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Man, my ears are still ringing!
First band was MRSA, I’d never heard them before but am pretty sure I’ve seen the name. Wasn’t really impressed, they wore halloween masks and were going for the ‘we’re a scary horror band’ thing but weren’t very polished. It looked like it was physically awkward to wear those masks so instead of being like a Slipknot show where their masks are like an identity for them, looking at the stage last night just said ‘uncomfortable Halloween masks”. Bassist had a QC and of the two guitarists I only saw one’s pedalboard, which was some 3-button + built-in expression pedal thing like a Mooer or something. Didn’t matter because I couldn’t hear the guitars at all. Mids were so scooped I don’t think even cranking them would have done anything.
Byzantine was next and they were fucking SICK!!!!!! I’d never heard them before that I can remember but I’ll definitely be getting some of their albums! Almost like a proggy Pantera/Lamb Of God. They weren’t tuned super low, probably Drop D, maybe Db. The singer REALLY impressed me and was right up my alley, screams and sings and he was throwing down with the singing, in fact, the bassist and one of the guitarists were as well and they were all more than capable vocalists. They were that version of a tight band that only happens after playing a fuckton of shows and working for it. Guitarists were sick. Dude on my side of the stage was using a Helix.
The singer would occasionally pick up a guitar for stuff that’d be overdubbed on the album and it worked really great with the other two guys fading out of sections with singer dude coming in with a clean part or he’d be holding down the rhythm while the other two were harmonizing solos. I LOVE being that impressed with a band I’d never seen before.
Then Fear Factory!
They’re doing all of Demanufacture as it’s the 30 year anniversary, not my favorite album but still fun to see live. After that they came back with a few more tunes, a cover of Head Of David’s “Dog Day Sunrise”, “Replica” and “H-K”, then my favorite part of the set- “Shock” into “Edgecrusher” and closed with “Lynchpin”
Dude, the new vocalist KILLED IT!!!! When I saw videos of the first few shows they did it was obvious he didn’t have his stage legs yet, but he QUICKLY got up to speed and did an outstanding job pumping the audience up and being a frontman. Dude has totally owned that spot thought when they first came onstage it was like “Dino and some dudes playing FF”, after about 3 songs I felt like I was watching a Fear Factory show. Burton definitely never sang that well live, this dude was in key and on point the whole time and it’s fucking crazy how well he pulls off that Burton voice.
Drummer and bassist killed it, really, the only mistakes I heard were Dino with some muting here and there. That drummer was working for it! He’s the drummer from Havoc. It didn’t even sound like his kicks were 100% triggers, if they were, they did a pretty great job at getting a natural kick sound in the sample. Bassist was tight as shit and did a lot of backup vocals, huge bass tone.
My only gripe was Dino’s tone; when he’d play by himself it sounded like tuned white noise with ZERO low end. If his guitars are chopped off after 120hz I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit. I know he’s using Kemper profiles he made from the album tracks and it sounded pretty good when everyone was playing, but being as close as I was to the PA (which is just off picture to the right of Dino) it wasn’t the most pleasing sound to hear at 115dB.
That was the loudest show I’ve ever seen there, hands down. Pretty interesting audience, too. Seemed like half were 40+ and the other half were Gen Z kids barely over 20.
First band was MRSA, I’d never heard them before but am pretty sure I’ve seen the name. Wasn’t really impressed, they wore halloween masks and were going for the ‘we’re a scary horror band’ thing but weren’t very polished. It looked like it was physically awkward to wear those masks so instead of being like a Slipknot show where their masks are like an identity for them, looking at the stage last night just said ‘uncomfortable Halloween masks”. Bassist had a QC and of the two guitarists I only saw one’s pedalboard, which was some 3-button + built-in expression pedal thing like a Mooer or something. Didn’t matter because I couldn’t hear the guitars at all. Mids were so scooped I don’t think even cranking them would have done anything.
Byzantine was next and they were fucking SICK!!!!!! I’d never heard them before that I can remember but I’ll definitely be getting some of their albums! Almost like a proggy Pantera/Lamb Of God. They weren’t tuned super low, probably Drop D, maybe Db. The singer REALLY impressed me and was right up my alley, screams and sings and he was throwing down with the singing, in fact, the bassist and one of the guitarists were as well and they were all more than capable vocalists. They were that version of a tight band that only happens after playing a fuckton of shows and working for it. Guitarists were sick. Dude on my side of the stage was using a Helix.
The singer would occasionally pick up a guitar for stuff that’d be overdubbed on the album and it worked really great with the other two guys fading out of sections with singer dude coming in with a clean part or he’d be holding down the rhythm while the other two were harmonizing solos. I LOVE being that impressed with a band I’d never seen before.
Then Fear Factory!
They’re doing all of Demanufacture as it’s the 30 year anniversary, not my favorite album but still fun to see live. After that they came back with a few more tunes, a cover of Head Of David’s “Dog Day Sunrise”, “Replica” and “H-K”, then my favorite part of the set- “Shock” into “Edgecrusher” and closed with “Lynchpin”
Dude, the new vocalist KILLED IT!!!! When I saw videos of the first few shows they did it was obvious he didn’t have his stage legs yet, but he QUICKLY got up to speed and did an outstanding job pumping the audience up and being a frontman. Dude has totally owned that spot thought when they first came onstage it was like “Dino and some dudes playing FF”, after about 3 songs I felt like I was watching a Fear Factory show. Burton definitely never sang that well live, this dude was in key and on point the whole time and it’s fucking crazy how well he pulls off that Burton voice.
Drummer and bassist killed it, really, the only mistakes I heard were Dino with some muting here and there. That drummer was working for it! He’s the drummer from Havoc. It didn’t even sound like his kicks were 100% triggers, if they were, they did a pretty great job at getting a natural kick sound in the sample. Bassist was tight as shit and did a lot of backup vocals, huge bass tone.
My only gripe was Dino’s tone; when he’d play by himself it sounded like tuned white noise with ZERO low end. If his guitars are chopped off after 120hz I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit. I know he’s using Kemper profiles he made from the album tracks and it sounded pretty good when everyone was playing, but being as close as I was to the PA (which is just off picture to the right of Dino) it wasn’t the most pleasing sound to hear at 115dB.
That was the loudest show I’ve ever seen there, hands down. Pretty interesting audience, too. Seemed like half were 40+ and the other half were Gen Z kids barely over 20.
It'll be interesting to hear this new album I'm thinking!
The whole reason Dino left Ibanez was a result of that bullshit. I’m guessing the contracts involved utilized the Fear Factory name enough that they were able to get their hooks into whatever Dino was getting from Ibanez, whether it was guitars or money, which would probably also explain why there weren’t a shitload of Dino sigs throughout the years. He’s easily been one of the most requested artists for an Ibanez sig and they ended up releasing something he barely ever played and looked nothing like the guitars he used.
