|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recent Interviews (rss?)
|
 
Gigantour: Megadeth/In Flames/Children of Bodom/Job For a Cowboy/High on Fire Salem Armory Auditorium, Salem, Oregon, May 17, 2008 High on Fire kicked off the evening with a set that wasn't particularly bad, but did not stand out at all. Job For a Cowboy was next, and also played a set that can be described with the following phrase: "Wow, you guys can play." Then, Children of Bodom came out on fire with "Sixpounder" from their 2003 album, Hate Crew Deathroll. From there, Bodom represented four of its other albums with seven more songs, specifically "Hellhounds on My Trail" and the title track from its newest disc, Blooddrunk. Unfortunately Bodom only got to play eight songs, but thankfully the band made every second of its time count. In Flames followed with what was easily the low point of the evening on so many levels. First and foremost, they didn't touch 1997's Whoracle or 1999's Colony, which truly are landmark albums for the melodic death metal genre. The band began its set with three unremarkable songs from lackluster albums it has released since 2002. However, these songs didn't sound terrible for some damn reason. Then came the title track from 2000's Clayman, which was without a doubt the only highlight of the set. After "Clayman," In Flames played yet another subpar song from some recent album that didn't sound like shit for some reason. However, the band's distortion, which resembled that of Korn's more than a little too much, finally hit me during the next song, and took away any illusion that this set would end up being a decent one. From there, In Flames played three more mallcore songs, which were followed by two ballads that are without a doubt among the most pussified ever written. At some point during the onslaught of mallcore songs, I found myself wondering if this band was the same one that put on one of the best shows I had ever seen eight years earlier. I wondered if the technical wizardry, specifically the inimitable guitar harmonies, the band used to play were just a dream. Worst of all, I had to admit that some jackass who I couldn't stand at a Slayer message board seven years ago was right when he said that "In Flames are going to sell out with their next album." That next album was 2002's Reroute to Remain, and if that album isn't a total piece of shit, I don't know what is. Last but not least, I'll go back to that word "mallcore." It's one that the regulars here know that I can't stand, but like so many other words, it has its place at times. In the case of In Flames, it most certainly has its place since that band currently serves as the best example of what was once a melodic death metal band, but is now a mallcore band. With that said, I really hope that certain idiots who have referred to bands that are still as metal as they ever have been, specifically Children of Bodom, have seen the difference between metal and mallcore thanks to this tour. At 9:30, it was finally the headliner's turn. Now I'll admit that I wasn't too excited about this set before Megadeth came out since I had seen the band three times before, and I knew their set list. However, before this past Saturday, I had never seen a musician add a certain something to a band the way that new guitarist Chris Broderick did. Specifically, his presence is easily one of the main reasons why I found myself enjoying songs I've often referred to as "the same old shit," such as "Symphony of Destruction," "Sweating Bullets," "Skin O' My Teeth" and "Tornado of Souls," as if they were "Skull Beneath the Skin," "My Last Words" or "502." In addition to that, the following songs slayed as they always do: "Sleepwalker," "Wake Up Dead," "Take No Prisoners," "Kick the Chair," "Hangar 18," "Peace Sells" and "Holy Wars." Then there were the kickass surprises "Burnt Ice" and "Ashes in Your Mouth." Last but not least, Dave Mustaine delivered an excellent performance as he always does, and showed that he is easily one of metal's all-time great guitarists whether he's playing "A Tout Le Monde" or "Looking Down the Cross." Back to Broderick for a moment, Dave Mustaine will do the Megadeth legacy a huge favor if he records at least one album with Chris Broderick. All things considered, the evening was a great one, and the tour can be looked at as a successful one, thanks to Megadeth and Children of Bodom.
To post comments CLICK HERE!
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home : Advertise : MERCH : Rock News : Interviews : Live @ 12 pm Pacific : CD Reviews : DVD Reviews : Concert Reviews : Book Reviews : Concert Pix : Forums : Email us : stats : Staff lists : db : MySpace : Privacy Policy : Rant |