I’m taking a whole new approach to this week’s review. Well, it’s not that new, but it does have some cavemanlike charm about it. This week will be drunken, raving, idiotic notes that I took from a show I saw last month.
Engine was the headliner (see my CD review of their latest release), and most of my notes pertain to the opening bands. I believe this was a Friday night on the 16th of August, but don’t take my word for it, I was pretty damn hammered. What follows are my actual notes written during each bands performance. Nothing written below is meant to be philosophical or insightful. In fact most of it is just childish babbling. I take full responsibility for my complete and utter idiocy. ENJOY!
Second Band: Throttle - I missed the first band because of traffic. Almost a popish sounding metal that could do well with airplay on the radio. Vocals are a rough mix of Hetfield and Anselmo. Outstanding lead guitars, but the music is bland. So this is what it’s like to write like a blind man, I hope I can read this later. My rating is a 6. I’m hungry, ooooooohhh, chickenfingers!!
Third Band: Code Fat Rat - Heavy, but not my taste. Vocalist is decent, but nothing to write home about. If I were to compare, I would throw into a Nu-Metal category. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I see heavy metal music make someone move back and forth like at a hip-hop concert, it sucks. Does that make me close-minded?? On the plus side they gave out some free demos. Which I didn’t get so they still suck.
Fourth Band: The Wreck - Alright, they started out with a cover of Salt N’ Peppa’s “Push It”, WTF?? As for original, it’s very ‘rockabillyish’. I don’t think that’s good. Maybe it is. Now that I think of it… NO!! Singer/guitarist also had a broken leg that took a lot away from the stage presence. Another free demo band so they get points for that. I still didn’t get one so points deducted!! Overall rating: 4 (To punky & rockabilly). Highlight: Chickenfingers!!
Okay ladies and gents, let me take a time out here. Right about this time, a lovely young lady came up to me and we started chatting about metal, playing music, and what not. Needless to say my attention was diverted slightly and I wrote: “boobs” for some odd reason during the middle of my next drunken band rant. I just don’t want anyone getting confused when you see the word ‘boobs’ and it has nothing to do with the text. And with that, let us proceed!
Fifth Band: The Haunting - Okay, they don’t sound anything like the Swedish thrash band The Haunted. But after the first song I have to say that they have a nice 80’s sound going on about them, which is actually a comfort from the shit that has been played boobs tonight. Very Lizzy Borden which is a good thing. Old school, I really dig this band the more they play. I give them a rating of 8. No wait!! They get a 7. They just dedicated a song to Jesus. Jesus song is pretty good actually. They still stay at 7!!
Sixth Band: Jugulur - I had a bad impression going into this set after downloading several songs off of their website. Plus they spelled their name wrong. The recording was poor, the guitars and vox lacked power. This is definitely a live band! The singer is very very aggressive, and his approach is similar to Exhorder, or, for lack of anyone else to think of at the moment, Pantera. I hate to limit to that, but I will….so there. Not bad, after two songs they’ve managed to turn me around 180 degrees. I’ll give them a rating of 8. They need to work on recording. The lights here suck. I wish I could see this chick clearly.
Seventh Band: Engine - Ohhhh yeah! The man, Ray Alder. First time I’ve actually seen him live. I worshiped this dude in Fate’s Warning. Joey Vera from Armored Saint is on the bass and he is a goddamn wild man! The vocals are top notch, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from this metal legend. This chick just told me she didn’t care for Fate’s Warning. I don’t know what to say to that. Boobs? I kept trying to take pictures but Alder kept moving or lifting his head at the wrong moment. That pisses me off. I need a drink. Kick ass show from beginning to end. Rating for performance: 10!
There you have it fearless readers. Coax’s inane rambling while in a drunken haze. Some words were corrected for punctuation and spelling by the way. It takes some time to decipher these notes. Anyway, until next time, stay heavy, hail metal!!
