Taste of Chaos tours can be a bit hit and miss. They can include great bands like Rise Against and Alexisonfire, or they can feature utter cack such as Thursday or Aiden. Urgh.
Thankfully, the 2009 line-up is quite possibly the best yet. A late arrival means missing Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster (a serious disappointment), but means we arrive to see Every Time I Die. Energetic and heavy, they're everything you'd imagine they would be from listening to their recordings. A good mix of the old (Ebolarama, The New Black) and the new (Wanderlust, The Marvelous Slut) means the diehards are kept happy while they probably managed to gain new fans. However (and I realise they were a support band) their slot is far too short for a band with 5 albums. (7)
In Flames surpass themselves in the lighting department again, the strobes raping the eyes of the audience until they can see no more. This is probably for the best, since they do very little moving. But musically they are solid, and despite a mediocre set list, they are very impressive. The highlights include Cloud Connected, Pinball Map and Take This Life while even tracks from the disappointing latest offering (Delight and Angers, The Mirror's Truth, Alias) sound at least listenable, possibly enjoyable. Again, the set list is far too short for a band of this stature, and a headlining tour is desperately required. (8)
What more can be said about Killswitch Engage? A large and dedicated fan base, a great new album and a foul-mouthed guitarist who dresses up in a tutu and demands to be deemed a princess. They have it all, and tonight we see it all. Opener My Curse has the goosebumps rising in anticipation, This Is Absolution has the crowd at full volume. Rose Of Sharyn and My Last Serenade are as brilliant as ever, true modern metal classics, before End Of Heartache and Holy Diver (complete with a touching dedication to the Dio, who is battling stomach cancer) bring a fantastic gig to a close. A brilliant ToC tour (organisers take note). (9)
Monday 4 January 2010
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