I want reviews!!! here and now ;-))
- Thread starter SavaHexe
- Start date
c'mon people, have mercy with those who could not be there!! Thanks!
The Fiddler
Just Do It.
The "Jon Oliva's Pain" and "Savatage" set was once-in-a-lifetime experience. Definitely the most intimate 1,500 seat show I've ever seen. I don't know if you will ever see all those performers on the same stage again with possible exception of a future Criss Oliva memorial concert.
I think most people would agree that there isn't a more fun or more jolly man in metal that Jon Oliva!!! Jon Oliva for President!
I think most people would agree that there isn't a more fun or more jolly man in metal that Jon Oliva!!! Jon Oliva for President!
Metalmilitia2000
UM's Resident Asshole
Personally, I think the first half of Oliva's/Savatage/Weapons perfomance was quite lackluster. I expected a lot more Savatage stuff....even a Doctor Butcher tune would have been better than that "Pain" stuff....
My favorite band of the event was most definitely TAD MOROSE. They simply laid waste to all the other bands. Thanks Glenn for bringing this highly underrated outfit to these shores! We both knew they would bring the goods, and I think most everyone who saw them would say the same.
My favorite band of the event was most definitely TAD MOROSE. They simply laid waste to all the other bands. Thanks Glenn for bringing this highly underrated outfit to these shores! We both knew they would bring the goods, and I think most everyone who saw them would say the same.
aztattooedsean
crazed tattooed metalhead
Pain of Salvation, Brainstorm, and Tad Morose were my highlights although the only band that wasn't my cup of tea was kamelot so I had a killer time through out.:Spin:
It was also killer meeting so many people from so many message boards.
It was also killer meeting so many people from so many message boards.
ProgMetalFan
In the attic
does ANYONE have any thoughts on the Into Eternity performance (other than "not my cup of tea")!?
Metalmilitia2000
UM's Resident Asshole
ok.....here we go....
Overall...a KICK ASS experience. Firt time there and kicking myself in the ass for not being at others. If at all possible, will not be missing any others. Glen does a wonderful job as do all the others behind the scenes. Thank You everybody for a KICK ASS trio of days.
On to the show.....
While Into Eternity is not anything close to what I like, from the little I heard they were a tight outfit and scored bigtime on a new lead vocalist. The dude rocked.
Dreamscape, as stated in other threads, were definately the sleeper of the show. If you have not listened to this band, go now and do so. As said to me after the show, they are what Dream Theater is supposed to be. I had never heard them, beyond the sample posted here, and was blown away.
Tad Morose......what can I say, by far the best set of the show (as was told they would be). These guys are one tight, kick ass band. I could have watched and listened to these guys for hours and not have had enough. Can't wait to see them as future headliners. Thank You guys for a kick ass set!!!!
Kamelot........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Sorry, these guys have a few songs which kick ass but overall I find them entremely boring. Same basic sound and progressions over and over again. Also found lead vocals weak. All of this though is nothing different than I find when i listen to them on album. They did however delivers a very nice set (especially if you like these guys). I would have prefered a whole lot more female vocals as she has one hell of a voice.
John Olivas Pain.......Now I love Savatage, love Johns voice, love Johns style of writing and find John to be one hell of a performer....yet....found John Olivas Pain to deliver nothing but.
Now, as far as the Savatage set goes, this kicked ass. Not only was the set list a visit to the past but so was Johns voice. I had heard that he was better than ever but really did not believe it as most of that came from within camp but hell, they were right on! Having not seen Savatage untill the last tour, thought I would never hear John sing like that of yerteryear, nor did I think I would ever see yesteryears set list live. I have to say I would have loved to see Zack, since I have never seen him live. Hopefully another day. Caff did a great job singing PotN, think he can do a killer John, but his voice lacks the richness to cover Zack material, as do a lot of people. Thanks guys for the flashback.
Kudos to the board men.....great job.
Night two......
Adagio.....could not wait to see these guys however was dissapointed. Tech problems did not help. Not sure they had the personel quantity to pull this stuff off live. That said, and extremely talented bunch of guys that have nowhere to go but up and certainly will be putting out some amazing music in the years to come. Their new vocalist is definately a better fit to the band delivering a darker dimension to the sound. Would love to hear Underworld re-recorded with him on vox.
