I cannot claim to be a fan of all the bands involved, but there is no denying the hard work they put into their creations. That first tour featured acts like Norma Jean, Between the Buried and Me, and Fear Before the March of Flames. Now, the Radio Rebellion is back on the road and features newcomers Job for a Cowboy and Behemoth at the top of the bill. If you like your metal to be a bit more extreme and a lot less radio friendly, this is the perfect tour for you.
I got to The Chance, in Poughkeepsie, NY, mere minutes before Beneath the Massacre began their set. I have a feeling that I missed a local opener, but due to conflicting door open times I got there late and missed whoever else was there. I hate it when that happens. You look up the show and it says one thing, check again later, and the time is different. The problem is that when I checked the second time, it was already after the published door open. I hurried out the door and to the venue only to find everyone had already filed inside.
So to whoever opened the show, I hope you did well and apologize for missing your performance.
Beneath the Massacre is a four piece tech-death metal act hailing from Montreal, Canada. I am sorry to say that I was not terribly impressed, although there was no lack of effort on the bands part. Frankly, I place the majority of the blame on the sound mix. I had never heard these guys before, and therefore did not know what to expect. What I got was a heavy yet muddy sound.
Everything blended together, overpowered by the low end. I watched guitarist Christopher Bradley as his fingers flew across the fretboard, but I could scarcely hear what he was doing. Sure, the overriding heavy sludge of their sound was easy to get into, but it didn't sound clear enough to truly appreciate. I paid a visit to their MySpace page and I have to say that while I will not likely become a big fan, there is a lot more going on in their music than came through at the concert. I like a lot of the guitar work. It adds a nice technical element to the heavy grind of the rest of the music.
Once their 25 minute set was completed, the stage was broken down and set up for Gojira. Here is a band whose name has been popping up in a lot of emails I've been getting, so I was a little anxious to discover what their sound was like. The lights dimmed, and the cries of the humpback whale emanated from the sound system. I was not sure what to expect. Then the band took to the stage and absolutely destroyed for the next half hour.
The four piece from France stepped from the darkness, much like their namesake, and delivered unrelenting metal of monstrous proportions, crushing all that got in their way. Gojira put on an absolutely brutal set of impossibly heavy metal that brought to mind bands like Mastodon and Meshuggah, yet sounding nothing like them. This was the performance of the night. Hands down. No, they were not the only good band, but my eyes were opened to the pure, unencumbered destructive power that is Gojira.
Gojira is proof positive that it is not always about how fast you can play or how many notes you can squeeze in, but about just how heavy you can be. There are few bands that I have encountered so far that can match the sheer bone crushing power that they possess. Like the film legend from which they got their name, Gojira is a true force of nature.
Next up was the band that I had thought was the headliner — but apparently it was a co-headlining gig. Behemoth, the blackened death metal from Poland arrived on stage in full theatrical garb and corpse paint.
I was first introduced to Nergal's brand of metal last year when I reviewed a re-release of the band's debut, And the Forests Dream Eternally. That was a black metal album that scared me, if nothing else because of Nergal's one-of-a-kind voice. It was not until a few weeks ago that I checked up on their latest release, The Apostasy, in preparation for this show. That album features a distinctly different sound, and it was that sound that took center stage this particular evening.
Behemoth put on an hour-long performance the way only Behemoth can. Their stage presence was electric, and their instrumental prowess was unrivaled. In particular, Inferno was an absolute killer on the drum kit. His speed, precision, and inventiveness was a sight to behold. They held the crowd in the palm of their hand as they ripped through their set.
Their performance also brought my faith and my love of music into momentary conflict. At times it can be difficult to reconcile my Catholic faith with some of the decidedly non-Christian beliefs of the entertainers. Behemoth make no effort to disguise their contempt for all things Christian, so it was not a surprise when Nergal came to the front of the stage carrying a Bible, which he promptly ripped pages out of to demonstrate his distaste of the faith.
This disgusted me, but at the same time I was fine with him doing it. His rending of the Bible in no way affects my faith and will not change my faith. It also will not dissuade me from listening to their music. Still, it was the closest my faith has been tested, by coming into direct conflict with a musical artist.
Aside from that moment, the show was excellent. They are a strong combination of first-rate music and energetic theatricality. They went all out and deserve to be commended for it. I guarantee that if you witness a performance your jaw will drop open in awe. Behemoth's brand of top shelf metal is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their domination of US metal fans.
Last, but not least (well, maybe) was Job for a Cowboy. I have to believe that having Job for a Cowboy headline was a mistake. A miscalculation on the part of the promoters overestimating the draw of a band that is still early in their career. I am saying this based on the evidence of what I saw on this night's performance. Following Behemoth's strong set, it was pretty clear to see that a good number of fans left. Apparently they saw who they were there to see. I have also seen on some metal forums that people were going specifically for Gojira and Behemoth and had little interest in the other two acts on the tour. Personally, I go to see everybody, hoping to like all that I see — which actually happens on occasion.
Job for a Cowboy, a five piece from Arizona, is only at the start of their career having released their full-length debut album earlier this year. Regardless of how skilled the promoters think they are, it probably would have been better if they were in the final warm up slot prior to Behemoth. Anyway, I cannot say that I was terribly impressed by them. Their energy was of the highest level, and there is no denying the passion with which they attacked their instruments.
Still, as I stood there listening, I could not get my mind around the feeling that the music was mediocre. It was "extreme" but I felt as if I had heard it all before, only done much better. Whatever the case may be, I'll give Job for a Cowboy credit on an energetic performance, but I cannot say that I have any interest in seeking their music out.
Overall, The Radio Rebellion Tour delivered its promise of extreme music that will not appear on the local rock station. However, I cannot say that it was all first rate. Still, being introduced to Gojira was more than enough to make up for any shortcomings. If any of these bands — particularly Gojira and Behemoth — you should make every effort to get out there and see them.
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