Gwar, Dying Fetus, All That Remains
11/27/04 @ The Roseland Theatre in Portland, OR
After meeting the band All That Remains before the concert started, I was excited to hear them live. The band seemed to be very down to earth, which is exactly what I wouldn't expect from a band opening for Gwar and Dying Fetus. The set was very impressive and I enjoyed their true metalcore sound, remniscent of Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, and Shadows Fall - the band in which vocalist Phillip Labonte got his start. Although slightly inebriated, it was definitely a great performance in the middle of their tour promoting the new ep "This Darkened Heart," out now on Prosthetic Records.
Next up was Dying Fetus. When I heard this name, I expected the most insanely heavy, dark, and demonic sounding band Portland had ever seen. I was wrong. They're more likely the most insanely heavy, dark, and demonic bands anyone has ever seen. Fronted by John Gallagher, this death metal band was strictly that - metal that made me fear for my life just from listening to the band. Still carrying on from the success of their 2003 release "Stop at Nothing," they were just the right thing to get the metal kids in the audience ready for the headliner.
Gwar. Here are ten reasons, in no particular order, that Gwar is the greatest live band I have ever seen. 10 - Thousands of gallons of imitation blood and vomit sprayed into the chaotic mass of a crowd. 9 - More than impressive full-body monster/alien/fiend costumes constructed of latex, paper machete, and a whole hell of a lot of imagination. 8 - Props. George W. Bush, Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson, and several others were all used as props for number seven. 7 - On stage celebrity mutilation, the cause of a majority of the bloodspray. 6 - Large sign behind the band simply displaying "GWAR" in glowing blood red text. 5 - The stage setup. Rocky plateaus and other landforms that make me want to go spelunking. 4 - On stage assistants in the mutilation process, scantily clad and curiously energetic. 3 - Band member names. Oderus Urungus (Vocals), BalSac the Jaws of Death (Guitar), Beefcake the Mighty (Bass), Flattus Maximus (Guitar), and Jizmac da Gusha (Drums). Non-musicians still considered in the band are Sylmenstra Hymen (Dancer), Sexecutioner (Bodyguard), and Sleazy P. Martini (Manager). The list continues with countless enemies of the band, including Gor-Gor, Techno Destructo, and Dr. Professor Skuhedface. 2 - Definitely the most overlooked part of being Gwar is the talent possessed by these amazing individuals. The sound is incredibly solid and musical, which is hard enough to do without a half ton of costume weighing them down. 1 - The crowd that came to see Gwar. There were skins, punks, metal kids, emo kids, hippies, aged dead heads, jocks, and several others in attendance. It was nice to see so many different groups come together, all for the love of Gwar.
