So last night I went to the Starland Ballroom in Slayerville, NJ (get it?) for the Cool Tour. I've been there many times before for Sounds of the Underground, Sum 41 and other shows. It wasn't the best show I've ever been to.... Here is my review of the show, starting from the bands I saw in order:
The Acacia Strain
I first found out about this band a few years ago at this same venue. I was so blown away by how good they were that I immediately bought a hoodie. They hail from Massachusetts, and can throw down pretty hard. They put on a great show once again at the Cool Tour and I was very happy with them. To categorize them, they fall into the same category as Suicide Silence, Emmure, etc.. deathcore. That is one of my favorite genres of metal, so I was happy to rock out to them.
Between The Buried And Me
This band... I don't even know what to say. Their performance was all kinds of painful on my ears. I can listen to Alaska and Mordecai... but I'd rather listen to it at home so I can turn it off whenever I want. They gave me a huge migraine and I was not pleased with them at all. I couldn't even understand a single word the singer was saying! It baffled me because the other musicians weren't that bad... if he just didn't scream, they might actually be good.. A category for them? ...noise.
Blessthefall
I've been a fan of them for a while. I saw them for the first time at the Crazy Donkey in Long Island a few years ago with Silverstein, and I was very happy with the show they put on. This time, they were good but they didn't play Higinia or His Last Walk! I was really mad about that because those are my two favorite songs. I would categorize them as simply hardcore, but more of the long-haired-hot-guys-like-Alesana-and-Escape The Fate-hardcore. Ya know?
Underoath
They are so much better live than they are recorded. They played a lot of metal this time around, and I was annoyed that they didn't play Reinventing Your Exit. They did play A Boy Brushed Red though, and that song is great. They put on such a good show! Another hardcore band that is terrible recorded but can throw down at a venue. I also love how they praise God on stage and don't care what anyone has to say about it.
As I Lay Dying - headliner
One of my all time favorite metalcore bands. They were amazing! I spent most of the show in the 21+ area, since not that many people are there and you actually have room to breathe. But for AILD, I was happy to go in the pit and I even got up against the gate! Tim Lambesis gave me a pound, which was awesome. They played all of their fan favorites, too. Although I wish they would have played only one or two new songs, since their old stuff completely tramples anything new they've come out with. They are amazing, talented performers and I was happy to get squashed by crowd surfers to be able to get close to them.
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