Celtic Metal....Wuthering Heights.....These guys rocked. Don't know, maybe it'e me, but I love bands with unique sounds. Knew very little to nothing about this band coming in other than their unique sound. Found a very talented band who looked like they had a great time and played a great show.
Hmmm...third slot again and another ass kicking. Was looking forward to Brainstorm and was not dissapointed. These guys utterly kicked ass, ten times harder than anything they have on disc. Up to this point, the crowd was into it but the place went nuts during the Brainstorm set. Phenominal stage presence. Could be nothing but dissapointed when the set was over. Have to say all in all...it was a Beautiful Noise.
POS. Another band I was not totally familiar with. Was told either you like them or you don't. Ummm.....I liked them......alot. Not exactly what I would call headbanging music but certainly a very solid set of extremely creative music. Was cool that they pulled from a set list picked by fans.
Edguy....these guys a freakin hysterical. They put on one hell of a kick ass show. So many influences can be heard in this bands music and on stage, they can be seen. Not sure what else to say other than a completely enjoyable set and a killer way to end the night. Thank You!!!
Evening Sidenote: Umm....11 is not the cure-all for everything.
Sorry to have seen the end to this as it was completely enjoyable. From the individual sets to the poeple I met that I did not knwo prior to those I ahd not seen in a long tome and those I had known yet never met. Thank you everyone. Can't wait till PPVI.
Overall...a KICK ASS experience. Firt time there and kicking myself in the ass for not being at others. If at all possible, will not be missing any others. Glen does a wonderful job as do all the others behind the scenes. Thank You everybody for a KICK ASS trio of days.
On to the show.....
While Into Eternity is not anything close to what I like, from the little I heard they were a tight outfit and scored bigtime on a new lead vocalist. The dude rocked.
Dreamscape, as stated in other threads, were definately the sleeper of the show. If you have not listened to this band, go now and do so. As said to me after the show, they are what Dream Theater is supposed to be. I had never heard them, beyond the sample posted here, and was blown away.
Tad Morose......what can I say, by far the best set of the show (as was told they would be). These guys are one tight, kick ass band. I could have watched and listened to these guys for hours and not have had enough. Can't wait to see them as future headliners. Thank You guys for a kick ass set!!!!
Kamelot........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Sorry, these guys have a few songs which kick ass but overall I find them entremely boring. Same basic sound and progressions over and over again. Also found lead vocals weak. All of this though is nothing different than I find when i listen to them on album. They did however delivers a very nice set (especially if you like these guys). I would have prefered a whole lot more female vocals as she has one hell of a voice.
John Olivas Pain.......Now I love Savatage, love Johns voice, love Johns style of writing and find John to be one hell of a performer....yet....found John Olivas Pain to deliver nothing but.
Now, as far as the Savatage set goes, this kicked ass. Not only was the set list a visit to the past but so was Johns voice. I had heard that he was better than ever but really did not believe it as most of that came from within camp but hell, they were right on! Having not seen Savatage untill the last tour, thought I would never hear John sing like that of yerteryear, nor did I think I would ever see yesteryears set list live. I have to say I would have loved to see Zack, since I have never seen him live. Hopefully another day. Caff did a great job singing PotN, think he can do a killer John, but his voice lacks the richness to cover Zack material, as do a lot of people. Thanks guys for the flashback.
Kudos to the board men.....great job.
Night two......
Adagio.....could not wait to see these guys however was dissapointed. Tech problems did not help. Not sure they had the personel quantity to pull this stuff off live. That said, and extremely talented bunch of guys that have nowhere to go but up and certainly will be putting out some amazing music in the years to come. Their new vocalist is definately a better fit to the band delivering a darker dimension to the sound. Would love to hear Underworld re-recorded with him on vox.
Celtic Metal....Wuthering Heights.....These guys rocked. Don't know, maybe it'e me, but I love bands with unique sounds. Knew very little to nothing about this band coming in other than their unique sound. Found a very talented band who looked like they had a great time and played a great show.
Hmmm...third slot again and another ass kicking. Was looking forward to Brainstorm and was not dissapointed. These guys utterly kicked ass, ten times harder than anything they have on disc. Up to this point, the crowd was into it but the place went nuts during the Brainstorm set. Phenominal stage presence. Could be nothing but dissapointed when the set was over. Have to say all in all...it was a Beautiful Noise.
