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Bullet For My Valentine @ Riverstage
13 May 2008, 03:18
Tue 6 May – Bullet For My Valentine Australian Tour
Devilish laughter rings out as I walk along the eerily unlit pathways of the city’s botanical gardens. Black-clad minors partake in rebellious pre-drinking under the cover of darkness; their newly-taxed ready-mixed cans litter garden beds like cultural artifacts. Upon arrival, it appears that the people in charge are still foolish enough to neglect opening the gates at a reasonable hour. From the thousands-deep queue outside, the slope of the ampitheatre acts as a barrier that takes the edge off the high-end sound mix problems that continually plague the open-air venue. There’s some decent call-and-response action going on inside: could it be that Behind Crimson Eyes have risen above their tag as the Australian metal community’s whipping boys?
Opening with Doomsday from 2007’s Lead Sails Paper Anchor and powering into Right Side Of The Bed, Atreyu effortlessly command our attention. Alex Varkatzas’ scream is juxtaposed with drummer Brandon Saller’s melodic voice: though, his vocal duties result in his adoption of a similar beat throughout every chorus he sings. “Put your arms around your friends and sing about all the stupid shit you’ve done!” announces Varkatzas before Ex’s And Oh’s, and it’s about the most enlightening message we’ll hear tonight. Though he produces the overdone “pull out your mobile phone!” call midway through the set, I can’t help but admire the band’s ability to blend their metalcore stylings with stadium rock cliches. They undertake an interesting experiment during Lip Gloss And Black by commanding most of the throng down the front to take to their knees before the final breakdown. Impressive.
The stratospheric egos of Avenged Sevenfold are evident from the outset: three-fifths of the American hard rock band are sunglass-clad as they emerge onstage to the Gladiator theme. Their cheesy dedication of Scream to “beautiful Australian women!” is cringe-worthy, and it’s not until they stage an impromptu Pantera Idol that I’m won over: three dudes from the crowd are given the chance to sing Walk, and they each fail miserably before reaching the chorus. Still, it’s an unexpected and hilarious moment that proves their extensively-toured set isn’t completely pre-determined. Bat Country and Unholy Confessions receive the biggest crowd response, before they end on a puzzling note with the overly-theatrical A Little Piece Of Heaven.
I’m entertained by watching the lighting guy dust his desk in a decidedly metal manner, while Pantera’s I’m Broken plays and anticipation builds.
The rise of Bullet For My Valentine has continued steadily since their inception in 2003; their two albums have solidifed their position as metalcore heavyweights. These three bands have toured extensively together during the American Taste Of Chaos tour, but it’s tonight’s headliners who seem the least human. As Bullet’s performance tonight opens with Scream Aim Fire, their technical brilliance approaches autonomy. The chanting breakdown in Disappear apes Metallica’s Creeping Death, but since they owe their existence to that band, it’s cool. After an hour, it’s become a bit boring: chugging palm-muted riffs go up and down the neck, drums double-kick, and there’s a guitar solo every two minutes. Nonetheless, the Welsh foursome are a force to be reckoned with, and the crowd remains abuzz with excitement after the show as we slowly filter out and dissolve into the night.
Rave Magazine
Devilish laughter rings out as I walk along the eerily unlit pathways of the city’s botanical gardens. Black-clad minors partake in rebellious pre-drinking under the cover of darkness; their newly-taxed ready-mixed cans litter garden beds like cultural artifacts. Upon arrival, it appears that the people in charge are still foolish enough to neglect opening the gates at a reasonable hour. From the thousands-deep queue outside, the slope of the ampitheatre acts as a barrier that takes the edge off the high-end sound mix problems that continually plague the open-air venue. There’s some decent call-and-response action going on inside: could it be that Behind Crimson Eyes have risen above their tag as the Australian metal community’s whipping boys?
Opening with Doomsday from 2007’s Lead Sails Paper Anchor and powering into Right Side Of The Bed, Atreyu effortlessly command our attention. Alex Varkatzas’ scream is juxtaposed with drummer Brandon Saller’s melodic voice: though, his vocal duties result in his adoption of a similar beat throughout every chorus he sings. “Put your arms around your friends and sing about all the stupid shit you’ve done!” announces Varkatzas before Ex’s And Oh’s, and it’s about the most enlightening message we’ll hear tonight. Though he produces the overdone “pull out your mobile phone!” call midway through the set, I can’t help but admire the band’s ability to blend their metalcore stylings with stadium rock cliches. They undertake an interesting experiment during Lip Gloss And Black by commanding most of the throng down the front to take to their knees before the final breakdown. Impressive.
The stratospheric egos of Avenged Sevenfold are evident from the outset: three-fifths of the American hard rock band are sunglass-clad as they emerge onstage to the Gladiator theme. Their cheesy dedication of Scream to “beautiful Australian women!” is cringe-worthy, and it’s not until they stage an impromptu Pantera Idol that I’m won over: three dudes from the crowd are given the chance to sing Walk, and they each fail miserably before reaching the chorus. Still, it’s an unexpected and hilarious moment that proves their extensively-toured set isn’t completely pre-determined. Bat Country and Unholy Confessions receive the biggest crowd response, before they end on a puzzling note with the overly-theatrical A Little Piece Of Heaven.
I’m entertained by watching the lighting guy dust his desk in a decidedly metal manner, while Pantera’s I’m Broken plays and anticipation builds.
The rise of Bullet For My Valentine has continued steadily since their inception in 2003; their two albums have solidifed their position as metalcore heavyweights. These three bands have toured extensively together during the American Taste Of Chaos tour, but it’s tonight’s headliners who seem the least human. As Bullet’s performance tonight opens with Scream Aim Fire, their technical brilliance approaches autonomy. The chanting breakdown in Disappear apes Metallica’s Creeping Death, but since they owe their existence to that band, it’s cool. After an hour, it’s become a bit boring: chugging palm-muted riffs go up and down the neck, drums double-kick, and there’s a guitar solo every two minutes. Nonetheless, the Welsh foursome are a force to be reckoned with, and the crowd remains abuzz with excitement after the show as we slowly filter out and dissolve into the night.
Rave Magazine
