Blessed by Gods

Exhilaration, the day before the concert. Yeah, finally ‘the day’ was just a few hours away. Days and months of anticipation were finally in its last few hours. What was something distant and futuristic would now be history, in a matter of few hours.

Weekends with a equal to sign lazy, in short weekends=lazy (for me, at least). But this weekend was full of energy. Saturday, May 15, was going to be redefining weekend for me.
There was four hours to go before the gates would be thrown open to the head bangers. And my friend and I were already on our way. As we neared the grounds, all I saw was hundreds and hundreds of people, and most with blue jeans, black ‘LOG’ T-shirts. What the differentiating factor was, probably the weird hair styles. A few looked as if they hadn’t shaved for years. My respects to these real followers of metal.

Like you have the appetizer before the main course, Indian bands were playing. Boomerrang, Bhoomi, Scribe, and Extinct Reflections. They entertained us with reasonably good music for about three to four hours. And then came the moment that each and every heart was looking forward to. Yeah. The Gods were next on the schedule. But there was still another good 45 minutes before we could hear the Gods. An Announcement “Go, Grab your food and alcohol because it’s gonna be a fiery one.”

And at 7.30, The Gods blessed us. As the Gods entered the stage. The roar was thunderous. Enchanting in tandem with the horns up “Lamb of God”, “Lamb of God”, “Lamb of God”, “Lamb of God”. It was dark at the center stage and the then the first string struck. It was mayhem with color background lights (you will see that in the video) head banging and mesh pits. People were going crazy! I can’t really explain how the atmosphere was. It should be experienced rather than told.

Laid to rest (Live) @ Bangalore – Lamb of God



To keep the up intensity the Randy Blythe played one song after another nonstop for the next one and hour. The crowd really went berserk when Randy said “This is called Laid to Rest” and asked us to sing along. After this song, he called Mahatma Gandhi – The Punk Rock Dude that made us laugh. He dedicated the next song “Contractor” to him.

Contractor – Lamb of God




What was surprising to me was that he didn’t play Omerta. I was in the misconception that he would say this is the last song and play Omerta, but that never happened. I was a little disappointed about it, but I was all the more happy to hear the two Grammy songs. So the disappointment never stayed long. After the concert the only thing running in my mind was, “I just saw Lamb of God (LIVE)”. It was only Lamb of God for the next one week. I could feel the music of the bass guitar, the drums and Randy singing. Long live Lamb of God, they just knocked us out of our senses. In short, was transported to heaven for a few hours. Yeah, and it was worth each and every second.

Vigil – Lamb of God



Rock Forever \m/

The Prelude To The Gods ;)

“Dude I am sure you will like all the songs what I have sent, but you surely gonna love Omerta, I know what you listen to and what you like”. And he was right! , I loved it, in fact I asked him to send me more songs of Lamb of God that’s when he sent me ‘Redneck’. That how I got to know LOG, a few years ago, exchanging my collection with a friend.

And today 20 times – “Omerta” and “Redneck”. The reason: I am all kicked about tomorrow’s concert. Yeah, LOG will be here in Bangalore.  I am super excited. I don’t think I can explain what I am going through just thinking about the concert. And tomorrow should never die. Because with my hands up in the air, head banging, I will transported to a different world together; where the soul syncs with the music becoming a different entity all together. Every thought is just about tomorrow for now.

Omerta



A heavy metal band formed in 1994 in Richmond, Virginia. Since its formation, they have released 6 studio albums

Lamb of God:
A heavy metal band formed in 1994 in Richmond, Virginia. Since its formation, they have released 6 studio albums.

1. Burn the Priest (1999)
2. New American Gospel (2000)
3. As the Palaces Burn (2003)
4. Ashes of the Wake (2004)
5. Sacrament (2006)
6. Wrath (2009)

In 2007 Lamb of God was nominated for Best Metal Performance for “Redneck” but lost out to Slayer’s “Eyes of the Insane”

Redneck



Lamb of God was an instrumental band called Burn the Priest, and included vocals after Randy Blythe joined the band. They were influential to another metal band called Pantera. They both belong to Southern United States another connection and another fact that they both are highly influential bands.

