Review by Richard Henry for MPM
First time in the Voodoo for me believe it or not, so looking forward to checking the place out, triple bill tonight, first up…..
WICKED
So, I know little about these guys from New York, full of energy though and I must admit I was really impressed with them, if you crossed punkish energy with Skid row crossed with a bit of Steel Panther with some heavier breakdown parts, that’s what they sound like, the vocals and the guitar playing are top notch and for not knowing the songs, Obsession has stuck in my head even today, so I would 100% go check these guys out, very impressive, great energy and great opener!
Music & entertainment | Wicked Rock N’ Roll!!
XIII Doors
Unleash the Beast
That riff just pummels its way into evening, and from the off there is the groove that these guys have, I love the 3-part vocals, especially when it’s done without any editing, Pat, DJ and Flash just in a line at the front at the mics, DJ pulls off a lovely solo there, great player and some of you may have spotted that he was guitarist and backing vocalist for Geoff Tate again on the last run, statement of intent with that first track!
Into the Unknown
Again, that sledgehammer of a riff, lovely and slidy and just a head banger of a groove, this one really reminds me of Tremonti’s solo stuff, you got to love those vocals though and two songs in you immediately realize that these guys know how to right a catchy hook and chorus in their songs, that little smattering of double bass in the middle just adds to that section before we have a lovely shreddy solo and some nice phrasing and note choice as well, plenty of heads bobbing around in the crowd, they are getting a decent reaction, great to see!
Face the Truth
This is a proper banger, nicely punctuated riff following the double bass pattern, just locked in like a machine, the chorus on this is massive and this is the song i would recommend to people who haven’t heard these guys, it has everything in it that they do so well, love it when you hit the middle section and it all breaks down for a bit before the solo hits right in again, the man can play, well, but an absolute banger of a song, I’ll say it a few times, if you haven’t listened to these guys, start here and go get the album off their Bandcamp!
Sorceress Of Lies
This one comes in like an uppercut, although there is a bit of Michael Angelo Batio going on with DJ and Pat playing the riff and then taking the hands off the neck to play over the top, well played, would you think Lamb of God with that riff? I would, love that verse though where its bass/drums and the vocal, before the riff slaps in again, you can see the crowd liking this one, couple of guys arms round each other headbanging away and having a great time, the chorus is soaring and a nice melodic solo tops it off, but that riff though, savage, think this is the heaviest song of the night, absolute banger!
See How You’ve Come So Far
So, we get a bit of a reprieve from the heaviness at the start of this one, even when the whole band kicks in its a more laid-back track, again very Alter Bridge for me, even vocals DJ really soars like Myles on this one, again you have to say the little bass lines and the melody on guitars then topped with the 3-part harmony vocal just makes the chorus to this one absolutely massive, nasty bends into the solo as well, in there before it goes a really melodic, full of little catchy phrases, before it breaks down after the solo briefly before that massive chorus kicks in again!
Make a Life Again
That is a low riff there, kicking in, love that tribal drum part there from Cian, who has been holding it down all night back there, absolutely slamming drummer, this one is just a lumbering beast in the verse slowly just grinding away, before the vocals soar, DJ pretty far up there and just owning the stage, the space in the riff really hits hard, love the little double kick in there on the verse before the chorus, lots of sweaty bodies now on the floor in front of the band and judging by the response by the crowd they are into these guys!
Inside
The heads are going in the crowd to the start of this one, again just a head banger of a riff, these guys are sharp and on point, everything is just perfectly in place, love that verse riff and it just builds in intensity till you hit that chorus and the whole song just opens up when you get all the vocals coming in, absolutely massive sounding, that middle section when it breaks for the riff then the half time drums just is crushing before the solo hits in, another belter of a track!
Lead the Way
Last song and it’s a really direct hard hitting one, just pummeling forward in the verse and then you get the chorus, which is a ray of sunshine, it’s so happy feeling, love that little middle with the drum fills by Cian before it hits a really slamming riff, then DJ lets loose, bring the shred and he certainly does, back into that massive chorus! What a track to end the night on, and for anyone who was here, that was the entire album that was played tonight!
