Houston is known for scorching heat, 110% humidity, it's status as the United States' fattest city and a crime rate that rivals New York City and Los Angeles. What place else could possibly be more Metal and suitable for one of the first legs of 2007's Sounds of the Underground Tour? This year, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater hosted the tour. The venue, which is roughly larger than Philly's Trocadero (which many of you know from LAMB OF GOD's Killadelphia) provided the perfect setting for this veritable "melting pot" of metal, hardcore and punk.
The show was set to start at 2 pm, with doors at 1- but since no one in the whole of Texas seemed to be sure as to when the first band went up, I stumbled into line around 11:30. This gave me ample time to soak in the Houston atmosphere. Homeless newspaper vendors were trying to bum smokes off every passer-by, metal heads near-fainting everywhere one looked and to top it off a large bouncer named Charles was slinking up and down the line regaling us with an "I've been drug free for 20 years" speech that was a dead ringer for Chris Farley's old "trailer by the river" SNL skit. After Charles moved on, the fun really began. A group of PETA protestors moved in, sporting signs that beckoned us to "sign the fucking petition" and passing out DVD's that should have been called 'Faces of Death: Bambi Style.' And if that wasn't enough, they proceeded to fervently argue with every poor kid that happened to mention they had a burger the night before. Finally, after another hour or so of this, the line began to move. The setup was quite impressive for such a small venue. The configuration of lights, amps, P.A.'s and back-drops was comparable to that of an arena show. I shoved my way past merch tables and to the front of the crowd. I was ready for the madness to begin.
THIS IS HELL: The first band up was Long Island, NY based metal/hardcore/punk band THIS IS HELL. They started the show immediately, and from the band's first notes to their last screams, they kept the audience jumpin'. They played a short set that featured some of their hits from their recently released album, Sundowning. Their energy was fantastic- the guitarists were jumping all over the place, tearing the place up, and the vocalist threw himself into the songs completely. I'd never listened to this group before Sounds, but I was hooked- they were catchy, heavy and brutal as hell. Even the traditionally stoic bouncers at the head of the stage were nodding their heads and jammin' to the music. These guys were a great opening act, they woke the crowd up, and set the bar for the rest of the bands to follow.
GOATWHORE: When Ben, Sammy, Nathan and Zack all came on to stage, sporting their spiked gauntlets, and custom B.C. Riches, the audience became divided. The true metal heads were cheering and throwing up the horns, whilst the screamo and hardcore kids were just standing there trying to figure out who the hell these guys were. GOATWHORE began to play, and unfortunately the rift remained. They sounded fantastic, although the volume of the vocals was a bit on the soft side, Ben was as menacing and theatrical as always- it was excellent! The set continued with songs from both 'A Haunting Curse' and 'Funeral Dirge for the Rotting Sun,' but much of the crowd seemed unmoved. Finally, Ben announced the last song in GOATWHORE's set: Alchemy of the Black Sun Cult. The moment Zack came in with the first few measures of that signature riff, the entire crowd started moving. And by the time the Pantera-esque climax was reached, the entire floor was churning as everyone was moshing to the crushing sounds coming from stage. 'Alchemy' was most definitely one of the day's highlights.
HEAVYHEAVYLOWLOW: I feel the need to put a disclaimer on this section of the review: if you're a HEAVYHEAVYLOWLOW fan, skip ahead! When this band took the stage, many of us didn't know whether this group of youngsters was a comedy act or if they'd just escaped from an asylum. Their songs were original and definitely heavy, but there wasn't much past that. I had a really hard time getting past the guitarist whose instrument seemed to be roughly twice his size, which he played in tiny, red, vintage, junior-high running shorts that he proudly displayed by doing some sort of weird "ass shake" at the audience every 5 seconds. And the vocalist was a whole different matter; his lyrics were random and uninteresting at best. (I won't even go into the fact that he kept spitting up mysterious opaque, white wads of something on himself. Go and see them and you'll see what I'm referencing.) I'll admit I'm biased because I truly don't understand their sub-genre of music, so go check them out and decide for yourself- this is just one man's opinion.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: This sub-genre is another that I've never explored; honestly it's never really impressed me. That being said, I'd never heard any of this groups music before. These guys were a nice change of pace from HEAVYHEAVYLOWLOW… although their songs were so-so, they were adept at their instruments and they had incredible energy; it was hard not to tap one's foot while these guys played through their set. My final say? I wouldn't buy their album, but they put on a pretty decent live show.
DARKEST HOUR: This is a band that has consistently put out groovin', heavy records and then subsequently lived up to the stature of those albums at their shows. Sunday was no different. From their thundering entrance to their ferocious last beats, they played a consistently "thrashy" and entertaining show. The guitars were tight, the vocals were gritty and the stage-show was invigorating.
