Archive for July, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 No Comments
Atonement has been an album I’ve been craving for months. I asked everybody I could find, scoured the internet, and pestered everybody and their mom about it. When I found that it was released the other day, I immediately went to Amazon and queued it up to download.
I was definitely not disappointed. These guys have a unique blend of heavy as hell and soft, almost to the point of emo. Normally I hate that kind of music, but something about these guys just makes me all warm inside. Or something. They’re a pretty badass sound.
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Friday, July 24, 2009 No Comments
So I just read the Woot Blog and I had to post this. Some of them are awesome, some of them…..are not. But I’m a nerd and I enjoy things like this.
- Expectation Failed
- Ion Dissonance
- Enemy Logic
- Accepted
- Unordered Collection
- Fading
- Killswitch Engage
- Unprocessable Entity
- Silent Descent
- See Other
- Variant Also Negotiates
- Nodes of Ranvier
- Embodiment 12:14
- Switching Protocols
- Forbidden
Click more to see the answers. I don’t think you need to, but some of you still maybe hungover from the night before.
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Monday, July 20, 2009 2 Comments
Attended the Summer Slob Tour last night. Granted, I have been doing shit non-stop for a week and a half, including driving to Ohio and back, so I’m beyond tired and probably should have gotten in a nap or skipped the show altogether… But I love the Acacia Strain. I had to go.
Good to see familiar faces upon arriving (Metal Nick and Brendan, whom I’ve now known for years and both are staples at most of the shows I hit up.) Otherwise, the crowd was pretty damn varied. I had zero idea what some of those girls were doing there – and then I remember I generally look like the girl next door as opposed to the metal chick even though I am… so I decided to shut-up and accepted them into my evening.
My first glint of happiness for the day: I recognize the bartender and snagged my beloved seat at the bar at Jaxx in Springfield, Virginia. The place was pretty damn packed and I’m pretty sure it was over 100 degrees up in there. Due to the mass of people, my seat was, unfortunately, right next to a few emo d-bags all night and thought to myself at one point… I wonder if that’s Evergreen Terrace. Just based on their looks, and behavior and the fact that ET were never heavy enough to put into rotation at XMLM… and an hour later those dudes were onstage…as Evergreen Terrace. Their set can be summed up as angst-filled “I want you dead” chants – but the kids in the crowd were familiar with that song and chanted right along. And then they covered “Mad World” by Tears for Fears…or by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules for the Donnie Darko soundtrack … or by Adam Lambert. Regardless, it was the high point of the set for me.
Unholy actually kicked my night off, and I think, outside of the Acacia Strain, that they had the best set of the night. They’ve released a new album on Prosthetic Records and I think it might be worth checking out. Cruel Hand and then Evergreen Terrace played after them and I finally realized why, in addition to being dead-tired, I just wasn’t having the best time – I was at a punk and hardcore show. I have never been a punk fan and am just so sick of straight hardcore bands (Hatebreed already wrote that song) and sitting there through Cruel Hand’s set was a little rough for me. I do this for you people. And I love you. And being a lover, I don’t generally like to put out bad reviews on bands… the crowd was totally into them. They’re just not my cup of tea.
A random fun point of the evening – everyone is still into “The Roof Is On Fire” by Bloodhound Gang.
Finally it’s time for the Acacia Strain. They’ve got the big tour banner hanging in the back but bring two on the stage in front of the guitar stacks – one is a bloody polar bear. The other? A bloody Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man. First time I grinned all night.
Vincent takes the stage and grabs his microphone and announces that their regular guitarist, DL, has decided to step off the tour due to a pregnant girlfriend. “We’re gonna have a good time and no stupid baby is gonna stop us.”
Someone pulled out a beachball (???) as soon as the Acacia Strain started, and the show was on. They hit some of my favourites, “4×4,” “Skynet,” and they ended the set with “Carbomb.” God I love that song. And this band. Although they didn’t get to “Smoke Ya Later,” my all-time favourite AS song, due to the fact that their new guitarist only had two weeks to learn a whole set, they really rocked it out.
I think the magic of live shows is a tight performance and the synergy between the band and the crowd, and this night with the Acacia Strain was way more than a rabbit-in-a-hat trick. It’s when EVERYBODY knows the words to all the songs… when 200 kids are screaming “I am the end of the world!” (“JFC.”) with thunderous drums (nice mix, dude) and a “fuck the world” chorus… Caught up in the “don’t fuck around, but have fun with your life” (Vincent’s words) celebration, I even danced. A little. 