POS. Another band I was not totally familiar with. Was told either you like them or you don't. Ummm.....I liked them......alot. Not exactly what I would call headbanging music but certainly a very solid set of extremely creative music. Was cool that they pulled from a set list picked by fans.
Edguy....these guys a freakin hysterical. They put on one hell of a kick ass show. So many influences can be heard in this bands music and on stage, they can be seen. Not sure what else to say other than a completely enjoyable set and a killer way to end the night. Thank You!!!
Evening Sidenote: Umm....11 is not the cure-all for everything.
Sorry to have seen the end to this as it was completely enjoyable. From the individual sets to the poeple I met that I did not knwo prior to those I ahd not seen in a long tome and those I had known yet never met. Thank you everyone. Can't wait till PPVI.
ProgMetalFan said:
I'm a fan of Into Eternity, but I didn't think their new singer quite cut it during the vocal harmonies. I saw them last year with their previous singer and he was much better. Overall it was good.
Pain of Salvation was amazing. There were a few songs I was surprised they left out, but it took nothing away from their performance.
Brainstorm: It was good to see a band totally rock out. While I didn't get into them as much as everyone else I could appreciate the band's enthusiasm and energy.
Tad Morose was really good, much better than I expected.
Wuthering Heights was cool as hell. A little eccentric and very enjoyable.
While Into Eternity is not anything close to what I like, from the little I heard they were a tight outfit and scored bigtime on a new lead vocalist. The dude rocked.
The growling thing to me is not interesting.
Dreamscape, as stated in other threads, were definately the sleeper of the show. If you have not listened to this band, go now and do so. As said to me after the show, they are what Dream Theater is supposed to be. I had never heard them, beyond the sample posted here, and was blown away.
Cool band.
Tad Morose......what can I say, by far the best set of the show (as was told they would be). These guys are one tight, kick ass band. I could have watched and listened to these guys for hours and not have had enough. Can't wait to see them as future headliners. Thank You guys for a kick ass set!!!!
Great show!! Loved the set too.
Kamelot........They did however delivers a very nice set (especially if you like these guys). I would have prefered a whole lot more female vocals as she has one hell of a voice.
Well I am a big fan and they kicked ass. Everything from the show to the lights.
John Olivas Pain.......Now I love Savatage, love Johns voice, love Johns style of writing and find John to be one hell of a performer....yet....found John Olivas Pain to deliver nothing but.
Loved all the Sava sets! Jon is an ICON and I could not say anything bad.
Now, as far as the Savatage set goes, this kicked ass. Not only was the set list a visit to the past but so was Johns voice. I had heard that he was better than ever but really did not believe it as most of that came from within camp but hell, they were right on! Having not seen Savatage untill the last tour, thought I would never hear John sing like that of yerteryear, nor did I think I would ever see yesteryears set list live. I have to say I would have loved to see Zack, since I have never seen him live. Hopefully another day. Caff did a great job singing PotN, think he can do a killer John, but his voice lacks the richness to cover Zack material, as do a lot of people. Thanks guys for the flashback.
Zak being there would have been the ultimate!
Jase
The growling thing to me is not interesting.
Dreamscape, as stated in other threads, were definately the sleeper of the show. If you have not listened to this band, go now and do so. As said to me after the show, they are what Dream Theater is supposed to be. I had never heard them, beyond the sample posted here, and was blown away.
Cool band.
Tad Morose......what can I say, by far the best set of the show (as was told they would be). These guys are one tight, kick ass band. I could have watched and listened to these guys for hours and not have had enough. Can't wait to see them as future headliners. Thank You guys for a kick ass set!!!!
Great show!! Loved the set too.
Kamelot........They did however delivers a very nice set (especially if you like these guys). I would have prefered a whole lot more female vocals as she has one hell of a voice.
Well I am a big fan and they kicked ass. Everything from the show to the lights.
John Olivas Pain.......Now I love Savatage, love Johns voice, love Johns style of writing and find John to be one hell of a performer....yet....found John Olivas Pain to deliver nothing but.
Loved all the Sava sets! Jon is an ICON and I could not say anything bad.
Now, as far as the Savatage set goes, this kicked ass. Not only was the set list a visit to the past but so was Johns voice. I had heard that he was better than ever but really did not believe it as most of that came from within camp but hell, they were right on! Having not seen Savatage untill the last tour, thought I would never hear John sing like that of yerteryear, nor did I think I would ever see yesteryears set list live. I have to say I would have loved to see Zack, since I have never seen him live. Hopefully another day. Caff did a great job singing PotN, think he can do a killer John, but his voice lacks the richness to cover Zack material, as do a lot of people. Thanks guys for the flashback.
