Ack. So I didn't write up My Enemy Complete and those other local bands like I was supposed to >.< If I get a chance, I still want to do that, since they can use all the promotion they can get. But anyway. While it's still fresh in my mind, let me type up my review of last night's concert.
It was a kind of crazy combination of bands - when I first saw that Otep was touring, and then that Blackguard was supporting her, I thought, how in the world is that going to work out?! I was really looking forward to seeing both of them, but it just seemed like an odd combination. Actually, in addition to the four bands in the title, this goth act called One Eyed Doll also performed last night along with two local bands, Pain and Beyond Black Skies, but we missed those. (Yeah, it's we, not I, now. Life just got a little more interesting :P )
We got to Jaxx in the middle of Sister Sin's set. S. was really looking forward to seeing them, and I was glad we didn't miss them too. They're an "old-school" metal band from Sweden. Their songs are pretty catchy, with a bit more of hard rock sound, but still heavy enough to headbang to on most songs. Certainly the singer, Liv, headbanged plenty. The crowd was not really into it though (they didn't even respond to the "Hey!"/fistpump prompt the first time around >.<), which was a shame since I thought Sister Sin was pretty cool.
Destrophy was pretty good too. Still more of a hard rock sound, but their older songs were pretty heavy. For the two new (and not so heavy) songs they played, they made a big deal out of the fact that they get a lot of play on a certain radio station, and in fact they made a big deal about their CD's and merchandise before most of the songs. I guess they have to promote their stuff, still, it got kind of annoying. Of the new songs, "Closer" was the better one I thought, and I wanted to jump but no one else was into it. Typical Jaxx crowd!
However, I forgive them for that due to the way they received Blackguard. Huge mosh pits! Massive headbanging! If you want to know about Blackguard, see my paean in this post. I thought Blackguard sounded better than ever - they were loud and energetic and Paul's energy was contagious. Their sound seemed a bit out of balance, though - something, maybe the bass, was too loud and it was hard to hear the melodies. They acknowledged their folk metal roots and played a few old songs at the end of their set, but all the folk awesomeness was lost in the noise. I thought their best song last night was "The Fear of All Flesh," probably because it's a song that sounds good loud and made the crowd go crazy.
So speaking of going crazy. OTEP. If you haven't noticed, most of my reviews critique the crowd as much as the band, because I think the experience of being part of the "crowd" is as much part of the metal concert experience as hearing the band. I mean, you could headbang to music by yourself at home - you go to a concert so that you can headbang, fistpump, shout and mosh with a bunch of other metal fans. I'll still enjoy a concert even if there are only a few people listening and I'm the only one headbanging (has happened..) but it's much more fun with a bunch of other people that are into the music too. So anyway. Otep was, well, Otep. It seems like people either love her or hate her; me, I think she's awesome, as much for the artistic way she does things as for her amazing heavy music. She makes songs that, to me, sound a lot like spoken word set to metal music. I wasn't sure how that would work out in a concert setting - does one headbang to spoken word? Well, it worked out really well actually - the heavy music got people moving and Otep's rapid-fire delivery rode right along with it. The mosh pit was massive, at times I thought the whole floor would turn into one huge pit. (And then what would happen to the goth chicks? Haha, I'm mean. I'm not crazy about the pit either because having waist length hair that gets caught on things makes it more painful than I'd really want it to be.) But I had a good time headbanging on the edge of the pit.
Otep didn't come back out for an encore, and we met a diehard fan in 7-11 who complained about how she only played one song from her new album. I'm not that familiar with her new album and like her old stuff better anyway, so I didn't really notice or care about that, but I thought it was kind a of a jerkish gesture not to do an encore, especially since she kept saying things like we were the best crowd she'd ever seen (shows how cynical I am that I wondered if she says that to every crowd). Still, I thought it was a good show, enjoyed all four of the bands we saw and would definitely see any of them again.
