25.11.2004
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN
POISON THE WELL
BURST
17 November 2004 - at Abart - ZÜRICH - CH
review by dalia di giacomo
- all photos © by Stefan Vogelaar
The public use of these photos is strictly prohibited without written permission
Great lesson in super heaviness and originality. The tour headlined by the
Dillinger Escape Plan is awaiting to impact on the Swiss audience this evening at the Abart of Zürich.
And it will be an experience. Even an unique one if you, like me, attend for the first the
"DEP" live. The Sweden -based Burst and the American Poison the Well complete the bill, so that the audience will have a taste of how much implacable is the wave of emo/hardcore mixed with NWOAH : in fact, mainly coming from
America, this genres are going beyond good and evil, breaking down every concept of the word
"heavy". If you combine this killing instinct with perverse bursts of violence, of genius, of melody, you fully understand how lethal this vision can be. A vision of dreaming fragility, of brilliant experimentation melted together with
a devastating strength.
20:15 Burst take the stage in front of an already good crowded pit, very attentive. the dillinger are too
important, the crowd is attracted. therefore Burst, already well known, can perform a show that is followed with much interest by many attenders. Attenders who are suitable rewarded by Burst's music, that is energy and anger, mixed passing through many styles but focused on this heavy school of hardcore/punk/death with NWOAH influences. everything well balanced and brought to the stage with ease , young
physical fitness and easy gate.
After the first two tracks, which intertwine melodic phrases with assaults full of rage, the ice is broken. The foe sublime establishes definitely a stream of good vibes between the band and the crowd. many nods, and signs of positive response and some headbanging's.
Scavenger is announced. Psycho harmonic passages open the way for a very heavy cadenced passage that finally bursts out in tight pieces of aggression. Good agility, very good mobility, much determination mixed a bit with a damned rock style give a picture of self-confidence and quite good solidity. the singer tells that Burst are very excited to be in Zürich together with DEP, catching applauses that fades into the announcement of Sculpt the Lives. Very roaring, it's very roaring this track, hammering, pressing, with a burst (it's the case to use this word again) of bass drumming. The pit is pleased and screams at the end. At the end of
Sculpt the Lives there is Vortex, more martial, always full of wrath. Oh wrath that's the word, the word that will describe well the rest of the evening. The following track,
Rain, is full of modern desperation and offers bass drums, cymbal attacks and powerful guitar riffing. Finished. No encore, but sincere applauses. No encore for the wrath. We will have tons of it shortly after, a kind of ultimate wrath. All in all Burst have presented a very good stage acting and a well cared music full with typical Scandinavian
richness, though a bit intricate.
setlist
Iris
Black but shining
The Foe sublime
Scavenger
Sculpt the Lives
Vortex
Rain
Burst were very good and opened brilliantly for the American impact, and with Poison the Well we enter indeed another dimension. Someone could prefer Burst to Poison the Well, but Poison the Well perfectly represent that formidable superheavy dynamic face of metal America. i am very tied up to our European dark obscure style and to everything that is similar, nonetheless i cannot help but admire this "crush", this transcending the limits, coming from the USA. It's the concept of hyperheavy rhythmic riffs that is withering and annihilative. And straight- in your-face. Poison the Well jump from hardcore to NWOAH, from typical melodic rocking American sounds to massive outbreaks of wrath and abrupt artillery- firing.
Without any trace of scenery or particular dress, Poison the Well are able to boost'n raise such a massiveness. Strong vocals, strong riffing's and direct drumming: these only are the factors of this power. After an harmonic intro of guitar chorus in full American sweet style, they start off with a terrible attack and maybe with the only authentic horrible track of them: crystal lake i think it is. Gosh! so nervous , full of square snare assaults, aggressive, a bit chaotic reminding me the worst characteristics of Mnemic. A melodic bridge appears from that abyss of aggressive pushing vortex. But, thanks to the other tracks, i must say that the band proposes a good set, with awesome songs, featuring all the aspects well balanced . the very good response of the crowd is just the natural consequence. great melodies and
noteworthy extreme saturated riffs of gravitational force: an alloy of impressive heaviness and catchy memorable hooklines.
