Machine Head, It Dies Today, and SYX 6/30/05 at Roseland Theater, Portland, OR
By Robin Steeley
Local Portland band Syx opened this show with their brand of hardcore sounds that got the audience started off on the right path. Playing tracks from their debut album “A Cold Breath Of What It Takes” as well as newer hits from their latest studio effort yet to be released, the band tore up the stage before packing up their gear and leaving to play yet another show for the night at new local venue Rock and Roll Pizza.
Next up on stage is It Dies Today, who put on an energetic stage performance and who manages a unique hardcore sound at a time when almost all hardcore bands sound just alike. They are a completely new band to me but I will be listening for them in the future, there is always room for another good metal band.
Much to the devastation of many fans here tonight Devil Driver had to cancel due to Dez Farfara coming down with Pneumonia and being sick as hell. Its’ a good thing that tonight is the last night of the tour so he was able to go home and get better before the upcoming Sounds of the Underground tour.
Finally, after a long set change the crowd goes crazy with anticipation, stomping and screaming “MACHINEFUCKINGHEAD” repeatedly. After what seemed like forever, the band finally takes the stage and stomps right into “Imperium” from their latest album “Through the Ashes of Empires”. The crowd, although a weak draw for a band such as Machine Head, the house was nearly half empty, but in the end it didn’t matter because all the hardcore old school Machine head fans were in the front, creating a monster pit, crowd surfing, and chaos reigned. The band played an extra long set tonight due to Devil Drivers cancellation and I wish I had been able to get the entire set list but I was too busy tearing it up in the pit.
The music is unerringly raw and brutal and Machine Head delivers a powerful intense performance like they have every time I have seen them, and this has to be the 25th time, at least, considering I am from San Francisco and watched them rise form the local circuit into the monster that they are today. Burn My Eyes was like the soundtrack of my youth. The music tonight is full of crushing breakdowns and a full onslaught of blistering metal. Phil Demmel is stunning on guitar, and his stage presence rivals almost any guitar player in the genre today. Percussion is expert, bass thundering, and the punishing force of Rob Flynn on vocals creates an extreme live experience.
Machine Head deliver every time I see them, I leave feeling spent, purged, my rage expelled for the time being. That’s the experience they will give you with their music. It’s almost like a ritual. Machine Head proved themselves again and its no wonder that they are in my top five bands in the world.
Editors Note: I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures for this review. The lighting was terrible, super dark and no flash allowed. The dark stage, combined with the fact that I couldn’t stop banging my head long enough to focus and shoot the pictures ended up with some very low quality images. My apologies.
PARTIAL SET LIST
Imperium
Seasons wither
Old
Bulldozer
Ten ton hammer
Blood sweat tears
Take my scars
Davidian
Iron maiden Cover
In The Presence of My Enemies
Block
Elegy
From This Day
