Music Reviews 4 - rpg punk

Concert Review: As Tall as Lions

Columbus, OH, The Basement, June 12, 2007

Originally posted at musicohio.com

Before the As Tall as Lions concert at the Basement started, I was sitting on the concrete outside the Lifestyles Pavilion. A tall lanky scene-kid walked past me and gave me a funny look. A few minutes later, he walked by me again, but this time he purposely veered towards me just to step over me. He was all but demanding to be noticed, as scene kids always are.

When the Lions got onstage, I realized the tall lanky scene kid was actually the bassist, who metamorphed from a “vintage” t-shirt and jeans into a pretentious vest/slacks combination. But for bands like this, pretentiousness is worn like a badge of honor. Everyone in the band was in a vest and slacks, except the singer who was in a suit. Even their roadies wore matching vests. It was kind of creepy in a very Killers-esque kind of way.

The crowd, which was unfortunately very small, was divided between young, hip scenester dorks and preppy coeds slumming it and pretending to be lesbians of the lipstick variety. There was much dancing of the “nod your head and shuffle your feet” variety, as well as the always hilarious “trying to walk in high heels while drunk” dance. That’s one of my favorites to watch.

Musically, the Lions aren’t bad. By that, I mean that they aren’t incredible musicians, but what they play works very well for what they want to do. And that is far better than what a lot of bands can say. What struck me the most about their performance is how clean and precise they sounded. You could tell that these guys not only practice their songs, but they love them as well. On almost every single song, any given band member could be seen singing along with the lyrics. Even their roadies sang along and played air guitar and air drums. It was like being witness to some sort of bizarre, trendy, indie-rock cult.

Although the crowd was very small, the band played to them like they were in a sold out club. The singer is an able frontman who kept the 30 or so audience members in thrall throughout the concert. He even suggested getting the “lesbians” some more drinks to loosen them up.
The aforementioned bassist was very animated; quite possibly the most lively and energetic bass player I’ve ever seen live. His face was constantly contorting into odd grimaces while he jumped aound the stage like a man possessed.

The tunes ranged from cookie-cutter “indie style” (believe me, I hate using that term) soft rock, some fast hard rock, and some sappy ballads. They only played one cover, Gnarls Barkley’s Transformer, which they turned into a slowed down R & B song.

Concert Review: Kings of Leon, 2007

Kings of Leon, Columbus, OH, Newport Music Hall, June 13, 2007

Originally published at musicohio.com

For one night, the Kings of Leon were the kings of the Newport. They rocked, they rolled, and they played their hearts out. And the sold out crowd loved every single second of it; singing along with every song, clapping with the beat, smiling and laughing throughout the show.

The Kings seem somewhat shy onstage. Very little banter between songs, no excessive showboating by any of the members of the band. The most that Caleb Followill said to the crowd was that this was their last show for this tour, before a two-week break. The rest of their roughly hour and 45 minute set was devoted to the music, and the fans appreciated it greatly.

While the Kings are more famous on the other side of the Atlantic, often hailed by the British music press as “the best band from America in years,” there was no sign at the Newport to make one think they aren’t just as loved here. More than 1200 people packed the venerable concert hall, mostly young, stylish, college folk. Many of the young women wore heels, many of the young men wore girl pants. But all showed their love for the Kings music in the same ways. Singing along with On Call, Molly’s Chambers, California Waiting, The Bucket, among many others.
The outstanding moment of the night happened at the end of the first set, before the encore. Caleb was playing his guitar so fast that his strumming hand was a complete blur. His guitar pick flew out of his hand into the front row of the crowd, however, he never even paused; continuing to play with his thumb for another full minute before the song ended when he smashed the microphone stand down to the stage floor. I couldn’t tell if his hand was bleeding, but i have to imagine it was.
If you don’t understand the hubbub surrounding the Kings of Leon; see them live, before they start playing arena’s and stadiums. You’ll come away with a much more profound appreciation of the band. I went to this concert with no sympathy for the band or their music at all, but came away wishing the show hadn’t ended.

Song Review: Idiot Thesis by Parishioners

“Idiot Thesis” is a pretty good tune if you’re into ’60s flashback psychedelics. Excellent music for a summer’s day.

Musically, it is straight-forward psychedelic pop music. Poppy guitar work backed by drums and piano. While the song meanders in parts, it never loses direction.

check out Parishioners on Myspace

Song Review: White Devil by Unholy Two

Sounds like a broken Public Service announcement in the midst of the final nuclear holocaust. Naked aggression and violent feedback, mask the intention of the song. i say “mask” because like every Unholy Two song, no matter how important the lyrics are to singer Chris Lutzko, they fall on deaf ears to whoever hears them. The distortion and feedback, not only in recordings but in live performances as well, is so overbearing that the lyrics (and for that matter, the vocals altogether) simply don’t matter.

I’ve read elsewhere about Lutzko’s hatred for all things and how he’s the most evil man in columbus music.

I really don’t see it.

