Live Report - Iced Earth w/Symphony X and Warbringer - February 27th, 2012, Dallas Texas
Metal Reviews

Release year: 0
Reviewed by Cory

Being stationed in southwest Oklahoma, I don’t get to see as many concerts as I would like. Dallas is about a four hour drive south, and Lawrence is around seven hours northeast, so the logistics are not on my side. Add in costs like gas, hotel, food, and so on in addition to family expenses (and there are a lot), and you can see why this is a luxury I can seldom afford. Still there are a few bands that my wife knows I must see live no matter what, and when I learned that Iced Earth and Symphony X were touring together through Dallas, the deal was done. I booked tickets months in advance (even splurging on the reasonably priced Iced Earth VIP tickets). Both were on my must see list, and having never seen either of them live this was a do or die event for me. The day of the concert I met with a friend and off we went, using those hours on the road to re-familiarize ourselves with every song possible (naturally I own them all). We arrived in the city fairly early, and took that chance to get around for some good beer and food, until finally I was standing in line with other VIP ticket holders waiting for our chance to meet Iced Earth.

When it comes to influential figures in metal, John Schaffer is near the top of my list. Iced Earth has been at the forefront of my metal experience since I first began exploring it, and the opportunity to meet the man personally before seeing them live cannot be undervalued. The length of the line did not allow for an extended conversation, which was for the best because I could have asked questions well into the next day, but none the less that first impression and hand shake told me what I needed to know. Despite his success over the years, John Schaffer still appreciates his fans as much as we appreciate him and the band. In a line of around twenty or so people he took the time to talk with me and wish me and my family well with all sincerity, though I am sure he has been through the same routine thousands of times before. Afterwards the band took a photo with us, though that was not guaranteed with the VIP deal (merely stated it was a possibility). Of course it was not just John, but the rest of the band including Stu Block that I got to meet, and each one was just as pleasant. Altogether this alone was worth the drive, but there was still a concert to see.

Warbringer:

Trees in Dallas is a smaller venue, with capacity for around 400 people. The stage is pretty compact, though well positioned so that no one in the place has trouble seeing what is going on (assuming you are over five feet tall). The upper balcony was closed off, seeing as there were about 200 in attendance so me, my friend, and two guys we met at the show opted for seating in the far back, with a clear view of the show. Opening act Warbringer kicked things off with Living Weapon and the crowd immediately went into a mosh. I only recently discovered the band with the purchase of their newest album World Torn Asunder, and I can say with no doubt that I am hooked to their brand of thrash. Working with maybe 1/3 of the stage these guys just whipped the shit out of us with a deafening assault. They worked their way through 30 minutes worth of material with a good mix of each album, and a special notice goes out to frontman John Kevill who spent a good portion of his time hanging over the crowd from a stupidly placed support beam on the stage while spitting his lyrics into the eager masses. On a side tangent, why the hell do you put a support beam on the stage that close to the audience? I am all for structural integrity, but it is annoying as hell when you have band members dissappearing from view behind the thing. As far as sound goes, I found Warbringer to be the least victimized by a sound system that was hit and miss throughout the night. The two speaker stack set up worked perfectly for the thrashers and their wall of sound style. Highlights of their set included Living Weapon, Shattered Realities, Demonic Ecstasy, and closer Prepare for Combat Shock. As far as opening acts go, no one could have done any better to get us ready for the main event and I hope to catch them again sometime in the future.

Setlist: Living Weapon, Shattered Realities, Treachorous, Demonic Ecastasy, Living in a Whirlwind, and prepare for Combat Shock.

