Jagermeister
Music Tour
Slayer, Hatebreed, Arch Enemy, Hemlock
11/ 28/03
Universal Amphitheater, Universal City, CA
by Stella Kim/photos by Wayne Dennon
LINKS:
slayer.net
I had decided to spend Thanksgiving break in Los Angeles a long time before I heard Jagermeister Music Tour was going to stop by in a nearby city called Universal City. I was not terribly excited, because I did not care for past lineups.
However, when I learned that Slayer and Arch Enemy were on the tour, it was a different story. I had not seen either bands in two years, and the rumor was that Slayer was going to play the entire Reign In Blood album for the first time in their history.
I had not been to Los Angeles since I was ten and did not know what to expect for the most part. I certainly did not expect the traffic to be as bad as it was when I left for Universal City from Hollywood. I also did not realize that Universal was not much of a city, but a big cluster of all things entertainment, complete with multitude of restaurants, stores, an amusement park and a concert venue, Universal Amphitheatre, where Slayer and Arch Enemy were going to be playing that night. So it was very confusing to say the least, but when I spotted a herd of people who were donned in Slayer shirts, I knew I was going the right way.
When I entered the venue, the opening band was already halfway through their set. The tour had different opening bands in different regions, so I did not realize what band it was until later. The band turned out to be Hemlock, a Las Vegas-based death metal band. I had never heard of them before, and honestly they did not impress me either. It seemed to me that they a typical death metal band with typical death metal vocals, whose singing consisted of brutal, sometimes incoherent screaming. Some hooks and choruses were catchy, but it was not nearly enough to hold my attention. It could have been because I missed half of their set and the buildup. But the audience did not seem particularly excited either, maybe because they could not wait to see the almighty Slayer.
The next band on the bill was Arch Enemy, a Swedish metal ensemble. I saw them with Nile and Hate Eternal two summers ago and was impressed with the then-new singer Angela Gossow. She did not disappoint me this time either and was as brutal and powerful as ever. The band sounded extremely tight in general as well, especially Michael Amott, formerly of Carcass, whose ability shone throughout the set.
The set list consisted of many new tunes from the latest album, “Anthems
of Rebellion,” which had gotten fair reviews from the critics. Do
not expect the vocal to be weak simply because they have a female vocalist
though, because Angela could beat most male vocalists out there in a deep
growling competition and sounds like an angry beast from hell for the
most part. Check it out if you like Swedish power metal, especially with
good guitars and some melodic components thrown in. Better yet, check
them out live if they tour again.
The next to take the stage was Hatebreed. I had never seen them live but
have heard of their music. I am not a huge fan of hardcore music in general,
but I can appreciate the energetic and rebellious nature, and Hatebreed
exemplified that live. It was one of most energetic shows I had ever attended.
Jamey Jasta, the lead vocalist, was quite a frontman, running and headbanging
without rest throughout the set. I was not terribly impressed with his
voice, incoherent at times, but he had fabulous stage presence and really
knew how to handle the audience. The set list consisted of songs that
were short and powerful with messages, including a couple of songs from
the new album and two of my favorite songs, “Perseverance”
and “I Will Be Heard.” The audience was insane and wild with
anticipation by the time their set was over, so you know Hatebreed was
the perfect band to precede Slayer.
Slayer then took the stage like the metal gods that they are. What could I possibly say about Slayer that has not already been said? I have to say that it is indeed rare to see a band who has been playing and growing continuously for the past two decades and still excite the audience like no other band. As soon as they launched into “Disciple,” the audience literally went wild, with heads banging and fists flying in the air. They played much of their classic repertoire, such as “At Dawn They Sleep,” “Dead Skin Mask,” and “South Of Heaven.”
The encore started with “Angel Of Death,” and the band indeed
proceeded to play the entire Reign In Blood album, ending with
“Reign In Blood.” So the rumor was true. Tom Araya’s
voice was in very good condition even though it was the very last day
of the tour, (better than when I saw them three years ago.) He talked
a lot between songs and thanked the fans many times, something a few new
bands could learn, who think they still could be rock stars drinking Dom
Perignon and traveling the world without fans. The rest of the band sounded
tight, though they did not seem to communicate much with the audience.
However, it did not seem to affect the audience in the slightest. I mean
Slayer is Slayer.
All in all, it was a great show with an astonishing amount of energy. I was physically and emotionally exhausted when the show was finally over, as I should be after any good metal show: very strong lineup with some variety, excellent crowd.
I ran into Sharlee D’Angelo from Arch Enemy on my way out, and I asked him what was the best part of the tour. He replied in two words: “Free Jager!” I’m already looking forward to next Jagermeister Music Tour.