metal_crusaders_2006_06

» Metal Crusaders 2006 06 06

Reviewed by Michael the MettleAngel
----------------------------------------
Tourname:Metal Crusaders Tour 2006
Headliner: Vader
Special guests: Absence, Graveworm, Speed\Kill/Hate, Destruction, Kataklysm
City: Cincinnati, Ohio
Venue: Bogarts
Date: 6 June 2006
Absence setlength: 25 minutes
Graveworm setlength: 30 minutes
Speed\Kill/Hate setlength: 30 minutes
Destruction setlength: 45 minutes
Kataklysm setlength: 45 minutes
Vader: 75 minutes

*******************************************************

Absence

As many Mid-westerners of the USA feared their fate on this ominious date June 6, 2006; and as many horror fans waited in line to see the horrible remake of the classic "Omen"; my wife and I made our way to Bogarts to witness the ultimate Metal Crusaders Tour. We parked by the buses and instantly met up with Mario & Mike Longsworth from Prong who was filling in for bass for Speed\Kill/Hate, during this tour. Mario was thrilled as he had just purchased a grill for cooking out. Wendy & I spoke with him about his band; since he refused to answer any Overkill related questions. Already, we were having so much fun, that we lost sense of time. The venue was supposed to begin at 6:00, but we heard pounding noise and realized that the opening band had already hit the stage at 5:30. As we hurried to the doors, we were delayed by a deaf, beleagured beggar. Wendy knew sign language and was able to assist him as he needed bus fare; sadly my other friend had just practiced lethal munificience, and he had already given all his loose coinage to some intoxicated vagabond, minutes earlier. I had spent all our small bills on parking and could only offer the man $1, but he was pleased since Wendy took his picture with our digital camera.

Bogarts was not really on the headbanger's ball this day, and they were relatively unprepared, as they even had the band line-ups printed in incorrect order of appearance. I wrongly assumed Kataklysm was the first band to play. So we quickly made our way too the door, only to be interrogated and rifled by Bogarts protective security, just in time to hear the Absence bid farewell to their fans. Essentially, we were absent for the Absence, but they sounded good through the walls as we underwent the incurred Gestapo tactics at the door, and I wish them all the best on this tour.

(Sorry, no setlist)

-- chalices of 10

*******************************************************

Graveworm

Thankfully, we made our way to the stage in time to catch and probate Graveworm, as this is a band we had definitely planned to see. They erupted in the dust of eden, approximately 6:00 in order that the feral and sardonic, satanic vibe would still permeate the parameters as the Abigor, Stefano and his legions unleashed their hateful design. Graveworm sounded intense as heads whipped in metallic frenzy and Andreas and Sabine rolled their heads about like a windmill caught in a tournado. The opening track "I- the Machine" from their new CD "(N)utopia" initiated the scourge of malice as Graveworm mostly played new songs at a fast pace, replete which serious shredding. Stefano's shrill screams plagued and pleaded as he acted as if he had just been abandoned from Heaven; then he spewed forth and bellowed bucolic brimstone and puritannical prophecies in blood. Each song perfidiously perfomed by this band was like a thrashing threnody as the audience drowned in fear of the dark.

The eternal winds continued to blow underneath the crescent moon, when daylight's gone, as Graveworm enthralled the slaves to the grave with some older tracks from "Engraved in Black" like "Dreaming into Reality", and the brutal, yet breath taking closer "Abhorrence". Overall, some may think it's a sin when I'm chosing my metal religion; but Graveworm can sure create pandaemonium with their nocturnal hymns like a dreaming beautiful portrait of a deadly nightshade in the graveyard of fallen angels. As for Wendy & I, we can never get enough.

SETLIST:

I-the Machine
Legions Unleashed
Never Enough
Dreaming Into Reality
Hateful Design
Abhorrence

7,5 chalices of 10

*******************************************************

Speed\Kill/Hate

Next to hit the stage around 6:45 was the blistering violent breed of Speed\Kill/Hate the over killing thrash band thankfully created by Dave Linsk and friends. Mario was pumped as he prepared to face the pain and get the audience whipped into a feeding frenzy with his act of insanity. I instantly began to rage against the enemy machine, as I listened to raw riffs and captivating crunches so similar to the bay area and New Jersey sound of the 80's. As Mario meandered around the stage , I recalled having just heard several songs the night before and I began to sing a - long. Mario sings with a gruff and harsh tone; but at times he reminds me also of Tony Portaro from Whiplash. The music is so brutal yet heart-pumping as well. Dave & Mario informed me that their drummer injured his back just prior to the tour, and that Jim was able to fill in with very little notice. Jim's drumming sounded awesome to me as he easily kept up with the Paul Bostoph and Dave Lombardo inspired bellicose beats. Apparently, Tony Ochoa is the drummer to whom Dave & Mario were referring; which makes sense to me as he was in Sindrome, and this band definitely echoes their sound from the vault of inner conscience. Mike Longsworth from Prong pleased everyone with his bass sick riffs and his modicum, but definitely never mollycoddle mohawk.