Symphony X

Round two came with Symphony X, opening with Iconoclast from their newest album. I worked my way up into the crowd about three deep from the stage, so I had a front row seat to just how much energy these guys bring to the table. It has always been obvious to anyone that listens just how great a band they are, and what amazing musicians, but seeing them live put it in a completely new perspective. Michael Romeo in particular just makes it seem so damn effortless as he works his scales and riffs, and watching him live (at one point blind folded by a towel) is mesmorizing. Russell Allen has long been one of my favorite vocalists, but on this night I learned just how fantastic a show man he is as well. He worked the crowd like a pro, eliciting response after response as he bantered and sang. The set was predictably Iconoclast heavy, with the first five tracks being from that album. My personal favorite album The Odyssey received only a nod with Inferno (Unleash the Fire), though it was an excellent rendition. Of Sins and Shadows was the only other track from their past, with no attention being given to V: The Mythology Suite which was a shame. It was not until the encore that Paradise Lost made an appearance, with a three song farewell that featured Eve of Seduction, Serpents Kiss, and a melting rendition of Set the World on Fire. From a band perspective, I thought the show was fantastic and that everyone was on top of their game, but the sound system and set up presented some issues. Most notable was that the keys were often overwhelmed and indistinguishable, which at a Symphony X show is naturally a big deal. This also happened to Russell at times, though not as often or nearly as bad. By the time they left the stage for good, I was left pleased but wanting more. Another chance to hear them in a better setting, with a longer set list and more clarity. Still, mentioning a highlight would be pointless because it was all fantastic.

Setlist: Iconoclast, End of Innocence, Dehumanized, Bastards of the Machine, When All is Lost, Inferno (Unleash the Fire), Electric Messiah, Children of a Faceless God, Of Sins and Shadows. Encore: Eve of Seduction, Serpents Kiss, and Set the World on Fire.

Iced Earth

What can I say? It was Iced fucking Earth, and the act of actually getting to see them live alone was worth the trip. Naturally the set opened with the title track off of the Dystopia album, and Schaffer's crew proceeded to whip the shit out of us. Stu at first came across as a bit weak on the lower end of his vocals, often disappearing into the mix, however when he let loose those shrieks later on it was ear shattering and easily distinguishable, so again I believe that the sound system is more to blame than the performer’s themselves. The energy the band brought as a whole was awesome, with Stu performing his frontman duties in enthusiastic fashion (though perhaps a bit over the top at times, and you get the feeling he is still finding his comfort zone with the band). Angel’s Holocaust was next, and a choice I did not expect (especially with Stormrider not making an appearance), but no matter because it killed. The overall set-list was pretty expansive for their discography, covering every album except the last two Wicked albums, which got no love (I personally enjoy them and missed their absence). When Night Falls was a nice surprise, as was Stand Alone. Days of Rage still doesn’t do it for me, and hearing it live didn’t change that. Damien was a monster live, pulled off to perfection with as much visual effects as they could squeeze out of the place, and the effect on the crowd was thunderous (especially to the drunk retard and his friends nearby, who nearly got himself kicked out of the bar a couple times. On the off chance you read this, you know who you are and there were about twenty people that night that wanted to beat the shit out of you, so tone it down next time). The highlight of the night, however, was Dante’s Inferno. A great song to begin with, hearing it live was just other worldly. Stu sounded at his absolute best on this track, and oddly enough did not run into any of the problems heard on the Dystopia tunes. Watching Schaffer shred his way through this song reminds you just how great a guitarist he is, despite the shit random internet forumites want to throw his way. The end came too soon, with a ripping version of their name-sake track Iced Earth, and alas no encore. Honestly I was about to fall over from exauhstion at this point anyways, so probably for the best (seriously man, once you have kids good luck staying up past midnight).

Setlist: Dystopia, Angels Holocaust, V, Stand Alone, When Night Falls, Dark City, Damien, Anthem, Declaration Day, Days of Rage, Watching Over Me, Dante’s Inferno, Iced Earth

When all was said and done, I could not have asked for a much better experience. Sure the audio quality had some bad moments, but that is a risk you take at any concert. Warbringer did indeed bring it, and the combination of Symphony X and Iced Earth playing on the same ticket was a massive winner. Great fucking night!

Killing Songs :
Cory quoted
Other albums by Live Report that we have reviewed:
Live Report - Marduk / Vader - United Titans Tour 2022 - 17th March 2022 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Genesis - The Last Domino? Tour - 25 September 2021 - AO Arena, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Mgla, Lvcifyre, Wode - 15th March 2019 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Pestilence, Grimaze, Damim, Cryptic Shift - 23rd February 2019 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - King Crimson - Uncertain Times Tour - 9th November 2018 - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
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