Summer Slaughter 2013
by Ange23 on 2013-08-12Sound Academy - TorontoWe arrived just in time for The Ocean, a band that I wanted to make sure I see. The only downside was we missed the first few bands because once you're in the Sound Academy, you can't leave. Quite frankly I can't be cooped up in there for more than 5 hours. The great upside was the VIP ticket. I highly suggest anyone take this option if able to. The Ocean put on a killer set, I wanted to hear more from Pelagial but a 30 minutes set would not allow for their epic concept to fully come to life. Regardless I highly recommend checking them out, the vocalist was great and they provided a fresh take on song writing. The drummer also was impressive, he isn't your typical metal drummer so this gave the songs a much different interpretation. Following The Ocean was Cattle Decapitation. Going in I was not expecting much from this band, due to the name and their style of music. But boy was I wrong, vocalist Travis Ryan is the most impressive live vocalist I have seen to date. Still this not being my first choice in metal I was blown away by the power and range displayed on the low and high screams. Amongst all the blasting and frequent sweep picking their bassist also blew me away with his four finger technique. Then we were informed he was merely a fill in and this was his first night, making their set that much more impressive. I still can't sit back to a Cattle album but any chance I get to see them live I will from this point forward. As long as Travis is providing vocals like that. Norma Jean was on next, although they have faced many line up changes over the years they sounded great. They did seem a little out of place on the tour though, their music was a little more straight forward and they just had a different feel over all. Kind of like a less interesting Underoath. Next was Periphery, bias alert. This was my first time seeing two of my favourite bands so I was stoked. I was also able to meet Misha and Tosin prior to the show which made the whole experience that much better. With all the guitars and lay out of the venue it's hard to hear all the string work going on but they still put on a great performance. Spencer's vocals were a little shaky to start but he hit his groove after the first song Icarus Lives aka Groove Central proving his clean vocals are constantly improving. Matt Halpern provided a very unique drumming performance making their set even more captivating rhythmically. I was stoked to see Animals As Leaders on Thrice's farewell tour. Unfortunately they didn't make the Toronto show due to some police brutality in Boston. This was now my chance and although a 40 minute instrumental set may seem boring to some, if you are familiar with the material it goes by quick. I can't wait to see both Periphery and AAL again. Last was Dillinger. We left a few songs in, the non stop flickering lights and the noisy busy style of music was enough for us to call it a night. Don't take this as a very accurate portrayal of the band, it is just not something I can get in to. They are obviously doing something right though, they have a loyal fan base and great stage presence. Summer Slaughter 2013 - 8.5/10