Zak being there would have been the ultimate!
Jase
Metalmilitia2000
UM's Resident Asshole
Here's my quick recap.
1) Into Eternity - Due to a multitude of weather-related flight cancellations and delays, we didn't land in Atlanta until 5:30 or so on Friday and completely missed their set.
2) Dreamscape - only got to see about half of their set, but they were great. They're one of those bands (like Circle II Circle last year) that are even better live than on their studio albums. The crowd seemed to enjoy them and they seemed surprised and grateful by the response they got. Hope to see them again in the future.
3) Tad Morose - A good show by a good band. I'm not quite as into them as some, basically I like their newest album and that's about it. But they had a good stage presense, and played some great music.
4) Kamelot - One of the highlights for me. I'm a big Kamelot fan and have never seen them live. I thought they did great, the setlist was great, and they had the best light show of the weekend IMHO. I liked that they had the guest vocalists for the female parts, she was also really good.
5) Jon Oliva's Pain/WMD - I was looking forward to this until Zak had to pull out. I know this is blasphemy to some but I just can't stand Jon's voice. The Pain stuff was so-so, things got better during the second part of the show but even so for me this was pretty anti-climactic after Tad Morose and Kamelot.
6) Adagio - I like their music, and the live performance was good. Not entirely sure about the new singer yet. He definitely doesn't suck but I'll reserve final judgement until I've heard their next studio album. Singer's stage presense wasn't all that great, we found it kinda lame he kept leaving the stage during the instrumental parts; it would have been better if he had used those opportunities to interact with the crowd or even other band-members.
7) Wuthering Heights - This was a little different from the other bands, and that was a good thing. I really enjoyed their set. I think the current singer is great and really like the Irish/Celtic influences in thier music. And who doesn't love seeing a bandmember wear a kilt on-stage.
8) Brainstorm - Holy shit these guys rocked. I'd never listened to Brainstorm before they were announced for the PP5 lineup, but after that I started listening and like them quite a bit now. Even so they totally shattered my expectations; this was definitely one of the most memorable performances of the event and judging from the crowd response I'm not the only one who thought so. Kick-ass metal, great stage presence, and you could just tell they were down-to-earth guys who were thrilled to be there and were as blown away by the crowd response as the crowd was by their performance. These guys better be back for PP7.
9) PoS - Another highlight for me. I missed them at PP3 and since then have become a huge fan so I'd been looking forward to seeing them live for a long time and it was worth the wait, they definitely didn't disappoint. Set list was great; naturally there was lots more I wanted to hear but they would have had to play for several hours for that so I can't complain.
10) Edguy - A fun show, these guys obviously enjoy what they do and their enthusiasnm is infectious. The set-list was a bit heavy on the new stuff for my tastes (their last two albums have been somewhat disappointing for me), but with Edguy it's almost as much about the "show" as it is what songs they play.
1) Into Eternity - Due to a multitude of weather-related flight cancellations and delays, we didn't land in Atlanta until 5:30 or so on Friday and completely missed their set.
2) Dreamscape - only got to see about half of their set, but they were great. They're one of those bands (like Circle II Circle last year) that are even better live than on their studio albums. The crowd seemed to enjoy them and they seemed surprised and grateful by the response they got. Hope to see them again in the future.
3) Tad Morose - A good show by a good band. I'm not quite as into them as some, basically I like their newest album and that's about it. But they had a good stage presense, and played some great music.
4) Kamelot - One of the highlights for me. I'm a big Kamelot fan and have never seen them live. I thought they did great, the setlist was great, and they had the best light show of the weekend IMHO. I liked that they had the guest vocalists for the female parts, she was also really good.
5) Jon Oliva's Pain/WMD - I was looking forward to this until Zak had to pull out. I know this is blasphemy to some but I just can't stand Jon's voice. The Pain stuff was so-so, things got better during the second part of the show but even so for me this was pretty anti-climactic after Tad Morose and Kamelot.
6) Adagio - I like their music, and the live performance was good. Not entirely sure about the new singer yet. He definitely doesn't suck but I'll reserve final judgement until I've heard their next studio album. Singer's stage presense wasn't all that great, we found it kinda lame he kept leaving the stage during the instrumental parts; it would have been better if he had used those opportunities to interact with the crowd or even other band-members.
