DEATH ANGEL, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, BATTLECROSS, REVOCATION,
& DIAMOND PLATE
|
The Opera House
Toronto, Ontario, Canada November 4, 2013 |
Show review: Alex Stojanovic
Photography: Navneet Johal Published: November 20, 2013 |
|
DEATH ANGEL
Mark Osegueda - Lead vocals Rob Cavestany - Guitars & vocals Ted Aguilar - Guitars Damien Sisson - Bass Will Carroll - Drums Label: Nuclear Blast Records www.deathangel.us 3 INCHES OF BLOOD Cam Pipes - Lead vocals Shane Clark - Guitar Justin Hagberg - Guitar Ash Pearson - Drums Byron Stroud - Bass Label: Century Media Records www.3inchesofblood.com BATTLECROSS Tony Asta - Guitar Hiran Deraniyagala - Guitar Don Slater - Bass Kyle Gunther - Vocals Kevin Talley - Drums (Touring) Label: Metal Blade Records www.battlecrossmetal.com |
Toronto - The Opera House - Nov 4, 2013
REVOCATION David Davidson - Lead vocals & guitars Brett Bamberger - Bass guitar & vocals Phil Dubois-Coyne - Drums, percussion Dan Gargiulo - Guitars & vocals Label: Relapse Records www.revocation.bandcamp.com DIAMOND PLATE Konrad Kupiec - Guitars Matt Ares - Vocals & Bass Jim Nicademus - Drums Label: Earache Records www.diamondplateband.com |
|
Half an hour after the doors opened, Diamond Plate entered the stage with fire in their hearts and with eagerness to show Toronto their brand of Chicago metal. Guitarist Konrad Kupiec addressed the crowd a lot more than frontman Matt Ares, but then again, it's equally as important and cool to let other band members talk to the crowd rather than just the frontman all the time. The band's set consisted of songs such as "Walking Backwards", "Waste Of Life", and their anthem "At The Mountains Of Madness". This was Diamond Plate's second time in Toronto, but a first time for Matt. I've had the opportunity of seeing Diamond Plate at their first show in Toronto supporting Warbringer in 2011.
Second band on were Boston metal maniacs Revocation. The band played a crazy set and consisted of tracks like "Fracked", "Invidious", "Dismantle The Dictator", and "No Funeral". Bassist, Brett Bamberger had the chance to shine brightly while showing off his skills by playing chaotic bass solos. Revocation was the first band of the night to ask for mosh pits, and the crowd did not disappoint them as the pits were massive and consistent. Funny moment was when I spotted Death Angel drummer Will Carroll in the crowd watching the band and nobody even noticed that he was there. As the crew were setting up for Battlecross to take the stage next, Navneet and I went to Diamond Plate's winnebego to conduct an interview with Konrad, and as a result, we weren't able to catch Battlecross' set, rather than the last song "Push Pull Destroy" when we returned to the venue, but my friends informed me that the band's set consisted of tracks such as "Force Fed Lies", "Man Of Stone", "Never Coming Back", and "Beast". Up next were our fellow countrymen in 3 Inches Of Blood. Vocalist Cam Pipes stormed the stage in a battle vest covered with patches and buttons and sang his throat out with his Rob Halford-esque high pitched vocals which were in top form. The band's set consisted of songs such as "Metal Woman", "Deadly Sinners", "The Goatrider's Horde", "Leather Lord" and "Battles & Brotherhood". The crowd sang every song word for word, it almost felt like a 3 Inches Of Blood headline show. |
Death Angel took the stage at around 10:30, and seeing these thrash legends tear up the stage with the energy they possess is always a treat. The band started their with two back to back songs from the new album "Left For Dead" and "Son Of The Morning". The band's set consisted of mostly songs from their last four albums since their reformation in 2001, with only two classic tracks in the set, being "Mistress Of Pain" and "Seemingly Endless Time", and a small teaser of "The Ultra-Violence" following the conclusion of the closing song "Thrown To The Wolves". 7 songs from the new album The Dream Call For Blood were played and the reactions to the new songs are just as positive as the reactions to the classics are. Vocalist Mark Osegueda always tells the crowd how much Toronto means to the band, and he delivered a very emotional story of how he is incredibly close to his mother, and how he found out that his mother had to have heart surgery, and how the surgery was scheduled for the day of the Toronto show, and how he was devastated that he couldn't be with her, but he said that his mom wouldn't have wanted the band to cancel the show. He then announces that the surgery was a success, which was followed by a huge congratulatory roar from the crowd. He announced that he was dedicating the Toronto show to his mom. A nice surprise was when they started the encore with "Lord Of Hate", which is a song I've been wanting to hear live for a while, being the fact that it was my gateway Death Angel song. Death Angel's live show is more energetic than it ever has been before, and I guess it must be due to the success of the new album, by debuting at #72 on the U.S charts, which invigorated the band to play faster than ever as a thank you to the fans. If Death Angel comes through your city, buy a ticket and go see the show, you won't regret it. |
Click here for our exclusive interview with Ted Aguilar of Death Angel.
