Rochester, NY -The Penny Arcade
We arrived at the Penny Arcade in Rochester, NY right at the time the first band took the stage. Upon entering we were hoping to grab a beer and watch the mayhem on stage but like last visit the venue was dry due to a drunken brawl that took places months before. We remedied this problem by sneaking next door in between bands to grab a drink.
There seems to be somewhat of a sound problem the last few times I’ve been there. It’s not horrible, but far from a “thumbs up.” The board seems to max out a few times and muffle the notes the artists play. Also the high-pitched squeals coming out the system isn’t what a listener would want to hear. The Penny Arcade is far from the best venue for sound, but the bands played on and made this show great. Oh yeah, something new this time was the water dripping from the ceiling that was right behind the vocalist’s microphone.
On to the bands…Warbinger was the first band to play. It was impressive to see such youngsters play with poise. Though the feedback that went though the house speakers was annoying, it was no real fault of theirs. They had an aggressive approach and were headbanging along with their music. It was the first time seeing them for me, besides a few parts they would need to tighten up for their live show, it was pretty cool. I believe they played “Total War,” “At The Crack of Doom,” and “Shoot To Kill.”
Following Warbringer was the mighty Arsis. I caught them a couple years ago at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival and couldn’t wait to see them play a whole set instead of the limited concert they played in Worcester. Arsis ripped it up! They were absolutely phenomenal! Shredding riff after shredding riff, the crowd seemed in be awe of them. James Malone is a master at dancing around the frets on a guitar. The band as a whole played quite fluidly and got the crowd going with their great riffage, headbanging, and stage presence.
A few songs of note that Arsis played include the first two songs off their first album “The Face Of My Innocence" and "Maddening Disdain" as well as the gem and namesake for their EP “Diamond for Disease.” Also, they played a new track off their upcoming April 2008 release “We Are the Nightmare” on Nuclear Blast Records. The song “Sightless Wisdom” was quite good and I can’t wait to hear the rest. They played about a half an hour. I was truly impressed by Arsis, and I can’t wait to seem them again, hopefully for a headline show where they can play for a full hour!!
Next band to assault the audience was Goatwhore. They were as consistent as always and put on a show as good as any other. Goatwhore is another band with the knack of getting the audience into the show. They made everyone feel the speed and groove of their Louisiana Black Metal. Benjamin Falgoust made his usual his hand and arm expressions as he growled the vocals. It’s definitely the manor of a professional vocalist that wants to crowd to get into their music. This was the forth time that I saw Goatwhore in the last year, and they were just as good as the other shows. The played a selection of tracks off their 2006 release “A Haunting Curse” and was on stage probably for a little over a half and hour.
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Exodus played for forever, and that’s not a complaint. And just when they went off stage they came back on for a three songs encore. It would seem they played as long as the other 3 bands combined.
The last time I saw Exodus was also a couple years ago at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. As good as they were that night, they were just as brilliant in this show. They thrashed all over the stage and put the mosh pit in a frenzy. The vocalist, Rob Dukes, even got the mosh pit to thrash around the way he wanted and at his command. Talk about taking control of a show!
After hearing their new album, “The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A,” that came out in October of 2007 I couldn’t wait to hear some of these new tracks live. Sure enough, they started off with the beginning of that album with “Riot Act” and followed it up with a couple more from the album, “Iconoclasm” and “Funeral Hymn.” Other great tracks that they played included “A Lesson In Violence,” “Piranha,” “Fabulous Disaster,” “Deathamphetamine" and “Shovel Headed Kill Machine.” After the crowd chanted “Exodus!...Exodus!...Exodus!” for a while the band came out again to play their encore. For the encore they played “War Is My Shepard,” “Bonded By Blood,” and ended the show with “The Toxic Waltz.”
When the show was done I chatted with bassist Jack Gibson to see if there was any inkling on when part “B” of The Atrocity Exhibition was going to come out. But as he said they plan on doing a bunch of touring this year and the album’s release will depend on their schedule. If the second part is as good as the first, I can’t wait for it, and it’s something that will be worth waiting for! Exodus rules!!
Even with the roof leaking and dripping on stage, no alcohol, and shotty sound, all the bands managed with the venue’s deficits. Exodus remarked about the water coming from above and how the fans were great even though there was no beer being sold. I want to thank the bands for the great show and Nuclear Blast for the passes to show. It was a memorable night!
Rating: 93
Reviewed By: Jeffrey D. Adkins
Let me first say that this show was somewhat of a big deal for me for a few reasons. First, because Exodus is one of the first metal bands I ever got into, wayyyyyyy back in ’89 or so, and I’ve never seen them live. Second, because this show was 90 minutes away, on a Tuesday night (a work night! egads!). And third, because the Penny Arcade lost their liquor license, so for all intents and purposes, this was a “dry” show!
Anyway, we got there slightly late, which sucked for us, because Warbringer (an up and coming thrash band) went on early and finished their set before we arrived (blame the weakass local band who didn’t show up!).
Arsis was in full swing as we walked in, pummeling our ears with a monstrous drum attack, and shredding everything with a combination of screeching death vocals, guttural growls, and complex guitar work. Without a doubt and before seeing any of the other bands, I knew Arsis was the most musically impressive band in the building. They finished their set with a searing rendition of their epic cut, “Diamond for Disease”.
Goatwhore, from Louisiana, was up next. Not as complex as Arsis, but no less bludgeoning, these guys mix some older school sounds (Obituary, Napalm Death) with newer straight up thrash and death metal. Unfortunately, the guitars were drowned beneath bass and vocals for some reason, and the riffs were hard to distinguish from each other. This is the second time I’ve seen these guys – they were as enjoyable as before, and the sound problems didn’t hurt them. Good times.
After a considerably longer wait, Exodus took the stage. The crowd had renewed energy, and a lot of people who were kind of half-assing it for the other bands stood up and took notice. This was after all, Exodus, a thrash legend, the band that started Metallica’s Kirk Hammett’s career way back when. Numerous lineup changes, nor Seattle grunge, nor the death of their original singer could stop them from soldiering on. Despite another shitty soundboard mix (drums overpowering everything!!!) they did not disappoint. Relying mostly on newer material written with new vocalist Rob Dukes, the boys ripped it up for close to an hour and half (my neck is damn sore!!!). Choice selections included newer songs like “Dethamphetamine”, “War is My Sheppard”, “Children of a Worthless God”, and thrash classics “Bonded by Blood”, “Piranha”, and “Fabulous Disaster”. For the encore’s closer, the band asked what the crowd wanted, and to their noticeable chagrin, it was a song the fans love (but the band hates!), “The Toxic Waltz” (one of their cheesier tunes by far).
Great show overall – fun – entertaining – and only minor complaints (the sound kinda sucked overall!). I should also make note of the extreme characters we witnessed bounding around the show. From old and withered metal miscreants of days gone by, to the young and energetic fans of the new, to the female variety, to even a few dads and moms (chaperones or fans? Not sure!), Exodus really brought out quite the interesting (and fun) crowd.
Rating: --
Reviewed By: Bova