At times they remind me of A.F.I., at times at times of Deftones. I also notice that Poison the Well is a quite disciplined band that anyway needs points of reference in order to to re-find the right equilibrium. The singer, in my opinion, looks not only angry but quite arrogant too, but ,
it is not the point. The point is that definitely Poison the Well are a promise between metal/Hardcore and melodic
styles, and this evening they perform all this in a proper manner. The furious guitars are able to give rise to a moshing, while the harmonic clean guitar breaks provide the right moments of calm before (or after ) the storm.
Finally the mosh becomes general in the area of the pit placed on my
right. Poison the Well smash, crush , destroy, hammer, stop and go,
with a bit of punky attitude, but are able to let gentle emotions fly free as well... now and then.
setlist
Intro
Crystal Lake
Sticks and Stones never made sense
Slice Paper Wrists
Artists rendering on me
Zombies are good for your Health
The View from here is...
My Mirror no longer
The Realist
Botchla
Nerdy
The Dillinger Escape Plan are the
Masters. Their music is not exactly my chalice of blood, but they are the masters in their own style. They go beyond any heaviness when they want, and they are such a formidable live band, like
only few others. Very few. i could say they are the "Dream Theater" of this hardcore/metalcore/punk/NWOAH/Math
metal family. They play what they want and when they want: they love music in general and this evening they prove to Zürich that they are so well prepared and so self confident, so original, so bombastic,
and at the same time so down-to earth and quite friendly. In fact the genuine skill and ability don't need star-pose. They meet the stage around 22:00, like
they were "normal kids". But well, when the show starts off, the magnitude takes shape. In front of an enthusiast crowd the Dillinger's genius explode: insane frenetic agitation, unpredictable hooks, earthshaking
psychotic energy, chaos, extreme mobility, complex passages, talent. The Dillinger Escape Plan are all this . And their live show is much more interesting even than listening to their album. Cause the 3 dimensional and personal way to propose this music gives that astonishing amount of temperament and intensity and emphasis. Greg Puciato's
live vehemence is no longer wrath: it is judgement, it is law. Period. Perfect, by the way, his vocals and his stage acting.
Very enthralling is when guitarist Ben, Greg and bassist Liam, on whose shoulders much of the rhythmic rests, hop fast and so often on the top of the monitors. The crowd, in a general and almost unrestrained banging -and -moshing -rapture, seems to pour out on the stage while the band seems to jump on the crowd. Brian is not playing due to his recent arm injury but he is recovering well. He is substituted by James. When the band has a technical problem with the bass amp, in the middle of the show, they arrange an instrumental mix and short solos of guitar and drums, totally supported by the crowd. Drums are very aggressive, totally square, consisting in snare, one bass drum, one tom-tom and cymbals/hi-hat. That's all. The setlist is very articulated and allows mayhem- bursts as well as moments to calm down; many songs from the new release Miss Machine are included. Some short jazz experimentations also clearly surface, but during the catchy loops it is impossible not to remain highly involved. Stop start- rhythms are alternated with extreme attacks or distorted sounds, or melodic drops or dark phrases and psycho insanity. Is this the famous DEP "math metal" and angular sound? It's the order of disorder, or the disorder of order. Intricate, sometimes difficult sometimes easier, yes, but amazing. Amazing even if you aren't into this stuff. Many musical pieces, many sounds are put together and all of them are mastered, building a global sense. They can truly say "We are the Storm". Flamboyant.
"my
sweet child of fire this love affair is so lost
this love affair is so lost cut through the sea this pendulum swings near
to me we are the storm so take your ship to port"
setlist
Panasonic Youth
Sunshine the Werewolf
the mullet Burden
Baby's first Coffin
When good dogs do bad things
Setting Fire to sleeping Giants
43% burnt
The perfect Design
Destro's Secret
Phone Home
The running Board
We are the Storm
Sugar coated Sour
top - inizio pagina
presentation|news|reviews|interviews|live reports|specials|f**king bollox|tours|dates
in store|upcoming releases|underground|artwork|videoclip|MP3's|venues|cd's archive
Niederrohrdorf
- Switzerland