Then the speed subsided as Mario checked the time and realized the band still had 7 minutes to kill before the final track "Walls of Hate". So he interacted with the audience telling jokes in an Andrew "Dice" Clay fashion, and informing everyone how much fun they were having with all the bands on this tour Then he coaxed David into some impromptu and impressive shredding and blistering burning, beginning with some Yngwie Malmsteen musings, then rolicking Randy Rhoades riffage, some Dimebag Darrel dalliance, followed by Eddie Van Halen's eruption and finishing just south of heaven with some Slaying slattern which slashed and gashed, setting me off as I gazed in metallic avidity and lust. Mario never assured us that we won't see fear, which was the case as a pernicious pit erupted during their last song, and as this was just not for me, I quickly decided to move the wife to safety and protect our expensive digital camera; since she was taking all the pictures this night.

SETLIST:

Face The Pain
Not For Me
Repent
Violent Breeds
Won't See Fear
Walls Of Hate

8 chalices of 10

*******************************************************

Destruction

Now was the moment I had waited my whole life for...the metal discharge from the invincible force of destructon. After Speed\Kill/Hate exited, the stage was widened and the audience began to enclose the barrier, eager to see the band which most had travelled many miles to witness. Ultimately , the final curtain falls, and the alliance of hellhoundz - Mike Sifringer, Marc Reign & Schmier began blasting the "Soul Collector" from their latest release. As the crowd crushed my back, Schmier announced the next track appropriate to this ominous day's morbid sign of fear - "Nailed to the Cross". The savage symphony of terror incited the throng to thrash as they echoed the expletives "Nailed to the F-ing Cross!". Marc pounded the drums with strangulated pride as the opening riffs to the "Mad Butcher" could now be heard. I knew this was going to be a night of the old school skirmish, from these dictators of cruelty, so I mimicked and mouthed every word with extreme measures that echoed from the godfather of slander. Next up was "Thrash Till Death" also from "The Anti-Christ" CD, complete with it's Exodus & Kreator references...

As the dictators of cruelty assured that all hell breaks loose, and I suffer from whiplash, the thrash attack pronounced the ritual with an awesome medley, mostly culled from my favorite Destruction album - "Release from Agony". As I screamed out, "Curse the Gods!", Schmier proclaimed the next track as one which deals with fanatics and all the eternal devastation which they have caused. You guessed it! "Curse the Gods"! Now, I was no longer living life without sense! I was ready to reject emotions of the damned, instantly overcoming the feeling of being incriminated with no forgiveness, surely to survive to die at the last judgement and rebuke satan's vengeance with infernal overkill. "Total Desaster" followed, then Schmier led us into our oppression with his "Bestail Invasion", where Jesus Christ exists no longer...The set ended with the ripping & rapacious "The Butcher Strikes Back" as Schmier & Mike poised and postured like the German Gods of Teutonic Steel. Then just as the crowd united by hatred in an eternal ban pleaded for more metal, Schmier and his Devil soldiers bowed and geniunely reflected, then they absconded. All the faces, all the voices seem to fade in the crowd, leaving my confused mind mulling over the set-list and my unconscious ruins wishing they had played "Black Death".

SETLIST:

Soul Collector
Nailed To The Cross
Mad Butcher
Thrash Till Death
Medley: Antichrist/Release From Agony/ Unconscious Ruins
Metal Discharge
Curse The Gods
Total Desaster
Bestial Invasion
The Butcher Strikes Back

9,5 chalices of 10

*******************************************************

Kataklysm

In the words of desperation; since I spent my time interviewing David Linsk & Gravewowm while Kataklysm crushed, I totally missed their set; and therefore, I can make no comments. The crowd did seem impressed with their performance, and several guys were adorned with these Canadian's crippled and broken guise.

(Sorry, no setlist)

-- chalices of 10

*******************************************************

Vader

Next up was was overlorde Vader from Poland. The death metal crucified ones who have lead us into war for over 20 years. As the lights dimmed, the litany and litugy commenced with the crowd chanting "666" over and over. Then the unholy father Piotr proceeded to pummel out two tenebrous tracks from their brutal EP - "The Art of War". Next it was a return to the decadence of the darkest age with "Sothis" and "Silent Empire". A huge pit erupted as mindless metal maniacs and insanity's carnal creatures kept conjuring the ultimate incantation as a testimony to the final massacre. The vicious circle of chaos continued to bleed as the "Blood of Kingu" was spilt. Then fan favorite "Black to the Blind" ensured that Sin City's schizoids were heading for internal darkness as Piotr read the passage of true names and epitaph of the dethroned emperor. Vader's dark theology thus became explained in light and contrast, and we could feel our bodies' denial with servile renouncement.

Our minds and souls now gnostically intoxicated with the embodiment of the divine. Vision and the voice vehemently vociferated from out of the deep as Vader vitiated and vituperated their dark transmissions. Novy nailed each beast-like bass blast as Darek dared to drum faster than any other skinsman I've seen live. With death in silence, just like an apopheniac with an apothegm, Piotr preached and summoned the fierce firebringer with the whisper of revelations and breath of centuries to rain hail fire and fury over the horde of cold demon devotee's, now reborn in flames. Then Vader spread their dark wings and hammered out their slaying encore - "Reign in Blood", thus proving that the Polish punishment to our purlieus purpose was truly de profundis et nunc pusillanimous!

SETLIST (courtesy of Sabine from Graveworm):

This Is The War
Lead Us!
Sothis
Silent Empire
Blood Of Kingu
Black To The Blind
Epitaph
Crucified Ones
Out Of The Deep
Dark Transmissions
Dark Age
Wings
Xeper
Carnal
Reign In Blood

7,5 chalices of 10

*******************************************************