Current Members:
Randy Blythe – lead vocals (1995–present)
Mark Morton – lead guitar (1990, 1997–present)
Willie Adler – rhythm guitar (1998–present)
John Campbell – bass (1990–present)
Chris Adler – drums

Former Member:
Abe Spear – guitar (1990–1998)

Lamb of God will be on the 2010 Mayhem Festival on the Mayhem Festival Main Stage along with Korn, Rob Zombie, and Five Finger Death Punch. Other festival participants include: Atreyu, In This Moment, 3 Inches of Blood , Hatebreed, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, and Winds of Plague. Lamb of God has also been nominated for a Grammy in 2010 for the Best Metal Performance category, with "Set to Fail" but lost out to Judas Priest.

Set to Fail



More updated on Lamb of God after the concert, till then keep banging your head to the music

Rock Forever \m/

DoWn aNd oUt!

Just when you think that you’re down and out

Don’t preconceive what I’m all about

Look for a reason that you have a start

Acting like a friend that you are not

And when you think we played it out

We come from the bottom and knock it out

Look for a reason that you have to start

Acting like a friend but you’re not, yeah!

These words were ringing in my head, not just because I had heard it 53 times in just three days (i-tunes gives you the exact number of times the song has been heard, so no exaggeration here). It’s because there is something about this song; you hear it once and you feel it’s just not enough. And the incredible music cannot be ignored. I sent this song to my friends, and even my boss. Their Reaction: “Mind Blowing”, “Super Music”, “Awesome Find”, “Out-of-the-world”, and people have described it in many other adjectives and superlatives.

Well, since music is something I believe is very subjective. So what do I like about this song?  If that’s the question you ask me, my answer would be: The lines give a great punch and that keeps me going. The singer’s groaning voice emphasizes the words perfectly and blends beautifully into the meaning. The violin matches perfectly. The music slows down where it should and picks up at the right time. Well that’s more than one reason why I can listen to the song any number of times.

Tantric – Down and Out

Fact-O-File:

Formed in 1999 with Jesse Vest, Todd Whitener & Matt Taul (3 former members of Days of the New) and then with the addition of singer Hugo Ferreria they named their band as C-14 (a short name of Radiocarbon). Soon they changed to Tantric and were signed to Maverick Records that same year.

The band has changed from the time it formed and what it is today

Present Band Members:

Singer - Hugo Ferreira

Drums - Richie Monica
Guitarist - Joe Pessia
Bassist - Erik Leonhardt
Electric Violin - Marcus Ratzenboeck

Former members:

Guitarist - Todd Whitener

Bassist - Jesse Vest
Keys - Joey Stamper
Guitarist - Kevin McCreery
Drums - Matt Taul
Bassist - Bruce LaFrance (after Jesse Vest)
Drums - Kevin Miller

The Present members came up with another master piece.

Tantric – Mourning

Rock Forever \m/

Am "Disturbed"

I was ‘Disturbed’. Yeah, You heard it right. I was on a trip to Dandeli in Maharashtra and a friend of mine compelled, nagged, and forced all of us to hear a song, and I was the only one who finally gave in. Sometimes you hear a few random phrases during some random talk that “Whatever happens, happens for good”. I never actually gave much thought to these lines until that day. I was happy I gave in to his constant ‘nagging’ (At least that’s what I thought at that point of time, but now I truly understand why he asked us to). His constant nagging left me ‘Disturbed’.

All, those ‘Disturbed’ fans out there, I know you got what I am saying. For those who didn’t, this is how I got introduced to a band ‘Disturbed’. These guys stand apart, they are in a league of their own. When I heard their song for the first time, it was a completely new experience for me. And today after 10 years after that song was released, they have come up with ‘Remixed and Remastered’ as their 10th Anniversary Edition. And I am just waiting to grab a copy of it.



