Black and death metal were served up to me once again this evening and there were some highlights, but overall I didn't leave this show charged with adrenaline.
The headliner listed on the Jaxx schedule was supposed to be Angelcorpse, but when I arrived, the lineup had been flip-flopped and Watain was the headliner. I was somewhat glad to hear this because I had never heard of Angelcorpse and when the night was over, Watain was definitely the better of the two. Angelcorpse was a three man band that definitely had their highs and lows. The music was really nothing out of the ordinary when it came to composure. The singer/bass players vocals were pretty standard as well. He didn't move around much and didn't really have much to say between songs either. His bass had a pretty cool tone which was probably derived from a little tweak on a distortion pedal, but overall there isn't much to report about him. The drummer drove me up the frickin' wall. Between every single song he was consistanty fucking with his bass drum triggers. It was like listening to a sporadic Iraqi gun battle. Since the people at the show really didn't have much noise to make and overall didn't seem that excited, the only thing to listen to was that damn drummer. Boom, boom, boom... B B B B B B B B boom BBBBB Boom. During the songs, the drummer wasn't any more impressive. His beats were sloppy and the faster the music went the quieter his hits got. Just for added annoyance, his snare drum had the dreaded "St. Anger" tone. BUT! The saving grace to this band was the immaculate guitarist. Like the other dudes, he wasn't all that exciting to watch, but he was VERY good. His style was the most original I have seen or heard in a very long while. He ripped extremely fast and played as smooth as glass. Everything he did was stunning. Solos, pinch harmonics, tremelo, wah pedals, hammers, and pull-offs... Once I was sucked into what he was doing up there, I instantly forgot about the rest of the band. If you are a nut for seriously technical guitarwork, you really do need to check this guy out. Thanks to him, and him alone, the score on this band is not in the gutter. 5 out of 10.
Once again this evening I was sent to the pit of hell, by the headlining band's fog machine. Getting photos was damn near impossible again, but I at least managed to get some good shots in a short amount of time so that I could pay attention. The stage was outfitted with candles, inverted crosses, and various animal (and maybe human) bone sculptures. Once Watain took the stage, they started a little rough. The guitarist turned around and started jammin on his guitar, but oops... no sound came from the amp... Ok, reset the poses, roadie fiddles with cables... Ok, thats workin' now. Then it was the drummers turn. I was behind the riser about to take a picture and he dropped a stick and couldn't find another, so he was flailing around looking for some wood. Considering where I was standing, it was actually pretty amusing. Once they got through two or three songs, the band tightened up and got it together. The bands look was the traditional death paint, matched with the leather and spikes. Nothing too unusual. But have you ever smelled ten year old leather that has been sweated and bled on and has never been cleaned? I hadn't till this show. Standing within ten feet of a band member meant nostril death. It really was repulsive. All the incense that was burning on stage didn't do much to dull the stench. Honestly, I don't know how these dudes can put that gear on night after night. The crowd of maybe 150 was definately into these guys though. The show started with a pit, then switched to headbang mode for the middle than jumped back to pit mode to end the show. The music was pretty decent as it had chorus', hooks and tempo changing. No musician really stood out, but that was fine because they had an overall image that worked out. The sound of the band reminded me a lot of Possessed, except faster. While I wasn't super-impressed with what this band had to offer, I did think they were above average. 7 out of 10. They earned an extra point just due to their smell alone. THAT was the smell of metal, whether I liked it or not. They are definately the "Most Metal Smelling Band in the World!"
In my next report I hope to give you the scoop on the American Head Charge/Godhead show on 5/23! Stay tuned.
Go to the BGR gallery (CLICK HERE) and check out my pics from last night's the show.
BE SURE to check out our friends at JAXX NIGHTCLUB! www.jaxxroxx.com
If you would like to attend a Jaxx show please let me know. I might be able to drag you along with me.
Comments Questions or Concerns? Hit me up! berube@braingell.com
And oh yeah...
Peace and Metal Grease!
berube
