I don't see why people are surprised and complaining that they'd want a couple songs from Worship Music in the set, personally I'd love to see a Worship Music tour playing the album front to back.
I would love to stay home for that
TUPAC IS DEAD/THE LEGEND IS GONE/THEY SAYIN TUPAC'S BACK?/DEM NIGGAS WRONG
This show was fucking hell to sort out. It started out as the most unorganized festival ever. Nobody knew anything about it or who was playing for sure. Nonpoint and Blue Felix were the headliners with the Pyschostick tour package and a shit ton of locals. Then Nonpoint dropped and the festival switched venues. Then more bands dropped and there were no ticket sales, I literally was the ONLY person to buy tickets from the box office. Then the show was cancelled completely. Finally the Psychostick package got their own shit together and Blue Felix joined at the last minute.
Touch of Rage - Local old guys playing generic stuff. Kind of entertaining.
Siklid - Local band I've heard about quite a bit. Ton of energy and had a screaming singing mix, but not a faggoty singing...Not really worth explaining because nobody cares nor will they probably ever see them lol Singer checked his phone after one of the songs which just annoyed the shit out of me.
Downtown Brown - Fucking great like always. Ron, seriously probably the best bassist I've seen live wasn't able to attend due to his wife having emergency spinal surgery. The guy that filled in was a former member who was just as great...wasn't as much of a showman though. Grabbed a setlist when they were done. After the show I talked to the drummer I saw at the Gojira show for a minute, then had them sign the setlist. Also got a shirt and poster from the last time I saw them.
Polkadot Cadaver - Came out sounding solid. I have no problem saying Todd is nothing more than a shower singer like most of us. But really they're just so entertaining it doesn't even matter. This show doesn't compare to the Purgatory Dance Party show they did in Cleveland where it was packed with P-Dot fans singing all the lyrics...but it was still cool. Todd just sang on the floor literally directly behind me the entire time talking about how it sound so much better than on stage.
Blue Felix - They try, I'll give them that. I'm sure their fans love their show, which there's nothing wrong with that. I just can't get into everything they were trying to do, and the stupid gun prop mic he was using annoyed me. Especially when he'd pretend to shoot himself up with it. The first time he hung upside down he kicked the ceiling and knocked off some of the soundproofing shit or whatever that stuff that looks like dust on the ceiling is. Then of course as everybody knows he fucked up his landing and broke his leg the next time.
Psychostick - For some reason I just really wasn't excited to see them and I couldn't figure out why. They came out and were funny as hell just like I remembered. But then I remembered why...After awhile the jokes got old. Last quarter of the set dragged on. They did a funny Harlem Shake bit. Probably would have been funnier a couple weeks ago since the Harlem Shake is finally dying down, but I still laughed.
I could see why someone could get bored of Psychostick. I saw them in 2011 and then again in 2012 and basically the exact stage show and everything. They are fun and evrything but I could easily see how someone could get bored.
Curse of hail is local they are so good. Sound a fuck ton like bdm they gonna make it. Told me they were opening for motionless in white some other band and chapel sometime
Me and my friend arrived at the DNA Lounge, we found we were in the upstairs part of the venue, that was basically a bar. But something that was really cool was that the wall behind the stage wasn’t wall buy window, so we could the night sky as the bands were playing and it really added to the ambiance for some bands. It was pretty empty are first, but it filled in as time passed. We chatted with the bass player from Dispirit, Todd, for a bit. When we inquired about a full length, he said it was definitely in the works, which is cool. After a while the first of two local openers come one.
Oakland’s Larvae opened the show with a set of really gruesome blackened doom. Through the show each band would have all of the amps and drums on the stage while the guitar and bass players were on the floor, right with the audience. It set a really intimate mood that would only grow stronger as the show progressed. Larvae sounded really tight. Their tone was excellent and their doom parts were heavy and slow and the black metal parts were really 2nd wave. Something I love about these kind of shows is the audience is mostly mature people, who can hear a band using a blast beat, and they aren’t driven to mosh. Such a nice feeling when I know I can just stand there and take in the music with no interruption. Also, the venue mainly used blue lights for each set, which kind of simulated moonlight, which also really fit the mood. Larvae put on a really good opening set, setting the bar for what would continue to be an awesome night
Next up were the band that I really came to see, Dispirit. If you don’t know, Dispirit are a blackened/doom band fronted by John Gossard, previously of Weakling and Asunder. This was my first time seeing them with their new guitarist, and he did a fine job. This time they played a song of their new demo tape, 111112, and a song that has yet to be recorded. Something that was a little unfortunate was that they couldn’t kill all the lights, and the fog machine was directly engulfing them in the unholy smog, but the audience, mainly me and my friend since we stood right in front of it. But the set was awesome and the ambiance was still fitting for a Dispirit set. The big red lights were still there, and the place was still foggy as could be. The first song was real funeral doom piece with some really clean opening chords almost a ‘la Light Bearer, but they were still evil and twisted, as all Dispirit should be. The second one was more rooted in the doom and black metal, with some really intense black metal passages that were just absolutely epic. Once again, Dispirit killed it.
