SLIPKNOT / CHIMAIRA; House of Blues; Las Vegas, NV; 05/08/04
Reviewed by Richard Fenkel
"I like the live part of it," says Chimaira's bassist Jim LaMarca. LaMarca's fast and furious playing style provided the metalheads at the Las Vegas House of Blues a dynamic background for serious moshing. The pit was filled with Chimaira's faithful following. Body surfing near the front of the stage was evident as metalheads celebrated a true head-banging concert.
As with any high energy metal show, fans were screaming the lyrics back at the members of Chimaira. The floor of the HOB was filled with many "lead vocalists" and mosh experts.
Frontman and lead throat Mark Hunter sounded loud and vibrant, exhibiting great chemistry with his bandmates. Hunter interacted well with the Sin City fans. His powerful vocals put the pit into overdrive many times. Fueling the pit were songs such as "I Hate Everyone" and "Pure Hatred." These songs kick ass live and prove Chimaira, who have been together for about five years, are a real force in the metal music circuit.
"It self-describes what we are, a monster with different heads," says LaMarca referring to the name Chimaira. LaMarca adds, "All different heads come together as one monster."
This so-called monster exhibits great musicianship as well as great chemistry on stage. The blistering riffs and leads of guitarists Rob Arnold and Matt DeVries drove the crowd to frenzy. In addition, musicians Chris Spicuzza on the electronics and Richard Evensand on the cans give the band it's fully rounded sound.
All the guys in Chimaira enjoy touring and performing for their fans. "We have done a lot of touring on this record," says LaMarca, adding, "The fans have been so responsive. Its a great tour to be on."
The band's new CD, "The Impossibility of Reason," is a must buy. The lyrics are very cool. "I love playing them all," says LaMarca "Its fun to play live."
It's fun to see Chimaira live, too. The band's live show is involving and exciting and watching LaMarca on the bass is an adrenaline rush. Chimaira rocks!
Headliners Slipknot hit the stage with a vengeance. These nine guys fronted by lead throat Corey gave the HOB crowd a wild and entertaining show.
Corey knows his Slipknot fans and understands how to put them into a metal frenzy. An all-out assault was the order of the evening. As I watched these guys perform, I knew I was watching a live show that no other group can duplicate.
The songs from their previous album "Iowa" and their self-titled debut were well received. The group's evil masks and their high octane stage show proves they are the ultimate live group, with their edgy songs giving the live performance a sharp edge all its own.
"Duality," the first single from "Volume 3: The Subliminal Verses," the band's upcoming release, was also well received.
Don't miss Slipknot on the Ozzfest tour this summer.
Copyright © 2004 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
Revised: 06 Oct 2019 11:48:56 -0400.
