MTV2 Headbangers Ball Tour Kickoff
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Featuring Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage, & Unearth
Live In Montreal, QC [Canada] Montreal crowds are notoriously fickle for reasons that are too snobby to understand. The larger the venue the harder it becomes to predict turnout at any given concert – especially with bands associated with the likes of anything mainstream a la MTV. The notable absence of Shadows Fall, recently denied papers by Canadian Customs, didn’t help the situation either. All things considered, did someone forget to tell Montreal that this was one of the best (and heaviest) package tours to hit the city in a while? That turnout if you’re still wondering was less than stellar. The Spectrum, with its 1,200-seat capacity, was at best ¾ full and even the bands were left scratching heads during a handful (or two) of awkward silences. It was an audience divided by nagging differences between the hardcore and heavy metal communities. Listen up people; don’t be afraid to step out of the shell of what it means to be “hardcore” or “metal”, just wail and slam dance to everything! And slam dance they did.  Off the heels of a new record deal with Metal Blade, Unearth officially kicked off the 2003 Headbangers Ball tour. Unearth’s foundation of hardcore that makes stars of other ordinary bands is enhanced by tinges of classic & Swedish metal. Lead by vocalist Trevor Phipps, Uneath ripped through 30 minutes of madness, leaving a mark on unsuspecting audience members.
The future of this genre lies with lyrical content that challenges, riffs that keep you guessing, and beats that demand movement. Evident no less by the calculated risks that labels like Metal Blade are taking, ripping artists away from small indies – as was the case with Unearth and their former, Eulogy. Buzz-band Killswitch Engage were next on stage. Their spot on this years’ Ozzfest somehow sparked a media conspiracy pegging Killswitch as the next big thing in heavy music. Though not known for accurate predictions, the media may not be too far off. A jump from Ferret Records to the behemoth Roadrunner two years ago, coupled with strong touring opportunities since then is leading to great opportunities for the band. Case in point, the MTV2 Headbangers Ball tour. Despite guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz’ self-professed love for French Canadian women and cuisine he was able to pull it together towards a strong performance alongside band mates Joel Stroetzel (guitar), Mike D’Antonio (bass), Tom Gomes (drums), and Howard Jones (vocals). Killswitch ripped through the brunt of 2002’s Alive Or Just Breathing and various soundtrack / compilation donations to great response. Like it or not, this is what the majority of the crowd came to see, and Killswitch delivered.  This being a tri-headlining tour with Killswitch Engage, Lamb Of God, and Shadows Fall, a system was instilled to rotate the order of the bill gig-to-gig, with openers Unearth supporting for the first half of the tour and God Forbid on the latter half. Great for the aforementioned buzz-band on this night out but not so for Lamb Of God, left to struggle with a gradually dissipating audience of fans. A hollow venue breeds disconnect and even the diehards couldn’t salvage the vibe.
Nevertheless, singer Randy Blythe sauntered on stage with cigarette and beer in hand to kick off Lamb Of God’s Headbangers Ball debut set. The band was in top shape, still high off their recent signing to Epic Records, as they blazed through several tracks from the groundbreaking New American Gospel and As The Palaces Burn, even finding room somewhere in the middle for older Burn The Priest-era material. So, what happens when you slam 3 (minus Shadows Fall on this night) Massachusetts-bred acts and 1 brutal outfit from Virgina onto one bill? A monster fucking tour. With one show down and 33 to go I just hope that the fans in your town will bring some hype with them. Related Link
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