Well, the show was just plain awesome, and I have a hard time believing I'll see a better show this year.....
(thanks for the pictures Daveingham, they look like they could have been taken last night!)
I got there a bit late (on purpose), and so missed 1349, which I kind of regret now, but then again....whatever.
Goatwhore was actually pretty cool.....old-school death metal. I've heard some of their albums, and have been surprised by how much they capture the spirit both in production and writing of early-ish death stuff....but with a new edge too. The were definately "live," with lots of energy etc. Cool.
Now, next up was Sunn O)), whom replaced Sahg on the tour. Initially I was dissapointed about this because Sahg's record (it's one of the CDs I'm sending you Pounding Metal!) is one of the better releases this year. Still, in retrospect, I can't complain a bit. Sunn O)) were brilliant. If you don't know them, they are (in some sense) just a "noise" band, but there is actually much more to it than that. They are kind of the distilled essence of metal melted down into weird psychedelic form....heavy and low, Extreeeeeemely slow, with no drums actually. Just a bunch of E chords and A chords ooozing out of the speakers. You could basically say they are the ultimate doom band X 1000. Seriously. They began flooding the stage (and room - the Fillmore incidentally) with smoke about 30 minutes before they came out. Honestly....and when they did come out....they just used very dark lighting, deep purples and greens. They all wear cloaks with hoods, and keep a kind of persona going through the whole show. Just....woooooggghhhhhh and gwwwwwaaaarrrrr.....you know, really primevil stuff. They kind of present it as a ritual, in the strangest sense. It was completely cool; a kind of archetypal version of everything that is cool about metal. Two guitars, a bass, a moog synthesizer, a "singer," and that's it. They are all from different bands....one guy from Goatsnake, another from Burning Witch, and I think the singer is actually from Mayhem (or was) or something. 50% of the crowd absolutely despised them, and 50% thought they were the best thing since sliced metal. I fall into the latter category, but I tend to like post-metal stuff like ISIS and Old Man Gloom.....They were shear brilliance, and in my mind the perfect opener for the mighty.....
Celtic FROST!!!!!!!!
So, okay.....first off, as if the album were not enough of a testament to this, these guys are back with a VENGEANCE. Martin Ain bangs his head like a man half his age, and frankly almost looks like he's trying to hurt himself. Tom has a fantastic, completely in control of the chaos stage presence....and these two things coupled with their kind of satanic priests garb of this tour made for a general presentation that was almost menacing. Hell, it was menacing. There was a VERY good and large crowd there, and this seemed to pump the band up to maximum rage/energy. I could really tell they liked the crowd, even looking surprised at the pit and all that at times. Remember, this is the Bay Area, and though the thrash scene of old is long gone, there are enough old-school hold outs, and new "I wish I was there," folks to really fill a room with some diehards. In particular, I've noticed at the heavier shows ala Celtic Frost, there is a completely fanatic Latino contingent. Horns up to my Central/South American brothers and sisters...! Ha. Seriously, keeping the spirit alive for sure.
So, the band was tight as all get out, and some songs like the opener Procreation of the Wicked were slower than the record even....which, by the way, even though a lot of people consider them a proto-thrash band, Celtic Frost is reeeeeally a proto-doom band, in my book anyway. Or maybe a bit of both, which is why they are so brilliant. When you mix in their daring "metal is art," attitude, you really do get one of the more potent and important bands of all time, again, in my book anyway.
The setlist was much the same as the other American shows, but they did add Mesmerized from Into the Pandemonium....which I think they traded out for Inner Sanctum.
Setlist:
Totengott (Intro through speakers - edited somewhat....)
Procreation of the Wicked
Visions of Mortality
Circle of the Tyrants
The Usurper (Singer from 1349 on lead vocals)
Jewel Throne
Ain Elohim
Necromantical Screams
Dawn of Meggido
Return to the Eve
Mesmerized
Ground
Dethroned Emperor
Into the Crypts of Rays
Synagoga Satanae
I might have liked a couple other new ones, but Ain Elohim, Ground, and the amazing set closer Synagoga Satanae were brilliant choices, so no complaints at all. The crowd, by my estimation, liked Dethroned Emporer and Into Crypts of Rays the most....just apeshit on those two songs.
Tight, loud, primordial, heavier than just about everything else, and not only back from the dead, but once again leading the pack in the weirdest way....this is Celtic Frost's year. One of those shows were you just HAVE to buy a t-shirt to try to somehow take some of "it" home with you. Fucking brilliant. If you have the chance, see them this tour, because this is their year.
I love their latest album. Looking forward to your review WiZ!!