7) Wuthering Heights - This was a little different from the other bands, and that was a good thing. I really enjoyed their set. I think the current singer is great and really like the Irish/Celtic influences in thier music. And who doesn't love seeing a bandmember wear a kilt on-stage.
8) Brainstorm - Holy shit these guys rocked. I'd never listened to Brainstorm before they were announced for the PP5 lineup, but after that I started listening and like them quite a bit now. Even so they totally shattered my expectations; this was definitely one of the most memorable performances of the event and judging from the crowd response I'm not the only one who thought so. Kick-ass metal, great stage presence, and you could just tell they were down-to-earth guys who were thrilled to be there and were as blown away by the crowd response as the crowd was by their performance. These guys better be back for PP7.
9) PoS - Another highlight for me. I missed them at PP3 and since then have become a huge fan so I'd been looking forward to seeing them live for a long time and it was worth the wait, they definitely didn't disappoint. Set list was great; naturally there was lots more I wanted to hear but they would have had to play for several hours for that so I can't complain.
10) Edguy - A fun show, these guys obviously enjoy what they do and their enthusiasnm is infectious. The set-list was a bit heavy on the new stuff for my tastes (their last two albums have been somewhat disappointing for me), but with Edguy it's almost as much about the "show" as it is what songs they play.
Squeak
Photo Mistress
As far as Into Eternity goes, please keep in mind that Dean (their new singer, previously on Within Another) had not quite 3 weeks to prepare for this gig. And Chris' shoes are quite big to fill, especially for IE fans. It can only get better. That was also his second gig with them. And no soundcheck (I don't count the line check at all). I believe they did as well as they could under the circumstances. Not to mention it took them 21 hours to get there! Talk about a bunch of determined guys. No cancellation can slow them down.
Prog Maiden
Member
I second that. During some parts, something felt a little bit off, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. I still had an awesome time rocking out pretty close to the front. If they still had the original lineup, I'm sure it would've been killer. At the time, I didn't realize they didn't get a proper soundcheck. Being their second gig with the new lineup and the lack of a soundcheck, I'd say they did a pretty damn good job. I loved the setlist. And what a bunch of nice guys they are! It was a pleasure to hang out with them a lot over the weekend.Squeak said:
Squeak
Photo Mistress
hi Prog Maiden! Was nice to meet you at the after party at the Fairfield! Sorry I was a bit out of it, I was in a lot of pain and totally exhausted. 
okay, i'll give a mini-review.
Starting with Thursday night, at the pre-party:
Opening band was the local group Halceyon Way. I wasn't particularly impressed, but they were better than the usually -core bands I'm used to seeing open shows. They had a song on the sampler that sounded much better than they did live, though they weren't terrible. Mediocre.
Magistral from Chile was up after them, and they really impressed me. Some of my favorite songs from that set, including Sail Away, aren't available on CD yet However, I did pick up the demo/EP/whatever "I Am." Pretty good stuff.
I sat through Prototype, but I don't see what the fuss is about over them. Some decent stuff, but they kinda bored me.
I left one song into Enertia, just becuase I was tired and wanted to rest up before Friday. I did see Chris Caffery walk by me at the pre-party, and I heard that Doc Wacholz was there, as well as Timo Kotipelto. I talked to the singer from Magistral for a bit that night as well.
Friday was cool, I got there around 4:30, but I didn't get in the door until after 5, when the first signing was going on, I believe it was Savatage. So I skipped most of Into Eternity to get thier sigs. I did catch a few songs I recognized, as Quilan has Dead or Dreaming and Buried in Oblivion. They didn't play that Fields of the Damned song though, so I was sad.
After them was Dreamscape...who, like their name, were roughly half Dream Theater. Decent, but nothing that really caught my interest. If I would like them, it would be a grower, I'm guessing. I picked up a free promo CD from them, and I'll give it a few spins later.
At this point, I moved up to get into position for Kamelot and Sava. I actually made it to the very front, facing the left side of the stage. Tad Morose played next, and they were definately the surprise of the night. Very good stuff, great crowd response, great stage presence. A lot of people must have enjoyed their set, becuase Saturday ALL of the new CD was sold out at ALL of the vendors. I'll have to pick up some of their stuff soon (suggestions, anyone? Modus Vivendi, or whatever?). I can't remember any songs that stuck out in my mind, but they were nice and aggressive.
