborn to kill Deadpool so he won’t reveal the fact that Deadpool was the one who discovered how to kill the Skrull Queen which Norman is now famous for doing because he totally punked Deadpool AND Nick Fury to get that intel. OH NOES! It’s okay though, like all issues of Deadpool, this one ended with a lot of people bleeding and Wade threatening someone and it was just magnificent to behold. This is easily one of the best books Marvel puts out now, if not the funniest one not written by Bendis.
For those of you unfamiliar with the character, The Life and Times of Lucas Bishop #1 is a great place to get your Bishop fix as we’re brought back up to date with the character’s history and current status quo. With all the somewhat radical changes made to the character in the wake of Messiah Complex (remember all that talk about killing babies over in Cable? Yeah, that’s new), it’s nice to see Marvel and writer Duane Swierczyinski justifying those changes and making them make sense within Bishop’s past continuity. Does that mean’s I’m happy about the changes? No, not really…but at least they’re trying…so kudos to them.
Moving right on into the center of the X-Verse we have the line’s flagship title, Uncanny X-Men. Issue #506 landed this month brought us the continuing adventures of “THE SCIENCE TEAM.” You wouldn’t think an entire team of mutant scientists would be traveling to a deserted island and fighting giant crab monsters and dragons right? Yeah, me neither, but apparently shit like that actually happens (to the extent anything in a comic book can actually happen.) Also in the book is Colossus bashing heads (and finally being less emo...much to this fan’s delight), a whole bunch of prostitutes and Emma Frost being a baaaaaad girl. Not bad for a book kids will be reading for the two panels Wolverine’s in it, right?
Speaking of Wolverine, while he’s not busy being in every book Marvel puts out, he also has the pleasure of helming his own ongoing series’ (that’s right…plural) as well. While the main Wolverine title didn’t make it onto shelves this month, Wolverine Origins #33 sure did, and boy is it a whopper. Something I’ve always loved about Wolverine is his DEEP history, and I was glad to see the series that was established exclusively to explore that history ACTUALLY, ya know, discuss Logan’s history instead of having him stab a bunch of guys and get drunk like every other appearance he makes. Now, having said that, the developments made in this issue are still confusing as hell, but you can’t argue with that cliffhanger. Speaking of cliffhangers AND Wolverine, over in X-Force #12 we saw the first part of the “Suicide Leper” arc that looks to prominently include…wait for it…apparent mutant suicide AND a character called “The Leper Queen.” Make no mistake though, this is easily the most action oriented and spy drama-esque title the X-Office puts out and month in and month out I am consistently surprised by what writers Craig Kyle and Chris Yost throw at this team and subsequently at the fictional world of the Marvel Universe. I know Wolverine is supposed to be the flagship character that all the kiddies like, but despite his inclusion in this series, NO child under the age of 14 should be reading it…there may not be any boobs or swearing…but my God…so much death…
Before we move into boreville with this month’s X-Duds, we have to run through what is easily the best comic I read every month: X-Factor. As with last issue, writer Peter David has asked that reviews NOT spoil what happens in this issue, but I will say this: never did I ever expect to receive such a well formulated and heart-rending analysis of what it means to be alive on this earth from a comic book prominently featuring a character called “Madrox the Multiple Man.” If you’re a fan of mutants, comics, fine literature and to an extent, toilet humour (though not so much this issue…but normally), you need to be buying this book.
Which brings us to boreville and Young X-Men #11 and X-Men Legacy #221. While I absolutely loved the precursor series to Young X-Men (the similarly titled New X-Men), this new attempt at showcasing the younger mutants in Marvel’s pantheon has thus far fallen flat and in the wake of the announcement of its cancellation I am left to wonder how the hell they are going to reasonably wrap up all the plot threads they started with one more issue. My assumption now is that they won’t and I may have effectively just wasted 36 dollars reading a character named “Ink” who gets his powers from his tattoos and likes to use words like “cuzzin,” but this IS Marc Guggenheim writing…so he may still pull it off. Then again, the once mighty Mike Carey, whose X-Men was at the top of my reading pile just two years ago, has not been able to keep me entertained with X-Men Legacy in months. While a story focusing on Professor Xavier exploring the history of the X-Men Universe attempting to reclaim his lost memory is an okay enough idea for a story arc or two…but we’re getting to a year of this already and I just don’t care anymore. I was never that much of a Charlie Xavier fan myself, and this series does nothing to change my mind. “Uh Oh! Rogue’s in trouble! Let’s go climb a mountain Gambit! Hoowah!” Pass.
That just about wraps up the February adventures of those with an X-Gene (and their friends.) Next month looks pretty exciting as Deadpool goes toe to toe with the Thunderbolts, X-Force gets thrown into the future to save a baby and meets a seven year-old with a plasma rifle and a half-dead son of Cyclops and Wolverine’s illegitimate son makes his old man’s life even worse. Will these stories deliver? Probably. Will I lose a lot of hard earned money finding out? Yup.
See you in thirty.
-Josh Mocle
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For more comic-y goodness, tune into Comic Book Talk on The Phantastic Cypha, every Friday at 11:45PM and The Onomatopoeia Show every Sunday from 3PM – 4PM. As always, a big thank you to Arune Singh and everyone over at Marvel Comics for showing us love and giving us the good stuff to read every Wednesday.
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