Thursday, January 28, 2010

Arch Enemy (w/ Exodus, Arsis & Mutiny Within) @ Nokia Theatre - 1/22/10

For those of you who don't know, I nearly got into a fight with that fugly, Ginger-looking freak Michael Amott of Arch Enemy. The guy acted like a fucking turd and was about to pull the diva routine again (the first time being at the Carcass reunion show back in 2008 at the same venue, no less) by refusing to sign autographs or take pics with fans until I stepped in and called him a "douchebag." Incensed by this, he drops his bags, turns around, and actually confronts me by putting his hands on me. Witnessed by dozens of fans from the show, I told Amott to get his filthy, Euro-trash hands off me before it would go down badly. My plan worked as Amott returned to his bus, dropped of his bags, and eventually came back out to meet the group of fans waiting outside. Looking back, I should have laid Amott out for putting his Albino fingers on me, but why ruin an almost great night dominated by the great Exodus, who absolutely destroyed Arch Enemy.

The night opened fairly well with Mutiny Within, who took their melodic death growls to familiar heights and seemed to go over well with the crowd. At times, the singer and bassist seemed to connect with two douchers in the front row who were headbanging in delight at the junior-leaguers' attempt at being heavy. But Mutiny Within remind me of why certain bands never reach that next plateau. They're not strong enough to go that extra mile.

Arsis, however, came out swinging. After frontman James Malone's troubles with bulimia and numerous cancellations which cost Arsis much exposure, the new team come out quite confident and assure in themselves that their music is the real deal. Malone's constantly eyes the front row to make sure that everyone is having a good time. It isn't until "We Are the Nightmare" that business really picks up.

But that business belongs to Exodus, the obvious stars of the night, though surprisingly not the headliners. For the second consecutive time, the Bay Area thrashers play second fiddle to a foreign headliner (the first being Kreator last year), yet manage to come out as the favorite band of the evening. With all the flying bodies and walls of death surrounding the venue, there was no question that Exodus were at the top of their game. The members of the band connected with the front row, and myself, and we all became one happy family as the band charged through open "Bonded by Blood," chanted through the chorus of "Children of a Worthless God" and closing out with "Toxic Waltz." Frontman Dukes and I even shared a moment at the end of the set, full of sweaty embraces and laughter.

The members of Arch Enemy take their positions to the soundtrack of some conqueror's theme, befitting of some past European war hundreds of years ago, but the presentation is not. Rather than some ravenous she-beast, frontwoman Angela Gossow comes off more like a mildly angry child throwing a tantrum while turning on all the closeted dykes in the crowd. Sure, her growls are fierce and she deserves some measure of respect, but her chest-thumping like a man (careful she doesn't pop an implant) and schmaltzy speeches to the crowd is laughable and awkward. Bands should just shit the fuck up and play, not give speeches.

MUTINY WITHIN - Junior leaguers who want to play with the big boys. With a name like that, you won't get far! Just ask Dirge Within. Set Grade: C+

ARSIS - Lots of tricky fretboarding and noodling heralds a welcome return to a pretty good band that came dangerously close to ending. Set Grade: B

EXODUS - What can be said? The old masters of metal, and frontman Rob Dukes, make an example clear: If it ain't broke, why fix it? Set Grade: B+

ARCH ENEMY - The so-called "Diva Satanica" and the Swedish meatballs who act as her backup band seem to have bitten off more then they can chew by having to follow the footsteps of Exodus. Set Grade: B

Michael Amott is a cunt and fucking loser, and I wish cancer on him! If you want to piss him off, call him a "douchebag" and prepare to throw down. Just sayin'.... And what the fuck is up with Rob Dukes skipping out like that while the other members of Exodus take the time to meet fans?

Show Grade: B




Me and Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy)





Me and Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)





Me and Chris Amott (Arch Enemy)





Me and Sharlee D'Angelo (Arch Enemy)





Me and Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy)





Me and Gary Holt (Exodus)





Me and Lee Altus (Exodus)





Me and Jack Gibson (Exodus)





Me and Tom Hunting (Exodus)





Me and James Malone (Arsis)

Thursday, January 21, 2010

D.R.I. (w/ Inhuman and Rumpelstiltskin Grinder) @ Gramercy Theater - 1/17/10

Question: Who in their right mind would come up with the idea to have a metal show at 10pm? Better question: Who would expect anyone to show up at a metal show at that hour? The brazen powers-that-be, that's who! If it's a metal show, they will come! The hordes of sweaty, smelly, greasy, horned-up freaks will come at all hours to see a legendary thrash/punk act bring the house down.

For D.R.I., who haven't released a single record in the last 15 years, the mission is rather simple. They blaze through nearly 20, maybe 30, songs with lightning-fast speed. The crowd throws empty or crushed beer cans at them onstage, and many deliriously-minded morons proceed to jump onto the stage and to stagedive back into the crowd. The night was full of that old-time punk/metal religion, a fight between two barrel-chested skinheads broke out early in their set, which is always fun to watch, and the air reeked of blood, sweat, and ham sandwiches. D.R.I. make jokes about the raucous crowd, though at one point frontman Kurt Brecht gets annoyed at one dude in the crowd who is continuously throwing cans at them and challenges him to come up onstage.