Kamelot came next, and I was dissapointed becuase I thought the vocal were a little low in the mix. I couldn't hear everything being sung, but I knew the majority of songs, so it was okay. They played mostly from Epica, with a few from Karma and one from The Fourth Legacy. There also may have been a song or two from their earlier works, I don't remember. But they played III Ways to Epica, a song they've never played live, so I was told, and one I really like (actually, the song that got me into Kamelot). Other highlights were Lost and Damned, Karma, and Fall From Grace.
Jon Oliva's Pain came next, and much as I love the Mountain King, I just couldn't get into this stuff. Kinda blah, most of it. But after a half hour of that, SAVATAGE-thing came out! They played a ton of old stuff, and nothing newer than Edge of Thorns (I would have liked some newer stuff, but that's okay). A ton of stuff from Streets, Gutter Ballet, etc. Anyway, lots of great stuff! I was totally singing along to Believe! I love that song.
On to Saturday. I learned my lesson, and got there a bit earlier. Got into the venue at about 4:50 or so. Went to the 5:00 signing by Edguy and was done by 5:30 when the first band was set to go on. Adagio put on a very good show, and really impressed me. I've never heard them with Readman, so I can't do a comparison between vocalists, but this dude was good.
Wurthering Heights was next, and I gravitated back to my position from Friday, only one row back. Unfortunately, I found them to be not as good live as they are on CD. For fans of their older stuff, they played a lot of it. Only about 5 tracks were from the new one (I was expecting more/different tracks, but oh well). They played Tree, Longing for the Woods 1 and 2, Bad Hobbits Die Hard, and Highland Winds closed the show. The vocals were decent, and I could hear them better than Friday, but they are MUCH better on CD. So, a bit of a dissapointment.
However....BRAINSTORM was up next, and holy fucking fuck! I loved them already, but seeing them twice in as many months is a fucking dream come true. Talked to them a bit at their signing too, and took a picture with Andy. Great guys, and they said they are definately coming back! Honestly, I rocked out the hardest during thier set. They even played a song from an older album (Voices), with Andy doing the vocals, and it sounded GREAT. I don't think they did anything from Ambiguity, but a ton from both Metus Mortis and Soul Temptation. Similar setlist to Wacken, but they did change some stuff up, which was nice.
After them was Pain of Salvation. Now, I'm not the biggest PoS fan, though my boyfriend is. So I've heard a lot of thier stuff, but I'm not really very familliar with it. They opened with Undertow, then did Rope ends, etc. Played Used and Ashes, both songs I like. Dan's vocals were spot-on the whole night.
Then then mighty Edguy. I was standing in front of Eggi (bassist) and watching his expressions was the second funniest thing of the show. The first, of course, being Toby's inability to shut up. He loves to hear himself speak And of course, the "Fucks" (those there will know what I mean ). Anyway, good show, decent setlist. I would have swapped out a few songs, though they did do Chalice of Agony from Avantasia, and the title track with Rob Rock as a special guest. Also, Timo came out and did Wake Up the King with them...except he didn'tk know all the words, so they fucked up at least once (which is where the "fucks" came in). But they were amusing about it, even though they kinda flubbed up a bunch. Still amusing show, and they're great performers. Piper Never Dies is great live
Starting with Thursday night, at the pre-party:
Opening band was the local group Halceyon Way. I wasn't particularly impressed, but they were better than the usually -core bands I'm used to seeing open shows. They had a song on the sampler that sounded much better than they did live, though they weren't terrible. Mediocre.
Magistral from Chile was up after them, and they really impressed me. Some of my favorite songs from that set, including Sail Away, aren't available on CD yet However, I did pick up the demo/EP/whatever "I Am." Pretty good stuff.
I sat through Prototype, but I don't see what the fuss is about over them. Some decent stuff, but they kinda bored me.
I left one song into Enertia, just becuase I was tired and wanted to rest up before Friday. I did see Chris Caffery walk by me at the pre-party, and I heard that Doc Wacholz was there, as well as Timo Kotipelto. I talked to the singer from Magistral for a bit that night as well.
