When i started this posting it was gonna be just some thoughts about the sheer awesome ness of CRIMSON GLORY, but then I thought I might as well do a review of the Pathfinder Metal Fest II while it was still fresh in my mind. I'm not a professional reviewer like BW&BK's Mark Gromen or my friend Kit Ekman, so this is a fan review with some in-jokes to the artists that a casual reader may not be privvy to but you'll know what I mean.
I never had the opportunity to see CRIMSON GLOTY in action while Midnight was still with us but without a doubt, from having played their materials on air during my Farvahar Metal Overdrive on Metal Messiah Radio and just being a fan of admitedly the T.R.A.N.S.C.E.N.D.E.N.C.E album for the most part during my 26 years of being a Metalhead, Todd La Torre channeled Midnight as well as ANYBODY could expect to play an absoloutely remarkable show as the headliner of Pathfinder Metal Fest II. It was SUCH a treat to actually be there and see with my own eyes LADY OF WINTER and THE MASQUE OF RED DEATH being played Live. Thank you so much Hoyt for bringing us this opportunity of a lifetime. At least now I can say I saw Crimson Glory once before I die!!!
Now with that said, The incredible Friday night's performances of Switzerland's NEVERLAND and the absoloutely Awesome Circle II Circle set, the one set that I totally enjoyed was by far North Carolina's WIDOW or as they call themselves WINDOW or WEIRDOW, lmao! Twin guitar Melodic Metal with an energetic stage presence and hair flailing everywhere plus fast paced European Power metal style enhanced with guitar harmonies mostly composed by my good friend Chris (Christof) Bennett, WIDOW plays Melodic Metal here in the US just the way I like my European Power metal to sound like
\mm/!!! Fast and mid-tempo Metal with John Wooten's clear vocals and Chris' sporadic harsh vocals to generate interest or accentuate various lyrics during the songs is what these guys do best, and last night they also had their original bass player, Josh Pantke with them who plays a mean bass and was totally enjoying himself to be back with his old crew! Incidentally, everybody should check out their "Pleasure Of Exorcism" video on their myspace site in which Josh looks like he's "all business"! But don't be fooled! He had a big smile on his face during the Pathfinder Metal Fest II last night and I'm glad I got the chance to meet him. I highly recommend anyone not familiar with WIDOW, check this video out because I tell you, it's freakin' infectious. I must have seen it at least 50 times and I just became a fan of this band earlier this year! Peter Lemieux's drumming is definitely a big component to the WIDOW sound and I think it's pretty fortunate for WIDOW that compared to the rest of them, he is kid, ha ha ha! This guy is a Thunderball in the shape of a twenty something year old behind the drum set and he also provides backing vocals while he is punishing the skins! I believe Peter could paly for most any European Power / Speed Metal band he wants and WIDOW is fortunate to have him although I have heard he does play in another band back in North Carolina, one being VIPER in which he is Sir Peter Lemieux "The Guardian"! WIDOW played during the Warriors Of Metal Fest III Open Air in Chillicothe, OH which is the Metal Fest that my producing partner, Ryan Carroll and I put together every June. This year, with our incredible line-up we had people who did not make it to the show whom we were counting on to help so I was "working" during the two long hot days and was on the verge of passing out most of the time so I did not really get to enjoy WIDOW's set! Additionally, these guys were the first band that voluntarily cut their set from their alloted 40 minutes to just 25 minutes after our program was delayed by a thunder cloud spewing lightning bolts to the ground just a mile off from the stage, so to make up for the 1 hour that we lost, WIDOW set the selfless precedent of cutting their set short so we could get ASKA and CAGE on stage faster! Therefore, It was such a treat to watch them perform a full set of their KICKASS materials and to afford me the opportunity to enjoy them fully as I could not in June. Thanks for the shoutout from the stage Chris \m/! Serriously, these guys are the sweetest, most METAL people I know, right up there with the Thrash metal diehards of Seatle's SKELATOR! I'll be looking forward to WIDOW's next album's release in February and to once again host them at the Warriors Of Metal Fest IV Open Air in June of 2011.
