Moonspell/Katatonia/Daylight Dies

Last night was the Moonspell/Katatonia show at Peabody's. I was pleasantly surprised that the opening bands sounded good. At the SYL show last year, there were a bunch of really terrible bands before them.

At this show, the local opener was Dark Arena. They sounded pretty good overall. The singer was decent and I think if the sound quality was a little better, people would have gotten into them more. I think they only had time for 3 or 4 songs, but it was enough to get things going a bit.

Next up was Daylight Dies. I read a little about them on the Web before the show. I was eager to hear them as they are categorized as 'doom metal'. That description is fairly accurate, maybe doomdeath, since the singer is a growler. The sound quality for DD was quite good for Peabody's and I enjoyed the classic doomish guitars, with low and heavy chords. Will definitely have to check them out. I read that they've toured with Katatonia in Europe - totally cool for a US band realitively early in their career!

Katatonia took the stage around 9:15. I honestly haven't listened to them too much, but I did recognize a good deal of the songs from 'The Great Cold Distance' since we had recently purchased the CD. Their guitar sound seemed a little thin, possibly too distorted at times. I realize this is part of their sound, but it was difficult to discern all the instruments (yeah, and I know the acoustics in there aren't the best). Anyhow, it was a good set of recent material from TGCD, Viva and a few other tracks thrown in from other albums. I will probably have to listen to TGCD a little more and maybe check out Viva to appreciate the reviews these CDs have gotten.

Moonspell got on around 9:45, maybe a little earlier. I discovered Moonspell from a guy in Sweden some years ago, and became intrigued by their dark and somewhat gothic sound. They released a few albums that were a bit different ('Sin-Pecado', 'Darkness and Hope'), but the latest one - 'Memorial' - is simply killer. They played a bunch of tunes off of it and an equal amount of older stuff. The crowd really got into 'Wolfheart' and 'Vampiria'. They played one track I hadn't heard (or noticed) before, but it sounded great. Their performance and sound was exceptional for the venue. We stood dead center and it was awesome. I never thought I'd get to see these guys and really hope their experience in Cleveland was positive. They really put on a good show and looked very professional. Their appearance, with light amounts of black makeup was fitting for the time of year (Halloween).

All in all, it was an excellent show. Every band was worth seeing and I look forward to seeing them all again soon.

Here is a list of tracks played. Katatonia was kind enough to announce their songs for me, which is great since I wouldn't have been able to pick them out :)

Katatonia:

Leaders
Soil's Song
Deliberation
Had to leave
Deadhouse
Ghost of the Sun
Criminals
July
My twin
Evidence
Murder

Moonspell:

In Memoriam
Finisterra
Memnto mori
Blood tells
Opium
Wolfshade
Alma mater
Proliferation
Upon the Blood of Men
Nocturna (i think)
Vampiria
Full Moon Madness
From Lowering Skies
Mephisto
Capricorn at Her Feet

Thanks for coming! Come back to the US soon!!

Bands, Tours, and Shows Oh My!

We've scheduled a few shows recently, some for bands that aren't here often, or it's their first time. It's good to see the virtual American doors opening up for such cool European bands.

Tomorrow is Moonspell and Katatonia. I am not sure if either band has been here before, if so, not more than a few times. It's at Peabody's.

Next month, it's Blind Guardian and Leaves' Eyes. BG has been in the US before, but Leaves' is totally new. Leaves' Eyes is the "new" band featuring Liv Kristine from Theatre of Tragedy.

In December, it's In Flames, Soilwork (who we've seen before), and Lacuna Coil! It's great to get to see LC outside of Ozzfest. Last year's OF simply had too many nu-metal and metalcore (crap) bands for us to attend. Unfortunately, there are a few good bands that we miss because of this (LC, Voivod, etc..) but not now!

NP:

My Dying Bride - A Line of Deathless Kings (2006)

(yes, mp3s, but it comes out next week and I will own it for sure). This is one is a doom classic, already. A must-have.

Draconian - The Burning Halo (2006)

I was never too excited about this band before, but this recent album has raised them up to stand next to some of the best doom/gothic metal bands. Without trying to categorize, fans of MDB, Tristania, Epica, etc, will likely enjoy Draconian.

Moonspell - Memorial (2006)

I found Moonspell years ago when I discovered this awesome Euro metal scene (Netherlands, Sweden, etc) where gothic metal reigned supreme. I really enjoyed Moonspell's vampiric and somewhat pagan vibe. For a few albums, they strayed from this formula to produce material that was a little less metal and honestly, less interesting. 'Memorial' is a return to the heavy and dark feel of 'Wolfheart'. It rocks from end to end. I am so excited about seeing these guys tomorrow! Thanks to Julie for buying this for me for Sweetest Day - a sweet, dark gift!

.... and rumor has it (more than rumor actually) that Solitude Aeturnus is about to unlease their LONG awaiting new album very soon - called 'Alone'. These guys are regarded as one of the masters of classic doom metal. They sit at the top with MDB, Candlemass, and even Black Sabbath. Must... have...

So yeah.. MDB, come to the US and grab SA for your tourmates. It will be a show for the ages.