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All that Remains w/ It Dies Today, Trivium and The Acacia Strain
CBGBs - NYC, NY
01.09.05
When I first heard about this incredible metal show, my reaction was "Oh my
god. CBGBs isn't going to be standing when they are done!" And my reaction
pretty much hit the nail on the head. No, no... don't fret. The legendary
venue is still standing. But the show was intense and just as I thought it
was going to be... incredible.
The first band to take the stage was local boys Locked In a Vacancy. I
haven't seen them in about a year or so since L'Amour closed their doors,
and they were just as awesome as I remembered and I was happy to see all
the familiar faces rocking out in the pit. The only negative thing about
their set was some asshole in the pit who skirted the edges deliberately
trying to injure people. That's just not cool, especially when you have kids
as young as 16 in the venue just there to see one of their favorite bands.
Luckily by the time the second band had started up, these assholes were
taken care of.
Second band was The Acacia Strain. I'm not too familiar with them, but I was
looking forward to seeing what they had to offer as during my interview with
Phil [the frontman of All That Remains] he said they were really heavy and a
great band. Phil was right. The Acacia Strain got the crowd even more riled
up and was a perfect opening band for this show.
Next up were Roadrunner Record boys Trivium. Being that they are signed to
Roadrunner, I expected them to be good. They met that expectation and
surpassed it with ease. Great energy and relied on new material that is
going to be on their album "Ascendancy" coming this march. Check it out!
I expected It Dies Today to be taking the stage next but I was surprised to
seeing Vext set up. Vext brought the brutality that is to be expected from
any band that had come up through the New York scene and that has won many
"Battle of the Bands" as they had. Kept up the energy that Trivium's set
had sent through the venue and got the crowd ready for It Dies Today.
Not that It Dies Today needed any band to keep up the momentum of the night.
All I want to know is this... why the fuck wasn't I informed that I should
be practically stalking these boys from Buffalo NY?!?! They were fantastic!
Completely took my breath away. I had heard of them prior to this tour but
I'm not too sure where from, or why I never stood up and took notice. All I
know is that they could be doing a one band show next time they come around
and I WILL BE THERE. Yes. They were that damn good.
Actually if All that Remains wasn't playing, It Dies Today would have stolen
the show. They still ran a pretty close second, but the headliners took them
in the end. Few bands can really compare to the energy and stage presence
that ATR brings when those Mass metal boys hit the stage. During the 11 song
set the band ranted and raged and played the hell out of their songs.
Vocalist Phil LaBonte paced from side to side on the edge of the stage like
a caged panther, and his voice was just as deadly. And with Mike Martin and
Oli Herbert on guitars, Matt Deis on bass and Mike Bartlett on drums..
it provided the perfect soundtrack for the kids in the pit to take out all
their frustrations to. Set was as follows:
This Darkened Heart
Tattered
In Degrees
Fuck- us
Salvation
One B
Passion
Death
Vicious Betrayal
Follow
Deepest Grey
All in all... this is one metal tour that you can't afford to miss. And with
ticket prices at around $10... you really have no excuses!
Upcoming dates are as follows: