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I jshowed up just as The Agony Scene were ending, which was a bit of a bummer because I wanted to check them out live. I went downstairs and waited for who I thought was Still Remains to play. Someone told me that they cancelled, which happened to bump all of the bands up a slot, meaning that I watched the Glass Casket, though it didn't sound much like them. Whoever played was more moshy than technical.
I wanted to go upstairs to check out If Hope Dies, but there was a line to get in there, so I went back downstairs to write my review of the day before while Twelve Tribes played. With the exception of the last song they played, Twelve Tribes weren't too impressive.
Due to a schedule change (I later learned that Remembering Never didn't want to play the main stage), Reflux was next up on the main stage. They spent the whole 20 minute set ripping me a new asshole: from the opening instrumental which featured solos from all three musicans to the breakdown that ended their set. I watched in awe as their guitarist, bassist and drummer totally owned their instruments. There were a few times when my jaw was literally dropped. They played a totally amazing set and I was so glad that I caught them. Check this band out at all costs. They won't disappoint you.
I waited in line to go upstairs and watch Misery Signals. I figured that I'd be able to check them and It Dies Today out before going back downstairs to watch A Life Once Lost. Luckily, I saw an updated schedule which told me A Life Once Lost was already playing, so I rushed downstairs to check them out. Misery Signals sounded really good, but not nearly as good as A Life Once Lost, who trucked through songs off of The Great Escape, as well as two new ones. The new songs were heavy and really in your face; kind of like their older songs but without a stoner influence that those older songs have.
Trivium really surprised me. I wasn't expecting their songs to be as tight as they were, and I also wasn't expecting them to have the crowd that they did. It was packed in to about the middle of the floor (plus the people watching them from further back), and the people up front were really digging them. They have a really good live sound, playing a lot of songs off of Ascendency. The singing parts sounded really good. I was pretty impressed.
I should have known that The Red Chord's set wouldn't be as fun the minute some 400 pound dude walked right in front of me, obstructing my view and forcing me to hold my arm up so my hand wouldn't brush up against his giant ass.
The Red Chord blasted through their opener, "Nihilist," which made me realize just how much I miss Fused Together in Revolving Doors (I lost it months ago). They also played "Catalepsy," one I can't remember, and three new songs, which impressed me. During the sing along of their closer, "Dreaming in Dog Years," somebody came out of nowhere and kicked me in the head as he was trying to crowd surf. I was pretty dazed and in pain. My face had red imprint of the inside of a shoe.
I went to my car to eat and not see bands I didn't care about. I made sure to get back for about 4:30, ensuring that I would be upstairs to watch Darkest Hour. While waiting in line, I heard Ice Pick, who sounded like Hatebreed and covered a Sheer Terror song.
Darkest Hour shredd the Palladium Upstairs, though they didn't seem to get the circle pit of their dreams, as they kept pleading with the crowd to do one after every song. They played five songs, one of which (at least I think) was new. They ended with "Hidden Hand of a Sadist Nation."
I wanted to skip out on the last few songs of Darkest Hour so I could catch some of Sonata Artica, but Darkest Hour were too damn good, and I was only able to catch their last song. It sounded awesome, and I loved watching four of the five members singing the chorus.
It took awhile for Strapping Young Lad to come onstage, but when they did, they rocked out with killer metal and humorous banter. Singer/guitarist Devin Townsend told the crowd that they were all sexy, but not as sexy as the people onstage (he kind of looks like the Crypt Keeper, in case you're keeping score at him). He then said that they are the collective penis to go inside our collective poopers. They were pretty fun to watch.
I don't like Terror, so I didn't pay attention to them. The one part I watched was pretty cool: people were circle pitting around a group of people just standing there. I didn't even watch God Forbid.
The drummer of Cryptopsy is so freaking good that he got a huge ovation from the crowd during his warmup. Its really fun watching his hands move faster than money out of a junkie's wallet as he made such technical drum work look easy. He may be one of the best drummers that I have ever seen.
The guitarists and bassist were no slouches either. Their fingers rode those guitar necks like a pony at a petting zoo, while still having plenty of energy to headband their long hair.
The vocalist, who looks a little bit like Chris Cornell, didn't move around too much, but was still a powerful frontman. He almost sounded dead while talking between songs. Thats pretty damn metal. As an encore, the band played music while the singer ate worms (leading up to the song they played). That was so much cooler than what most bands do during their pointless encores.
I was spent and had a solitary hour long drive ahead of me, so I took off. Eight hours of metal is a long ass day, though one I don't mind.
Written by: RF