Creatures of the Black Abyss Tour Review

Creatures From The Black Abyss Tour
February 16th, 2011

By Lacey W.
After the three hour drive to Calgary, and some wandering around the university campus, it was nice to wait inside for doors to open instead of in the frigid cold. Doors at the MacEwan Ballroom opened right on time, with very few people lined up. Getting inside the venue, I was disappointed to see that there were no chairs or tables for those who wanted to sit through the show.

As Daniel Lioneye took the stage, the venue was still very empty. Throughout the entire set, two Bam Margera wannabes stood on the rail, more engrossed in the show than the rest of the crowd. They proved to to be good entertainment for my friends and I, as we got a good laugh out of them trying so hard to be someone else. Daniel Lioneye is comprised mostly of members of the band HIM, and honestly, they were better than either time I’ve seen HIM live. The music seemed like a mixture of punk and hard rock, with the vocalist providing energy and attempting to energize the crowd who were mostly unreceptive. The biggest cheers of the set came when the upcoming bands were mentioned. Although Daniel Lioneye played a decent sounding set, the relatively small crowd didn’t seem as into the music as the band itself.

By the time Turisas took the stage, the crowd had grown substantially, with a number of people dressed up and wearing the characteristic red and black warpaint of Turisas onstage. After their intro, Turisas burst into Holmgard and Beyond, instantly energizing the crowd even more than they already were. As Turisas burst into the next song, One More, the majority of the crowd near the rail were headbanging enthusiastically and shouting out the lyrics. Vocalist Mathias ‘Warlord’ Nygård showed incredible energy, pumping his fist in the air, screaming out vocals and leaping around the stage. Nygård had no problem encouraging a pit. Before starting the ‘party’ song, Jarislev, Nygård shouted out that he wanted to make the people downstairs (on the university campus) well aware that a concert was going on upstairs, and the crowd got even louder. By the time Turisas ended their set with Battle Metal, the crowd was yelling for more. It’s unfortunate that Turisas was only afforded a five song set, as they seemed to be the crowd favorite of the night. Security even mentioned that many people left after Turisas. Perhaps the brightest point to having such a short set was the suggestion by vocalist Nygård that Turisas would be back on a headlining tour in the near future, which would be well deserved as it’s safe to say that they stole the show on this particular night.

Although I won’t comment too much on Nachtmystium, as I didn’t spend much time watching their set and their style of music isn’t particularly appealing to me, they sounded quite good and drew a good response from the crowd.

As headliners Cradle of Filth took the stage, the crowd response was somewhat cold, possibly due to many Cradle fans still being in the bar downstairs, unaware that the set had started. I couldn’t help but thinking that vocalist Dani Filth looked somewhat reminiscent of Beetlejuice, making it a little more difficult to take the first few songs seriously even though I’m a Cradle of Filth fan. Cradle delved into some of their older material, pulling out the songs Heaven Torn Asunder and Funeral in Carpathia as their first two songs and later playing Ebony Dressed For Sunset and The Forest Whispers My Name. One of my favorites of the night was a rendition of Nymphetamine with the female vocals being impressively sung by keyboardist Ashley Ellyllon. In fact, throughout most of the set Ellyllon’s vocals were much easier to hear than Dani Filth’s, exposing a problem with the sound mixing. For the first half of the set, Filth’s vocals were mostly drowned out by the instruments, only being clearing discernible during high pitched screams. Although the mixing improved during the set, it was still disappointing that it wasn’t right to begin with. As Cradle of Filth ended their encore with From The Cradle to Enslave, many seemed slightly disappointed that the set wasn’t longer, consisting of a total of twelve songs. The projected images served to enhance the set, but it seemed as though the stage set-up itself was slightly lacking in comparison to other times I have seen Cradle of Filth live. Ignoring the sound problems, Cradle was reasonably solid, but overall weren’t as good as the previous two times I’ve seen them.

Needless to say, it was a fun night with friends and worth the trip down to Calgary to experience a venue I’d never been to and the live performances of Daniel Lioneye, Turisas, Nachtmystium and Cradle of Filth.

Finnish Metal Tour Review

Finnish Metal Tour: A Personal Review

February 15th, 2011

Writer: Lacey W.

The night appeared doomed to a slow start, with only a handful of people in line when doors were opened at eight. The frigid weather, made worse by a biting wind, may have factored into this but it seemed strangely appropriate for a night when four bands from Finland were slated to play. A quick stop at the merchandise table made me wish I was able to afford the price wanted for the hand drawn artwork of Finntroll guitarist, Skrymer.

            There was an abysmal lack of concert goers in the Starlite Room as Barren Earth took the stage. Although the music of Barren Earth was not particularly appealing to me, they performed a solid set, sounding somewhat like Opeth at times. By the time Rotten Sound made their appearance on stage, more fans had trickled in. The fast and heavy stylings of Rotten Sound served to energize the crowd, creating an atmosphere more appropriate to a small venue filled with loud music. All of those at the front were quickly caught up in the headbanging and those back a little further created an impressive pit considering the number of people participating. Rotten Sound knew exactly what to do to pump up the crowd, encouraging moshing that was equally as hard and fast as their music. Even those who were unfamiliar with the band seemed to thoroughly enjoy the set.

