Primal Fear/MN Metal Fest review!

Well I'm not really good at writing reviews but here goes!

Well I arrived there @ 2pm nobody was there mostly young kids and it was hot & muggy as well and if you have ever been inside Station 4 when it's like that it sucks.

I basically wanted to see 3 bands Avian, Gracepoint, Primal Fear any other bands were a bonus IMO. Walked in and meet Nathan/Swordlord the promoter of the show he is an awesome guy very down to earth and totally metal.
Anyway I walked in and he commented on my shirt as I was wear my Primal Fear longselve first cd shirt so he knew who I was there to see. We bullshited for awhile and he asked where I was from told about 4 hrs away and he said very cool and said if I came down for any shows he would knock of the price of any show in half next time.
Well since I had a tic for this show the stub gets me into Pagan's Mind free on the 26th.

Well on I go the first band was sound checking so I made my way to the CDInzane booth and browsed their cds. To those who have bought from them before the prices can very from ok to high since they do cater alot of imports. I just browsed and made my way to Nightmare Records where Lance King was his selection was about 1/2 of what CDInzanes was. Well had a feelling he would have the Futures End cd and did and got a copy he had only 5 there also got Edgend as well both are being released in about 2-3 weeks so he had them before actually going to the public.

Well the 1st band was ready and they won a spot there by winning the battle of the bands in MN and was named Avalon. They basically were a 5 piece maybe 17 years of age and they actually were really good they were a melodic power band and they had their following as you might think all their age. I did enjoy them.

I left and went outside to cool of it was like 100+ degree in there and came back to hear a death metal band by the name of Grand Demise Of Civilization. I now know why I don't like death metal. But I will say they were talented at what they did couldn't understand a word they cookied!

Up next was Gracepoint a MN technical progressive band and they were awesome, a 5 piece with a great amount of talent always wondered why they weren't bigger. If you get a chance to see them do so they are amazing. I did get pics as well will post some later.

Next in line was Avian. I saw Avian's 1st ever live show back in 2005 I believe when they released "From The Depths Of Time". They have had a few changes since most noteable was the lead guitar. The 1st one eludes me but their 2nd was Bill Hudson orignally from Cellador and later Powerquest, Avian and now Echoterra. Their newest guitarist is Steve Stine who basically is an unknown to most but I know him from Methuselah, Grimmstine. An awesome guitarist and that show was his debut in Avian I though he did a good job I've heard him play better especially with Grimmstine.
They basically played 5 from their 1st and 1 from their 2nd cd. In all I though they did an ok job, to me Lance sounded a little week this time around. But in all they were good.

I left after standing almost 2 hrs of those 2 bands and went outside to cool off. Meet some cool people bullshited with for about an hour or so very cool peeps you meet there the cool thing everbody there was sober from what I saw they wanted to see a metal concert not get bombed.

Well I came into see about 10 mins of Gnostic not my thing mostly a screamo band IMO not my thing.

Back out I went and bullshited with the peeps again and a few were talking about the next band "Destroy Destroy Destroy" so it peeked my curiosity so I ventured back in. Swordlord introduced as he heard them from the metal show "Root Of All Evil" and asked them to come up so here they were!
From Tennesse they are from and they actually were really good if you like melodic death metal ala COB. They were very tight and talented, I like some and if I came across their cds I'd buy one.

Bought a couple more cds from CDInzane and a drum skin from Primal Fear!

I should mention most the sets were all about 50 mins long except for the last couple ones.

I was sweating my ass off so I went outside for quite awhile to sit and cool off. The peeps I was talking to earlier were out there as well and of course we talked metal. Well Novembers Doom was up next but I didn't go in they really didn't interest me all that much and I know why hearing them outside playing. I know they have a huge following but it's not my thing.

Well it is getting closer to Primal Fear about 1 1/2 hrs or so it's about 10 pm so I venture because I went to get a good spot for Primal Fear UP FRONT!!!!

Atheist is up next so I get to the front left side watch them setup. Well I really didn't know what to expect from the band I knew the name but their music. Swordlord introduced tham I was amazed how long they have been around since 1991. They were introduced and wow their intro song blew me away not knowing their sound I like what I heard.
To me they are technical death thrash that is what I gathered could be wrong but I liked it. The vocals are not so harsh but they music is fast as hell. The lead guitarist was amazing he had a sig sound of his own. They played 8 songs all were good IMO. I will be looking for some of thier cds. Their vocalist was a good front man he got the crowd going and ready for Primal Fear. Well I was glad I saw this band they blew me away.

OK ok here we go this what I'm here for PRIMAL FEAR. They tear down most of the stage equipment redo the drums for Randy Black and he made sure it was what he wanted that took about 1/2 hour to set up. All wa set in the meantime Alex came out to tune his guitar, the stage crew got the background setup so it was almost show time, I'm getting excited knowing I'm seeing one of the best metal bands around.

Woohoo showtime arrives, out comes Swordlord to introduce the band the crowd is buzzed.

Nathan says, "I can't believe I'm saying this welcome from Germany PRIMAL FEAR".

They come out with the intro "Before The Devil Knows Your Dead" just gets the crowd fired up, horns in the air crowd is metalized.
Then it goes into "Riding The Eagle" couldn't of asked for 2 better intros to get he crowd going. Fast as hell the song is the band is tight right off the bat, Henny is just an animal.

"Battalions Of Hate" was next a kicker as well this was from their earleir material. They actually played more stuff from the new cd.

Up next was Killbound one of the better faster paced songs of the new one everyone there was singing along, Ralf had the crowd going. After every song the crowd shouted Primal Fear, Primal Fear, Primal Fear the band loved it got them going even more but this time they were in full attack.

Next was the title cut from Nuclear Fire one of my favorite cds from the band. I'm telling ya they sound as good or even better live than on cd they were tight as hell!

I tried to remember every song but it was late and I was tired from what I remember this was the remaining setlist.

Last Embrace
Angel In Black
16.6
Fighting The Darkness
Running In The Dust
Primal Fear
Tears Of Rage
Armageddon
Metal Is Forever
Chainbreaker (encore)

Ralf was in fine form, Henny, Alex were monsters on Guitar, Mat great bassist, Randy Black monster drummer.

This band in particular was one of the best bands I ever saw live in all my years.

From a crowd standpoint it was disappointing I'd say maybe 200 attended the show and about 50% were young teens which is good that they are listening to underground bands like Primal Fear, Avian, Gracepoint.
Nathan is a great promoter in getting theses band here and from a metal standpoint MN lacks in true metalheads attending these fests. Even Ralf eluded everyone to that point piss poor crowds just about everytime I go there.

In all I was happy I went I was amazed at a couple bands I never heard but knew and then a couple that sucked.

Wargod50