Void Of Reason was entertaining as ever although Dan was not playing the keyboard on stage this year as he did at Last year's Pathfinder Metal Fest. But I love the new stuff and I have been playing them on my radio show to promote this event. Thanks Rob for getting everybody's autographs for me on your new CD and I will play RACER X whenever you tune in to my radio show man! I bet hearing VOR played on internet radio in Korea was a surreal experience but I'll take your song requests for my show any time man! You wanna hear some MinstreliX next time
! I also hope you like the GALLOWS END album. The guys in Sweden were actually playing a gig right when you were tearing it up at The Local, so I thought it was rather fitting that your new band discovery on my radio show was doing exactly what YOU were doing on the same night in Europe!!! I also think Alex Foretich is a great addition to Void Of Reason because he brings his youthful exhuberance to a band consisting of (relatively speaking) Old Men
! Ha ha ha ha ha, look who's talking right? Good for you Alex but by Metal Gods, I DO wanna see some shredding for the next album, VOR has no excuse now! Rob, try to keep up
!!!!!
Theocracy was as entertaining as ever. Last I saw them was at the Nightmare Metal Fest II (2009) in San Antonio and that is when I was blown away by them, bought their CD and had the guys autograph it for me and I have been playing their stuff during my radio show ever since. Anytime I wanna kick some ass on the air, I play LAYING THE DEMONS TO REST and whether the online audience is from Sweden, UK, Australia, Japan or elsewhere in the world, they all say they have not heard a more Awesome Metal song anywhere and that Theocracy totally rules...followed by a bunch of headbanging emoticons. I really enjoyed the new song by the way so for God's sake stop torturing us and put out the next album
!!!!!!
I briefly caught Merzah whom I was told many a good thing about by Hoyt. He has told me many times how this band is super appreciative of being showcased in Georgia since like WIDOW, they are from North Carolina! Technical guitars, progressively innovative song arrangements and a mix of harsh and clean vocals are the stock in trade for this band and I got the opportunity to listen to a sample song of theirs whom they admitted to being their shortest one at 8:49 minutes, lmao! SATURN DREAMING OF MERCURY wa the song they submitted to the Pathfinder Metal Fest II Compilation CD that I put together for Hoyt and that was the very first song they played during their set, kicking off the Saturday show of Pathfinder Metal Fest II! My wife told me how the vocalist has such a nice voice during the clean vocals segments of the songs and I agree. I'm personally not a fan of harsh vocals but I think Hoyt's comparison of Merzah to Belgium's OCEANS OF SADNESS that I discovered at ProgPower XI this year was fairly accurate. Guys, I'd take that as a big compliment since I made a point of letting that band know that I would describe them as the Belgian version of KAMELOT, if Roy would do harsh vocals. So keep at it and take your Progressive Power Metal to new heights \m/
Tetrarch was a pleasant surprise for me! I have to admit I have NEVER seen an African American girl play guitar in a Thrash Metal band, let alone one playing lead guitar and dishing out solos! I was really impressed. After they were done, I was talking to BW&BK's Mark Gromen and he was pretty impressed too. He said he has not seen an African American girl playing guitar in a Thrash Metal band either or at least he had not seen one in a LONG TIME!!! Needless to say, Mark's been around longer than I have so the depth of his experiences in the Metal world is way way past mine. Anyway, I was totally digging the synchronized headbanging by her and their vocalist who also played guitar and their bass player in an Anthraz shirt. Oh yeah, these guys had their shit together pretty tight! A lot of bands of their kind either turn their backs to the audience and play facing the drummer as if they are in their rehearsal space, or just stay in one spot and not move around and so make the performance really boring. I know when they did turn their backs to us they were tuning their guitars but none of them stayed in one spot for more than 30 seconds to a minute at the most. They were constantly moving around and switching positions which one may not think would be necessarily