Due to a prior commitment (Miike Takashi's "Happiness of the Katakuris" at the Seattle International Film festival) I was unable to catch the opening band. As a result of Six Feet Under's 420 theme the name of the opener has slipped my mind as well. If you're a member of the opening band, know who it was, or have a web link for them let me know and I'll add it here.

The first band of the evening for me were New York City's Sworn Enemy. I saw them last summer opening for D.R.I. where they impressed the hell out of me. These guys seem to be listed everywhere as a hardcore band but they are a LOT more metal sounding than most of the bands out there waving the hardcore flag. Regardless of their label Sworn Enemy simply kicked ass. As a group they were tight as hell and got a great reaction, which really surprised me for a crowd that was predominantly comprised of death metal fans. Their vocalist really got the crowd going, passing the mike off to people up front a number of times so they could help out with the vocals and generally seeming angry as hell. Their bassist was one of the most energetic performers I have ever seen and was all over the very small space he was allowed. Several hardcore kids made the pit a pretty vicious place, doing the frenzied kicking and punching at nothing (incidental contact sucks though) thing that is heavily present at east coast shows. That type of dancing blows if you ask me but what can you do? It's sad to see the days of the circle pit gone. Check these guys out if you're into hardcore or metalcore, you wont regret it.

Upstate New York's Skinless followed, making their first appearance in Seattle. A lot of people were looking forward to seeing these guys play and they showed their appreciation by getting one of the biggest mosh/slam pits going I have ever seen at the Graceland. While the riffing in their form of brutal death metal is a bit simplistic and repetitive they put on a good live set and had a lot of energy. If you're into brutal death metal don't miss Skinless when they hit your town, you won't be disappointed.

For more on the band check out their site at http://4skinless.com

Last up was Six Feet Under. A lot of people have accused them of being sellouts and spoken less than kind words about them but to see them perform live is to know the truth. True, they aren't the most complex or brutal of death metal bands today but they obviously love what they do. Chris Barnes is one of the best frontmen in the genre today, in particular for his enthusiasm and love of the fans if not for being one of the fathers of the cookie monster vocal style. He seems to have a great rapport with the fans and his appreciation of them is returned tenfold. There was a huge line of fans outside their bus after the show and he took the time to speak to each of them, something certain other bands should do as well, it IS worth the time. The band is very professional in the live setting and plays very well as a unit, the amount of touring that they do is apparent. While I'm not the biggest fan of the band's CDs I'll be the first to admit that I enjoy the hell out of their live show and will do my damnedest to see them whenever they come. If Six Feet Under come to your town spark up a joint and check them out, they are a hell of a lot of fun!

Check out Six Feet Under's web site at http://www.sfu420.com/

Photos from this show can be found in our Photo Gallery