Immolation/Krisiun
August 16, The Whiskey, Hollywood, CA
By Rodrigo
After reading countless of excellent reviews on the sets played by Immolation and Krisiun at the Milwaukee Metal Fest, I was extremely excited to see this death metal bill at The Whiskey. At first I only thought that it was only going to be those two bands and maybe one or two opening bands but instead there were four. Just like when Mayhem played at the exact venue in June, it seems to me that the promoters are placing too many bands for one night. I would rather see three or four great bands play longer sets but for now I guess this is the way it will be.
The first band that started was Mutilación and there were one of the better opening bands. The lead guitarist was excellent and his solos and leads fit perfectly with the structure of the songs. The rhythm guitarist wasnt as flashy but he did what is asked of him. The drummer was very talented and animated; he did an excellent job. The singer/bassist also was pretty good. His singing was typical for a death metal style but he was very excited to be up there. Overall, Mutilación did a great job of opening the night. Unfortunately the next two bands Scrapmetal and Decay of Salvation were pretty bad. The biggest complaint I had for Scrapmetal was that the singer/bassist just stood there showing no emotion while he was singing and playing. The drummer was good and the best thing about the band. Decay of Salvation had no redeemable qualities. They were simply just plain bad and boring.
Thankfully, there was one last band before the big two and it was one that I was looking forward in seeing. I first saw Tchildress play with Mayhem and I thought that the 3-piece death metal group were very good and showed a lot of promise. Tchildress definitely did not disappoint and the crowd was very into their set especially with the superb drumming. There were a lot of people cheering him on and one time in between songs he flashed a cool drum solo. The singer/bassist is also an excellent player and he really gets into it with constant head banging and with excellent singing. The guitarist doesnt do anything flashy or really exciting but he does an excellent job. The cool thing about Tchildress is that they were really appreciative of the response they were getting. This is one local Los Angeles band to look out for.
Finally it was time for Krisiun to play and they did not disappoint. In fact, they were simply awesome! They put on an amazing live performance. It is hard to comprehend how such a huge sound can come out from just the 3 players especially in from Moyses Kolesnes guitars. This guy is simply amazing and one of the coolest parts was when he belted out an extended solo between songs. One of the greatest thing for me was hearing the Ageless Venomous songs like the title track, "Dawn of Flagellation" and "Evil Gods Havoc" with a powerful bass drum sound that the album lacks. But like I mentioned in my review, the bass drum sound in the album doesnt bother me anymore. I was also simply mesmerized by Max Kolesnes drumming. He is one of the best drummers in metal today, right up there with Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy. Finally, bassist/vocalist Alex Camargo was also excellent. His singing was just as brutal as it is in the albums and his bass playing is also excellent. Besides the songs from the new album they also played songs like "Conquerors of Armageddon" and "Soul Devourer" from Conquerors of Armageddon. They even played a song that was constantly being requested by the rabid fans "Black Force Domain", which they admitted they hadnt played in a while. When they played that song the fans and the pit just got even crazier. They finished their set with "Creations Scourge" from Apocalyptic Revelation and it was definitely the perfect closer. Krisiun is a band that should not be missed by anyone because you will be regretting it. I do regret that I didnt buy one of their shirts but still it was an honor to have seen them live.
It was finally time for Immolation to play and unfortunately I was not familiar with any of their songs. They have been one of those bands that I intend to listen to but that they keep being bumped by other buys. Well, mark it down because I am definitely interested in Immolation now. Personally, I thought that they werent as aggressive as Krisiun but they are a very brutal and powerful death metal band. I enjoyed their entire set but due to my lack of knowledge on their catalog, I cant provide such a detailed set list report. The singer did say that they were going to play songs from each of their albums and the songs that I remember they played were "Furthest from the Truth", "Lost Passion", "Close to a World Below" and "Your Angel Died". I also liked how grateful they were in having so many fans being there for them. I might not have been there in the beginning but they have definitely turned me into a new fan.
While at times the night dragged on I have to say that the last three bands, Tchildress, Krisiun and Immolation all were awesome and I hope to see each of these bands live once again. If this bill comes to your town be sure to check it out.
