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.
The new lineup sounded great. It was not the best I have heard them play, but considering the short time frame they had to get ready, it was admirable. They have made changes to the sound — it is a little faster, a little heavier, but still all Audible Thought. The set included such stand-bys as "Measure Up," "Speed Demon" complete with new double time drums amping up the speed aspect, and "Betrayed." The highlight was definitely "Can't Break Me," a song I have talked about in prior reviews. They haven't put this through the studio yet (at least not that I've heard), but it is a step forward in their songwriting and takes the listener on a sonic journey.
Lou sounded excellent, and Ryan was on point with strong guitar work. As for the new guys, it did take a little getting used to. Mike Polito sounded strong on bass going in a bit of a different direction from his predecessor, Jim Norton. This is a big one as Jim is a great bass player and an incredible stage presence, but it appears that Mike is well on his way to filling the gap and bringing his own flavor to the mix. As for the other new Mike, he is definitely a step up from their last drummer (who was good, but pales in comparison to Mike). He brings a much more active presence to the drums, one that is highly complementary to the rest of the band.
Unfortunately, this was their last show of the year. They are headed back to their rehearsal space to work on their songs and write some new ones in an effort to make 2008 a great year in their evolution.
It was time for a band that I didn't even know was on the bill until I showed up. Turned out they were a late add and the reason that Downfire played first rather than right before Overkill. That band was none other than the UK's own Paradise Lost. This news excited me to no end. I am not the biggest fan of Paradise Lost, but I own a couple of their albums and have always liked what I heard from them. They have a great doom and gloom metal sound that is not quite metal, not quite goth, but somewhere in between. They have been forging their own direction for years and now I had the opportunity to see them live.
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