Next concert: TUSKA METAL FESTIVAL in Helsinki!!! Saturday July 23!!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Blackguard, Powerglove, Symphony X - 5/22/11 at Jaxx, Springfield, VA
Ok, well, I thought I would post a review of Asche, a German industrial artist that played at a friend's goth night near the start of May...but then somehow I never had time :( So. jumping ahead to the present time - on Sunday last, I went to see Symphony X, Powerglove and Blackguard. Well, really I went to see Blackguard and Symphony X since I had never heard of Powerglove before.
Let me just wax eloquent about Blackguard for a moment because they deserve a little more spotlight :) They're a band from Montreal that tours like crazy - they were just down here in November with Epica, they were here this week, they'll be back again in June with Otep (weird combo, that). Notice I didn't say what genre of metal they play, I'm about to get to that. So I just got their new CD this weekend - my brother and I bought it together a while ago but he didn't give it to me till the day before the concert. The sticker on the front of the CD recommends it to fans of "Dragonforce, Amon Amarth and Children of Bodom." Three completely different bands! And yet magically, Blackguard IS like all of them - Dragonforce style speed and technical prowess, Amon Amarth style growly singing and epic riffs and Children of Bodom style rollicking good tunes. The Dragonforce comparison is most obvious in a couple parts, and there was also a moment in one song where I swear they sounded like Ensiferum. But really, they're nothing like any of these bands because the combination they've made gives them an amazing unique sound. There are a lot of symphonic bits on this CD, too, something I haven't heard before from Blackguard. So, I'd say they've created their own new genre which we should call.. power-death symphony, or something like that. I think Paul Ablaze (their singer) would agree based on what he says in this interview. "Blackguard has a very symphonic feel to it. I like to say we're a bastardized..the bastard child of power metal, death metal, black metal, symphonic metal kind of all smushed into one in a way..We do have a strong folk element in the music, so we tend to appeal to a lot of fans of Ensiferum and Children of Bodom and a lot of power metal fans, even Dragonforce and Sonata Arctica..." So yeah. They're like all my favorite genres/bands rolled into one, that is to say, PURE AWESOME!
Anyway :P So when I went down to Jaxx on Sunday night, I was actually looking forward most to hearing Blackguard :) And they didn't disappoint, even though they had two substitute singers, since Paul couldn't make it for some reason. The singer from Powerglove did the first few songs with them, and then the guitarist from a local band called Cab Ride Home did the second half. There was definitely a clear difference between their new stuff, which has more of a power metal sound, and their old stuff, which had more of a folk metal sound. They sounded louder and more energetic than they did in November, and it seemed like the crowd was more into it too.
Powerglove was a fun band to see. Metal versions of video game music is their schtick, and they came out with this huge spiky armor on, the drummer had these battle flag things on his back...they threw inflatable hammers and swords, beach balls and Starbursts into the audience, and at the end of their set exhorted the crowd to form a "triangle pit." It was very silly and a lot of fun. Their music was mostly instrumental, which is not really my thing, but the video game music basis ensured that the tunes were catchy (although since I don't play video games, none were familiar to me) and it was upbeat and decently headbang-able. Random video.
Lastly, Symphony X. They're a progressive metal band in the vein of Dream Theater ie. more melodic and symphonic then the more extreme progressive bands. They turned out to be one of those bands that sounds sooo much heavier live than on their recordings. The sound just came blasting out with nonstop heaviness. I don't know them very well, so I didn't recognize any of the first few songs they played, but I enjoyed it anyway because of the power of their sound. I had to leave after the first four or five songs because I still had schoolwork to do, so I didn't get to hear my favorite Symphony X song, "Set the World on Fire" (of course, I couldn't have picked a more obvious one, right?) which they apparently played near the end of their set.
Overall, an excellent, fun concert. I know I'll be seeing Blackguard and Powerglove again - Blackguard next month with Otep - and I hope to see Symphony X again too so I can see their full set.
Next concert - Noise in the Basement (local bands) - My Enemy Complete, Descent to Daylight, Cyberstrike, Chris Beatty - May 30
Don't know when I'll have a book review. Sorry :( Just don't have much time for reading these days.
