Nightmare Metal Fest II - Review and Pics

[SavaVIDude]

I WAS there and sober!! I would be suprised if there was much over 100 people there either night. It was disappointing. Seriously, how many real metalheads do you think chose SXSW over this?? The technical problems were much worse the first night. The very first band, a collection of incredibly talented dudes from Houston with "M" stamped on their wrists lost pretty much 3 songs in their short set. They were amazing!! The talent level at the fest was high. I REALLY enjoyed myself. I will continue to support this since I like Lance's taste in artist talent. He has a stable of really good metal talent on that label.

Six Minute Century ROCKED - especially after Don's guitar could be heard!! The new song (thanx, guys!!), I STILL can't remember the name of it, is an absolute MASTERPIECE (next CD, PLEASE!!)!! It starts with a gnarly bass solo and the intro BEGS for intense, frenetic headbanging!! Krucible NEVER fails to ROCK!! We need a CD boys!! I also thoroughly enjoyed ASKA (saw them in the 90s in Dallas), Order of Sixx (hottest chick singer ever!!) and Sacred Dawn!! These people know their metal. Would have enjoyed Witches more if a certain band member (**cough** Jackass Frost **cough**) wasn't such an asshole.

Chris

 

[Wishmaster]

I can't comment on the performances, as I wasn't in attendance. But I agree with the interviewer with regard to Aska. How this band continues to wallow in obscurity, despite releasing one of the best Power Metal discs of the past decade (Avenger), is beyond me.

Zod

These guys definitely put on one of the best performances of the weekend. Their new disc, Absolute Power, is pretty damn good. I'll hafta check out Avenger. I'd love to see these guys again.

--Mike

 

[shreddy]

I agree Mr. Portnoy I didnt really hear it either.

Well at least it wasnt the typical "oh dueling guitar / keyboard solos = Yngwie"

 

[compurocker]

Actually Ed, I started listening to MWC because of the similarities to SymX (my fave big label metal band) so I could see someone having never heard you guys before saying that. Heck I said as much to Paul at the very first MWC show I went to. The guy's still a prick for calling it derivative.

I haven't heard all the new stuff that you played there so maybe it sounds more like SymX than your first album, but I'll take your word for it over his (or even Mike LePond's, for that matter). Can't wait to hear the new stuff!

 

[DrkLrdViper666]

It may have been harsh, but at least this guy gave an honest review. I would rather read that than a ball-washing of every band.

Any vocalist who does not know the lyrics to Heaven and Hell and / or Victim of Changes deserves, in the good words of Manowar, to...........

LEAVE THE HALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heartedly & totally agree w/ you on that one bro! Two absolute METAL classics!!! I actually got into metal & hard rock through the vinyl copy of Black Sabbath's "Heaven And Hell" back in 1980! And wtff?! Not know the words & lyrics to the Priest classic "Victim Of Changes"?! My brother & I used to listen to "Unleashed In The East" on cassette religously!!! We knew the words backwards & forwards!!! Shame, Shame on y'all that didn't know it!

 

[Kong]

I was also at the show and while the turnout was low, the crowd was definately into
the festival and the each band gave 200%! SWS convention just a short drive away
had to have some effect on the festivals success.

Problems with the sound were painfully obvious as we unfortunately had to leave 6 songs
into VR set because my ears were bleeding from the absolutely horrible sound. This was also
the venues first 2 nights in operation, and except for Krucible and Seven Witches, the other
bands seemed forced to use the house soundman who just couldn't dial in the PA. It was harsh
to say the least and just goes to show that no matter how well the bands perform...they are
at the mercy of the person working FOH.....It was just terrible.

But all in all...there was some really good talent in the building for sure... and a job well done
by Lance and company.

 

[TexasBeth]

I was there both nights Chris and it was well over 100 each night. Well! Of course, we can debate those finer points all day long but without a clicker we're both wrong anyway. :zombie: DOH Given the size of the venue you'd need 400-500 to begin to feel the crowd in there. The owners tell me it holds 800+ so 250-300 *my guess at peak* is going to feel loose- plus folks on the patios and that back/side room. Again I didn't click the door, but it was well over 100.

FYI- Those dudes from Houston are Metavenge- http://www.myspace.com/metavenge I manage em so I'm biased, but they kick incredible ass, age, no age, they're a band to watch on the rise. We're finishing up our EP with Keri Kelli next week.

