I just got back from the show at the Loft in Poughkeepsie, NY. This show should have been held at the Chance Theater, which is part of a three-club complex. The Chance holds maybe 800-1,000 max, Club Crannell holds maybe 300, and the Loft 200 if it's shoulder to shoulder. Well, the owner is throwing a lot of metal shows into the Loft now, a small 2nd floor portion of the complex. The sound isn't all that great, it's set up weird (too much free space on the side of the stage) and it's just not a good place to play, particularly for high profile bands. Last time Into Eternity came through here with Hate Eternal, my band WithinAnother played with them in the Chance Theater. Why they had to play at the Loft this time is beyond me.
But enough of this boring rant shit.
OK, so the club was small and there were maybe 80 to 100 people there, which surprised me. Where the hell was everyone on a Friday night? Despite that, it was a good receptive crowd who reacted strongly to all the bands.
Single Bullet Theory were tight as hell. Given a better P.A. I think they would have crushed. I've known Matt DiFabio (lead singer/guitarist) for years and have seen his band evolve, and I think this is their best lineup yet. They're kind of a cross between American metalcore and Gothenburg melodic death. Very heavy and great on-stage energy. It was cool to hang with Matt and catch up with him after the show.
Beyond The Embrace--I saw these guys a few times before they were signed. They were good then, and they're just sick now. I think the biggest inprovement has happened in the vocal department. I've heard that their studio albums don't come close to their live sound. Even with the sub-par P.A. the three-guitar attack was evident and came across well. These guys banged hard and got a pit going. Great band, great songs and a great show. I agree, they need a producer on the next CD to capture the live sound. I wonder if Metal Blade would foot the bill for Andy Sneap?
Into Eternity--what can I say? It was so great to see these guys again. Even though I was only with them for ProgPower and one tour, I missed hanging and playing with them. I talked to them a bit (welcome to our small town ghetto), got to meet Stu and then had the privilege of watching them tear it up from a spectator's point of view. What I saw was a band that's playing heavier and faster. Adam and Troy have grown into complete monsters on their instruments, and Adam in particular was just inhuman behind the kit. Tim and Rob were sick as usual, pulling off the riffs and solos with little effort. As for Stu--he added a few subtle changes to some of the vocal lines to fit his style, which sounded to me like a blend of Devin Townsend and Rob Halford. His death vocals were brutal and he really gave himself a workout with his very high range. This isn't falsetto folks, he sings the high stuff from the chest with power. He's a madman onstage and everyone in the band worked the crowd. Troy played his bass like he was trying to kill it, but he always does that
. Kudos for the finger picking!
Tim's throat was bothering him and he didn't sing a lot, so I was really tempted to jump up and cover his parts. Part of me really wanted to be up there with them again, but it was also great to just watch them annihilate. It was also nice not to have to load up the gear afterwards!
A lot of the people were there for IE, and they seemed to get the loudest response. Hopefully I'll get to BB King's in NYC Sunday to see them on a real stage!
Amorphis--they were awesome. Like the other bands, I've seen these guys before, and the new singer is a big improvement. Back are the death vocals, and a good amount of older material was played, plus a few songs off Tuneola (my personal fav). Even the songs off the last album, which I thought blew, sounded great and a lot more powerful. I've been reading that Amorphis has been coming across as boring compared to the rest of the bands, but I thought they were a good fit for this bill. They're flawless, trippy and just a great blend of folkish-atmosphere and good solid metal. Maybe it was the small venue, but they were heavier than I last remember them.
Yeah, so there's my lengthy take on the night. Great to see everyone again and Stu, you da' man! See you at BB King's.
But enough of this boring rant shit.
OK, so the club was small and there were maybe 80 to 100 people there, which surprised me. Where the hell was everyone on a Friday night? Despite that, it was a good receptive crowd who reacted strongly to all the bands.
Single Bullet Theory were tight as hell. Given a better P.A. I think they would have crushed. I've known Matt DiFabio (lead singer/guitarist) for years and have seen his band evolve, and I think this is their best lineup yet. They're kind of a cross between American metalcore and Gothenburg melodic death. Very heavy and great on-stage energy. It was cool to hang with Matt and catch up with him after the show.
Beyond The Embrace--I saw these guys a few times before they were signed. They were good then, and they're just sick now. I think the biggest inprovement has happened in the vocal department. I've heard that their studio albums don't come close to their live sound. Even with the sub-par P.A. the three-guitar attack was evident and came across well. These guys banged hard and got a pit going. Great band, great songs and a great show. I agree, they need a producer on the next CD to capture the live sound. I wonder if Metal Blade would foot the bill for Andy Sneap?
Into Eternity--what can I say? It was so great to see these guys again. Even though I was only with them for ProgPower and one tour, I missed hanging and playing with them. I talked to them a bit (welcome to our small town ghetto), got to meet Stu and then had the privilege of watching them tear it up from a spectator's point of view. What I saw was a band that's playing heavier and faster. Adam and Troy have grown into complete monsters on their instruments, and Adam in particular was just inhuman behind the kit. Tim and Rob were sick as usual, pulling off the riffs and solos with little effort. As for Stu--he added a few subtle changes to some of the vocal lines to fit his style, which sounded to me like a blend of Devin Townsend and Rob Halford. His death vocals were brutal and he really gave himself a workout with his very high range. This isn't falsetto folks, he sings the high stuff from the chest with power. He's a madman onstage and everyone in the band worked the crowd. Troy played his bass like he was trying to kill it, but he always does that
. Kudos for the finger picking!Tim's throat was bothering him and he didn't sing a lot, so I was really tempted to jump up and cover his parts. Part of me really wanted to be up there with them again, but it was also great to just watch them annihilate. It was also nice not to have to load up the gear afterwards!
A lot of the people were there for IE, and they seemed to get the loudest response. Hopefully I'll get to BB King's in NYC Sunday to see them on a real stage!Amorphis--they were awesome. Like the other bands, I've seen these guys before, and the new singer is a big improvement. Back are the death vocals, and a good amount of older material was played, plus a few songs off Tuneola (my personal fav). Even the songs off the last album, which I thought blew, sounded great and a lot more powerful. I've been reading that Amorphis has been coming across as boring compared to the rest of the bands, but I thought they were a good fit for this bill. They're flawless, trippy and just a great blend of folkish-atmosphere and good solid metal. Maybe it was the small venue, but they were heavier than I last remember them.
Yeah, so there's my lengthy take on the night. Great to see everyone again and Stu, you da' man! See you at BB King's.
