Lamb Of God / Trivium / Machine Head
By Brian Anderson
Monday. Mar 12, 12:01 AM
live at The Grove (Anaheim, CA) Feb. 22nd, 2007.

On an uncharacteristically cold and rainy Southern California night, one of the best tours of the year hit The Grove in Anaheim. If the venue name sounds familiar, it is because Slayer recorded a show here that ended up on the Soundtrack to the Apocalypse box set. The somewhat interment setting was Lamb Of God’s first show that was not on some huge gigantic tour, and the bands on the bill were top notch. The most underrated name was France’s Gojira. I was more than upset that I arrived after their set. Growing up in Miami, shows didn’t start until 10 or 11 at night. I was at this show by 7:30pm and Gojira had already finished. All I can say is SHOW UP EARLY and check these guys out. They are by far one of the most original and inventive bands to come along in a long while. I am sure in a year or two you are going to be saying, “I wish I had shown up early and not missed Gojira.” I know I am going to be saying that. Gojira are one of the main reasons I wanted to see this bill. I reviewed their album and have been a fan ever since.

Luckily I did make it in time to see Machine Head. This was the first time I had seen them since their 1994 tour in support of Slayer. I had pretty much written this band off until I heard Through the Ashes of Empires. Their set was pummeling. Guitarist/vocalist Rob Flynn really knows how to get the crowd going. He also said a really nice eulogy to Dimebag Darrell other than just the usual “rest in peace Dimebag!” This was just before the song “Aesthetics of Hate,” which is from their upcoming release The Blackening. The crowd could not help but get pumped up by classics such as “Imperium,” “Old,” and closer “Davidian.” Like any truly great performance, it left you wanting more, and as Machine Head exited, that was exactly what I wanted: “more.” These guys should have had a higher billing and more playing time.

Before Lamb Of God took the stage, Trivium came out. That was when I decided to go get a drink. I am just not into bands that wear their own t-shirts and wristbands. It’s in the same realm as wearing the t-shirt of the band you are going to see: you just don’t do it. However, I was somewhat impressed by them. Their music and stage presence were entertaining, and people were going fucking nuts for ‘em. Even I got into the catchiness of “Entrance of the Conflagration.” Trivium were not what I thought they would be and showed why these Florida boys are making a name for themselves.

When Lamb Of God finally hit the stage, it was immediately chaos. Finally after touring through Southern California for the umpteenth time, I got off my ass and went to see them. You may notice the Lamb Of God pictures are, well… shitty. That is because some bitch with the tour told the bouncers specifically not to let me in the photo pit. That is bullshit! All of these bands got their start, including Lamb Of God, through grass roots publicity, whether it be a fanzine or a website. And to not allow us to photograph a band because they are too big or too important is a sack of shit. I have photographed Slayer with no problem, I can sure as shit photograph Lamb Of God. I feverishly looked for this girl to give her a piece of my mind, but of course she was nowhere to be found and I didn’t want to be thrown out for braiding her. Once I cooled down a little and realized that I was here to see Lamb Of God, I was impressed at how tight the entire band was. Every song was played to perfection, and Chris Adler looked almost effortless behind the kit. That is a true testament to these guys’ musicianship. I was also impressed with Randy Blythe’s vocals and the way he worked the crowd. It seemed as if people were hanging on his every word, or for that matter scream. One of my complains with Sacrament was that is sounded too over produced, but every track they played from the album sounded almost identical, including “Again We Rise” and “Descending.” They also did a nice job of not playing too much of the new material and sticking with the classics such as “Black Label,” “Ruin,” “11th Hour,” “Laid to Rest,” “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For”, and even “Bloodletting” which was recorded under the Burn The Priest moniker. All in all, Lamb Of God lived up to their billing and showed why they are becoming the biggest metal band on the planet.
www.lamb-of-god.com
www.trivium.org
www.machinehead1.com

Brian Anderson

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