Down With the Sickness this song was the beginning for me and I never stopped after this. The first beat I heard and I was already in love with the music and the way the singer sings, I think no one can. That's his inbuilt beauty what he possess.

Fact o File:
The Band: Formed in 1996 when musicians Dan Donegan, Steve "Fuzz" Kmak, and Mike Wengren hired David Draiman as there lead singer. Before vocalist David Draiman joined Disturbed, they were known as Brawl, a band whose lineup consisted of vocalist Erich Awalt.

So the line up is:

Lead Singer : David Draiman
Guitarist : Dan Donegan
Dummer : Mike Wengren
Bassist : Steve "Fuzz" Kmak

After re-naming the band. They have released 4 albums and 5th one is on its way

1. The Sickness (1998–2000)
2. Believe (2001–2003)
3. Ten Thousand Fists (2004–2006)
4. Indestructible (2007–2009)
5. Decade of Disturbed, fifth studio album (Since 2010)

I am waiting for the 5th one and I want to get "Disturbed" again!

Their last album indestructible had an OST for the movie "Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen"

This Moment!



Rock Forever \m/

After Effects!

I was walking out of the concert but the music was still playing loud in my ears. “Chants of “Maiden, Maiden, Maiden” was reverberating in the air.As I stepped out of the grounds I saw a huge crowd around the place, most of them in  black t-shirts with "Iron Maiden" on it. At that moment, my belief that ‘Metal is a global religion’ just grew stronger.

I could see the change, the enthusiasm, the euphoria.Metal lovers were screaming; for more and asking the metal bands to come to India and especially Bangalore to perform. And the message was simple ‘We are ready - bring it on’. The atmosphere even after the show was just "Electrifying".

Couple of days passed but I couldn’t get out of the hangover of that deadly music! And it was just one of those days, when a thought crossed my mind. I started taking that thought seriously. One question. ‘How many bands do I know and How well I knew them?’ haunted me all through. Now the second half of the question is what intrigued me more. Because the discovery for new bands had started long back but I just got to know them at the surface level. It was a like a formal handshake with these bands. But after that day, I knew that what I knew about the bands was just not enough. I started researching about them, so that I really do know about ‘ Rock’ and was not like just another pseudo who calls himself a ‘Rocklover’ and knows nothing about Real Rock Music.

PS: The first thing I did was to find how many kinds of rock are there and I found this http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/69020)

The Concert -One Word - Mind Blowing - Part 3

All I could see — People going crazy with passion, head banging and countless fans with their hands \m/ up in the air. And I never realized I was one of them. The atmosphere was electrifying. Everybody was enjoying the music and singing along. I knew this was going to be an experience of a lifetime and indeed it was.

What can a rock lover ask for? To be in the middle of a concert, to see a band you love, to see them play live in front of you. That’s it right? Yeah, and I was right there. Even heaven might not be as enjoyable as this!

Now Bruce Dickinson was just unbelievable. He just brought in more energy in the maddening crowd. Bruce almost in 50s running around the stage as if he were 20 years younger, I was awestruck. Bruce shouted “SCREAM FOR ME BAAAAAAAAAANGALOE, SCREAM FOR ME BAAAAAAANGALOREEEEEEE". That was it and probably that was what the crowd was waiting for. And the crowd screamed, screamed as loudly as they could, nothing in the world seemed more important to them at that point of time.

I am sure he didn’t expect this kind of response from the crowd, he probably felt over whelmed. If you don’t believe me, just look at his smile (in the video). And what Bruce said next, still rings in my mind like a priest chanting his prayers. Bruce said "You, all of you are going to be a part of history, after this, looking at all you metal lovers, there will be many bands to follow". Bruce said one more thing and the crowd went wild "And we will be back soon to India after this show, may be next year or next to next year, but we will be here" and when he said you can just imagine how the crowd was screaming and yelling on top of their voice.

