I drove a little over one hundred miles from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois. The first band of the night, was a local band named Acracy. They played a very short set, but the songs they played were good. Definitely a talented group, who I will definitely pay attention too, since I had not heard of them before. The singer Al, has a great voice, with both power and range. He had a great stage presence about him, that during one song, he sang most of it, running around the venue. Guitarist, Clint Davis, is one hell of rhythm player, who also shined during his solos as well. The rhythm section of Isaac Traylor(Bass) and Juan Cardenas(Drums) were also very solid. You can check them out on FACEBOOK. No music yet available on their site, but they said it is soon to come, definitely a band to watch!

The next band, was a group I discovered on Youtube last month, named Ascendia from Toronto Canada. You can see the review of their debut disc, The Lion and The Jester next week on MetalReviews. All but one song, came from that disc during the set. With a new song called You and I being the only song I had not heard. They play a unique style of Symphonic and Progressive Metal, that to me sounds like no one else. Vocalist, Nick Sakal's voice has a unique mix of power and melody that sounds very natural. His vocals from the get go, demand your attention, whether on disc or live. The instrumentalist in the band, are equally good. From powerful anthems like At The End Of It All and No More Tales, to the melancholic yet moving Faded Away the band weaved a healthy combination of melody, heaviness, and technical prowess which is a perfect reason to come see this band early. Look for more in my review next week, of their debut release!

Imminent Sonic Destruction, is a bit of an anomaly, cause I really wanted to like them a lot. They are true to the nature of classic Progressive Rock and Metal. The opening reminded me of something like Rush, early Genesis or Yes, while the vocal harmonies had a Galactic Cowboys feel to them, which put a smile on my face. Other songs(which I had only heard a few songs prior to the show) have a modern and at times, extreme(vocals) approach. Technically speaking this band is very talented as musicians. Something live sounded off on the vocals, harmony wise. I don't think the band can't sing, but something was not right to my ears. I like what I had heard on the tracks on SoundCloud though. I figured first night of the tour, the bugs(and maybe monitors) were not exactly where the band needed them to be. Either way there was no denying that the band members, are very talented at what they do.

Circus Maximus opened their set a theme from the original Planet Of The Apes and Nine's Forging. Speaking of Nine, the track Namaste, which among other great songs of the show, has a chorus that works perfectly live for singing along. From their first two discs Isolate(A Darkened Mind) and The 1st Chapter(Sin) followed, and it was great to finally hear these songs live, and have them sound the same way I have been listening to them for many years. The title track from their latest disc, Havoc followed. The title track off their debut, The 1st Chapter and one of my favorite songs, the epic Glory Of The Empire followed. The middle of the set consisted of songs that spanned all of their discography from Arrival of Love(Isolate) to Highest Bitter(Havoc) to Abyss(Isolate), and Architect of Fortune and I am(Nine). Ultimate Sacrifice(Isolate), Chivalry(Havoc) and the encore(Game Of Life) closed out what was a concert, that I never thought I would see.
As a fan, this was one of the bands I never thought I would have the opportunity to see, but always wanted to know what they were like live(and not just on a DVD). As a reviewer/critic, this was a flawless performance that the songs performed were the exact versions heard on cd. With a great mix of new and old songs, and talented opening bands from the very start, this was a concert I was glad I did not miss and wish I could re-live again.