Overkill at ProgPower?

[AngraRULES]

Here's something else I have to say... A few years ago, a lot of people bitched and whined about Nevermore being announced as a headliner, and their sound not fitting the fest, blah blah blah... Nevermore is much more of a headliner for ProgPower USA (if we look at the genre) than Overkill will ever be.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

I have always considered Nevermore ProgPower, Heavy but still ProgPower, much in the same way as Mercenary. However I have seen Nevermore twice and while it was good, their performance was not, lets say PPUSA headliner quality.

 

[johan68]

IMO, Amorphis was one of the best-ever choices for a PP headliner.

THIS x 2

Excellent choice for a headliner.

 

[mel_progson]

Damn Nevermore live are copping a pasting on this forum lately. I've seen them 4 times and they've slayed everytime. I saw them twice on the Dreaming Neon Black tour and twice on the Godless Endeavour tour. I really don't get the hate.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

I am not saying a hated Nevermore live, it was a good set both time, not great, but it was good. I mean I would not turn down i chance to see them.

 

[Rick Pierpont]

I saw Overkill back in the 80s for the Feel the Fire tour as well as about 2 years ago. They used to be one of my favorites, but I grew out of that style. I still had a great time and they were good, but I really don't think they would add anything to the festival. Of course they still have their fans, but they really don't draw that much. Maybe 100 people - at best - showed up at the show we saw in Baltimore. I'm not trying to put them down or anything, just trying to keep it real. Unfortunately, nostalgia isn't always enough to put butts in seats. While there would be people that would be excited about Overkill, they would not draw that much. As far as Amorphis, I personally am not a fan, but they are current and draw people. I'm also not saying that classic bands don't sell anymore, it just has to be the bigger ones. Overkill is not one of them.

 

[General Zod]

However I have seen Nevermore twice and while it was good, their performance was not, lets say PPUSA headliner quality.

Agreed. Their performances are definitely not ProgPower headliner quality. Nevermore is clearly better than any headliner ProgPower has ever had.

 

[Corsair]

they just don't wank off to Dream Theater.

And thank Jah for that. Too many DT-come-lately's in the progressive world. It's annoying.

 

[nomisofsiman]

Come on, they played a lot of non-death songs.

I'm with you. I'm confused in terms of people that are complaining about that. Yeah, they played some songs with harsh vocals, but how they are now, they typically play MANY MORE songs with clean vocals than harsh. I thought they did a great job. My only complaint about them really, is I felt length-wise they were a bit on the short side of things.

 

[nomisofsiman]

I saw Overkill back in the 80s for the Feel the Fire tour as well as about 2 years ago. They used to be one of my favorites, but I grew out of that style. I still had a great time and they were good, but I really don't think they would add anything to the festival. Of course they still have their fans, but they really don't draw that much. Maybe 100 people - at best - showed up at the show we saw in Baltimore. I'm not trying to put them down or anything, just trying to keep it real. Unfortunately, nostalgia isn't always enough to put butts in seats. While there would be people that would be excited about Overkill, they would not draw that much. As far as Amorphis, I personally am not a fan, but they are current and draw people. I'm also not saying that classic bands don't sell anymore, it just has to be the bigger ones. Overkill is not one of them.

I don't know too much about them, but I could see where you were coming from two years ago. I have to ask though, have you listened to the new disc? They definitely have won back old fans and have gained new fans due to the new disc which is stellar. In fact, in my opinion it's going to be VERY hard to top it as far as best album of the year. Bottom line, at this point they are much more than a nostalgia band. With that being said, I'm sticking with my opinion that they aren't right for the fest.

 

[Corsair]

I'm with you. I'm confused in terms of people that are complaining about that. Yeah, they played some songs with harsh vocals, but how they are now, they typically play MANY MORE songs with clean vocals than harsh. I thought they did a great job. My only complaint about them really, is I felt length-wise they were a bit on the short side of things.

To some people, any harsh vocals is too much harsh vocals.
Which I find a rather silly sentiment, but whatever.

 

[nomisofsiman]

To some people, any harsh vocals is too much harsh vocals.
Which I find a rather silly sentiment, but whatever.

True. I used to be one of those people, but I have an open mind about that nowadays. I still prefer singing but there are times where harsh vocals fit.

 

[Pellaz]

I'm with you. I'm confused in terms of people that are complaining about that. Yeah, they played some songs with harsh vocals, but how they are now, they typically play MANY MORE songs with clean vocals than harsh. I thought they did a great job. My only complaint about them really, is I felt length-wise they were a bit on the short side of things.

And they very deliberately chose a setlist with at least one song from every album, in most cases two songs. (The setlist on the stage was marked with the albums for each song.) Amorphis fans will note that they have a few albums without any growls at all, so their set was far from all growls.

Regarding Overkill....I'm not sure how much of a draw they would be for PP, but that new album is quite good. First track on it is loong, and has quite a few tempo changes. Almost, dare I say it, progressive.

 

[General Zod]

To some people, any harsh vocals is too much harsh vocals. Which I find a rather silly sentiment, but whatever.

I wouldn't say it's silly, but I would say it's a shame. There's a lot of great music being created these days using harsh vocals. As a matter of fact, with regard to actual creativity, genre bending, pushing limits, etc., almost all of that is coming from bands leveraging at least some harsh vocals. It's very rare to find a band, using completely clean vocals, that's doing anything fresh.

Regarding Overkill....I'm not sure how much of a draw they would be for PP

Do you mean how many ProgPower fans they'd draw or how many people they'd draw? I'm not sure how they draw down south, but up here they outdraw almost every ProgPower band.

By the way, I'd love to see Overkill at ProgPower.

 

[dcowboys311]

I wouldn't say it's silly, but I would say it's a shame. There's a lot of great music being created these days using harsh vocals. As a matter of fact, with regard to actual creativity, genre bending, pushing limits, etc., almost all of that is coming from bands leveraging at least some harsh vocals. It's very rare to find a band, using completely clean vocals, that's doing anything fresh.

Do you mean how many ProgPower fans they'd draw or how many people they'd draw? I'm not sure how they draw down south, but up here they outdraw almost every ProgPower band.

By the way, I'd love to see Overkill at ProgPower.

I'd say that, at least in Atlanta, they'd outdraw most ProgPower bands too. Probably has something to do with the fact that their upcoming show in November is the band's first time in Atlanta in about 15 years, though.

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

Regarding Overkill....I'm not sure how much of a draw they would be for PP, but that new album is quite good. First track on it is loong, and has quite a few tempo changes. Almost, dare I say it, progressive.

It was things like this on there new album that made me start thinking about this.

 

[Creeps]

Agreed. Their performances are definitely not ProgPower headliner quality. Nevermore is clearly better than any headliner ProgPower has ever had.

 

[Pellaz]

Do you mean how many ProgPower fans they'd draw or how many people they'd draw? I'm not sure how they draw down south, but up here they outdraw almost every ProgPower band.

It's hard to say. They've drawn pretty well here, but there was at least one show that drew less than 50 (for locals, it was at The Point).
The question becomes: would an Overkill fan who isn't otherwise interested in PP's band lineup pay $120 for a chance to see them?

 

[RagePSV]

It's hard to say. They've drawn pretty well here, but there was at least one show that drew less than 50 (for locals, it was at The Point).
The question becomes: would an Overkill fan who isn't otherwise interested in PP's band lineup pay $120 for a chance to see them?

This is one my most memorable shows ever.

 

[AngraRULES]

The question becomes: would an Overkill fan who isn't otherwise interested in PP's band lineup pay $120 for a chance to see them?

The answer to this question is as simple as bread and butter: Never.