Black Dahlia Murder @ Ram's Head Live - 4/17/2012

Milla and I went to see The Black Dahlia Murder (and met John and Kate) at Ram's Head Live. The crowd was pretty good, but not so many people as to have the balcony opened, apparently.  John and Kate said the opening band was pretty good. I didn't look into them.

We left late and got there right as Skeletonwitch was starting. We missed a couple songs. They sounded a bit clearer this time, I thought, as I was actually able to make out what the vocalist was saying (well in between songs anyways). They were still a little muddy, but overall better than last time. I thought it was funny that the vocalist had a spike bracer on one arm, and one of the guitarists had a spike bracer on his *other* arm. Like they could not afford another set of bracers :3

Nile, whom I was rather interested in hearing/seeing, but curious as to how the extremely heavy sound they have (and somewhat slower pace as well) would translate from album to live. They were VERY heavy (good), and the guitar work was pretty sweet. However, during a couple songs, the slower paced ones, it made me feel sluggish or sleepy :/  I think I'd see them again. Would need to prepare myself for a longer, headlining set. The vocals were a bit muffled, but the drums that sounded like thunder and guitar were rather clear and damngood. Their more Egyptian sounding songs were the highlights of their sets. You really don't hear stuff like that. The crowd was more into Nile than Skeletonwitch.

Finally, The Black Dahlia Murder came on and people were rather responsive to their brand of madman metal. (metalcore? extreme black metal w/ something else? I dunno what one calls it) Their vocals were a mess sometimes and I thought their guitars needed to be turned up a bit more (so we could hear the dual leads), but the double bass blasts were perfect. Overall, thy were very tight and def seemed worthy of being the headliner. Could have used a bit more theatrics maybe.

The crowd was way rowdy by the time BDM came on, so that was a bit of a hassle- a few people were a bit lousy with their pit etiquette and having some sort of grudes/vendettas going on. I do NOT need that drama... One guy kept on trying to knock down this one rather strong fellow. He fell down/got knocked down about 12 or so times. A bigger guy in a Steelers Jersey was very annoying too, because with a guy that big there is nothing I can do but go along with the flow. He got taken down more than a few times. I saw him with ice at one point. He seemed to be an instigator.

 Got a bit bumped around, as we were on the edge of the pit (like always it seems). An elbow to the stomach, almost fell over twice (but I grabbed onto the perpetrator and righted myself).  I enjoyed their songs, but I think I was expecting a bit cleaner sound from them for some reason.

Merch was mostly meh. BDM had a shirt with an ape on it, but it was a bit too sporty for me. Skeletonwitch had a simple shirt w/ logo...that was 10 bucks. SO I was first in line at the merch booth and snagged that shirt and a couple photos with the vocalist. Sweet. Saw that guy Scott at this show too. Didn't talk with him.  


(I assume setlist of BDM is accurate, cause I only recalled a few songs by name)

Setlists

Skeletonwitch

Erased and Forgotten
Submit to the Suffering  (we got in as this one was playing)
Reduced to the Failure of Prayer
The Horrifying Force (The Desire to Kill)
Beyond the Permafrost
Of Ash and Torment
Crushed Beyond Dust
Shredding Sacred Flesh
Within My Blood

Nile

Kafir!
Sacrifice Unto Sebek
Hittite Dung Incantation
Ithyphallic
Sarcophagus
Permitting the Noble Dead to Descend to the Underworld
Lashed to the Slave Stick
Black Seeds of Vengeance

The Black Dahlia Murder

A Shrine to Madness
Moonlight Equilibrium
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
A Vulgar Picture
Malenchantments of the Necrosphere
Conspiring With the Damned
Necropolis
Den of the Picquerist
Carbonized in Cruciform
Everything Went Black
Miasma
On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood
I Will Return
Blood in the Ink
Deathmask Divine
Funeral Thirst

A Sound of Thunder @ Empire, March 31,2012

Went Jaxxpire to see local band A Sound of Thunder's (ASOT) album release party for their new album. Went with John and we got there a bit early (they threw in another band that I didn't know about, so my time estimates were thrown off). Saw some people there who went to PAGANFEST this past Thursday as well. Overall there were about 50 or so people there (about as much as Anvil's crowd...maybe more).


We heard the last 2 songs of Death Penalty's set- Josh (of ASOT) was playing guitar for them- maybe he is in that band too? Their guitar work was good and I could not dislike their cover of Paranoid.


A Cab Ride Home came on next and I was a bit underwhelmed. They did not seem to have the vocalist that they had last time, and he was underage. This part was hilarious cause he was shouting about drinking beer and holding one up during a song or 2... and he clearly had an 'X' on his hand (and had no wristband allowing drinks). They were not great- some decent guitar work, but the vocals were bad IMO. They did an OK cover of "Episode 666," citing the reason "Because In Flames won't play it anymore." Hilarious. They had a small crowd (10-15 people) on the rail moving decently. On their last song, about half their audience was invited on stage.

I got some CDs and a photo with ASOT at about this time. Josh recognized me  (and my Rainbow shirt), so that was fun. They had a lot more merch this time (or it was displayed better?)- shirts, CDs, patches, etc.

Chopper Trike Rebels had a lot of Motorhead imagery (Motorhead-skull looking thing, inside a spade shape...), but sounded more like...Damageplan...of all bands. Some OK guitar work, but rather generic rumbling sound throughout. :/  There was not much of a crowd on the rail (maybe 6 people?) during their set...



 FINALLY ASOT came on around 10:45 (a little bit late) and they sounded very good as the other times I've seen them. They played a lot of new stuff (to promote their new album, of course!), and I really have no complaints except that Nina (singer) needs to have some sort of different mixing on her vocals to make it crisper. The power is there and she has no trouble with being on key or anything like that- just would be nice (for me) to hear some crisper words. Josh shredded thru the whole set. The other guys sounded good too- solid rhythm section indeed. 

photos forthcoming

SetLists

Death Penalty
Paranoid (Black Sabbath cover)

A Cab Ride Home 
Sobriecide
Episode 666 (in Flames cover)
One Last Liver

Chopper Trike Rebels
Last Rites
Mirror

A Sound of Thunder
Tubular bells intro
Queen of Hell
Fight until the End
The Night Witch
Out of the Darkness
Guitar Solo (w/ Balls to walls , The Sentinel, 2 minutes to midnight...more)
The Day I Die
Calat Alhambra
Drum solo (DAMMIT...)
Kill That Bitch
Discovery
Murderous Horde
A Sound of Thunder
Blood Vomit