Let me just wax eloquent about Blackguard for a moment because they deserve a little more spotlight :) They're a band from Montreal that tours like crazy - they were just down here in November with Epica, they were here this week, they'll be back again in June with Otep (weird combo, that). Notice I didn't say what genre of metal they play, I'm about to get to that. So I just got their new CD this weekend - my brother and I bought it together a while ago but he didn't give it to me till the day before the concert. The sticker on the front of the CD recommends it to fans of "Dragonforce, Amon Amarth and Children of Bodom." Three completely different bands! And yet magically, Blackguard IS like all of them - Dragonforce style speed and technical prowess, Amon Amarth style growly singing and epic riffs and Children of Bodom style rollicking good tunes. The Dragonforce comparison is most obvious in a couple parts, and there was also a moment in one song where I swear they sounded like Ensiferum. But really, they're nothing like any of these bands because the combination they've made gives them an amazing unique sound. There are a lot of symphonic bits on this CD, too, something I haven't heard before from Blackguard. So, I'd say they've created their own new genre which we should call.. power-death symphony, or something like that. I think Paul Ablaze (their singer) would agree based on what he says in this interview. "Blackguard has a very symphonic feel to it. I like to say we're a bastardized..the bastard child of power metal, death metal, black metal, symphonic metal kind of all smushed into one in a way..We do have a strong folk element in the music, so we tend to appeal to a lot of fans of Ensiferum and Children of Bodom and a lot of power metal fans, even Dragonforce and Sonata Arctica..." So yeah. They're like all my favorite genres/bands rolled into one, that is to say, PURE AWESOME!
Anyway :P So when I went down to Jaxx on Sunday night, I was actually looking forward most to hearing Blackguard :) And they didn't disappoint, even though they had two substitute singers, since Paul couldn't make it for some reason. The singer from Powerglove did the first few songs with them, and then the guitarist from a local band called Cab Ride Home did the second half. There was definitely a clear difference between their new stuff, which has more of a power metal sound, and their old stuff, which had more of a folk metal sound. They sounded louder and more energetic than they did in November, and it seemed like the crowd was more into it too.
Powerglove was a fun band to see. Metal versions of video game music is their schtick, and they came out with this huge spiky armor on, the drummer had these battle flag things on his back...they threw inflatable hammers and swords, beach balls and Starbursts into the audience, and at the end of their set exhorted the crowd to form a "triangle pit." It was very silly and a lot of fun. Their music was mostly instrumental, which is not really my thing, but the video game music basis ensured that the tunes were catchy (although since I don't play video games, none were familiar to me) and it was upbeat and decently headbang-able. Random video.
Lastly, Symphony X. They're a progressive metal band in the vein of Dream Theater ie. more melodic and symphonic then the more extreme progressive bands. They turned out to be one of those bands that sounds sooo much heavier live than on their recordings. The sound just came blasting out with nonstop heaviness. I don't know them very well, so I didn't recognize any of the first few songs they played, but I enjoyed it anyway because of the power of their sound. I had to leave after the first four or five songs because I still had schoolwork to do, so I didn't get to hear my favorite Symphony X song, "Set the World on Fire" (of course, I couldn't have picked a more obvious one, right?) which they apparently played near the end of their set.
Overall, an excellent, fun concert. I know I'll be seeing Blackguard and Powerglove again - Blackguard next month with Otep - and I hope to see Symphony X again too so I can see their full set.
Next concert - Noise in the Basement (local bands) - My Enemy Complete, Descent to Daylight, Cyberstrike, Chris Beatty - May 30
Don't know when I'll have a book review. Sorry :( Just don't have much time for reading these days.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
An Evening with Amon Amarth - 5/2/11 at Jaxx, Springfield, VA
So, finally getting this done. I kept falling asleep this week >.< There will be another one right away since I went to another concert of sorts last night, and I want to write that one up too.
So anyway. "An evening with Amon Amarth." Let's just get this out of the way - the show was incredibly epic! (Note I managed to do that without any cursewords.) I've been to a few concerts, but this was the first time I felt like I was really at a "metal" concert. It was the first time I saw that many people at Jaxx with long hair, that many people headbanging, and such a huge mosh pit that lasted more than 5 seconds (Jaxx crowd isn't into moshing for some reason). That metal concert thing where everyone headbangs in unison? It actually happened, which is totally wild for Jaxx - usually people just stand around.