While i don’t personally know him, I’ve seen his act live. They didn’t do anything bad or say anything that i thought was provocative in the least. Then again, i’m the guy that says God kills children because he wants naked boys running around heaven.

all that being said, i dig this tune, as i dig most songs by Unholy Two. Also, in case you are wondering, they play shows every week, so they are pretty easy to see.

Concert Review: Megadeth

Columbus, OH, Nationwide Arena, September 23, 2006

Pyros, concussive devices and over 20 years of experience couldn’t save Megadeth from the one thing they can’t control; their age. Headlining a tour with young and hungry groups like Arch Enemy and Lamb of God, Megadeth looked like the cool uncle that’s nice to visit every now and then, but hang out with him enough and you realize he’s kind of creepy.

It doesn’t matter who you are, if you’re pushing 50, you shouldn’t wear leather pants and silk shirts; especially an American band known for its aggression and tough-guy personas. European metal bands don’t even do that anymore. And explosives on stage just signify a band with no confidence in their own performance (see: KISS). It’s simply overcompensating for a lack of showmanship on the musician’s part.

Dave Mustaine can still pull off his growling singing style, and can still (even after nerve damage in his left hand) play a guitar like no one else, but watching Megadeth perform after Opeth and Lamb of God; you can’t help but think that the only reason these guys aren’t playing the State Fair with Styx and REO Speedwagon is because they’re lucky that metal music is once again gaining popularity, keeping Megadeth relevant for another year.

Megadeth played most of their hits, including; Symphony of Destruction, Peace Sells, and Hanger 18 (with back-up vocals from Angela Gossow of Arch Enemy, and Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, among others). Fortunately for everyone in attendance, they avoided anything off of their 1999 album, Risk.

The songs were all technically proficient and the band seemed to be having a lot of fun playing, but there was just something missing. The songs just lacked their edge and their meaning in such a large arena. A more intimate venue would have been much better, such as Promowest Pavilion or dare I say it, the Newport, where the sound would be superior and less open space would make it seemed more crowded and frantic.

The sound quality inside of Nationwide Arena is absolutely atrocious. The best place to sit is directly across from the stage, unfortunately only a few people were lucky enough to be able to sit there. Standing on the floor in front of the stage is a good spot too and gives the best view of the stage, plus the opportunity to mosh. If your ticket puts you on the side, you’re screwed. I recommend sneaking to the far end of the arena, across from the stage.

For fans of the band, the show did not disappoint. It was a competent, if uninspired, showing for the band. For those who’ve never seen Megadeth before; well, you might not have stayed for the whole set.

Concert Review: Hatebreed, Black Dahlia Murder, Napalm Death, and Exodus

Monsters of Mayhem Tour
Columbus, OH, Newport Music Hall, September 21, 2006

The crowd was mostly younger, as in late teens and early 20’s. For many, it seemed as if this were their first concert. The mob was also small, around 500, and didn’t seem to want to move. However, this changed as the night moved on.

The mighty metal warrior’s known as Exodus opened the show. Even though they were blasting explosive guitar riffs and tearing it up on stage, the younger crowd refused to mosh, dance, or perform any kind of mobility exercise in the pit. New singer Rob Dukes tried his best to get the crowd riled up, but to no avail. A few fans tried to start a mosh pit, and Rob pointed them out to everyone else as being truly hardcore. Older fans throughout the Newport could be seen playing air guitar for the entire set. the band was impressive and tight, but the combination of the younger crowd (who had probably never listened to Exodus) and being the first band of a rather impressive line-up didn’t help them.

The band that coined the term “Grindcore” to describe their music came on second. Napalm Death roared through their set like their namesake roared through Southeast Asian jungles. They played the title track off their first record, “Scum,” a Dead Kennedy’s cover of “Nazi Punks Fuck Off,” and a few songs off their newest album, “Smear Campaign.” In between songs, Barney Greenway talked to the crowd in his very polite, very British accent. It was a sharp contrast to his singing voice, which sounds like an angry, hungry, dying tiger about to devour its last meal. The pit got moving for Napalm Death, with arms and legs flying everywhere. A fight even broke out that spilled out onto the floor. Napalm Death delivered an intense show as promised and surely sold a lot of CD’s and T-shirts at the merch booth that night.

The Black Dahlia Murder blazed through their set with few breaks. TBDM played what was hands down the most vicious, hardcore set of the night. “This next song is about fucking people up. You know what to do.” And the animals in the pit did know what to do. They tore each other apart. TBDM’s singer, Trevor Strnad, looks like a bigger, meaner, WAY tougher older brother of Rivers Cuomo from Weezer. Chuck Taylor All Stars and geeky glasses aside, Black Dahlia kicked ass. Their set was no nonsense, no prattling to the crowd about war and religion, just straight up metal. They were the first band of the night to get a circle pit going that consisted of more than a dozen people.