Next was the best surprise I’ve had in a while, Aldebaran. These guys are straight up fucking funeral doom metal. They played for about 45-50 minutes and only performed two songs, so you know these guys mean business. Their set was pretty life changing for me. I had no idea what to expect and I was hit with the heaviest funeral doom ever manifested that was just so monolithic. It was absolutely crushing, and the riffs and melodies hit really close to home for some reason. The blue light on the band only amplified the emotion going in, and icing was that it was raining outside, and you could see it through the window. All the combined just created the perfect atmosphere for this hell of a performance. The band sounded absolutely top notch, with really heavy and evil tones, crushing drums and some of the most wicked sounding gutturals I’ve ever heard. Plus, considering how long and slow these songs were, it was obvious it took a ton of work to really cement these songs, so I can only give props for that. There isn’t much else I can really convey with words. These guys were flat out amazing. Top 3 heaviest sets I’ve ever witnessed, only behind Yob and Sleep.
Last but certainly not least were sludge/doom bands Graves at Sea. These guys, while still being serious, were more fun and energetic band and nice way to end the show really. The riffs these guys wrote were really cool and catchy as fuck, and the band was obviously having a ton of fun while playing. They were loud as fuck, the guitar player was playing out of two different rigs, each with a pre-amp and two cabinets! The crowd was definitely the most energetic for these guys and there was a little bit of mosh action going on which I wasn’t expecting was but was fun. Overall, these guys were fun.
After the set, I bought some merch from Aldebaran and Dispirit and talked to each for a little bit. This was one of the best shows I’ve gone to this year by far! Absolutely amazing.
Larave: 7/10 Dispirit: 8.75/10 Aldebaran: 9/10 Graves at Sea: 8/10
The Curse of Hail`s singer sounded like Trevor Strnad and looked like George completd with backwards Fred Durst hat. The Chariot was energetic and fun to watch, but sounded like two homeless dudes buttfucking in a dumpster. For Today was intense, some dude was doing the macarena everytime they dropped a breakdown, so me and Todd`s friend Vaughn decided to do the rowboat in the middle of the pit while I bicycled around the outside, it was funny. As I Lay Dying destroyed as always and I caught my first drumstick. Notbad.jpg
After my crew situation got messed up, I ended up just catching a ride with Brando to Saint Andrews Hall. When we got there, we were informed that the show got moved to the basement (The Shelter at Saint Andrews), which was an awesome place with no barrier. I still have yet to see a show at the actual hall. But I digress.
Admiron - This band surprised me. They kind of reminded me of Lamb of God and Gojira. I'm not sure where these guys are from, but they sounded French, and their music actually wasn't half bad. I'm gonna be keeping an eye on these guys. 3/5
Rings of Saturn - You could very easily tell who was at this show for Rings and who wasn't. When they came out, all the scenesters and core kids rushed the stage while everyone else just hung around and watched. My take on Rings is that their music is absolutely nothing special, and I could not get into them live, but I will give them credit for at least being able to play their own shit live, especially after that "sped-up in-studio" crap. The crowd was absolutely ridiculous - not only were there hard core dancers, but there were also people doing the Mitch Stomp all over the place. One guy who kept hardcore dancing kept getting knocked over by an older metalhead, but he wouldn't quit. Another one ended up ramming head-first into one of the support poles. They may be able to play their own shit live, but that still doesn't make it good. 1/5 would not watch again, but I know at some point I probably will be, since these guys are gonna be the new Suicide Silence and all...
Jungle Rot - Jungle Rot was the first band I got up front for, and they play just as well live as they do on record. At this point, 98% of the core kids had left, and the remainder were slumping against the walls. I had a lot of fun, and their setlist was a great mix of old and new stuff. I picked up their new album Terror Regime after the show and we were jamming to it on the way back home. 5/5, Would love to see again. I can't believe these guys haven't gotten more recognized.