This is the second time I have seen these guys and they are phenomenal, they can be crushingly heavy when they need to be but there is so much melody, three-part harmony vocals (and not a MacBook onstage so it’s real), if you haven’t checked out the album “Into the Unknown” go onto Bandcamp and get it, for anyone who loves Tremonti/Alter Bridge with a smattering of Alice in Chains vocal harmonies, highly recommended by me!
Kings of Thrash
Rattlehead
Well, if you’re going to kick off your set with a bang, then here is one from Killing is My Business, “well here I come” 4 count and into pure speed metal, these guys are tight as a drum, it’s really good to hear some of these tracks from the early albums because you’re not going to hear this setlist at a Megadeth gig, and they are flawless, David just standing back there trem picking away on the bass, pretty sure Jeff did exactly the solo that Chris Poland played, the second solo he defiantly improvised more, very cool, love that end when it picks up the tempo and Jeff lets rip with another solo, what an opener!
Skull Beneath the Skin
I mean where else are you going to hear this track, sticking with a one-two punch from the KISB album, that sliding guitar part comes in before the band comes in, before Chaz hits the mic, and the tempo starts to pick up, change of tempo and a flying solo comes in, David just standing beaming out at the crowd holding the whole thing down, I forgot how off kilter this song is in the verse with the drums, Jeff playing loads of diminished runs in that solo, then the break before the double kicks slam in, you’re never going to hear this live with the other band, absolutely ripping your face off in this sweat box, what a set of openers!
Now it’s the whole So Far So Good So What album in full!
Into the Lungs of Hell
Always loved the way this one just keeps building, from the chords at the start to the band kicking in and Jeff over on the right just shredding that solo absolutely flawlessly, although watching it, I learnt it completely differently, the heads are bopping along when that lovely double bass groove hits and the crowd are lapping these guys up, I love that tapping part Jeff does at the end of this one as the chords start moving about as the track comes to a close!
Set the World Afire
Jeff trem picking the start of this before the rest of the band fire in with Fred rolling away on the snare and hitting all the cymbal crashes, some folk round me singing the guitar line, Chaz stomping his foot on the ground to the riff, before the double kick part comes in, love that little break in the slow part for Jeff to throw in a sweep on the guitar, you forget how many twists and turns some of these early Megadeth songs actually had, the tempos constantly shifting in this one, Jeff pulls of a blazing solo then Chaz gets a turn on lead guitar before Jeff comes in again with that really interesting slow tap note guitar part before the shredding starts the tempo picks up again and before you know it you are at the end of the song, the guys are absolutely soaked in sweat up there already!
Anarchy in the UK
Ah now, I know we are on the 38-year anniversary of the Antrim incident, so yeah maybe enough time has passed, surprised they never mentioned the event, everyone knows this one from this version or the original and you get a good crowd singalong to all the lyrics on this one, good energy with Chaz snarling out the lyrics!
Mary Jane
Next from SFSGSW, like I said the last time I saw them, this song in particular for me just hit different live than the album version, I love that little melodic part that Chaz plays, it’s a proper mid-tempo headbanger of a track as well, lots of little turns and breaks in the riffs, tempo change again as Jeff comes in with the next riff, then the solos hit and the tempos change and the whole thing is just a piledriver of a track, again it just hits so much harder live, blazing!
502
That is a lovely riff at the start of this one that Jeff kicks off before the whole band slam in, Chaz needs a mention here, absolutely nailing all the vocals and riffing away as well, great player, also Fred back there on the drums has not missed a beat, lovely tapping solo from Jeff there, Chaz and David standing in tandem headbanging away during the solos on this one, then we lead into a drum solo from Fred, lots of fills and flying double bass, and if I am not , mistaken I am pretty sure a part from a Death song that Richard Christy played, anyone else spot that??
