Nuclear Blast Records was well represented as the Death By Decibels Tour made a stop in Raleigh, NC…

On October 5, 2008, Kataklysm lead the Death By Decibels Tour in a hellacious attack on the non-Metal scene in Raleigh, NC! The supporting group of bands involved in this brutal show was constructed of local opener Edward Teach, Norway’s own Keep of Kalessin, Dying Fetus, and Eluveitie from Switzerland. Altogether, these five bands put on a great show!

The first band to play was Edward Teach from Chapel Hill, NC. Although they are not directly connected to the Death By Decibels Tour (except for this show), they were certainly the right band to kick off the show. Even though I’m not a follower of the Death metal genre, I did enjoy a good part of this band’s set. One thing I liked was their rhythm that was similar to that of the great Death/Viking metal band Amon Amarth. The, almost, overuse of blast beats did throw me off a bit, but other than that, Edward Teach played a great sounding set.

The next band to hit the stage was (as Obsidian Claw refers to them) Epic Extreme metal band Keep of Kalessin. I was stoked to finally witness the power that is Keep of Kalessin live, and I was certainly not disappointed! With a set containing material from, but not limited to, their albums Armada and their newest release Kolossus, these four guys showed why their popularity is growing and that their current line-up is solid. Overall, they played an awesome set and I enjoyed their great stage presence.

Next to hit the stage was the band I was the most excited to see live. This band, of course, is the eight piece Folk metal Eluveitie. To be honest, this was my favorite band to see during the entire show because of the great stage presence between all eight members of the band and I love the mix of Traditional Celtic Folk music and a more modern style of Metal that Eluveitie presents. Also, this was the first time I’ve ever seen someone hairspin while playing a hurdygurdy much less play one in general! Overall, this band was great to see live and and I was pleased with my overall experience with them personally and watching their liver performance.

Playing fourth was the most brutal band of the night, Dying Fetus. With a preceding reputation for pure brutality in their music, this three piece proceeded to blow me away with their set. Just as with Edward Teach, I’m not a big fan of their style and I’m certainly not familiar with their material, but I would recommend their live show to anyone who is. They really did put on a good show and they keep my hope for successful power trios alive!

The final band to give a proverbial punch to the face to all that is not Metal was Canada’s own Kataklysm! I must admit that I’m not as familiar with Kataklysm’s material as I probably should be, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying my second time seeing them live. These four guys really do put on a great show and they’re definitely a cool group of guys to hang out with and talk to. I do believe that the most of their set was from their newest album Prevail, but I can’t confirm that the entire was. Either way, they played a great show and were definitely the right band to headline this excellent tour!

Overall, I had yet another great night of Metal in Raleigh and I definitely can’t wait for the next one! To anyone who are fans of any of these bands from this tour, if you haven’t seen them live, do it! It will be well worth your time, energy, and money!

Shadows Fall tears the house down in Raleigh…

On April 21, 2008, Atlantic Records band Shadows Fall headlined an incredible show at the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh, NC. The supporting bands on the bill were Droid, Arsis, The Showdown, and Kataklysm. With a combined effort from all five acts, Monday night was turned from a monotonous drag to a headbanging good time!

The first band to kick off the night was Long Beach, CA band Droid. Although their set was short because of the number bands playing, Droid definitely brought their A game to start this show with aggression. This was my first Droid experience and I was definitely impressed.

The next band to hit the stage was Arsis. This was my first time hearing Arsis as well and I was definitely impressed with them. They had a great Death/Black metal sound that really helped get you going for the rest of the show. Overall, great live performance.

The third band to play was The Showdown from Elizabethton, TN. These guy really changed the pace again from Death metal to straight Heavy metal. Honestly, I’d say that they were the only band on the bill that sounded anything close to Shadows Fall. Either way, these guys could wail! Their breakdowns were awesome and I liked the Pantera-like feel some of their grooves had. Overall, they put on a great show.

The next to last band to play was legendary Death metal band Kataklysm! Normally I’m not huge into Death metal, but there is definitely an exception for these guys. Everything about their set was awesome and these guys definitely know how to get a crowd goin’! Everybody played everything on point and Maurizio Iacono’s vocals were spot on. Kataklysm proved to be my second favorite band of the night and they are certainly worth going to see again!

Finally, Shadows Fall hit the stage. Enter “massive dreads of doom”! When SF hit the stage, everybody in the venue went nuts and the party got taken to the next level. They played a good 8-10 song set that included songs such as “The Light That Blinds”, “The Power of I and I”, “Redemption”, “Failure of the Devout”, “What Drives the Weak”, and more! Just like Kataklysm, these guys were all on point and Brian Fair’s vocals were incredible. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for much of a better set to see live.

All in all, I’m glad I finally got to see Shadows Fall play live and gain a few new bands into my arsenal of Metal! If you have the chance to see any of these band play live, go check ‘em out.