I was incredibly impressed with Futures End's live set.
As part of the preparation for my festival interview with the band, Christian sent me the music as soon as the final mix was complete. I spun the disc a few times before I spoke with Christian and Marc in late July. However, my iPod now reveals that Memoirs of a Broken Man is my most frequently listened to disc of 2009. So needless to say, I had the advantage of being incredibly familiar with their music heading into the Thursday performance. To pull off, what they pulled off, on their first show ever, was more than just a little impressive. And it's a testament to just how impressive this line up is. I can't even imagine how bad ass this band will be after a dozen live dates.
I also feel the need to make a point about how impressed I am with Fred's vocals. As a huge Zero Hour fan, I had always laid the blame for the less than stellar A Fragile Mind at Fred's feet, since he was the "new guy". However, it's clear he wasn't the disc's downfall. While his vocal work on Memoirs is outstanding, his ability to faithfully reproduce that performance live, is even more impressive.
With three fourths of 2009 in the books, Memoirs of a Broken Man is my #1 CD of 2009.*
Zod
*I've yet to spin the new Redemption.