August 16, The Whiskey, Hollywood, CA
By Rodrigo
After reading countless of excellent reviews on the sets played by Immolation and Krisiun at the Milwaukee Metal Fest, I was extremely excited to see this death metal bill at The Whiskey. At first I only thought that it was only going to be those two bands and maybe one or two opening bands but instead there were four. Just like when Mayhem played at the exact venue in June, it seems to me that the promoters are placing too many bands for one night. I would rather see three or four great bands play longer sets but for now I guess this is the way it will be.
The first band that started was Mutilación and there were one of the better opening bands. The lead guitarist was excellent and his solos and leads fit perfectly with the structure of the songs. The rhythm guitarist wasnt as flashy but he did what is asked of him. The drummer was very talented and animated; he did an excellent job. The singer/bassist also was pretty good. His singing was typical for a death metal style but he was very excited to be up there. Overall, Mutilación did a great job of opening the night. Unfortunately the next two bands Scrapmetal and Decay of Salvation were pretty bad. The biggest complaint I had for Scrapmetal was that the singer/bassist just stood there showing no emotion while he was singing and playing. The drummer was good and the best thing about the band. Decay of Salvation had no redeemable qualities. They were simply just plain bad and boring.
Thankfully, there was one last band before the big two and it was one that I was looking forward in seeing. I first saw Tchildress play with Mayhem and I thought that the 3-piece death metal group were very good and showed a lot of promise. Tchildress definitely did not disappoint and the crowd was very into their set especially with the superb drumming. There were a lot of people cheering him on and one time in between songs he flashed a cool drum solo. The singer/bassist is also an excellent player and he really gets into it with constant head banging and with excellent singing. The guitarist doesnt do anything flashy or really exciting but he does an excellent job. The cool thing about Tchildress is that they were really appreciative of the response they were getting. This is one local Los Angeles band to look out for.
Finally it was time for Krisiun to play and they did not disappoint. In fact, they were simply awesome! They put on an amazing live performance. It is hard to comprehend how such a huge sound can come out from just the 3 players especially in from Moyses Kolesnes guitars. This guy is simply amazing and one of the coolest parts was when he belted out an extended solo between songs. One of the greatest thing for me was hearing the Ageless Venomous songs like the title track, "Dawn of Flagellation" and "Evil Gods Havoc" with a powerful bass drum sound that the album lacks. But like I mentioned in my review, the bass drum sound in the album doesnt bother me anymore. I was also simply mesmerized by Max Kolesnes drumming. He is one of the best drummers in metal today, right up there with Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy. Finally, bassist/vocalist Alex Camargo was also excellent. His singing was just as brutal as it is in the albums and his bass playing is also excellent. Besides the songs from the new album they also played songs like "Conquerors of Armageddon" and "Soul Devourer" from Conquerors of Armageddon. They even played a song that was constantly being requested by the rabid fans "Black Force Domain", which they admitted they hadnt played in a while. When they played that song the fans and the pit just got even crazier. They finished their set with "Creations Scourge" from Apocalyptic Revelation and it was definitely the perfect closer. Krisiun is a band that should not be missed by anyone because you will be regretting it. I do regret that I didnt buy one of their shirts but still it was an honor to have seen them live.
It was finally time for Immolation to play and unfortunately I was not familiar with any of their songs. They have been one of those bands that I intend to listen to but that they keep being bumped by other buys. Well, mark it down because I am definitely interested in Immolation now. Personally, I thought that they werent as aggressive as Krisiun but they are a very brutal and powerful death metal band. I enjoyed their entire set but due to my lack of knowledge on their catalog, I cant provide such a detailed set list report. The singer did say that they were going to play songs from each of their albums and the songs that I remember they played were "Furthest from the Truth", "Lost Passion", "Close to a World Below" and "Your Angel Died". I also liked how grateful they were in having so many fans being there for them. I might not have been there in the beginning but they have definitely turned me into a new fan.
While at times the night dragged on I have to say that the last three bands, Tchildress, Krisiun and Immolation all were awesome and I hope to see each of these bands live once again. If this bill comes to your town be sure to check it out.