A film taken by Global Metal film.



This video has a message that we are a GLOBAL RELIGION!!!

What made the show all more dramatic and super ecstatic was the special entry of their mascot ‘Eddie’. I can probably say, that was one of the best part, and the other amazing part was when they sang two songs and said “Bye Bangalore, will be back soon”. As expected, there is nothing that can quench the thirst for music, especially music of this grandeur. So all of us out there, start chanting “Once More, Once More” in perfect unison. Still, the lights go off. But that didn’t deter any one of us, and no one moved. Then all of a sudden Bruce comes out and tells the crowd that they are done. But that still didn’t stop the Bangalore Crowd from chanting the encore. This fervour, this passion, ignited Bruce and he screams “Troooooooooooooooopers” and Eddie enters the stage. Now what happens next is left for you to imagine. Later realized that the "Bye" was just to make the crowd even more crazier!

Now, when I look back, I just have a smirk on my face, a whole lot of memories and a wish if I could go back to that time again. Sometimes, it’s just a great feeling to be a part of history. Not everybody might understand the importance of this, those who do, sure will say “Oh! Boy! You were lucky to part of it.” Those who don’t never will understand what they missed.

For all those who so wanted to be there, but missed, a dedication to you all – one of the Maiden's best song "Number of the beast" from the concert. Enjoy!



Rock Lives forever

Rock Forever \m/

The Concert -One Word - Mind Blowing - Part 2

Thanks for reading!

Continuing from where I left last time. With just two days left, and none of my friends from college or even office to accompany me, I thought I might have to go alone. But sometimes, your thoughts don’t become reality and this was one such moment, because I had a person accompanying me to the concert.

Who was this person. There’s a small story you got read. It was just another day at college with the professor calling out the attendance as if you were in school. A particular name was called out ( Privacy issues, names can’t be revealed, sorry folks) and I shouted “absent” and suddenly I was startled when a voice screamed “No Sir, I am present". Now, there I was looking, who that person was, I had never seen that guy for the entire semester and there he was saying present. Confused, bewildered, I shook my head and apologised for being wrong.
An hour later, after the class, during the breaks, an usual chat session was on and I spoke to that guy, and during the conversation he happened to mention about the Iron Maiden show. The very words Iron Maiden triggered an adrenal rush and I was totally energised! I said “I am going too”, and asked if I could join him” All he said was “5'0 clock Brigade Road, I will be waiting for you”. Now that I had some company, the excitement heightened and reached a whole new level.

The next day, I was ten minutes behind schedule, I called him on his cell phone, he said “ I am waiting down the road”. I went running just to find that what awaited me was something I never expected. There he was, with a couple of his friends. So finally the number was four, yeah there were four of us who barely knew each other but united by spirit of love for rock music.

It took about two hours to reach the ground zero, the place where the concert was happening, the palace grounds. The noise there was deafening. It was 7:15, and Parikrama — a local Indian Rock Band was on stage. People wanted Maiden and not them at that point of time, so people chant “Maiden” Mantra again and again.

And finally, at about nine we saw them. We saw the demi-gods. I was too far too see them. As it happens in rock concerts, there were divisions for different category of passes and tickets. I belonged to those who had a ticket for Rs.800. Those who paid Rs1200 were luckier, they got a closer view. Many jumped the fence and got into the 1200 bucks category. There were huge screen placed everywhere. But that didn’t satisfy many music lovers and I was one of them. I was lucky enough to escape the lathi charge while jumping into the1200 bucks category. ( I know, sometimes you do crazy stuffs and smile when you think of it later on) And finally, after all this madness, or passion, or whatever you may call it, I was right there, in the middle of the concert.

Got to stop for now. Will continue what happens next in the up-coming post. Believe me, you don’t know what to expect. All I say is ‘Wait for it’.

Rock Forever \m/