            Unfortunately the people behind me during Ensiferum made the set slightly less enjoyable but Ensiferum seemed to be the highlight of the night for many fans. (Perhaps because english lyrics are much more accessible than the Swedish language lyrics of Finntroll.) A friend commented that this was possibly the best set he had heard Ensiferum play on their numerous stops in Edmonton. Long time fans of the band were delighted to hear Token of Time, from the band’s self titled debut album. From Afar, Deathbringer From the Sky and Ahti were favorites with the audience, with many shouting out the words along with vocalist Petri Lindroos. Victory Song was another huge hit with the crowd, as well as the final tune, Iron. The beer was flowing and the crowd was rowdy and excited throughout the twelve song set. In the final minutes of the set, guitarist Markus Toivonen impressed the crowd by playing a solo behind his back. Ensiferum, with their trademark kilts and black war paint, were solid and crowd pleasing.

            As Finntroll took the stage, many people seemed content to sit back, drink a beer and watch the show. After using the song Blodmarsch as the introduction, Finntroll burst into a thundering rendition of Solsagen. Throughout the set, a handful of fans were screaming for Ett Norrskensdåd and Eliytres and left satisfied as both songs were included in the set. Although Finntroll’s drummer was apparently quite ill and other band members were recovering from being sick, one never would have guessed from the energetic set. Vocalist Mathias ‘Vreth’ Lillmåns demonstrated an impressive lung capacity, screaming and growling throughout the set. Although Finntroll are known for occasionally drinking too much before going on stage, it didn’t happen in Edmonton. Vreth didn’t hesitate to get down and scream right into the faces of those in the front row,  and touring keyboardist Aleksi Virta could be seen grinning throughout the show, which seemed a little uncharacteristic for a band with darker music, but it suggested that he was enjoying the show as much as the fans. As the end of the set approached, Lillmåns announced that there would be no encore due to the drummer being ill, but the ensuing antics of Maktens Spira made up for it. Drunken members of Rotten Sound ran out on stage, complete with oversized, glittery top hats, huge novelty sunglasses, and various funny masks; joining in on some of the vocals and making their own party on stage. Members of the other bands apparently found it as hilarious as I did, as Petri Lindroos could be seen laughing and snapping pictures from the side of the stage. Members of Turisas were apparently in the crowd as well, having played earlier in the night in Edmonton. Finntroll, and every other band on this tour, certainly didn’t disappoint and my only regret is that I was only able to catch one show. Overall, the show was excellent.

Ripper//Cutter and others - Concert Review

Ripper Cutter
Point Break
Hominid
Suicidal Cop
Dysplasia
Avonmore Hall Saturday January 29, 2011
Writer: Gabby Riches

As I jammed my pockets full of cheap beer, an emergency flask full of whisky and enough money for a cab ride, my eagerness for local crusty grind quickly increased. For adults, all age’s hall concerts means brainstorming various strategies for smuggling in beer (the backpack seems to be popular) and failing to see most of the bands due to cases of immediate urination, social dealings, beer chugs, and car hopping. Tonight is Ripper Cutter’s last show, or so they claim, and the guitarist has been drinking all afternoon. The line-up looks top notch despite the fact that the opening act (Dysplasia) is lacking a bassist due to a short notice resigning.

As a three piece, Dysplasia’s energy and audience interaction increased with each song. The hall was quickly becoming saturated with leather, patch jackets, chains, tight pants, combat boots, and it was still early; I was only down 2 beers. Despite my developing buzz, I became irritated by the inaudible guitar, the temporary fragmented rhythms and the skinny, gangly punks that obscured my view. By the end of Dysplasia’s set everyone was up close and personal with the band by wedging themselves between the monitors, the drum kit and other perspiring youth, making it difficult to vacate the vicinity. I kept thinking to myself “Why do I still have my jacket on?!

From the downstairs bathroom, the sounds of harmonious melodies, catchy rhythms and heavy thumping permeated the community hall. Making my way upstairs, I went to the only merchandise table and bought three 7 inch EPs for a mere fifteen bucks. I decided to slip out into the frigid night for a quick sip of ale when I spotted some friends taking refuge in a car. Both the car and the company were comfortably warm. Due to subsequent in-depth discussions about hockey team updates, upcoming shows, politics, dead end jobs, and music, I missed both Suicidal Cop and Hominid. The regret consumes me to this day.

When Point Break, a raw punk band from Calgary took the floor, it was apparent the level of talent and intensity of the acts were increasing as the night progressed. By the time Ripper Cutter was ready to start, the crowd was properly primed. There was a palatable energy in the air, mingling with the smell of sweat and second hand smoke stained jackets. Blast beats erupted from the drums and there was a blast of ear piercing feedback. Ripper Cutter were surrounded by seventy enthusiastic fans all trying to balance the crowd’s ebb and flow. The tattooed singer quickly became lost in the sea of bodies and throughout the set he was constantly getting the microphone chord entangled around his ankles. Normally a moshpit doesn’t emerge until the middle of the set, but the pit formed immediately upon the first song. For every band that played that night, a certain percentage of attendees were outside, but for Ripper Cutter the majority of patrons were present. Due to the increased audience interaction and excitement, the moshpit had fewer brief skirmishes and more sustained momentum throughout the set. As I peered at the audience, I noticed the crowd was an amalgamation of metalheads, punks and crust kids, and it appeared to be multigenerational bunch as well. At the end of the night the band and audience alike were winded and the aggressive desires were both satiated. The ritual of the all-ages hall show had completed its full cycle and steamed billowed out of the front doors as the audience poured out into the freezing night.