Friday was cool, I got there around 4:30, but I didn't get in the door until after 5, when the first signing was going on, I believe it was Savatage. So I skipped most of Into Eternity to get thier sigs. I did catch a few songs I recognized, as Quilan has Dead or Dreaming and Buried in Oblivion. They didn't play that Fields of the Damned song though, so I was sad.
After them was Dreamscape...who, like their name, were roughly half Dream Theater. Decent, but nothing that really caught my interest. If I would like them, it would be a grower, I'm guessing. I picked up a free promo CD from them, and I'll give it a few spins later.
At this point, I moved up to get into position for Kamelot and Sava. I actually made it to the very front, facing the left side of the stage. Tad Morose played next, and they were definately the surprise of the night. Very good stuff, great crowd response, great stage presence. A lot of people must have enjoyed their set, becuase Saturday ALL of the new CD was sold out at ALL of the vendors. I'll have to pick up some of their stuff soon (suggestions, anyone? Modus Vivendi, or whatever?). I can't remember any songs that stuck out in my mind, but they were nice and aggressive.
Kamelot came next, and I was dissapointed becuase I thought the vocal were a little low in the mix. I couldn't hear everything being sung, but I knew the majority of songs, so it was okay. They played mostly from Epica, with a few from Karma and one from The Fourth Legacy. There also may have been a song or two from their earlier works, I don't remember. But they played III Ways to Epica, a song they've never played live, so I was told, and one I really like (actually, the song that got me into Kamelot). Other highlights were Lost and Damned, Karma, and Fall From Grace.
Jon Oliva's Pain came next, and much as I love the Mountain King, I just couldn't get into this stuff. Kinda blah, most of it. But after a half hour of that, SAVATAGE-thing came out! They played a ton of old stuff, and nothing newer than Edge of Thorns (I would have liked some newer stuff, but that's okay). A ton of stuff from Streets, Gutter Ballet, etc. Anyway, lots of great stuff! I was totally singing along to Believe! I love that song.
On to Saturday. I learned my lesson, and got there a bit earlier. Got into the venue at about 4:50 or so. Went to the 5:00 signing by Edguy and was done by 5:30 when the first band was set to go on. Adagio put on a very good show, and really impressed me. I've never heard them with Readman, so I can't do a comparison between vocalists, but this dude was good.
Wurthering Heights was next, and I gravitated back to my position from Friday, only one row back. Unfortunately, I found them to be not as good live as they are on CD. For fans of their older stuff, they played a lot of it. Only about 5 tracks were from the new one (I was expecting more/different tracks, but oh well). They played Tree, Longing for the Woods 1 and 2, Bad Hobbits Die Hard, and Highland Winds closed the show. The vocals were decent, and I could hear them better than Friday, but they are MUCH better on CD. So, a bit of a dissapointment.
However....BRAINSTORM was up next, and holy fucking fuck! I loved them already, but seeing them twice in as many months is a fucking dream come true. Talked to them a bit at their signing too, and took a picture with Andy. Great guys, and they said they are definately coming back! Honestly, I rocked out the hardest during thier set. They even played a song from an older album (Voices), with Andy doing the vocals, and it sounded GREAT. I don't think they did anything from Ambiguity, but a ton from both Metus Mortis and Soul Temptation. Similar setlist to Wacken, but they did change some stuff up, which was nice.
After them was Pain of Salvation. Now, I'm not the biggest PoS fan, though my boyfriend is. So I've heard a lot of thier stuff, but I'm not really very familliar with it. They opened with Undertow, then did Rope ends, etc. Played Used and Ashes, both songs I like. Dan's vocals were spot-on the whole night.
Then then mighty Edguy. I was standing in front of Eggi (bassist) and watching his expressions was the second funniest thing of the show. The first, of course, being Toby's inability to shut up. He loves to hear himself speak And of course, the "Fucks" (those there will know what I mean ). Anyway, good show, decent setlist. I would have swapped out a few songs, though they did do Chalice of Agony from Avantasia, and the title track with Rob Rock as a special guest. Also, Timo came out and did Wake Up the King with them...except he didn'tk know all the words, so they fucked up at least once (which is where the "fucks" came in). But they were amusing about it, even though they kinda flubbed up a bunch. Still amusing show, and they're great performers. Piper Never Dies is great live
Thor Intrepid
Member
I don't know if it was the beer, the time, or following Brainstorm, but I just could not get into Pain of Salvation. Don't get me wrong, they were very good (!), but I just had a difficult time focusing.
