100th Concert!

One hundred concerts! Its a mixed feeling, one of "Wow that's a lot of concerts!" but also a feeling of "That's it? That's all I've been to?"  The latter thought is obviously ridiculous to most people.

The show consisted of Children Of Bodom, Eluveitie, and Threat Signal. It was one of the few times that I've seen such a huge support for the opening act. There were as many people there to see the much less popular band Threat Signal and there were to see the headliners COB. Threat Signal are a Canadian Melodic Death Metal band, I was pretty impressed with the performance they put on and when I heard them play this song, Threat Signal - Fallen Disciples, I had to buy their newest album.

Eluveitie

Now I was more excited to see Eluveitie than I was to see Children Of Bodom. I have seen them both before, but I am hands down a much bigger fan of Eluveitie's. Hailing from Switzerland, they seem to be the band that has taken the Folk Metal genre's banner and really been trying to spread it around the US. They are currently, or even in recent years, the only Folk Metal band I follow who's even toured the States. But I am OK with them being the ones to come because they are my favorite Folk Metal band (followed closely by Korpiklaani Korpiklaani - Vodka). But this crowd that assembled at The Complex was here for a Melodic Death Metal concert. Not a single person around me knew who they were when they were setting up. So being the Metal Missionary I am, I educated a group of about 10 people about Folk Metal and how I enjoyed the band. I told them of the amazing compilation album Pagan Fire, that is were I learned of Eluveitie, Korpiklaani, Equilibrium, and many other bands. After they played their set most the people I had talked to came back to tell me I was right about them, some asked what the best albums were. But recently this has been happening more, a multi-genre tour comes to town (usually all the bands on a tour will be on the same record label), and the different genres each get represented. So in this case the little known (in Utah) Folk Metal scene was sandwiched between two Melodic Death Metal bands and gained quite a few new followers. Eluveitie - Inis Mona Now with 8 band members the stage can get really crowded, I can't imagine the tour bus situation. But for how little room they had to move around they are an amazingly energetic band. At one point the lead singer divided the crowd in two, one half against either wall, and demanded a mosh pit style I'd only heard of, a "Battle Wall!" he cried. From my vantage point in the balcony in the back of the venue, I looked on as the the two walls of people stood facing each other, just waiting for the band to start playing their war cry. As soon as the band started the next song, the two rival factions charged each other, screaming the whole way. When they collided it was truly like a scene from ancient times when a battle would begin, but instead of spears and clubs it was only a little energetic shoving, almost a twisted game of Red Rover. I cannot wait for these guys to come back!

Children Of Bodom "Hate Crew"

Where do I begin with Children Of Bodom? They are a weird band for me, I always had a longing to be part of a band like COB because they incorporate and switch between so many genres of Metal. So in my impractical mind I'm almost jealous of that band, which I know is absolutely absurd. They are doing what I want to be doing, but at least they are doing it amazingly. I had first seen COB when they opened for Black Label Society (it should have been the other way around!), I was amazed at the show they put on. Children Of Bodom - Living Dead Beat If you want to see a high energy band that can make the crowd move the entire show then do not miss Children Of Bodom!

So overall it was an amazing 100th concert! Now I'm on the journey to 200.