I walked out of there with the Stay-Puft Marshmellow Man shirt (Dogs and Cats, Living Together, Mass Hysteria) completely invigorated and satisfied. If you love hardcore, go early.
July 21st – Mt. Clemens, MI – Hayloft
July 22nd – Evansville, IN – Boney Junes
July 23rd – Iowa City, IA – The Picador
July 24th – Orlando Park, IL – Moejoe’s Coffee House
July 25th – Fort Wayne, IN – Sunset Hall
July 26th – Toledo, OH – Headliner’s
July 27th – Erie, PA – Forward Hall
July 28th – Albany, NY – Northern Lights
July 29th – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
July 30th – Manchester, NH – Rockos
July 31st – Bucksport, ME – The Kave
Aug 1st – Hartford, CT – Webster Theatre
Sunday, July 19, 2009 1 Comment
So here I am again, finally posting – something. And I’m so glad I went to this show, it was the metal show I’ve always hoped and dreamed for. As you can see from the flyer the line up was beyond awesome. I personally wasn’t aware how awesome it really was till after I heard Starring Janet Leigh, For The Fallen Dreams.
This was my second time visting The Basement, and like last time, I had a blast. And I was slightly deaf after it was all said and done. This venue by far, is great for metal! You are literally a foot away from them. I don’t know how that is for the actual artists, but I think it’s awesome.
Hit the jump for me complete run down on each band.
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Monday, July 6, 2009 No Comments
I knew it was going to be a good night when it only took me the regular 40 minutes to get to Baltimore (see my summer slaughter review for an alternate experience.) Ben Falgoust from Goatwhore was standing outside Sonar chatting with fans when I pulled up, he was looking tan and happy after having shot a new video from their brand new (fantastic) album Carving Out The Eyes of God. Gave him a quick hug and moved on inside.
I was super glad that I showed up early because not only did I get to catch the last couple songs from SWWAATS, (buy their merch) but I got a seat at the bar. Ahhhhhhh
For you Abysmal Dawn fans out there, GO to this show. I don’t think the kids in the room knew who they were, which has to suck when you’re a decent band with a good set. Things got a little blurry in there (probably the crown and diet at which point I switched to Stella) and got into side conversations with the other fun people at the bar, including a little time with Ben and some catch-up with Jason Netherton from Misery Index, fresh off their overseas tour. Their next show is a house party in Baltimore that I just may be attending…
During all of this, Daath took the stage and I didn’t even recognize that it was them until they started playing “Ovum.” I’m honestly not sure if that’s their fault or if it’s mine… I hadn’t known that Kevin Talley had quit Daath (oh yeah – Kevin Talley has quit Daath!) and couldn’t figure out why Zach Simmons from Goatwhore was playing with some random band. Gonna have to pay better attention the next time I see them and see what the real deal is.
Sammy Duet has hair now. I’ve NEVER seen him with hair. Threw me off. In a good way. I even went up to him after his set and told him he looked good which is kind of hilarious… But the Goatwhore set was phenomenal, they played 6 new ones and a smattering of old ones, ending their set with Alchemy of the Black Sun Cult, a definite fan-favourite. Apparently they are co-headlining this tour with Abigail Williams so it will be back and forth all summer between the two bands closing the show.
I finally met Ken Sorceron (I don’t know what to tell you. I’m shy. Sometimes it takes me awhile to get up the nerve, in this case…it took three shows. Gonna have to work on that…) Anyhow, the Abigail Williams set was highly satisfying, the mix was good (it’s always annoying to go see black metal when the keyboards blast out all the rest of the instruments – not the case with them.) I set up an interview with Ken for the next time they’re around in DC which will be July 24th at Jaxx, so feel free to send me questions to ask them…
Definitely a show to hit this summer – do it and tell ‘em I sentcha.
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Monday, July 6, 2009 No Comments
That’s all…the joke’s really not that complicated, so I won’t waste your time with a lengthy explanation. I mean, really I could have just posted the photo by itself, without any text at all, and you’d still get the joke…connect the dots yourself, as it were. You still readin’ this?
![7/16 Unearth Show w/ Starring Janet Leigh, Woe of Tyrants, For The Fallen Dreams [Concert]](http://www.knucklesfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Unearth7_16.jpg)
