Dethalbum III Tour – REVIEW

We recently had the chance to review of the Dethalbum III Tour featuring Dethklok (obviously, haha), as well as All That Remains and The Black Dahlia Murder. You can check out our review after the break.

The Aragon Ballroom AKA the Brawlroom has a lot of legend to it. Crazy pits. High heat. All of that and then some is true about this place. Low and behold, the ideal venue for Cartoon Network’s own Dethklok to headline.

Modern death maestros The Black Dahlia Murder got the intensity boosted to 11 through their half hour of high charged, vertical velocity like metal. From opener “A Shrine To Madness” to ironic song title closer “I Will Return”, they are tight on a constant live basis. Fill in drummer Alan Cassidy was beyond impressive and any doubters that wanna doubt, well that’s your loss. Lead guitarist Ryan Knight’s leads are clean, beautiful, and articulate. Vai, Gilbert, and many other shredder’s would be proud. New(er) bassist Max Lavelle’s bass tone is as beefy and tasty as a slice of Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. The originals Brian E and Trevor S continue to be the incredible life line of this band from stage presence to crowd interaction preaching to the converted and converting new blood into their fanbase. Opening band, direct support, or headliner you cannot go wrong with their live show and boys mark my words..I WILL RETURN to see you guys live!

All That Remains were next and dove right into modern classic “This Calling” getting many bodies to push to the front and sing with vocalist Phillip Labonte. If Testament are a lesser known Metallica, then ATR is the lesser known Killswitch Engage. Only with more muscle and diversity. Phil and co were all over the place and crowd participation was a must from these Boston gentlemen(and woman). Their sound may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I admire that they are doing what they want to do and not caring if other’s hate it. Like Ryan K of Dahlia, Oli Herbert has his moment to shine on the leads as well as his mighty fine beard which stood out like a needle in a haystack. Guitar Hero video game favorite “Six” brought back memories of when I was extremely hooked on said game on the XBOX 360. 2008 Radio Breakthrough “Two Weeks” had given their fans and the one’s waiting for Dethklok one last rocking appetizer before they settle for the main course.

From the Cartoon Network smash hit Metalocalypse, Dethklok arrived in cartoon AND in human format. A giant video projecting screen airing hilarious snippets from past episodes above the stage was present and gave off a great theatrical touch to the show making it feel like it was a full on concert. Vocalist/guitarist/creator Brendon Small and his band do not get enough credit cause the music on display is actually supremely catchy and gets you humming the music to yourself on those late car rides home before you notice. Session drummer Gene Hoglan(Testament, Dark Angel, Death) shows off tonight(and always) why he is the go to guy when you need someone who can learn quick and make it look easy. Mega points to Brendon for new song “I Ejaculate Fire”. Heavy, catchy and a song title that’ll catch your attention like a Chicago Tribune news headline, it’s everything you could want in a great song. From the tongue in cheek humor, catchy/fun heavy tunes, video projectors, this concert was a spectacle and one that I am fully converted to. I took a gamble seeing a show on a band I didn’t know too much about, well I made the right choice. Give me round 2 Dethklok ASAP!

Information about this review…
Tour: Dethalbum III Tour
Bands: Dethklok, All That Remains, The Black Dahlia Murder
Reviewer: Nicholas Wier
Date: November 16, 2012
Venue: Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL