| Hypocrisy, Soilwork, Scar Culture, and Single Bullet Theory |
| Written by Chris Slack |
| Sunday, 27 July 2008 10:14 |
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Hypocrisy, Soilwork, Scar Culture, and Single Bullet Theory I got to this show a couple hours early to ensure I could get my press credentials arranged and schedule an interview with Peter. The people from EMP were very helpful and didn't give me any shit, which is something I was worried about after a bad experience there at the Public Enemy show last year. Once that was out of the way I headed off for a few games of air hockey with my brother. The Sky Church room at the Experience Music Project is probably the best of the smaller venues in Seattle, with a big stage, cool lighting, an awesome sound system, and a neat projector that displays various patterns (fire, water, etc.) behind the band. It's nowhere near as hot as other venues which is a big plus in my book.
Partial set list:(corrections welcome) All in all this was an incredible show though I could have done without the playfulness and pranks. Soilwork definitely ruled the night although Hypocrisy came very close. I really want to see Hypocrisy again, though next time I hope to catch them midway through the tour so they can be a bit more serious. Rating: 10 /10 |
I got back to the venue shortly before the show started. The first band to hit the stage was Philadelphia's Single Bullet Theory. Their music sort of reminded me of a much less technical Nevermore, with some death vocals and rapping mixed in with clean vocals. Single Bullet Theory was pretty good at what they did but to be honest I wasn't very impressed. The "jump, jump" beat of some of their material really made them seem out of place opening for a group like Hypocrisy. The typically hard to please Seattle audience wasn't very impressed either, especially when they did the song with rap-style vocals. I have to give them credit for mentioning Seattle death metal band Myiasis, that was a pretty cool thing to do.
After Single Bullet Theory was done I was sort of dreading the next band, New York City's Scar Culture, as I had never heard them before and expected some sort of "nu-metal" hogwash. Fortunately I was all wrong! These guys sort of reminded me of Pissing Razors, albeit with a LOT more talent, originality, and a much stronger stange presence.They were very tight and their performance didn't go unappreciated by the crowd which was much more responsive than during SBT. During their last song some members of Soilwork's crew came up and took the cymbals off the drum set but that didn't slow them down a bit. Their vocalist, Pheroze Karai, really stood out as he was very energetic and really seemed to enjoy what he was doing. They guy was all over the place, I can see him really getting an audience going if they were a headlining act. I plan on getting some of this bands material so I can check them out further. If Scar Culture comes to town don't hesitate to see them, it will be well worth your time.
Next up was Soilwork. I've seen these guys a couple of times previously and they just keep getting better and better as far as their live performance goes. This was Soilwork's first time in Seattle and the crowd was obviously looking forward to seeing them.Vocalist Strid simply owned the crowd, they were eating out of the palm of his hand from the moment the band hit the stage. Their set consisted primarily of songs from "Steelbath Suicide" and "Natural Born Chaos" with a couple of tunes from "The Chainheart Machine" thrown in for good measure. These guys have got to be one of the tightest, most professional live bands I have ever seen, with amazing double bass drum work and flowing guitar harmonies. The clean vocals from "Natural Born Chaos" sound much better live (no offense to Devin Townsend!) as they have just a bit more of an abrasive edge to them. They were attacked by members of Hypocrisy, who rushed the stage a few songs into the set armed with baby power, and finished the song without missing a note despite the clouds of powder covering everything. While the band was cleaning the powder off their gear Strid annouced that this was the last date of their tour and said that they would get even during Hypocrisy's set. During the next to last song Strid brough out Warrel Dane from Nevermore who sang the choruses. At the end of the set Strid thanked the Seattle audience and said that they would be back in November. I, for one, simply can't wait!
Before Hypocrisy's set the crew covered the monitors with black plastic so it was obvious that Soilwork was going to try to get even in a wet way. I've been a huge fan of Hypocrisy and have been wanting to see them for a long, long time. The lights dimmed, the intro for "Apocalypse" started, and the band (with the exception of Lars) came on stage wearing only their underwear. I was not expecting that at all, though some of the female fans near me really seemed to appreciate it. I assume that since this was the last date of their tour they were in a very playful mood. Then again they may have been worried about Soilwork doing something to mess with their clothes while they were playing! Peter seemed a bit buzzed but depite that they managed to put on a killer show covering material from all of their albums and getting the biggest bit going of the evening. During the first song some of the Soilwork guys came out and poured water down the back of the bands shorts, which threw them off a little but not enough to make a difference. Being a long-time fan I only wish that they would have played more off their older stuff but I understand they want to promote their latest, "Catch 22". When they came out for their encore and started playing "Buried" I was compelled to hit the pit for the first time in years. I tried my damndest to get an old-school circle pit going but to no avail, I guess the kids today are just too brutal for that kind of shit.