It's been two months since I've been to a concert. That is the longest gap between shows in something like seven or eight years. I've missed a couple shows recently that would have been a lot of fun, with bands like Sonata Arctica, Mushroomhead, and Y & T. Fortunately, the show I went to for my comeback of sorts featured a strong line-up from top to bottom.
While I can't be considered a big fan of all the acts involved, all of them brought their A game, making for a night of great hard rock and metal. A blending of local, national, and international talent was on hand for the night and the crowd was right there for it.
When I got inside the Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, New York, the first act was already onstage. It was a band that I am familiar with, having seen them on a number of occasions over the past few years. They call themselves Downfire and are an excellent heavy hard rock act in a vein similar to Black Label Society. This band is definitely on the move, consistently delivering great live shows. These guys definitely know how to work the stage with the charismatic presence of vocalist/guitarist Dave Diaz, guitarist Carlos Vega, and bassist Mark Parisi. It doesn't matter if they are at the top of the bill or the first act in front of a small crowd, they put it all on the line. This show was no different; they played, the crowd responded, simple as that. The only problem with their set was a technical one. During their last song, "Through the Damage," it sounded as if Dave's guitar disappeared from the mix. I could still hear the monitor sound, but very little was making it out to the crowd.
There was also a new face on the stage making an impact that night; Downfire has a new drummer, Chilean-born Ignacio Orellana. I have to say that he is definitely making his presence known. He brings a stronger drum presence to the sound, giving the music a newfound dynamic. It will be interesting to see how he impacts the music as they move forward. Besides being a strong drummer, he is also a force on the promotion front, spreading the word of Chilean metal. Check out ChileanMetal.net for some bands just waiting to be discovered stateside.
The next band to take the stage was considerably different from Downfire and the rest of the bands on the bill. Crime Lab took the stage and proceeded to pound out their straight-up brand of hardcore. I cannot say that their music really grabbed me to any great extent, but there is certainly something to be said about their energy. They have a lot to spare and were more than willing to share it with the growing crowd. Aside from the energy there is something else that was exceptional about Crime Lab—their timing. Their songs play with all sorts of different time signatures, often changing mid-breakdown. Again, not a band I feel the desire to seek out, but I would not avoid them. They play hardcore and they play it well.
Now we have come to the part of the show that has been a long time coming. It was the return of Audible Thought to the stage. It has been a long time since they have played a live show, somewhere in the vicinity of seven months, if I remember correctly. Their bass player left the band in the search of other opportunities and their drummer chose to go in another direction. In the time between then and now the remaining core duo have been searching for new band mates. They found them in the form of bassist Mike Polito and drummer Mike Doyle.
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