Exhumed - As you can expect, Exhumed was absolutely killer. I very much enjoyed the execution of their guitar player by some guy dressed in a bloody butcher outfit with a chainsaw, and the decapitation afterwards. It was also great because he brought out a Defibrillator, and Micheal Hamilton was cuing the crowd with a sign that said "Clear", except the third one said "Beer!" and that's what revived him. 5/5, an excellent performance, especially when they played Dis-assembly Line \m/
Suffocation - Anyone who is sketchy on going to the tour because Frank Mullen isn't on half of it should not worry in the least, because John Gallagher is a fucking powerhouse of a vocalist. Suffocation are fucking legends, and 20 years later, they're still incredible at what they do. John Gallagher was spot-on for every single song, and Terrance and the rest of the guys played with absolute precision. The setlist, like Jungle Rot, was an awesome mix of material both old and new, but my only complaint is that they didn't play Abomination Reborn. But you can believe the crowd went fucking nuts for Infecting the Crypts. 5/5
Overall, this is a GREAT tour, and once you get past the first few openers, you are in for a treat. I had a blast, and if this tour is coming anywhere near you, I highly recommend you check it out. It's worth every bit.
Comments
This show was fucking hell to sort out. It started out as the most unorganized festival ever. Nobody knew anything about it or who was playing for sure. Nonpoint and Blue Felix were the headliners with the Pyschostick tour package and a shit ton of locals. Then Nonpoint dropped and the festival switched venues. Then more bands dropped and there were no ticket sales, I literally was the ONLY person to buy tickets from the box office. Then the show was cancelled completely. Finally the Psychostick package got their own shit together and Blue Felix joined at the last minute.
Touch of Rage - Local old guys playing generic stuff. Kind of entertaining.
Siklid - Local band I've heard about quite a bit. Ton of energy and had a screaming singing mix, but not a faggoty singing...Not really worth explaining because nobody cares nor will they probably ever see them lol Singer checked his phone after one of the songs which just annoyed the shit out of me.
Downtown Brown - Fucking great like always. Ron, seriously probably the best bassist I've seen live wasn't able to attend due to his wife having emergency spinal surgery. The guy that filled in was a former member who was just as great...wasn't as much of a showman though. Grabbed a setlist when they were done. After the show I talked to the drummer I saw at the Gojira show for a minute, then had them sign the setlist. Also got a shirt and poster from the last time I saw them.
Polkadot Cadaver - Came out sounding solid. I have no problem saying Todd is nothing more than a shower singer like most of us. But really they're just so entertaining it doesn't even matter. This show doesn't compare to the Purgatory Dance Party show they did in Cleveland where it was packed with P-Dot fans singing all the lyrics...but it was still cool. Todd just sang on the floor literally directly behind me the entire time talking about how it sound so much better than on stage.
Blue Felix - They try, I'll give them that. I'm sure their fans love their show, which there's nothing wrong with that. I just can't get into everything they were trying to do, and the stupid gun prop mic he was using annoyed me. Especially when he'd pretend to shoot himself up with it. The first time he hung upside down he kicked the ceiling and knocked off some of the soundproofing shit or whatever that stuff that looks like dust on the ceiling is. Then of course as everybody knows he fucked up his landing and broke his leg the next time.
Psychostick - For some reason I just really wasn't excited to see them and I couldn't figure out why. They came out and were funny as hell just like I remembered. But then I remembered why...After awhile the jokes got old. Last quarter of the set dragged on. They did a funny Harlem Shake bit. Probably would have been funnier a couple weeks ago since the Harlem Shake is finally dying down, but I still laughed.
The chariot - good show meh music 6/10
For today - absolute worst band i ever seen. It was one long breakdown. Dude went on a 10 minute jesus rant. Of course they are from iowa too :-| 0/10
Aild - killed like usual 9/10 devin got a drumstick :-<
Oakland’s Larvae opened the show with a set of really gruesome blackened doom. Through the show each band would have all of the amps and drums on the stage while the guitar and bass players were on the floor, right with the audience. It set a really intimate mood that would only grow stronger as the show progressed. Larvae sounded really tight. Their tone was excellent and their doom parts were heavy and slow and the black metal parts were really 2nd wave. Something I love about these kind of shows is the audience is mostly mature people, who can hear a band using a blast beat, and they aren’t driven to mosh. Such a nice feeling when I know I can just stand there and take in the music with no interruption. Also, the venue mainly used blue lights for each set, which kind of simulated moonlight, which also really fit the mood. Larvae put on a really good opening set, setting the bar for what would continue to be an awesome night
Next up were the band that I really came to see, Dispirit. If you don’t know, Dispirit are a blackened/doom band fronted by John Gossard, previously of Weakling and Asunder. This was my first time seeing them with their new guitarist, and he did a fine job. This time they played a song of their new demo tape, 111112, and a song that has yet to be recorded. Something that was a little unfortunate was that they couldn’t kill all the lights, and the fog machine was directly engulfing them in the unholy smog, but the audience, mainly me and my friend since we stood right in front of it. But the set was awesome and the ambiance was still fitting for a Dispirit set. The big red lights were still there, and the place was still foggy as could be. The first song was real funeral doom piece with some really clean opening chords almost a ‘la Light Bearer, but they were still evil and twisted, as all Dispirit should be. The second one was more rooted in the doom and black metal, with some really intense black metal passages that were just absolutely epic. Once again, Dispirit killed it.