In case you don't know, Amon Amarth is a death metal band from Sweden that sings about Vikings (they have rejected the label "Viking metal," though). A lot of their songs are fast and furious, they do epic-sounding riffs and their vocals are just growly enough to be intense, but you can usually understand at least some of the words. The Viking theme is what really makes them stand out in the sea of death metal bands, and I know at least for me, it's as much the epic themes of their songs as the epic riffs and vocals that draw me to their music.
A lot of people agree - the place was packed on Monday. The line wrapped around the building when I got there, and when I finally got to the door, the line behind me still wrapped around the building. I talked to people who had come up from North Carolina for the show and had driven 6 hours to get there. Obviously, we love us some Amon Amarth in the Mid Atlantic region!
For their first set, they played the entirety of their new album, "Surtur Rising." When they opened up with "War of the Gods," the crowd surged forward, so at the front we were packed in so tight it was impossible to jump, throw the horns or pretty much do anything, until the shoving and moshing started XD I was a little disappointed with the first set though - I felt like a lot of the songs lacked energy; even "War of the Gods" seemed weak and felt less epic than when I had heard it on the radio on the way down to the concert. Of course, on any album there will be songs that are better and songs that are not as good, and since they played the whole album, we had to take the not-so-good along with th excellent songs. "Slaves of Fear," "Destroyer of the Universe" and "A Beast Am I" were among the better ones. Also, I hadn't been able to get my hands on the album before the concert, and I usually find I enjoy songs more in concert when I already know them well, with the rare epic exception. Still, I know most of the lyrics and riffs to "War of the Gods" from hearing it on the radio so much, and I know it's an epic song, yet it seemed to fall a little flat.
Luckily, the second set more than made up for the first, probably since they were able to choose their best, high-energy songs for this one. I didn't realize the band had been around for nearly twenty years (something Johan said), so they had a lot of good material to choose from. They played every song I hoped they would, starting with "Twilight of the Thunder God" and ending with "Pursuit of Vikings," with "Guardians of Asgard," "Cry of the Black Birds," "Runestone to my Memory" and a bunch more in between. Ok, so I lied a little, I hoped they would play "Under the Northern Star," but that's kind of a slow song and would have been a bit of a downer. This set was epic - if poor planning on my part hadn't placed me right at the edge of the huge mosh pit, I would have been headbanging all the way through (perhaps I should thank the moshers for my not having a sore neck the next day XD). Definitely worth the long wait and the huge crowd.
Next review: Asche - 5/6/11
So anyway. "An evening with Amon Amarth." Let's just get this out of the way - the show was incredibly epic! (Note I managed to do that without any cursewords.) I've been to a few concerts, but this was the first time I felt like I was really at a "metal" concert. It was the first time I saw that many people at Jaxx with long hair, that many people headbanging, and such a huge mosh pit that lasted more than 5 seconds (Jaxx crowd isn't into moshing for some reason). That metal concert thing where everyone headbangs in unison? It actually happened, which is totally wild for Jaxx - usually people just stand around.
In case you don't know, Amon Amarth is a death metal band from Sweden that sings about Vikings (they have rejected the label "Viking metal," though). A lot of their songs are fast and furious, they do epic-sounding riffs and their vocals are just growly enough to be intense, but you can usually understand at least some of the words. The Viking theme is what really makes them stand out in the sea of death metal bands, and I know at least for me, it's as much the epic themes of their songs as the epic riffs and vocals that draw me to their music.
A lot of people agree - the place was packed on Monday. The line wrapped around the building when I got there, and when I finally got to the door, the line behind me still wrapped around the building. I talked to people who had come up from North Carolina for the show and had driven 6 hours to get there. Obviously, we love us some Amon Amarth in the Mid Atlantic region!
