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• Nonpoint,Candiria,Dry Kill Logic and B ! - Dec 9 2004 •
The Rock Nightclub, Maplewood, MN
Heading out to a metal show the day after legendary guitarist Dimebag
Darrell was shot and killed on stage, I didn’t know what to expect.
What was the mood going to be like? Would the musicians on stage in any
way be hesitant and wary of the crowd? Would anything be different? Was
I ready for “LAD” (Life After Darrell) or did I even want to be ready?
After witnessing the Dec. 9th show at the Rock, I realized another metal show was just what the doctor ordered.
Local heavyweights B! and their self-described “hardsoul” opened the
show and quickly made a devastating impression. If you haven’t seen
this power trio yet, don’t wait any longer. If I had a big time record
label, this is the first band that I would sign. B! has grooves
that make it torturous to stay seated. The songs are both crushingly
heavy and beautifully melodic at different times, and vocalist Dan
Knight can flat-out sing. The guys in Candiria were so impressed that
they dedicated one of their songs to them. A great, great band!
Next, were the three national touring bands, starting with New York’s Dry Kill Logic. Stocky and imposing singer Cliff Rigano stalked the stage like a tiger
let out of prolonged captivity. He had great command of the stage and
an excellent bond with the crowd. Guitarist Jason Bozzi’s waist-long
dreads were in constant motion as the band roared its extremely
aggressive sound. Highlights were the melodic (at least in the chorus)
“Paper Tiger,” which is currently in heavy rotation on MTV’s
Headbanger’s Ball, and the aptly named “Assfault.” Dry Kill’s last
song, dedicated to Dimebag, had furious, shredding riffs that Darrell
himself would have respected.
 Upon
seeing the third band, Candiria, the first thing I (and the people
around me) noticed was its drummer, Kenneth Schalk. Wow! He has to be
one of the most intense, powerful and gifted drummers I’ve ever
seen. The rest of the band wasn’t too shabby, either. Utilizing
different sonic textures and time signatures, with both multiple
harmony parts and rap vocals, this Brooklyn band had a very unique
sound. The most notable song was “Down,” mixing eerie harmony parts and
percussive grooves that made for an interesting, dynamic flow.
From the first note of the blistering “Mindtrip,” the guys from
Nonpoint threw themselves at the crowd like a beer bottle against a
cement wall. From that moment on, vocalist Elias Soriano and the band
had the audience exactly where they wanted them. Nonpoint had them
jumping like crazed school children. And they were just getting
started. The band’s latest radio hit, “The Truth,” with its terrific
opening build up, quickly dropped into a head-bobbing riff that Soriano
took to the next level. The song literally gave me chills; it was that
powerful. Easily one of the best metal songs of 2004. Another highlight was a heavy and very-well done cover of Phil Collins’
“In the Air Tonight,” which had the enthusiastic crowd singing along
with the chorus. All in all, Nonpoint was even better than expected and put on a
wonderful live performance. The band was very tight, and knew how to
balance a show in order to maximize its quality.
“It was an awesome show,” said Soriano, afterwords. “The crowd was
responsive. That’s what we do it for.” Indeed, Dec. 9th was just what I
and other Dimebag mourners needed. None of the bands held anything back
or showed any fear. It’s just what Dimebag would have wanted.
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Tony Ziebol
- - - - www.rockwatch.org Photos by Philip Kramer
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