It was Good Friday, a day of worship for the Christian masses, however Edmonton metalheads were gathered at the Shaw Conference Centre for a different Lamb of God, one that is leading what is called in the scene as the “New Wave of American Heavy Metal”.Accompanied by what can only be said as the best supporting lineup of the season, the Richmond Virginia metal giants brought a show that felt like attending a holy event, a Sabbath day for Edmonton heavy metal fans.
The event itself was well organized, with its usual compliment of security, EMT’s and of course “just in case” Edmonton police officers. The officers I spoke to when asked if they get a lot of trouble at metal shows because of the rumoured aggressive nature of the music’s fans had only one thing to say.
EPS: “We don’t see a lot of trouble, I mean anywhere alcohol is a factor you get the occasional rowdies, but we see more at say, an Oilers game.”
FORGE: “So, you find that the aggression and trouble making isn’t as prevalent at these events as it is at an Oilers game? Do you think it’s because they take out any sort of frustration in there? (pointing referencing the moshpit)
EPS: “Yeah, there is still a few, but once again that’s more the alcohol, most of them are pretty okay, too tired from being in there.”
Once the crowd began to assemble up front, there was some debate over who would take the stage first, most assumed Municipal Waste would because to most of the fans there, they hadn’t heard of them before. So it came as a total shock to some that New Jersey’s God Forbid was the opening act.
That bewilderment subsided as they ignited the fans almost immediately, bringing on the blissful punishment of their older stuff and bathing us in “Earth’s Blood” their latest album. The crowd for GF was a bit like properly boiling a frog, starting slow with a heat that eventually culminated in the fans really tearing up the moshpit. Playing regrettably a short set, God Forbid still put the cherry on our steel sundae with their closing song “End of the World” from their 2005 album “IV: Constitution of Treason”. An incredible set, in the wake of the somewhat traumatic departure of original band member, and brother of guitarist Doc Coyle, fellow guitarist Dallas Coyle on March 31st. His replacement Kris Norris (Darkest Hour) did an outstanding job and some of the fans didn’t even notice the lineup change until it came to autograph signing time.
Following the formidable, albeit short performance of God Forbid, were the surprise act of the night, unapologetic uber-thrashers Municipal Waste. Like Lamb of God, they too hail from Richmond Virginia, and carry over the attitude that comes with it. Leading off with a pleasantly hook laden song “Sadistic Magician” they had the crowd’s attention straight off. One could flash back to the glory days of the 80’s thrash metal scene in California when you watched this band. Their song titles alone inspired such a comparison, with such gems as “The Thrashing of the Christ”, (appropriate for the day no?) and my personal favourite of the night, a song about a ‘big fucking shark’ rightly named “Terror Shark”.
Alongside the unapologetic party attitude of the band itself, exemplified by their slogan “Municipal Waste will Fuck You Up” the whole set was one fast paced, circle pit swirling, shred fest inspiring journey through the mind’s of these unbelievably talented performers. These guys have been compared to the old way of doing things, but I to do them more justice, you have to think of it this way, Municipal Waste is 80’s thrash for a new breed, not a revisit or a revival. A welcome bit of “Waste” washed in with the “New Wave of American Heavy Metal.”
It seemed barely conceivable as Municipal Waste departed from the stage that there were still three more bands to perform, so much had already happened in just the first two acts.
Well the crowd had plenty of room for the glut of heavy metal goodness that lay ahead.
Enter As I Lay Dying, the San Diego metalcore group that despite being comprised of five Christians, they have never considered themselves a Christian band just a band with the same problems and issues as everyone else, taken from the Christian perspective.
Vocally, lead man Tim Lambesis was weak in the beginning of the set but quickly warmed up and screamed his way through their whole performance, making a good connection with the crowd and melding well with his band’s live sound. Drummer Jordan Mancino’s violently fast and brutally accurate double bass technique danced with blinding spotlight flashes as they played “Confined”.
Ending their time on stage with the beautifully thrash inspired track “Within Destruction” from their most recent album “An Ocean Between Us”, As I Lay Dying solidifies itself once again as a reason for metal elitists to bother with anything that decides to tack the term “core” onto the end of their genre.
With a lot of tough acts to follow in the monolithic lineup, Finnish modern thrash legends, Children of Bodom walked out onto a stage they had graced just last year on the Gigantour. Always crowd favourites, they blitzed the crowd here in Edmonton (or as lead singer/guitarist Alexi Laiho says it in his Finnish accent, Ed-MUN-tun) with the ferocious precision, and lightning fast speed that we come to expect from them as a band. Their incredible set showcased some of their greatest tracks, really showing off the elements they are known for, screeching yet discernible vocals, ridiculously fast guitar playing and synth work usually with a keyboard. A triumphant melody in “Hate Me”, dynamic solos in “Living Dead Beat”, and mosh friendly “In Your Face” created a warzone of a moshpit, a virtual Valhalla for moshers, seeming to continue on for hours without rest. It was a good night to be in the pit, and the pandemonium hadn’t even truly begun.
Finally as the atmosphere in the Shaw Conference Centre became a haze of human sweat, smuggled in pot smoke and adrenaline, the “Wrath” of headliners Lamb of God descended on the crowd.
Emerging from the smoke of the stage, bathed in ambient blue stage lighting, Lamb of God came face to face with an Edmonton in need of their brand of music, hard, fast and unquestionably Heavy Metal.
Their opener of “The Passing” would send an epileptic into fits, with the light display and the percussive beats of distinctly bearded “skin-walker” drummer, Chris Adler.
Their whole set really demonstrated their evolution as a group musically. Songs from “Wrath” have a more raw sound, than previous installments. Peppered throughout their setlist were the offspring of “Wrath”, songs like “Dead Seeds”, “Set to Fail” and “In Your Words” all made their debut. (for a complete set list click HERE)
Lead vocalist Randall Blythe (pronounced Bly) was hitting his mark all night, the dark, throaty singer was lyrically very solid and even with the expulsion of so much energy using his voice alone he still was pacing the stage and showing animation of a vocalist 10 years his junior. Blythe’s onstage commentary, was at times touching with his tribute of “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For” to Canadian troops deployed overseas to the hilarious realization that so many shoes had been flung up on stage from crowd surfers that he remarked,
“This has to be, the most amount of shoes I’ve seen on tour!”
Leave it to Edmonton to be exceptional at pitching shoes on stage, (see Dave Mustaine, Gigantour 2008 on YouTube)
Finishing their night with “Black Label” a song from their second album “New American Gospel”, Lamb of God sent all the metalheads of Edmonton home on a heavy high note.
The whole experience in its entirety felt very much like the holiday it was overlapping in our city of champions, at first you are subjected to a brutal thrashing, then in the middle you feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven and then finally by the end, you feel resurrected, capable of anything. A bit dramatic I know, but it is highly unlikely for the remainder of this year we will see a purely metal lineup such as this come through town.
A few may find this comparison offensive or perhaps a little dramatic, but when it comes to Heavy Metal, it is like a religion, with a powerful message of independence, strength and ultimately belief in what makes you, you.
Until the next holy day of Heavy Metal Edmonton, keep those horns held high!
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