For their first set, they played the entirety of their new album, "Surtur Rising." When they opened up with "War of the Gods," the crowd surged forward, so at the front we were packed in so tight it was impossible to jump, throw the horns or pretty much do anything, until the shoving and moshing started XD I was a little disappointed with the first set though - I felt like a lot of the songs lacked energy; even "War of the Gods" seemed weak and felt less epic than when I had heard it on the radio on the way down to the concert. Of course, on any album there will be songs that are better and songs that are not as good, and since they played the whole album, we had to take the not-so-good along with th excellent songs. "Slaves of Fear," "Destroyer of the Universe" and "A Beast Am I" were among the better ones. Also, I hadn't been able to get my hands on the album before the concert, and I usually find I enjoy songs more in concert when I already know them well, with the rare epic exception. Still, I know most of the lyrics and riffs to "War of the Gods" from hearing it on the radio so much, and I know it's an epic song, yet it seemed to fall a little flat.
Luckily, the second set more than made up for the first, probably since they were able to choose their best, high-energy songs for this one. I didn't realize the band had been around for nearly twenty years (something Johan said), so they had a lot of good material to choose from. They played every song I hoped they would, starting with "Twilight of the Thunder God" and ending with "Pursuit of Vikings," with "Guardians of Asgard," "Cry of the Black Birds," "Runestone to my Memory" and a bunch more in between. Ok, so I lied a little, I hoped they would play "Under the Northern Star," but that's kind of a slow song and would have been a bit of a downer. This set was epic - if poor planning on my part hadn't placed me right at the edge of the huge mosh pit, I would have been headbanging all the way through (perhaps I should thank the moshers for my not having a sore neck the next day XD). Definitely worth the long wait and the huge crowd.
Next review: Asche - 5/6/11
Monday, April 18, 2011
Doubleshot of...well, stuff
Hello and welcome to my castle! Where I rant and rave about books (mainly the fantasy and science fiction variety) and music (mainly the metal variety).
Since it's my first post why don't I start you all off with a doubleshot of the good stuff: a book review and a concert review! w00t.
Stealing Fire by Jo Graham
Stealing Fire starts out from the death of Alexander the Great, and our hero Lydias of Miletus trying to decide which of Alexander's would-be successors he'll throw his lot in with. We don't really get to see his decision; somehow he ends up with Ptolemy, and becomes instrumental in Ptolemy's attempt to hold Egypt (involving the theft of Alexander's body from rivals in Persia..) But this is a lot more than just a story of political intrigue and wars waged for power.
First of all, it's the story of Lydias, who was born a slave, but escapes to freedom, eventually becoming one of Alexander's Companions (elite cavalry) and then Ptolemy's general. We find out a lot about him through flashbacks. He has this very matter of fact voice and personality that carries him through all kinds of adventures and ordeals mostly unscathed, but at times one sees hidden pain leaking through - a lot of pain. He lost a lot, and this is the story of him finally finding a place to belong and people to live happily ever after with.
Secondly, it's also the story of Alexander's vision for a world of different peoples united in brotherhood (albeit brought to this state by violence..) Lydias and Ptolemy often discuss Alexander's ideals, the things that never will be now that he's gone, and the things they still want to fight for - mostly peace in Egypt and Alexandria for Egypt's people and all the diverse peoples that make up Ptolemy's army, to live together in something like equality (relatively speaking for that time period..) This is what makes the novel more than just another bland power struggle.
Thirdly, it's the story of how Ptolemy managed to become Pharaoh of Egypt, and this is the thread that makes me a bit uneasy. Gods, generally Egyptian, speak directly to Lydias and occasionally Ptolemy, helping and guiding them (although ultimately the decisions for how to save Egypt rest with the mortals). Divine intervention is something I don't really like to see in fiction (although I'm guilty as charged); it seems too easy, like god-modding in role-playing. Of course the heroes will win because the gods are on their side.
Overall, though, I liked the book and would recommend it to fantasy or historical fiction fans. The emotional depth of the characters, especially Lydias, was very engaging, and the way Ms. Graham encapsulated the sweep of history in one character's experience was at once epic (battle scenes!!) and human (romance :) ). PG-13 for violence and sex.
Next review: Riot in Chang'an by Han Han or One Jump Ahead by Mark L. Van Name - whichever I finish first!
And now..
