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On May 6th, 2015 I journeyed for my first trip south of the year, to Joliet, IL. A southwest suburb of Chicago. I go to this place a few times, the one hundred and twenty some mile drive, plus the daily Chicago commute traffic, makes the trip interesting each time. This time I was treated to two solid performances, one from opener Dragonforce, and the headliner, Kamelot. Prior to the show, I had the honor of meeting and getting a photograph taken with Kamelot. They took their time talking to everyone who came up to meet them, and really seemed to enjoy the interactions with their fans(myself, and my sister included). After the initial autographs were signed, they took a photo with everyone individually(or in my case, with my sister). The meet and greet was well thought out and planned and one of the better organized meet and greets I have been apart of. The guys from Dragonforce also happen to be walking around as my sister and I found our way back down to the floor level of the venue, and they were also kind and appreciative of anyone who said hi. So the lights went down, and Dragonforce entered the stage, opening up with Sonic Firestorm’s Fury Of Storm. The blistering track musically sounding like it did on cd, while Marc Hudson(vocalist) bringing his own energy to a Dragonforce classic. The latest single, Three Hammers quickly followed, a mixture of their signature technical guitar playing, and great melodies. The first track from their latest release, Maximum Overload, The Game was next. A song in which(one of many) I could not wait to experience live, mostly due to the trading guitar solos, specifically a guitar tapping part that Herman Li does(As seen in the video for the song as well). Speaking of guitar solos, Inhuman Rampage’s, Operation Ground and Pound was next, and featured the nightly duel between Li and Sam Totman. As the band stated, the video game inspired, Symphony Of The Night(Castelvania I am assuming!) off their latest release was next, and was written by bassist Frederic Leclercq. The Power Within’s melodic Cry Thunder followed, along with the classic Valley Of The Damned thereafter. I have always enjoyed hearing songs from bands earlier discography live, and this one is done I believe at every show(At least every show I have seen them, and this was number five!). A cover of Ring Of Fire was a fun Dragonforce arranged song, that set the stage, for the always popular, Guitar Hero-controller-was-broken-afterwards, Through The Fire And Flames. For 9 songs the band commanded the stage, and played a blistering set with very little let down. I have been a fan long before their popularity in the States, and for those who can not believe the band can play their own songs live, have read one too many blogs, or watched one too many Youtube videos. I am not denying that they those videos may exist, but what I am saying, I have seen them 5 times as I have mentioned, and each time the band has delivered. The one thing that stood out to me even more, is the band’s vocal harmonies, were among the best I had heard from them yet, live. For those who hate them, because they are famous, or not legit, I can’t change your mind, but no one can deny the talent. Also ALL the band members were kind and courteous before and after show, showing what kind of people they are.
A short break left me thinking about What a night it was, four plus hours of Power Metal, from two of my favorite bands. I heard a lot of songs that were favorites, and didn’t hear a few I would have loved to hear. Meeting both bands, and being in a filled club with everyone enjoying the music, made for a perfect night of metal. This same tour will have a second leg of the tour, this fall starting in November throughout North America. If you are a fan of either band, it is worth going out and seeing them. Check out Kamelot’s website for more information. Also if you missed it, please check out my review of Haven. |
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Killing Songs : |
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