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May 21, 2012 |
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w/ ARCH ENEMY/HIMSA/BLEEDING THROUGH
December 1, 2004
Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
By Tony Antunovich
All photos Copyright © 2004 METALEATER - Do not use without permission.
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Ah, metal. Isn't it grand!? The crushing guitars, blistering solos, earth-shattering drums, pummeling bass, and of course, piercing vocals that paralyze you where you stand. If you're a TRUE metalhead, you know very well that conforming to what society deems as being "socially" acceptable or "trendy" is not an option. Yes ladies and gentlemen, you will find it next to impossible to match the deafening power of a metal CD blasting through your speakers on any given day of the week, rain or shine. That is, of course, until you have been to a live metal show featuring bands like ARCH ENEMY and CRADLE OF FILTH.
Suffolk-based British extreme black knights CRADLE OF FILTH successfully released their stunning new work of art, "Nymphetamine", this past September. Following the immediate positive response from both media and fans, CRADLE OF FILTH embarked on a near month and a half-long headlining trek with ARCH ENEMY, HIMSA, and BLEEDING THROUGH beginning this past November. Traveling extensively throughout the United States during this time period, the tour finally made its way to Canada on December 1, 2004. Of the four bands on the bill, only CRADLE OF FILTH had been through Vancouver before, back on Friday, July 11, 2003. The band delivered an amazing performance in front of a near jam-packed Commodore Ballroom. That particular show was probably one of the most intense I had seen in years, and those who were present can surely attest to that as well. This time around, the CRADLE machine showed up in town to give Vancouver another lethal dose of metal sickness, along with a little help from their friends.
Unlike CRADLE OF FILTH, this was the first time all three other bands would set foot on Vancouver soil for a major show like this. Of those three, ARCH ENEMY were at the top of my priority list. I've followed the Swedish extremists' career for a long time now, and having them as part of this bill made me happier than a kid with an ice cream cone. Why it took this long to bring a band like ARCH ENEMY to this part of the world is beyond me. Their music is unquestionably some of the finest metal you will find anywhere on the face of this earth. Dare I say possibly the BEST band to come out of Sweden? Yes, and I'll stand by that statement before the metal hierarchy for many years to come. Ever since German-born screamer/growler Angela Gossow joined the ARCH in 2001, they have seemingly become twice the band they were before when former vocalist Johan Liiva was around. Not to knock what Liiva brought to the table, but Gossow's presence completes the band's style perfectly.
For those who may disagree with these comments, purchase ARCH ENEMY's new EP and judge for yourself.
Okay. So with a bill like this, expectations are bound to be high, right? Absolutely! I mean, just repeat this to yourself a few times - CRADLE-OF-FILTH! ARCH-ENEMY! With names like these, you can be guaranteed that you're going to get one hell of a show. But I have to say that I really went into this half-blinded because I am totally unfamiliar with both HIMSA and BLEEDING THROUGH. I'd heard the names before, but knew absolutely nothing about either band's music. Quite frankly, I would have been quite content just having CRADLE OF FILTH and ARCH ENEMY on hand, but curiosity took over. I didn't want to allow the verdict to be reached until the hammer of justice fell decisively - more on that later.
The Commodore is Vancouver's favorite venue for metal shows, and normally the doors open at 8 PM for a 9 PM start time. But because of there being four scheduled bands this night, doors opened an hour earlier and show time was slated to begin slightly ahead of schedule. Well, that actually did not happen. HIMSA were set to hit the stage at roughly 8 PM sharp, but due to some apparent technical difficulties, the entire schedule had to be rearranged. Now before I go on, here was the original plan for the evening:
HIMSA: 8 PM - 8:30 PM
BLEEDING THROUGH : 8:50 PM - 9:40 PM
ARCH ENEMY: 10 PM - 10:50 PM
CRADLE OF FILTH: 11:20 PM - ?
Alright, so not a bad setup right? I disagree. I had little to go on with regards to HIMSA and BLEEDING THROUGH because I really was not familiar with either band at all, but numbers are plain and simple to understand. Here you have BLEEDING THROUGH - a band that are relatively new to the scene (and that also fall short of being classed as REAL metal to begin with) being given the exact same amount of play time as the mighty ARCH ENEMY. How can one justify that? That just simply does not make any sense to me whatsoever. I'm not knocking BLEEDING THROUGH, but I objected to this immediately, and it appeared that I was not the only one. Again - more on this later on.
HIMSA finally got the green light at around 8:20 PM. Again, I had never heard these guys play before so this was their time to shine. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised to see just how good these guys are. Although they are officially labeled as a hardcore band, they dished out some pretty impressive material that could quite easily be described as leaning towards a more "metal" sound. They delivered a pretty high-octane performance, and the fans seemed to really be into them. I was especially impressed by axeman Kirby Charles Johnson and his amazing ability to shred those blistering riffs and solos. If this guy ever decides to join a METAL band in the future, he will be a great addition to any group that recruits him. His style of playing fits the bill perfectly. Drummer Chad Davis handled skin duties nicely, while bassist Derek Harn and second axeman Mathew Wicklund did their job as well.
