Sometimes I think I'm getting old. I love going to these all day shows, but lately, it's more of a love-hate relationship.
For example, I love seeing ten bands. I hate that it takes all day.
I love shows with more than one stage, because if you don’t like one thing, there's always something else to listen to. I hate when there are so many bands on the bill they only get to play for 15 minutes, which isn't enough time to form an opinion of new-to-you music.
And there's no love to balance this part out: I hate getting up early.
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The day of the show, we had to get up and leave early, because Goatwhore was first on the bill. I was interviewing Ben, and wanted to see their set and get a feel for their live show. 11 am is early for us to be out and awake most days, but we managed to drag our butts in there to a fairly empty house. Apparently 11 am is rough for others, as well.
Goatwhore puts on a very clean, fast-paced set with the single most animated death metal vocalist on the planet. Ben runs around the stage like a crazy man. Often classed as black metal, I'd say they have an original death metal sound. They were totally unaffected by the horrendous sound quality at the Rave, and sounded CD-perfect. They closed their set with “Alchemy,� as some of the younger crowd just started making their way in.
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This Is Hell wrapped up their time on SOTU in Milwaukee. I think they mainline Red Bull. Like a bunch of bouncy jackrabbits, they jumped around the stage. The vocals at times were a bit forced, but they had a new punk/hardcore feel. I know that there were backing vocals, but couldn’t hear them at all; the main vocals washed out everything on stage. I liked what I heard, but although it was a little rough around the edges. I've heard local stuff mixed better.
Heavy Heavy Low Low seemed very popular with those so young I could have given birth to them. A bit of the new metal core sound -- I just can't seem to find a groove with them. I think it is the vocals that totally put me off. They were also insane in their energy level and seemed to be playing their hearts out. For that I give them major kudos, even though they really aren't my cup of cocoa.
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The Acacia Strain had a classic death metal sound with new metal core vocals. I love that dark and dirty death metal sound. Their vocals are the only thing holding me back from really loving them. I don’t play, so I rely on the vocals. A little more reserved on stage.
The Devil Wears Prada had an almost anthemic quality to their sound. Made me feel like marching. Very old school synchronized playing as well as a very-fast paced set. With only a short time on stage, I wonder really how much caffeine these early bands crank in to put so much energy into their sets. The keyboardist added a nice depth to their sound - something a little different to set them apart.
The Number 12 Looks Like You is another metal core band, however, they set themselves apart from the rest with two vocalists, one high and one low. I really can't grasp the whole metal core movement, and since I was sweating my behind off, I took this opportunity to move to a less populated room, and pop in and grab a song at both 40 oz Fist and 9MM Solutions sets. I also hit a little bit of fresh air.
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Amon Amarth was next on lower stage and I was getting worried looking at schedule that I might miss them while interviewing Ben. Thankfully that was SOOOO not the case, since I'm so in love with the European metal sounds and they're my favorite Vikings.
Giving themselves a case of whiplash, Amon raced through their 4-song set. Lucky for them, they played my favorite song “Ruins To My Memory.� I just couldn’t believe four songs and that was it. Not nice to tease me.
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I really didn’t want to like Darkest Hour. Their commercials were driving me insane, literally. At every commercial break for Headbangers Ball, the commercial would play with 30 seconds of their song. Didn’t want to see them and didn’t want to like them. Occasionally I do things I don’t want to do. I actually found listening to more than 30 seconds of a single song repeated ad nasuem might help with liking a band. Turns out this band was pretty darn cool. I heard two whole songs and think I may just give them a real shot. I really liked “Sadist Nation.�
While I missed Job For a Cowboy, I did ask the hubby how the sounded. My husband is so very enthralled with the newest addition to the band, drummer Jon Rice, and apparently the guy is just amazing. He said the rest of the band sounded really good, but Rice is amazingly insane.
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I also missed Necro. I'm not sure how I feel about that, because there was no one else even remotely like them on the bill, and frankly, they play in a genre I can't really wrap my mind around: Death rap.
I do know the fan response was not kind. I came up just as they were finishing up their set, and the ballroom was one solid "boo." They're a hard sell for metal fans, but fortunately don't have an Alx Rose-level tantrum when they're poorly received. They get up there, they do their thing, and while people don't like what they do, I can respect it. I also respect that they're trying to something new. And that makes them a stand-out.
I totally lost Shadows Fall in the Ballroom. I found a place on the side to cop a squat and feel the breeze, and hit a really really bad echo spot. I really do like this band, however I couldn’t hear or understand a single thing vocally from where I was. I was so flipping warm though, that I was unable to propel myself to a better hearing spot. But I can honestly say the band played so hard that evening that Vocalist, Brian Fair, lost a shoe.
Every Time I Die is a decent band, but they have something else going for them: They're infectious. They may not stand out for their sound, but they're having fun on that stage -- and goddamn it, you should be, too.
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Chimaira was on the bill to support the new release,
Resurrection. Hearing them play a little old (“Power Trip�) mixed in with the new stuff, it was hard to remember Chimaira is a fairly new act. Their first major release was in 2001, but with a stamp of approval from Kerry King back when they started, these guys have propelled forward. Insanely fast-paced, they're described as metal core, but I don’t really put the vocals in that category. With a bassist gone on personal leave, everyone on the tour filled in -- A naked Beefcake the Mighty, Paul from Shadows Fall, and Andy from Every Time I Die. Good to see everyone supporting each other, but disturbing to see a naked Beefcake.
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When I take notes, I try to get a few impressions of each band, whatever thoughts come to mind, and a few songs. I look at my GWAR page, and I have one song tossed in, but the rest is who died. It's GWAR, after all. Blood, guts, cum, piss. Yeah, it was GWAR. I took about 100 steps back. Whatever GWAR uses has died my hair in the past, and I wasn’t playing that game now. I do have a job in the real world.
GWAR kicked ass, and as always put on a great and entertaining show. Lordii was the first to die, head on a stick and sucking Oderus’ huge cock. Seung-Hui Cho, the Virgina Tech shooter, was next, followed by Jeffery Dahmer, Satan and the T-Rex. Probably the most disturbing thing was that the sun had barely set, there was light still coming from outside, and GWAR was wreaking havoc on the world. And I must say my heart always goes out to the security guys working the pit. Slimey crowd surfers are very hard to deal with and these guys do their best in the mess.