Metalfest: Day 1 (except actually day 2, but who cares?)
So! I have just been to the saturday showing of the New England Metalfest and am currently killing time until I go to the Sunday showing, which should be significantly better than yesterday. Julie's sister Mia has been awesome enough to have given us lodging for Saturday night, to which I am eternally grateful.
Anyway, a quick review of last night...
Okay, so I arrived a little before 5:00, just in time to see Sonata Arctica. As expected, they were phenomenal, despite getting shafted for time (30 minute performance for a band of their calibur = BULLSHIT). I can finally die now, so all of you who have been waiting to dispatch your assassins, viruses, hired goons, etc. on me, feel free. I managed to pick up Sonata Arctica's new CD, Reckoning Night, which will be filling my ears on the ride home to Westfield. Huzzah
Strapping Young Lad, who came directly after Sonata Arctica, also blew me away. Devin Townsend once again proved to me that he is not human. He is Canadian. These guys did a superb job, and no other band on the bill could have been as brutally evil (or Canadian) as these monsters of metal. Oh, and about the other bands...
Where is the creativity?!?! I swear to Lucifer, I heard the same goddamn hardcore breakdown fifty times, and I am NOT exaggerating. Terror was awful; people told me they were good, but people lied. The only halfway respectable thing he said was "don't hurt each other; have fun!" A message not often heard in the hardcore scene, but still, too little, too late. The rest of the bands on the main stage were just metalcore bands that consisted of wasted talent. I heard some excellent guitar work and some good vocals every now and then, but the rest was just...more of the same. It depressed me to see these musicians playing on stage, clearly having talent yet being utterly drowned out by wild, roaring drums and a gutteral vocalist who COULD use a good singing voice, but doesn't. I never even heard the guitars until the drums occasionally stopped for a harmonized solo. I don't know, maybe I'm just bitter that these hardcore and metalcore bands can entertain a crowd with more of the same AND get more time on stage than Sonata Arctica or Strapping Young Lad. Maybe some of these bands just suck live. Ah well...at least I managed to pick up a bunch of awesome, cheap cds!
Didn't stick around for Danzig. I had already seen him, I was tired as hell, and I couldn't stand Chimaira. I am sure he put on an amazing show, as he usually tends to.
Tonight: Hypocrisy, Dark Tranquility, Soilwork, Nile, AND King Diamond all in a row! I will be a very happy fellow after tonight, I assure you. Okay, good bye and thank you for reading my pointless update :-)
Oh, Amanda? I am sorry that I can't come to your concert tonight, but I know you will do a sexy good job. You always do, and your compositions always roxigor my boxigors. The Metal Gods bless thee, Ms. Smith.
Anyway, a quick review of last night...
Okay, so I arrived a little before 5:00, just in time to see Sonata Arctica. As expected, they were phenomenal, despite getting shafted for time (30 minute performance for a band of their calibur = BULLSHIT). I can finally die now, so all of you who have been waiting to dispatch your assassins, viruses, hired goons, etc. on me, feel free. I managed to pick up Sonata Arctica's new CD, Reckoning Night, which will be filling my ears on the ride home to Westfield. Huzzah
Strapping Young Lad, who came directly after Sonata Arctica, also blew me away. Devin Townsend once again proved to me that he is not human. He is Canadian. These guys did a superb job, and no other band on the bill could have been as brutally evil (or Canadian) as these monsters of metal. Oh, and about the other bands...
Where is the creativity?!?! I swear to Lucifer, I heard the same goddamn hardcore breakdown fifty times, and I am NOT exaggerating. Terror was awful; people told me they were good, but people lied. The only halfway respectable thing he said was "don't hurt each other; have fun!" A message not often heard in the hardcore scene, but still, too little, too late. The rest of the bands on the main stage were just metalcore bands that consisted of wasted talent. I heard some excellent guitar work and some good vocals every now and then, but the rest was just...more of the same. It depressed me to see these musicians playing on stage, clearly having talent yet being utterly drowned out by wild, roaring drums and a gutteral vocalist who COULD use a good singing voice, but doesn't. I never even heard the guitars until the drums occasionally stopped for a harmonized solo. I don't know, maybe I'm just bitter that these hardcore and metalcore bands can entertain a crowd with more of the same AND get more time on stage than Sonata Arctica or Strapping Young Lad. Maybe some of these bands just suck live. Ah well...at least I managed to pick up a bunch of awesome, cheap cds!
Didn't stick around for Danzig. I had already seen him, I was tired as hell, and I couldn't stand Chimaira. I am sure he put on an amazing show, as he usually tends to.
Tonight: Hypocrisy, Dark Tranquility, Soilwork, Nile, AND King Diamond all in a row! I will be a very happy fellow after tonight, I assure you. Okay, good bye and thank you for reading my pointless update :-)
Oh, Amanda? I am sorry that I can't come to your concert tonight, but I know you will do a sexy good job. You always do, and your compositions always roxigor my boxigors. The Metal Gods bless thee, Ms. Smith.