For those of you who are interested, here is my take on the Nevermore/Opeth/Angel Dust show that took place last night at Klub Krome, in South Amboy, New Jersey.
Angel Dust Set List
Let me Live
Come Into Resistance
Cross of Hatred
Sill Im Bleeding
Bleed
Follow Me
Angel Dust received a warmer response from the crowd than I had anticipated, given that all the other bands on the bill, including God Forbid, are heavier than they are. They were very energetic, and did all that they could to maximize the crowds reaction. I was especially impressed with their lead guitar player, who came across much better live than he does on disc. All in all, I would say they put on a solid show, but not one that would necessarily inspire me to make sure that I see them, the next time they come around.
Side Note Angel Dust spent the rest of the evening walking around, and chatting with all of the fans. This is a very cool move, and one which more bands should employ.
Opeth Set List
The Drapery Falls
White Cluster
Forest of October
Demon of the Fall
Advent
Let me preface my review of Opeth by saying, that while I respect Opeth as musicians, and love all of the acoustic stuff that they do on their discs, I dont much care for the cookie monster style of vocals that Michael employs. Given how gifted this band is, I think its beneath them, and I hope that they eventually grow beyond it (although I do realize, that their real fans would shudder at such a thought). That being said, Opeth sounded excellent. They played with amazing precision, to the delight of all the die-hard Opeth fans that had come to see them. Personally, I was a little disappointed at the lack of stage presence that Opeth exhibited. They never moved from the spots that they took when they walked onto the stage. Additionally, they chose not to make use of acoustic guitars, and instead, played all of the acoustic interludes on their electric guitars.
Nevermore Set List
Narcosynthesis
The River Dragon Has Come
Sound of Silence
Evolution 169
The Heart Collector
Believe in Nothing
Inside Four Walls
We Disintegrate
Engines of Hate
Dead Heart in a Dead World
Beyond Within
The Death of Passion
The Seven Tongues of God
Next in Line
OK. Lets start off with what we know to be factual; Nevermore is the best band on the planet.
Unfortunately, Nevermore didnt take the stage until after midnight. This was less than brilliant planning by the club owner, given that the show took place on a Thursday night. Many of the Opeth fans had split by this time, leaving Nevermore to play in front of approximately 65% of the crowd that Opeth and Angel Dust enjoyed (approximately 300 people attended the show).
Nevermore opened up with Narcosynthesis. As Jeff began his solo, his equipment completely cut out. He actually left the stage to deal with this problem, as the band played out the remainder of the song. Warrel was noticeably disturbed at this, and rightfully so. When Jeff returned to the stage, he said, Screw it, lets just kick ass. And kick ass they did.
Warrel, with the exception of choosing not to sing the last verse of The Heart Collector, was on, and sounded great. Jeff was very good, though I have seen him play better. The rest of the band, as always, was excellent, especially Van Williams, who is the best drummer in the genre.
Side Note these guys should seriously consider making Curan Murphy a permanent member of the band. He has amazing stage presence, is an excellent player, and is a really cool guy (I had the chance to speak to him when they played CBGBs in December).
If I had one complaint, it would be the lack of Dreaming Neon Black material (I am dying to hear them perform the title track live). However, I understand that they are on tour to promote the new disc.
Warrel introduced Believe in Nothing as their MTV video song. He half asked the crowd if we were OK with the fact that he had written a song, that while excellent, clearly panders to an audience that Nevermore has never really sought to please.
In spite of the time, the size of the audience, and the crappy sound system, Nevermore put on an awesome show. It is a total f__king shame that a band that is as talented as Nevermore has to perform under these circumstances.
GZ