The whole hardcore genre has developed a very generic "sound", and Johnny Pettibone's vocals are no exception to this rule. I think he did a pretty good job of singing, but honestly, I don't think they suit the music played by the rest of the band. Overall, HIMSA gave the fans a very good show throughout their entire 30-minute set.
Remember when I mentioned earlier that I would have been content to just have CRADLE OF FILTH and ARCH ENEMY on this bill? Well, if I had to choose between BLEEDING THROUGH and HIMSA sticking around, I would have chosen the latter. Why? - because 1) BLEEDING THROUGH's style isn't even remotely close to being in the metal category, and 2) because their performance (again, in my opinion) was nothing to brag about. I really hate being critical of anyone, but this here goes far beyond musical talent alone. Again behind schedule, BLEEDING THROUGH came on stage later than expected and right from the beginning it was one thing after the other. First, it appeared that there was a technical problem with the keyboards, which resurfaced a few more times during the set. Secondly, the sound was not that great, leaving it hard to hear some of the instruments. Again, I'm being subjective when I say this - the singer's antics on stage were absolutely ridiculous.
Although I do think he had a good stage presence, he was jumping around up and down, back and forth from left, to right, to center like he had springs underneath his shoes. Not only was this a tad annoying, it also made it extremely difficult to focus on his performance. I also found it quite comical that he would thank the crowd for making the band's FIRST show in Vancouver so "special", then turn around and spit into that same audience a few times. Sorry people, but BLEEDING THROUGH's performance didn't do a thing for me. In my humble opinion, HIMSA should have been given the 50-minute set instead of BLEEDING THROUGH because they simply put on a better show. This leads me to reveal part of that verdict I was talking about earlier - this tour could have easily stood alone with just THREE bands, and I don't have to repeat them. Again, I really do not like being so critical of anyone, but I'm just calling it as I saw it.
ARCH ENEMY
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At approximately 10:20 PM, the Swedish extreme death machine was about to launch its first-ever attack on the very heart of Vancouver proper. Fully fueled and ready to conquer more ground, ARCH ENEMY rolled into battle like a heavily armed tank commanded to wage war against the enemy. Darkness fell and the sound of piano filled the air, signaling the introduction of the aggressive opener "Enemy Within" (my personal favorite). ARCH ENEMY (Angela Gossow/ vocals, Michael Amott/guitars, Christopher Amott/guitars, Sharlee D'Angelo/bass, and Daniel Erlandsson/drums) immediately made their presence known, and were absolutely relentless right from the get-go.
The Amott brothers were slicing rapid-fire riffs from all directions. D'Angelo's bass assault most certainly ruptured a few ear drums while Erlandsson blasted the skins with more firepower than a sub-machine gun. Gossow's paralyzing vocals would scare the hell out of Ebenezer Scrooge more than all three Christmas ghosts (past, present, AND future) combined. Her unbreakable confidence on stage goes hand-in-hand with her role as frontwoman, and it shows through her rapport with the crowd.
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One thing that I have to commend ARCH ENEMY on is their ability to remain consistent. Every single song sounded EXACTLY as they are on their original studio versions. More examples of said fact could be heard in "Silent Wars", "The First Deadly Sin", and the proverbial anthem, "We Will Rise". Listening to live perfection like this makes you feel proud to be promoting metal's elite! The band mauled through the title track of their new EP, "Dead Eyes See No Future", flawlessly. Erlandsson's drum roll in the middle of the song was very tight and both Amotts exchanged some killer guitar riffs. Just before the final song of the night, Angela looked upon the crowd and screamed, "Come on Vancouver! Make some fucking noise!" She then paused for a few seconds and said "I want to see a real metal mosh-pit right here!"
The band then blasted the fans with "Ravenous" - a monumental finale that would give all on hand something to look forward to when they stop in Vancouver next. To put it bluntly, ARCH ENEMY kicked serious ass. Their performance was tight to the "T" and the sound was just amazing. I also thought the flashing lights throughout added a nice touch to the overall stage show. Hopefully we will not have to wait too long for the band to return to these parts. That, my friends, will not come soon enough.
SETLIST:
Enemy Within
Silent Wars
The First Deadly Sin
We Will Rise
Dead Eyes See No Future
Dead Bury Their Dead
Ravenous
CRADLE OF FILTH
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After a short changeover, the roadies (some dressed in hooded cloaks) set the stage for CRADLE OF FILTH. When the lights went out, one of the hooded figures stood behind the microphone at the back of the stage with red lights glaring down. As he recited a brief speech presenting CRADLE OF FILTH to the audience, the intro to "Satyriasis" caused uproar from the crowd. Adrian Erlandsson hooked himself behind the drums first, hailing the crowd with a set of horns, followed by the rest of the band taking their positions on stage. While Dani Filth was jumping up and down, his microphone transmitter fell off, but that was quickly remedied by one of the road crew members. Just as you would expect, CRADLE OF FILTH kicked things off with a bang. "Gilded Cunt" was the opening track and if you think the song sounds intense on the CD, you need to see it performed live.