A Sound of Thunder, Kat Atomic, Sabaton, Accept - 4/13/11 at Jaxx, Springfield, VA
So, you should know that my concert reviews will be overwhelmingly positive, as first of all I'm not nearly as knowledgeable or picky about music as I am about books, and second since I only go to concerts of bands that I really like anyway, I'm kind of biased from the start.
I went to this concert to see Sabaton - a power metal band from Sweden that is really into military history; almost all their songs have to do with World War I or II. I knew one song by Accept that gets played on the radio, and wasn't planning to stay for them as it was a school night. I was also trying to get there late so that I wouldn't have to sit through the opening bands.
That plan failed; I got there right as they started letting people inside. However, I'm glad I did, because A Sound of Thunder knocked my socks off. Their name fits; their sound was like thunder shaking the building. I didn't go on the floor but I should have (I think I was too embarrassed because I was surrounded by older people..) "A Sound of Thunder" and "Archangel" ("Metal Wings") were my favorite songs from their set. I got their CD, and obviously, the thundering sound doesn't quite come through (unless I turn the stereo way up! But with a kid in the car, that's not always an option), but I'm still impressed and hooked by Nina's intense vocals. She has an amazing voice, powerful and also beautiful, that can be lyrical ("Wood and Steel," "Flesh and Blood") or evil ("My Name is Doom," "Blood Vomit"). Those would be my favorite songs from the CD; I'm looking forward to their next release that will have songs they played at the concert.
The second local band, Kat Atomic, was a little more laid back, and did mostly (all?) covers. I recognized Dio's "Rainbow in the Dark," Heart's "Barracuda" and a couple others. The songs were energetic enough to get me moving although I wished there was more oomph to them. (Then again, I'm not a huge 70s/80s metal fan, primarily because it lacks that "oomph" :P ) Kat Atomic got cut off mid song, apparently because Accept's management was really anal about the schedule, is what I've heard from discussions after the fact. That wasn't really very nice.
Sabaton was as awesome as I expected, although of course their set was too short. If I remember correctly, they started with "Ghost Division" and finished with "Primo Victoria" and then "Metal Machine." After they finished, I heard several people commenting about their "great energy" and I think that's a perfect way to describe it - their fast-paced, overwhelming sound where the music, the beat and the lyrics just carry you along. It's definitely battle music. It wasn't at all hard for them to get people jumping for "Primo Victoria," in fact the singer, Joakim laughed at us (the audience) because we wouldn't stop jumping XD Apparently this was their first ever North American tour - no wonder they were so excited about the crowd's (hugely positive) reaction at Jaxx. And I just read that they're coming back this fall with Evergrey - can't wait!
As for Accept, well, I left before they came onstage, so my impression of them remains that created by hearing "Teutonic Terror" on the radio, namely, a decent band. If it hadn't been a school night I probably would have stayed and enjoyed it. Oh well, some other time.
Next concert: Amon Amarth - 5/2/11 \m/
Since it's my first post why don't I start you all off with a doubleshot of the good stuff: a book review and a concert review! w00t.
Stealing Fire by Jo Graham
Stealing Fire starts out from the death of Alexander the Great, and our hero Lydias of Miletus trying to decide which of Alexander's would-be successors he'll throw his lot in with. We don't really get to see his decision; somehow he ends up with Ptolemy, and becomes instrumental in Ptolemy's attempt to hold Egypt (involving the theft of Alexander's body from rivals in Persia..) But this is a lot more than just a story of political intrigue and wars waged for power.
First of all, it's the story of Lydias, who was born a slave, but escapes to freedom, eventually becoming one of Alexander's Companions (elite cavalry) and then Ptolemy's general. We find out a lot about him through flashbacks. He has this very matter of fact voice and personality that carries him through all kinds of adventures and ordeals mostly unscathed, but at times one sees hidden pain leaking through - a lot of pain. He lost a lot, and this is the story of him finally finding a place to belong and people to live happily ever after with.