In My Darkest Hour
Absolute classic, I actually never noticed how many little hook bass line fills David puts into the start of that behind the clean guitar, the heads are banging to this one, you know that everyone in the building has this one in the memory banks, tempo is definitely a bit slower on this, Chaz pulling off the first Mustaine solo as the tempo picks up for the second half of this one, for the most part Jeff plays exactly the solo on the album before the thrash tempo hits in for the end of the song before we go back to the intro chords as this one rings out, what a track!
Liar
Jeff kicking this off with the open string droning intro, before the riff proper kick in, it’s a real head down and dirty riff as well and a good few headbanging round me on this, David and Chaz singing the Liar refrain and getting a good few in the crowd joining in as well, Jeff throwing in some blazing lead lines in between the “you’re a liar” vocal that Chaz is spitting out, cracking song!
Hook in Mouth
After the cymbal crashes it’s down to Fred and David to propel the verses to this one along, rock solid as expected, love that nasty riff when the guitars come in, that chorus part though, it’s so good, love that fast Jeff solo before Chaz comes in with the Mustaine tapping part, David stepping up to the mic after the solos to throw in some backing words around the next verse part, lovely little bass run there before we kick into the same Jeff and Chaz solos as the first part, my question is how many people know who the PMRC are now?
Good Mourning/Black Friday
Let the shredding start, Jeff flying over the start of this one from the Peace Sells album, that sort of lumbering drum part over the arpeggiated guitar line that kicks this song off, before that guitar run comes in and the tempo picks up, the crowd are loving this tonight, lots of headbanging around me, Jeff way up front with David on his spot on the left just hammering away on the bass, the tempo shifts on this are savage, a break quickly for a bit of audience participation and back in we go, last solo from Jeff and we are out, absolutely rock solid these guys are tonight!
Dawn Patrol
Ok so I have to say unexpected, from Rust in Peace, David kicks this one in with a slow groove from Fred back there, I have to say though it’s sort of a nice break in tempo and gives you a chance to catch your breath as well as the band probably, with Chaz groaning those vocals, unexpected but very cool!
Tornado of Souls
I was not expecting this song, staying with Rust in Peace, Jeff kicking the riff off to this one, Chaz has nailed all the vocals tonight so no surprise that he is flawless on this, there is one thing though I am waiting for, that solo is an iconic Marty solo, well that and the Nick Menza drum fill, yeah that drum fill was pretty clean, nice harmony vocal with David and Chaz after that fill, and we are off, fair play Jeff, that solo was flawless, absolutely class, all the little bends and everything where they should be, spot on, again I never noticed David playing those bass fills in behind that guitar line, it’s cool spotting this stuff, I have to admit, that was a cracking version of this absolute classic!
Murders in the Rue Morgue
I wasn’t expecting the last song, I definitely wasn’t expecting this Maiden classic from Killers to be played tonight, Fred absolutely nailed that buzz roll that Clive Burr does, fair play, that is quick, not a bad cover of this Maiden classic, and in fairness when you hear David do that little fill, his bass tone even with a pick isn’t that far away from Mr. Harris either, I think they could have done with both playing lead in the middle section it sort of lost something there, yes it was heavier with the rhythm guitar but needed the two leads, regardless, cracking cover!
Peace Sells
Well, I mean, what else are you going to end with, the title track of the album with the same name, David kicks in with let’s face it, probably his most iconic bass part, hands in the air from everyone to the start of this, does it sound a bit more vicious and angry than another band doing it these days, hell yes, this is the singalong song tonight with all of us getting involved, you know we are all waiting on the break and the “can you put a price on peace” line, before the tempo gets cranked, last chance on the dancefloor people and they do oblige as well as singing at the same time!
That’s how you do it, absolutely savage, tight as anything and exactly how I remember them from the last time, these early songs really don’t get played enough and getting to hear them like this in a small club with the band right in your face, is the way I want to hear them, that however is the UK tour over so all I can say is, the next time these guys do play over here, get out and go see them!