Band promoting aside- the fest was a success- even w/ the technical issues, own band included and they got hit pretty hard- it was still awesome- I put the mileage on my car back n forth to Houston on both days as my own proof on wanting to not miss it, and my life shit gave permission to make the trek which I merrily did.

Sound was definitely better the 2nd night. As many of yall said, you weren't there, rumor/innuendo is meant to up or down on a show and really it means zip- it'll come from all angles. The bigger question- didja have a kickass time? Did you rock it out for two days in a row>? Helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllz YEAH!

Additional thank yous to all who were so nice to me.
Of course- NOW! We move onward to Nightmare3- AT SEAAAAAA!!!!

I WAS there and sober!! I would be suprised if there was much over 100 people there either night. It was disappointing. Seriously, how many real metalheads do you think chose SXSW over this?? The technical problems were much worse the first night. The very first band, a collection of incredibly talented dudes from Houston with "M" stamped on their wrists lost pretty much 3 songs in their short set. They were amazing!! The talent level at the fest was high. I REALLY enjoyed myself. I will continue to support this since I like Lance's taste in artist talent. He has a stable of really good metal talent on that label.

Six Minute Century ROCKED - especially after Don's guitar could be heard!! The new song (thanx, guys!!), I STILL can't remember the name of it, is an absolute MASTERPIECE (next CD, PLEASE!!)!! It starts with a gnarly bass solo and the intro BEGS for intense, frenetic headbanging!! Krucible NEVER fails to ROCK!! We need a CD boys!! I also thoroughly enjoyed ASKA (saw them in the 90s in Dallas), Order of Sixx (hottest chick singer ever!!) and Sacred Dawn!! These people know their metal. Would have enjoyed Witches more if a certain band member (**cough** Jackass Frost **cough**) wasn't such an asshole.

Chris

 

[MEGALOUD]

I was also at the show and while the turnout was low, the crowd was definately into the festival and the each band gave 200%! SWS convention just a short drive away had to have some effect on the festivals success.

Problems with the sound were painfully obvious as we unfortunately had to leave 6 songs into VR set because my ears were bleeding from the absolutely horrible sound. This was also the venues first 2 nights in operation, and except for Krucible and Seven Witches, the other bands seemed forced to use the house soundman who just couldn't dial in the PA. It was harsh to say the least and just goes to show that no matter how well the bands perform...they are at the mercy of the person working FOH.....It was just terrible.

But all in all...there was some really good talent in the building for sure... and a job well done by Lance and company.

I just have to say, there was one sound man on Friday, and a different guy all Saturday, and a certain person named ...."Rick" that couldn't keep his hands off the board on Friday (continuously messing with the Martin, who was running that night, I kicked him out of the sound booth, and helped to clean up his mess. The guy was Martin's boss from the sound company and had no freaking clue when it comes to sound. VR's set sounded great if you were up close to the stage, where I and a handful of people that stayed late were, but this room had a fault, the farther back you were, the more brittle it sounded. This room, while pretty cool, really needs at least 500 people in front of the stage to help absorb the sound with the hard walls, steel ceiling and cement floor, simply put, not enough people in the room for the sound to be optimal (or they need sound dampening or carpet in the room.

On that note, the official count was just over 300 per night, about 30 more on Saturday.

Not what I was hoping for, but regardless, I had a blast, as it was clear everyone there did, I didn't hear one person complaining about any technical issues at all the entire weekend, just smiling faces, enjoying a lot of great bands, killer BBQ and lot's of beer ; )

 

[Dolamite S. Biffle]

Really 300? I guess the big room made it seem like it was less people.

 

[MEGALOUD]

lot's of places to be rather than the front of the stage in that place, and because we let people come and go, I think that has a lot to do with it.

 

[Mr. Zane of HW]

aside from tech issues, and a few miscommunications I felt it was run as well as you guys could(on your end). At least it wasn't like Powermad with the pics of old dudes of the Veterans Hall on the wall (it was hard to sing powermetal with that distraction, but small fests NEED to come back to keep this art form alive. All the bands were well worth the ticket price, not one wasted set. It was my first time in Texas, and San Antonio is a beautiful city to have a fest in.