that exciting but believe me, it actually does look more energetic than most. I would recommend taking notes on the performances of bands like WIDOW or last year's default Friday night headliner ZEPHANIAH. Their two guitarists get into a close formation and with one in front of the other, enhance their performance. Now if these guys can work on playing more overhand or even playing eachothers' guitars every once in a while, I think that would create a lot of visual interest for the audience! Speaking as a fan I can tell you that I like it when these Thrash Metallers or Speed Metallers show off their guitar playing skills, so please go ahead and show us your chops
! Oh and I cannot forget the freakin AWESOME drumming in Tetrarch. This guy can pound some skin man! Now listen to the DEATHALIZER track (Rise) on the Pathfinder Metal Fest II Compilation CD and notice the drumming there! I like Tetrarch's song "DISCIPLES OF SORROW" a lot. It quickly became one of my favorites among the submitted songs for the compilation but if in the future you guys can incorporate some progressive drumming into your songs as well, I think it would be killer! Just a little unsolicited suggestion, otherwise, I thought Tetrarch's set was highly energetic and with good vocals, visually interesting performances by the guitar players and damned good rhythm section. I look forward to their EP in December! Keep up the good work guys! Thrash Till Death \m/
I didn't know what to expect from THE SHIELD. They didn't get to submit a song for the compilation CD, so I didn't know what they sounded like. I did find out after they started that Nathan Smith whom I had gotten to know as one of the duo of guitarists (along with Alex Foretich) for Last year's ETERNAL HOUR, was singing for THE SHIELD and curiously enough, NOT playing guitar! Nathan and Alex were such a pair of shredders last year that the ZEPHANIAH shredders Justin Zych and Tyson Miller were really impressed with them and I can tell you that with Justin and Tyson's abilities, when THEY get impressed, that means you have something special! Yeah so I clicked away on my camera watching these guys play with Eternal Hour last year but now Alex is in VOR and Nathan is playing Air Guitar and singing for THE SHIELD! Serriously? Come On Nathan! You guys could have a MAIDEN-like guitar complement! Think a 3 guitar combo and three part harmonies for your songs! Wouldn't that be killer? I know you want to sing more but like ASKA's George Call, you can do both just fine! That's what I would really like to see especially since you do have the ability on the guitar. Now as far as singing is concerned, I do have to say that it needs work. Hoyt tells me that Nathan is a good dinger but on Friday night, I did not get that impression. Maybe it's just me but I felt for at least some of the songs he was out of tune. Now, granted, he has only been singing with THE SHIELD for 2 weeks which really is not long enough time to get to know the band you're singing for but I think with more work combined with voice lessons and proper breathing exercises, Nathan could get there...in time. Just like anything else, practice makes perfect. THE SHIELD finished their set with a cover of IRON MAIDEN's "Aces High" and on this song you could tell these guys were having a lot of fun and I have to admit Nathan sounded better trying to imitate Bruce! Lots of singing in the shower? Hey, believe me, If I could, I'd do it too.....but for your sake not in public! You don't wanna see an old fart like me singing Metal! That'll be the one horror you'll take to your grave, lmao
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Hoyt introduced Switzerland's NEVERLAND to me when he sent me their promovideo and within 30 seconds I knew this was a quality Progressive Power Metal band and got ever more excited about the Friday night show. When we arrived at the venue, I was asking a bunch of guys sitting at around where we wanted to set up our merch, whether they know if there are any plugs or outlets in that area and all I got were quizical stares!!!! So I asked again, and I got the same reaction! So a RUSH HOUR line is running through my head when Chris Rock is yelling at Jackie Chan: "DO YOU, UNDERSTAND THE WORDS, THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH?" Oh well, I'll ask the sound guy! I turn around and I hear something that sounds like German, so I turn around and ask one of them (vocalist Adrian Leu) "are you the guys from Switzerland?" Oh Yes, yes, you know of us? Ha ha ha ha, that's why they were not understanding me
