By Ash Jones
6 pm is an early start even to see a band you like. 6 pm however is the most convenient time for a venue like The Arena to gather an all ages crowd in to see the Swedish melodic death metal act Soilwork and summon a couple of plump police officers to ensure the youngsters haven’t begun to smoke pot or trash the venue. Add to the 6 o clock start that you’ve been on a stagnant and cold five hour bus trip and have consequently lost the feeling in your legs and you’ve got mine and my friend Jacqui’s experience to get to this show.
No matter how big the act or how long you’ve been a fan, when you reach that physical breaking point you need something truly extraordinary to get you to go that extra mile. So when support act Double Dragon have all their tones at a medium to high volume (rhythm section included) and extremely generic vocals, the lack of dynamic does absolutely nothing. Why is it that the most generally-influenced supports are always the most arrogant with a crowd? Example A: Vocalist Lee yells at the right side of the mosh, “This side of the crowd sucks”. My subconscious response: If this vocalist actually stepped out of the high voltage rumble he is ensnared by he would be able to hear how little a musical offering this is for this gathering of Soilwork fans, under 18’s included.
In fact, I imagine if Double Dragon were watching themselves in a parallel universe, there would be no confusion, and no physical response from them either. When I emerge shaky from windmilling, headbanging, and thrashing to Soilwork’s vast and incredibly brutal musical texturing, my point is complete.
6 pm is an early start even to see a band you like. 6 pm however is the most convenient time for a venue like The Arena to gather an all ages crowd in to see the Swedish melodic death metal act Soilwork and summon a couple of plump police officers to ensure the youngsters haven’t begun to smoke pot or trash the venue. Add to the 6 o clock start that you’ve been on a stagnant and cold five hour bus trip and have consequently lost the feeling in your legs and you’ve got mine and my friend Jacqui’s experience to get to this show.
No matter how big the act or how long you’ve been a fan, when you reach that physical breaking point you need something truly extraordinary to get you to go that extra mile. So when support act Double Dragon have all their tones at a medium to high volume (rhythm section included) and extremely generic vocals, the lack of dynamic does absolutely nothing. Why is it that the most generally-influenced supports are always the most arrogant with a crowd? Example A: Vocalist Lee yells at the right side of the mosh, “This side of the crowd sucks”. My subconscious response: If this vocalist actually stepped out of the high voltage rumble he is ensnared by he would be able to hear how little a musical offering this is for this gathering of Soilwork fans, under 18’s included.
In fact, I imagine if Double Dragon were watching themselves in a parallel universe, there would be no confusion, and no physical response from them either. When I emerge shaky from windmilling, headbanging, and thrashing to Soilwork’s vast and incredibly brutal musical texturing, my point is complete.
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