AMON AMARTH: This is one of the bands I came to Sounds specifically to see. This band of Viking metallers always plays a brutal and unparalleled show, with this performance being no exception. The moment the roadies brought AMON AMARTH's banners out onto stage, the crowd erupted with growls and screams from all over the venue. One section of the crowd started to chant "Viking hoarde" while the rest were throwing horns and fist in the air, awaiting the oncoming Nordic metal battery. The band presented an amazing stage show with their characteristic group head banging and pummeling songs. Also, their interaction with the audience was remarkable; Johann (who is by far on of the best front men in the current metal scene) gets the audience so riled up that they want to join AMON AMARTH in pillaging and burning some tiny coastal town. They played crowd favorites like 'Runes to My Memory,' 'Death in Fire' and then finished up with a captivating performance of 'Pursuit of Vikings.' My only complaint? They didn't have time to play 'An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm.'
THE ACACIA STRAIN: This hardcore/metal band played one of the most intense and vicious sets of the day. Their songs provided the background for venue-wide mosh pits and wave upon wave up jumping metal heads. The sound quality wasn't great, and ACACIA STRAIN was stuck between a rock and a hard place, playing directly after AMON AMARTH, but they managed to pull it off expertly, and with style. They kept the audience moving the entire set, and delivered hard-hitting songs one after another.
At this point in the show, my ears were ringing and my friends had discovered that bands were out in the lobby signing stuff, so I decided to the show a break for a bit. In the lobby we met up with GOATWHORE, Flattus from GWAR and the guys from CHIMAIRA and THE ACACIA STRAIN. One thing I will say about the metal community is that underneath all the black clothing and angry dispositions, we really are a pleasant, humble folk. It never ceases to amaze me how humble and personable bands are when you take a minute to stop and congratulate them on a show well done. This was especially evident when we talked briefly with Andols and Rob from CHIMAIRA and Zack, Ben and Sammy from GOATWHORE. After a few minutes more, I headed back in to catch the next few acts.
JOB FOR A COWBOY: These guys are wild live. I'd seen them once before, so I was excited to see a ferocious live show again. Unfortunately this was only partly true. The acoustics and sound quality for JOB FOR A COWBOY were not all that much better than they were back in their club days. They still put on a great performance and played some excellent tracks from both 'Genesis' and 'Doom,' but I didn't feel that the show was all that it could have been. It was also evident that Jonny was less than pleased with the audience's initial response to the first song. But as the set progressed and the audience got more and more wild, it became clear that he and the rest of the guys were thoroughly enjoying themselves. With only a few technical glitches, it was a pretty groovin' show.
SHADOW'S FALL: This band receives alot of flack for their constantly evolving sound and style, but one thing that remains true is their ability to put on a powerful and very 'metal' show. These guys are also blessed with an excellent front man. Brian Fair is superb at grabbing the audience's attention and then keeping them interested and energized throughout an entire set. Also, the light show that was intertwined with SHADOW'S FALL's performance was mesmerizing. The different patterns and effects complimented the music wonderfully and made for a very cool experience.
CHIMAIRA: This was the band many people had been waiting for. The lights dimmed, the smoke machines started and then… BAM! The first beats of 'Resurrection' blasted through the throngs of salivating fans and the lights flashed back on. Then Mark Hunter came stalking onto stage with his signature scream as the first verse of the song started. This same energy level persisted throughout their entire set. They played a classic that everyone knew the words to, 'Pure Hatred,' and then some newer songs from 'Resurrection' and their self-titled album. The crowd was so crazy they even decided to play 'Black Heart,' a first for one of their shows.
GWAR: What is there to say about these guys? Their show featured a T-Rex, gallons of blood, entrails, aliens… between the audience and the band on stage, the Amphitheater turned into a maelstrom of chaotic metal. Frenzied fans were swinging and stomping in the pit, others were just standing their ground, screaming their guts out, hoping that Oderus would spray them next. The show was insane, but a helluva good time. The only people who didn't enjoy themselves amidst the mist of pig's blood coming from the stage were the PETA protestors.
After GWAR finished, the now completely exhausted crowd began to disperse. Tired from a long day of pure, unadulterated metal… we could now all go home satisfied. I managed to squeeze out ahead of most of the concert goers, and made my way around the amphitheater to the back alley, where the buses and tour vans were parked. I was walking past one of the vans, when I saw a familiar face lugging a duffel bag towards me; it was Rick Jimenez from THIS IS HELL. I stopped and introduced myself, and was pleased to find that the menacing, angry, guitar playing fiend on stage was actually a very down-to-earth, humble fellow. We talked for a few minutes about the show before the rest of the band joined us. After a picture and a few more "congratulations'," the band piled into their van. Later on I ran into Chris from CHIMAIRA and Brent and Jonny from JOB FOR A COWBOY, all were very groovy dudes; more than willing to pose with a fan for a picture, and happy to put up with questions and comments from "one of those bastards at metal injection" (as Jonny put it.)
2007's Sounds of the Underground presents an interesting mix of genres: punk, metal, hardcore… you name it, they got it. If you're in the mood for a good time and some great hardcore and metal acts, check this tour out. With tickets at around $25, you'll get a pretty big bang for your buck. Stay metal folks!
For tour dates and info visit the Official Sounds of the Underground 2007 site
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