! These guys were awesome! Adrian has a hell of a voice and a good stage presence, crouching and getting at the eye level with the audience and the guitar shredding? OH MY GOD! This was a great preview of what was yet to come courtesy of CIIC's Andy Lee. Now I have to admit all the guys' names are a jumble in my head right now but I asked the vocalist his name so that I can keep in touch with him on Facebook because based on what we saw of NEVERLAND, we definitely wanna see them again. Quality Progressive Power Metal at its best, and I dare say, if Glenn would forgive me, a ProgPower performance to go along with the great music. Will we be able to bring them for Warriors Of Metal Fest IV Open Air? I sure hope so! I know Lea really liked them based on her Facebook posting and I did too! I filmed these guys, so I'll be watching them more when I get home. Their tour manager was gaving out their 3 song Demos so Hoyt advised that I get one, which I did and as impressed as i was with them, I had them autograph it for me too and took my picture with the band outside the venue at the Sidelines Bar & Grille. I wish them well on their tour and thank Hoyt for adding them to his Friday line-up. These guys kicked ass! Dankeschoen Leute!
I have been a long time SAVATAGE fan and after that, a CIRCLE II CIRCLE fan because I love Zak's voice. So throughout the years I've seen opportunities come and go, one album after another not ever being able to see a SAVATAGE or CIRCLE II CIRCLE perform but thanks to Hoyt, this year, that streak came to an end! I was finally going to see CIRCLE II CIRCLE at Pathfinder Metal Fest! WOOOO HOOOOO
! I got "Consequence Of Power" from their drummer Johnny Osborne after we became Facebook friends and I used that song for the Fest's compilation CD! Classic C II C, like their single "Forever" from their 4th album. That got me even more excited about the show while I was at home in Ohio. Preparing for the show, I decided to film it because I have no idea when I may be able to see these guys live again and I sure am glad I did because all the incredible shredding footage alone would make these recordings visitable again and again! The CIIC songs were great and I dare say, for not having been able to ever see SAVATAGE, those numbers were a realt treat for me. Zak was awesome behind the mic, as ever, and the bass parts were great as well once a slight technical difficulty in the begining of their set was resolved. I pay attention to drummers and Johnny, whose been my contact with the band was a treat to watch! That dude is an animal behind the drums, pounding them with a vengence, hair flying everywhere! So nat fair man, next time you get a hair cut send the extras to this bald Metalhead
! Of course one of the highlights of the performance was the drum solo for which Zak got behind the drums while Johnny was still pounding on one! Hmm! I didn't know Zak played drums! This is probably comon knowledge to everybody else but I claim ignorance on a number of things....this being one. But of course, it was very interesting for me
! A cover song (which I don't remember the name of right now, I'm sorry
! ) with Zak behind the drums and with Paul Stewart providing the vocals while Andy Lee continued the shredfest afforded their Johnny a good break. Now I have to admit my mind so numb right now on Sunday morning that I don't remember how CIRCLE II CIRCLE's set ended on Friday night but then that's why I filmed it, right? This was a great experience and I thank all the guys from CIIC, especially Zak since he not only autographed all my CIIC CDs but also autographed almost my entire SAVATAGE CD cover collection, SAVATAGE's Steve "Dr. Killdrums" Wacholz for doing the same, and everybody from CRIMSON GOLRY for generously signing everything I threw at them and taking pictures with all the artists and everything else. You guys treat us fans right and you'll have our eternal loyalty. Thank you so very much and many many thanks to my good friend and mentor, Hoyt Parris for once again putting on a TOTALLY AWESOME METAL FEST and a great experience. My wife, Lea and I are very proud of being part of this event and we shall continue to do so because in our eyes, HOYT CAN DO NO WRONG! Everybody knows that. What a Class Act
!!!