Despite the tension in the air, the band play on with familiar classics like opener "Who Am I" to closer "The Five Year Plan." All this in time for their reissue of 1987's Crossover, but what we really need is a new D.R.I. album! And while that may not happen any time soon, it was good to see these old men in their proper element and still whoopin' some ass.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER - From the dive bars of Europa to the bigger dive bars of Gramercy, these kids are moving on up! Too bad their music hasn't changed. Set Grade: C+

INHUMAN - Hank Hell's other group away from the Kenny Hickey-fronted Seventh Void. Pretty chaotic and groovy stuff. Set Grade: B-

D.R.I. - The familiar Thrash-and-Grab outfit of the 80s haven't lost their touch despite 15 years of inactivity. Despite baggy eyes, gray hair, and changing times, the boys never miss a beat. And Spike Cassidy's guitar, bedecked with stickers and decals of pop culture and cartoons (Bart Simpson, Beavis), is still the coolest-looking axe I've seen! Set Grade: B+

Show Grade: B




Me and Kurt Brecht




Me and Spike Cassidy




Me and Harald O.




Me and Rob Rampy

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

My Chat with Corey Beaulieu (Trivium) and the firing of Travis Smith!

This is my chat with Corey Beaulieu of Trivium telling me exactly what the status is for drummer Travis Smith within the band. For fans of the band, prepare to be heartbroken. For detractors of the band, prepare to rejoice!

 
9:16pmKristoffer
Why so bored!? Don't you have a girlfriend to hang out with?

Or a boyfriend maybe?

9:18pmCorey

nope

or no one i care to hang out with haha

9:18pmKristoffer

Well, Hulk Hogan's o TNA wrestling right now

And Bret Hart returns to WWE Raw tonight as well

9:19pmCorey

haha nice

9:19pmKristoffer

I'm stuck in school now

9:19pmCorey

oh shit

9:20pmKristoffer

Doing online stuff, pretty boring as well

Hogan's on Spike and Hart's on USA channels, respectively

9:21pmKristoffer

Guess you don't need me anymore, huh? Hahaha!

9:26pmKristoffer

So what's all this about Travis quitting the band?

9:27pmCorey

we parted ways

9:28pmKristoffer

Any particular reason?

Lemme guess....

He couldn't handle life on the road?

Or too much temptation?

9:29pmCorey

it was alot of things.. biggest thing was his playing was getting bad

9:29pmKristoffer

Wow!

Honestly, I never noticed

;-)

9:29pmCorey

and add on other things it was best to replace it

9:30pmKristoffer

The only time I saw you guys with him was at Family Values in '07 in West Palm Beach

So who do you have now?

As a replacement, that is

9:31pmCorey

weve had a new guy for a couple months

9:31pmKristoffer

I must ask you....

when are you guys going to bust out of the whole Metallica/Machine Head junior-leaguers status?

9:33pmKristoffer

I see potential in you fellas, but it's tough to say that you guys will lead the torch when Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax are put out to pasture

As of right now, the future belongs to Lamb of God, Machine Head, Mastodon, and Slipknot

9:36pmKristoffer

C'mon, bro, I ask because I care

9:36pmCorey

there wasnt a question in that

9:37pmKristoffer

even though I wasn't thrilled by how you acted at the Fillmore gig

Yes there was

I asked you when are you guys in Trivium going to break out and break away from being junior versions of Metallica and Machine Head

9:38pmCorey

next album

9:38pmKristoffer

You're sure?

Isn't that what you guys said about "Shogun"?

9:39pmKristoffer

Or was Roadrunner doing all the talking for you?

9:40pmCorey

hahano

9:40pmKristoffer

I'm friend, kid, and a potential fan

I just want to understand where your heads are at and where does Trivium fit in the evolution of heavy metal

9:43pmCorey

im jumping off here gotta run to the store! talk later

9:43pmKristoffer

okay, later, kid

 
9:54pmCorey is offline.

Monday, January 11, 2010

My Top 10 Best Concerts (and Honorable & Dishonorable Mentions) of 2009

Here are the gigs of 2009 that I had the pleasure, and displeasure, of attending - a total of 18 metal concerts this past year.


BEST CONCERTS OF 2009


1. Metallica (w/ Machine Head & The Sword) @ Nassau Coliseum - January 29, 2009


2. Lamb of God (w/ As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, God Forbid & Municipal Waste) @ Roseland Ballroom - May 5, 2009


3. Dethklok (w/ Mastodon, Converge & High on Fire) @ Hammerstein Ballroom - October 30, 2009


4. Hatebreed (w/ Cannibal Corpse, Unearth, Born of Osiris & Hate Eternal) @ Nokia Theatre - December 18, 2009


5. Metallica (w/ Lamb of God & Volbeat) @ Madison Square Garden - November 14, 2009


6. Down (w/ Melvins & Weedeater) @ Nokia Theatre - September 11, 2009


7. Type O Negative (w/ Seventh Void, Destrophy) @ Nokia Theatre - October 22, 2009


8. Motorhead (w/ Reverend Horton Heat & Nashville Pussy) @ Roseland Ballroom - September 9, 2009


9. Cro-Mags @ Santos Party House - December 29, 2009


10. Trivium (w/ Chimaira & Whitechapel) @ The Fillmore - November 5, 2009



TOP 5 HONORABLE MENTIONS


1. Kreator (w/ Exodus, Belphagor & Warbringer) @ Nokia Theatre - April 8, 2009


2. Soulfly (w/ Prong) @ Blender Theater - October 19, 2009


3. Napalm Death (w/ Kataklysm) @ Blender Theater - April 11, 2009


4. Deicide @ BB King - July 5, 2009


5. Mayhem @ The Fillmore - May 21, 2009


TOP 4 DISHONORABLE MENTIONS


1. Necrophagist (Summer Slaughter Tour) @ The Fillmore - July 19, 2009


2. Destruction (w/ Krisiun & Mantic Ritual) @ BB King - April 7, 2009


3. Cradle of Filth (w/ Satyricon) @ Nokia Theatre - February 27, 2009


4. 1349 (w/ Annunaki) @ BB King - March 2, 2009