Next was the best surprise I’ve had in a while, Aldebaran. These guys are straight up fucking funeral doom metal. They played for about 45-50 minutes and only performed two songs, so you know these guys mean business. Their set was pretty life changing for me. I had no idea what to expect and I was hit with the heaviest funeral doom ever manifested that was just so monolithic. It was absolutely crushing, and the riffs and melodies hit really close to home for some reason. The blue light on the band only amplified the emotion going in, and icing was that it was raining outside, and you could see it through the window. All the combined just created the perfect atmosphere for this hell of a performance. The band sounded absolutely top notch, with really heavy and evil tones, crushing drums and some of the most wicked sounding gutturals I’ve ever heard. Plus, considering how long and slow these songs were, it was obvious it took a ton of work to really cement these songs, so I can only give props for that. There isn’t much else I can really convey with words. These guys were flat out amazing. Top 3 heaviest sets I’ve ever witnessed, only behind Yob and Sleep.
Last but certainly not least were sludge/doom bands Graves at Sea. These guys, while still being serious, were more fun and energetic band and nice way to end the show really. The riffs these guys wrote were really cool and catchy as fuck, and the band was obviously having a ton of fun while playing. They were loud as fuck, the guitar player was playing out of two different rigs, each with a pre-amp and two cabinets! The crowd was definitely the most energetic for these guys and there was a little bit of mosh action going on which I wasn’t expecting was but was fun. Overall, these guys were fun.
After the set, I bought some merch from Aldebaran and Dispirit and talked to each for a little bit. This was one of the best shows I’ve gone to this year by far! Absolutely amazing.
Larave: 7/10
Dispirit: 8.75/10
Aldebaran: 9/10
Graves at Sea: 8/10
After my crew situation got messed up, I ended up just catching a ride with Brando to Saint Andrews Hall. When we got there, we were informed that the show got moved to the basement (The Shelter at Saint Andrews), which was an awesome place with no barrier. I still have yet to see a show at the actual hall. But I digress.
Admiron - This band surprised me. They kind of reminded me of Lamb of God and Gojira. I'm not sure where these guys are from, but they sounded French, and their music actually wasn't half bad. I'm gonna be keeping an eye on these guys. 3/5
Rings of Saturn - You could very easily tell who was at this show for Rings and who wasn't. When they came out, all the scenesters and core kids rushed the stage while everyone else just hung around and watched. My take on Rings is that their music is absolutely nothing special, and I could not get into them live, but I will give them credit for at least being able to play their own shit live, especially after that "sped-up in-studio" crap. The crowd was absolutely ridiculous - not only were there hard core dancers, but there were also people doing the Mitch Stomp all over the place. One guy who kept hardcore dancing kept getting knocked over by an older metalhead, but he wouldn't quit. Another one ended up ramming head-first into one of the support poles. They may be able to play their own shit live, but that still doesn't make it good.
1/5 would not watch again, but I know at some point I probably will be, since these guys are gonna be the new Suicide Silence and all...
Jungle Rot - Jungle Rot was the first band I got up front for, and they play just as well live as they do on record. At this point, 98% of the core kids had left, and the remainder were slumping against the walls. I had a lot of fun, and their setlist was a great mix of old and new stuff. I picked up their new album Terror Regime after the show and we were jamming to it on the way back home. 5/5, Would love to see again. I can't believe these guys haven't gotten more recognized.
Exhumed - As you can expect, Exhumed was absolutely killer. I very much enjoyed the execution of their guitar player by some guy dressed in a bloody butcher outfit with a chainsaw, and the decapitation afterwards. It was also great because he brought out a Defibrillator, and Micheal Hamilton was cuing the crowd with a sign that said "Clear", except the third one said "Beer!" and that's what revived him. 5/5, an excellent performance, especially when they played Dis-assembly Line \m/
Suffocation - Anyone who is sketchy on going to the tour because Frank Mullen isn't on half of it should not worry in the least, because John Gallagher is a fucking powerhouse of a vocalist. Suffocation are fucking legends, and 20 years later, they're still incredible at what they do. John Gallagher was spot-on for every single song, and Terrance and the rest of the guys played with absolute precision. The setlist, like Jungle Rot, was an awesome mix of material both old and new, but my only complaint is that they didn't play Abomination Reborn. But you can believe the crowd went fucking nuts for Infecting the Crypts. 5/5
Overall, this is a GREAT tour, and once you get past the first few openers, you are in for a treat. I had a blast, and if this tour is coming anywhere near you, I highly recommend you check it out. It's worth every bit.