Guest Reviewer: Panoply

I’ll just go right into it. ‘ Not feeling very artsy right now.

ISIS:

I wanted to like Isis, I really did, but after giving them the chance I trust they deserved (listening to their first two songs–couldn’t tell you what they were), I found that I just wasn’t into
it. It’s hard to feel a band on a spiritual level while their playing live, like Isis want, when you don’t know what the songs are about, or even what they’re called. So to me, in that moment, it just sounded like boring drone metal.

But here’s a recap anyways:

Isis walked out, instruments in hand, while receiving a very warm reception from the crowd, and just went right into playing. They all stood on the spot, with Aaron doing the most head banging/grooving. His growling screamo vocals sounded great, if that says anything.  They played on the stage–all right up front, close to the edge–while the sole green and purple lighting alternated boringly (theperfectdrugtheperfectdrugtheperfectdrug). Not their fault, obviously, being the opening act. But when QOTSA opened for NIN, THEY had a great set-up (And may I say, while I’m not that into them, they have been the best opening act I’ve seen thus far. And the contestants include TMV). But I heard some people around me commenting on how they had never heard of Isis, but really like the performance; “It’s so laid back… relaxing…”

Aaron: “Thank-you! We’re Isis.”

TOOL:

Now, while the stage set up was wretched, the white-everything projector-like floor really made the Band stand out. No hiding in the shadows for those guys!

Maynard removes his cowboy hat and does a wing-armed bow. “Hello Edmonton” (Alberta, Canada, if anyone’s wondering).
SPOILER (lol): and dood did we have a vocal Maynard tonight!

They go right into Stinkfist. Which sounded great! (matter of opinion… overheard people afterward talking about the crap sound, but it sounded very Toolish to me). Interspaced somewhere in the song was Adam’s new (to me?) soaring, distorted, riffing solo. Halfway through that solo Danny comes in with his great and diversified drumming skills, making for a protean duettino. Honestly, this song was just so great within the set.

Maynard: “President Bush says to say hi.”
Crowd: *Boooooooo*
Maynard: “What? Did I fuck your girlfriend or something?”
Falsetto time! (And this, will NOT, be the only time…)
This song (The Pot) sounds great live, and it’s very high energy. Justin KILLS it. I thought I liked him better with short hair, but not on this track! Justin was rocking out harder than I’ve ever seen. And his fingers were fucking everywhere, not that I play bass. It sounded just like it does on the CD, except you could feel the bass brown-noting your 4 degrees warmer. Great.

Forty Six & 2. Not much to say about the song. But man was I dancing like an asshole.

Maynard: “Want some more?”
Jambi sounds fucking DEADLY live. And Maynard gets his macho on during. Hands around dinner-plate-belt-buckle, He’s limboing Adam’s decapitating Iambic meter, fucking it reserve cowgirl even. You cannot wait to see this song live!

A much longer intro to Schism, and I don’t even know what song they’re playing. But once the song starts where it does on the CD, I’m dancing like a fucking retard again. And get this – Maynard did more falsetto! Throughout most of the whole! He sounded like a fucking chipmunk! But it didn’t degenerate the song AT ALL. Great way to spice things up. There is beauty in
the dissonance.

ROSETTA STONED IS A CYNOSURE. Don’t even know what that means? remember to write it down. This was the closest thing to an epic that there was on the setlist, and had it not lyrically been from the perspective of a flibbertigibbet, I WOULD consider it epic. I’m pretty sure the stuff getting projected was the recent work of Blair and Camella, as there was a naked guy running away from off-screen things in a desert somewhere, presumably out side Area 51. He looked CG at moments though… but I’m not sure. I haven’t seen Tool CG animations look that good before. CYNOSURE! [I had the notion that this song sounded like a steel cord missionary pounding…]

And God said, let them be sober. And the boys vociferated: why can’t we not be? Best supererogative moment of the concert: more guitar and drum solo/duettino! Though this time the guitar was 10x better! Adam truly is a god of precariously thriving distortion. This sounded so fresh to me. Loved it.

Maynard: “We have something cool called a time machine. Want to step inside with us?”
Opiate. VERY welcome surprise. Not much to say, I mean, it’s Opiate. Sounded awful (meaning reverential, look it up!).

Maynard: “I wanna tell you a story… but I’m not sure which to tell…”
“Oh, here’s one: How do you get a dog to stop humping you leg? Pick it up and suck its dick. …I’m not even joking.”
“Sorry about our president.” [Something about storm troopers… and buying the U.S. while our dollar is high, before they invade us for our oil.]
“And again, sorry about our president. I thought leaving that flaming pile of dog shit on his porch would help him get the hint. But I guess not. …I’m still on probation.”

Lateralus is such a classic. I’ll never get tired of the song. This is when they busted out the laser-floyd. No alterations, it didn’t need any.

Vicarious sounds and -feels- great live. No Vicarious video clips.
Fittingly, the projections were of T.V. snow. Nothing else to say about it, the song sounds just how you think it would.

Maynard: “Peace out.”

And they finish up with Aenima. It’s an anthem. I guarantee I spit all over the fucker in front me while singing along.