Hatebreed, obviously the most popular band present being the headliner, put on a fast paced, smash mouth show. A look at the crowd showed who came to see Hatebreed. As one Napalm Death and Exodus fan said to me, “there’re a lot of Emo kids here.” The band put on a great hardcore show, they almost always do, but their fan base has taken a radical turn. This is attributable to Jamey Jasta’s insistence on making every single song an anthem of some sort. Hatebreed shouldn’t be blamed for this though, as almost every single hardcore band does this now. But it does get tiring hearing, “This next song is about being your own person!” “This song is about not letting people tell you what to do!” “This next song is about getting the respect that you deserve!” “This song is about being the best you can be!” You get the point. The Hardcore scene is turning into an After School Special. Hatebreed played a good show, the band was tight and energetic and gave the crowd their all. The crowd, for their part, was wild. The entire floor was thrashing and moshing.

All around a great show by every band involved. The crowd (which at shows like these are almost as important as the band) left much to be desired, but walked away knowing they got their money’s worth.
– Tim Razler

Festival Review: Ozzfest 2006

Columbus, OH, Germain Amphitheater, July 21, 2006

Ozzfest returned to Columbus with a vengeance with acts such as Atreyu, Black Label Society, Dragonforce, Hatebreed, Disturbed and System of a Down. While heavyweights System of a Down and Disturbed headlined the show, the smaller bands that played throughout the day proved to be Justas entertaining.

Atreyu and Black Label Society closed out the second stage with a bang. Atreyu had an enormous crowd for their set and the band obliged them by spraying the crowd with water to combat the heat. The band had a lot of energy and seemed genuinely happy to be there. In between songs, singer Alex Varkatzas profusely thanked the crowd for braving the heat and made damn well sure that they knew that Black Label Society was next and Dragonforce was playing the main stage.

After Atreyus set, Black Label Society got ready to take the stage. A huge black banner with the bands logo blocked the stage from view as roadies moved equipment behind it. Wylde’s chants tore through the crowd. An air raid siren blasted form the stage and a voice challenged the Columbus chapter of the Black Label Society to raise their beers and joints to the sky. The curtain fell revealing Zakk Wylde and his cohorts who proceeded to show the crowd what metal music is all about. They played three songs before Wylde introduced the band. He then played a screeching near-10 minute guitar solo that culminated in a cover of the Star Spangled Banner. He played behind his head, he played with his tongue, he played like a metal god before his loyal subjects. USA chants broke when the solo ended and Zakk raised his drink and said, “God bless the mutha’ fuckin’ troops!”

Dragonforce took the main stage by storm with a unique style for this year’s Ozzfest. It was almost like having a flashback to 1985 complete with guitarists leaping off the drum riser, kicking the air, playing while leaning on each others backs, and best of all a keytar. Yes, you read that right. After their third song, the keyboardist jumped off of his riser, picked up a keytar and jammed on the fourth and last song. A longer set would have been much appreciated, but with some many bands on the bill, someone has to get cut.

Lacuna Coil took the stage after Dragonforce with no introduction and a mild crowd interest. While female vocalist Cristina Scabbia and male vocalist Andrea Ferro offset each other providing a good melody, the timing of the band on the first few songs seemed to be off. The high point of the set was a cover of Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence, which garnered a surprisingly strong crowd response.

“Its not going to get much heavier than this,” growled Hatebreeds Jamey Jasta. And he was right. Hatebreed took the stage with a fury that got the pavilion crowd to their feet and mosh pits started out on the lawn. Jasta worked the crowd like a pro and more than likely gained many new converts to his style of hardcore music. Jasta got the crowd to take off their shirts and wave them over their heads like helicopters. Hatebreed played a new song off their newest release, Supremacy, and they dedicated their song, Puritan, to the Black Label Society and everyone else in the “old school.”

Avenged Sevenfold took the stage just before Disturbed. As soon as the crowd saw the skull with wings ascend behind the drum kit, everyone went nuts. Most of the crowd was on their feet for the entire set of guitar solos, pounding drums and amusing stage lights. The biggest crowd pleaser was a note-for-note cover of Panteras Walk, to which M. Shadows dedicated to the best fuckin’ guitar player who ever played metal, Dimebag Darrell. The last song they played was Bat Country, a song that sounds little like anything else in their set. It was somewhat of a letdown from the more classic-style metal they were previously playing.

Disturbed didn’t need an introduction, as the entire crowd knew they were coming. More than a few fans could be heard yelling that Disturbed should have headlined the show. The entire crowd was standing for their entire set. After the first song, singer David Draiman, with a theatrical flare, introduced the members of the band. Two songs later, he then asked the amphitheater guests to hold up their lighters; before the sun had even gone down. Disturbed played all of their numerous hits in a solid by the numbers set.

System of a Down never ceases to amaze, and Ozzfest was no exception. Concentrating mostly on their last two albums, Mesmerize and Hypnotize, System did not disappoint. Classics like Chop Suey! proved to be great sing-alongs. In fact, most of Systems set had the crowd singing along. Mini mosh pits broke out throughout the amphitheater for almost every song.

While disappointing that Ozzy Osbourne himself wasn’t present, Ozzfest is proof positive that metal and heavy music are making a comeback in today’s popular culture that is dominated by hip-hop and pop punk acts. The entire show was entertaining and had something for most people, weather its body painting, glow in the dark thongs, marijuana leaf leis, or just people-watching; Ozzfest delivered.

– Tim Razler