Secondly, it's also the story of Alexander's vision for a world of different peoples united in brotherhood (albeit brought to this state by violence..) Lydias and Ptolemy often discuss Alexander's ideals, the things that never will be now that he's gone, and the things they still want to fight for - mostly peace in Egypt and Alexandria for Egypt's people and all the diverse peoples that make up Ptolemy's army, to live together in something like equality (relatively speaking for that time period..) This is what makes the novel more than just another bland power struggle.
Thirdly, it's the story of how Ptolemy managed to become Pharaoh of Egypt, and this is the thread that makes me a bit uneasy. Gods, generally Egyptian, speak directly to Lydias and occasionally Ptolemy, helping and guiding them (although ultimately the decisions for how to save Egypt rest with the mortals). Divine intervention is something I don't really like to see in fiction (although I'm guilty as charged); it seems too easy, like god-modding in role-playing. Of course the heroes will win because the gods are on their side.
Overall, though, I liked the book and would recommend it to fantasy or historical fiction fans. The emotional depth of the characters, especially Lydias, was very engaging, and the way Ms. Graham encapsulated the sweep of history in one character's experience was at once epic (battle scenes!!) and human (romance :) ). PG-13 for violence and sex.
Next review: Riot in Chang'an by Han Han or One Jump Ahead by Mark L. Van Name - whichever I finish first!
And now..
A Sound of Thunder, Kat Atomic, Sabaton, Accept - 4/13/11 at Jaxx, Springfield, VA
So, you should know that my concert reviews will be overwhelmingly positive, as first of all I'm not nearly as knowledgeable or picky about music as I am about books, and second since I only go to concerts of bands that I really like anyway, I'm kind of biased from the start.
I went to this concert to see Sabaton - a power metal band from Sweden that is really into military history; almost all their songs have to do with World War I or II. I knew one song by Accept that gets played on the radio, and wasn't planning to stay for them as it was a school night. I was also trying to get there late so that I wouldn't have to sit through the opening bands.
That plan failed; I got there right as they started letting people inside. However, I'm glad I did, because A Sound of Thunder knocked my socks off. Their name fits; their sound was like thunder shaking the building. I didn't go on the floor but I should have (I think I was too embarrassed because I was surrounded by older people..) "A Sound of Thunder" and "Archangel" ("Metal Wings") were my favorite songs from their set. I got their CD, and obviously, the thundering sound doesn't quite come through (unless I turn the stereo way up! But with a kid in the car, that's not always an option), but I'm still impressed and hooked by Nina's intense vocals. She has an amazing voice, powerful and also beautiful, that can be lyrical ("Wood and Steel," "Flesh and Blood") or evil ("My Name is Doom," "Blood Vomit"). Those would be my favorite songs from the CD; I'm looking forward to their next release that will have songs they played at the concert.
The second local band, Kat Atomic, was a little more laid back, and did mostly (all?) covers. I recognized Dio's "Rainbow in the Dark," Heart's "Barracuda" and a couple others. The songs were energetic enough to get me moving although I wished there was more oomph to them. (Then again, I'm not a huge 70s/80s metal fan, primarily because it lacks that "oomph" :P ) Kat Atomic got cut off mid song, apparently because Accept's management was really anal about the schedule, is what I've heard from discussions after the fact. That wasn't really very nice.
Sabaton was as awesome as I expected, although of course their set was too short. If I remember correctly, they started with "Ghost Division" and finished with "Primo Victoria" and then "Metal Machine." After they finished, I heard several people commenting about their "great energy" and I think that's a perfect way to describe it - their fast-paced, overwhelming sound where the music, the beat and the lyrics just carry you along. It's definitely battle music. It wasn't at all hard for them to get people jumping for "Primo Victoria," in fact the singer, Joakim laughed at us (the audience) because we wouldn't stop jumping XD Apparently this was their first ever North American tour - no wonder they were so excited about the crowd's (hugely positive) reaction at Jaxx. And I just read that they're coming back this fall with Evergrey - can't wait!
As for Accept, well, I left before they came onstage, so my impression of them remains that created by hearing "Teutonic Terror" on the radio, namely, a decent band. If it hadn't been a school night I probably would have stayed and enjoyed it. Oh well, some other time.
Next concert: Amon Amarth - 5/2/11 \m/
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