Dani hit all the lows and highs perfectly as axemen Paul Allender and James McIlroy shredded their guitars with pride. Meanwhile, key master Martin Powell made sure the signature CRADLE sound kept up with its background symphony and both Dave Pybus and Adrian Erlandsson were in top form, providing a dead-on rhythm section without any remorse whatsoever.
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CRADLE raged on with tracks like "Nemesis", "Mannequin", and "Tortured Soul Asylum". "Nymphetamine Fix" is one of the best tracks on the band's newest album and I think that Liv Kristine's beautiful vocals had a lot to do with the song's appeal. Unfortunately, those vocals were recorded strictly for the album only, and although it would have been perfect, Kristine was not out on tour with the band to sing her parts. CRADLE mistress Sarah Jezebel Deva took on Kristine's vocal parts, but just did not give the song that same appeal in a live setting. Unlike her last performance with CRADLE OF FILTH here in Vancouver, her vocals were not as strong as they could have been. For some reason, her voice sounded somewhat out of tune and not as powerful as it normally is. I could be wrong, but this was just my observation during the performance of this track. "Her Ghost In The Fog" is probably my favorite CRADLE song of all time, and they did a killer job of playing it here live back in 2003.
Obviously, I had high hopes that it would sound equally as good this time around. Much to my disappointment, though, it didn't come out as well as I had hoped. James' guitar was coming through perfectly, but Paul's was relatively difficult to hear, especially during the chorus parts. I know that each song cannot sound EXACTLY the same every single time when it's performed in a live setting, but it was a tad weak (in my personal opinion). The visuals on the video screens were killer though.
Periodically during the show, Dani kept heading backstage during guitar solos or parts that did not require his vocals. It was a little distracting, I must say, because it made it hard to focus on the band's collective performance. I think that the initial problems with the microphone transmitter were coming back to haunt him throughtout the duration of the show. He would only be gone for 10-20 seconds at a time, but it was clear that he was still having problems with the mic somehow. It's unfortunate when these kinds of things happen because it's NOT the band's fault at all! I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for any band member when something does not go right while they're trying to perform on stage and give the audience their best. After a handful of more CRADLE greats, the band finished up their set with "From The Cradle To Enslave".
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Overall, I would have to say that CRADLE OF FILTH's performance was not as strong as it was the last time they were here in June of 2003. It seemed that the recurring technical difficulties put a damper on everything. There was a time when I thought it was going very well, and just when it looked like the momentum was picking up, things just did not seem to connect right. I don't know. It's hard to pinpoint it, but there was just something missing. Maybe the band just had an off-night, who knows? It's perfectly understandable that something like that is bound to happen sometimes, but I could not help feeling somewhat disappointed in the end. I will say that this in NO way changes my opinion about CRADLE OF FILTH. They are one of the best extreme metal acts out there right now, and this was just one of those times where things just happened the way they happened.
SETLIST:
Satyriasis (Intro)
Gilded Cunt
Nemesis
The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh
Mannequin
Tortured Soul Asylum
Nymphetamine Fix
Her Ghost In The Fog
The Forest Whispers My Name
A Bruise Upon The Silent Moon
The Promise Of Fever
Cruelty Brought Three Orchids
From The Cradle To Enslave
Reflecting back on the show as a whole, I can honestly say hands-down that ARCH ENEMY came out on top as the best act of the evening. It was, however, a complete travesty of justice that they were only given a lousy 30-minute set - VERY disappointing to say the least. ARCH ENEMY should have been given MUCH more playing time than was allotted. How do you explain giving BLEEDING THROUGH a 50-minute set and ARCH ENEMY almost half of that? What's up with that?!?! I'm sorry, but I don't see any logic in that whatsoever. It appeared that I wasn't the only one, as the obvious discontent felt by everyone could be clearly seen on many people's faces. I sincerely hope that things will be different the next time ARCH ENEMY play here, because 30 minutes just doesn't cut it for a band like this.
And CRADLE OF FILTH? We welcome them with open arms. It will be good to have them back in Vancouver for the next tour. I would love to see these two bands team up again for their OWN tour. Could something like this be possible? Yes! ANYTHING is possible in the world of metal. So, start praying boys and girls, and it just might come to pass. [FIN]
A big thank you to Jamie Teske at House Of Blues Concerts Canada for providing the ticket and photo pass. His ongoing support allows us to keep bringing you live METAL like this!
» Official CRADLE OF FILTH Website
» Official ARCH ENEMY Website
» Official HIMSA Website
» Official BLEEDING THROUGH Website
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