Nine Inch Nails: Unforgettable

After taking in the auditory assault that was Judas Priest and Testament the previous night and waking up feeling like crap, I was unsure of the shape I’d be in for the Nine Inch Nails (NIN) concert. Thankfully, I persevered, otherwise I would have missed out on the best concert of my life.

From the first few notes of 1,000,000; an excellent track from NIN’s new album, The Slip, I knew I was in for a hell of a ride. The multi-talented Trent Reznor and his touring band started the show off hard and heavy, delving into new numbers like Discipline and fan-favorite March of the Pigs in front of a wall of rotating lights. The energy these guys brought to the stage was amazing, and they had the whole floor rocking out and singing along.

The first light show was good enough, but Nine Inch Nails surpassed anything I’ve seen during the rest of the show. As screens of LED lights descended from the rafters, guitars and drums were replaced with synths as NIN dove into some of their more electronic material in front of columns of green light. It was a eerie effect, and it set the mood perfectly.

I was even more surprised when the synths gave way to xylophones, cellos, and oboes (or was it a clarinet?) as NIN performed some of the tracks from their ambient album, Ghosts, finishing off with a new rendition of a classic, Piggy. If this was any other band, this would have been a low point in the show. However, NIN’s brilliant display of layered, semi-transparent LED screens with awe-inspiring lighting compositions provided the perfect backdrop for the laid-back, atmospheric music. From a desert scene complete with layers of clouds to a thick wall of static that eventually gave way to the band performing behind it, the concert was a treat for the eyes as much as the ears.

After the ambient interlude, Trent got right back to business, launching into classics like Wish and Terrible Lie before finishing the main set with an energetic rendition of Head Like a Hole. The show finished with a strong four-song encore, including fan-favorite Hurt and ending with the atmospheric In This Twilight.

Reznor’s voice was flawless the entire night, and his band’s multi-instrument work was a thing of beauty. I was apprehensive about how the material from more electronic efforts like Year Zero would translate from album to arena, but they sounded excellent. In less capable hands, this show could have been a mess, but Reznor proved again why he’s one of the best things going in the music business today.

Crystal Castles opened, but I could only stand two songs of their 8-bit-noise/house beats and painful vocals. 30 seconds into Nine Inch Nails’ performance and I had forgotten about them. Apparently their albums are better than their live show, so I won’t write them off entirely just yet.

Between the visual aspect and the musical intensity, NIN’s performance was unforgettable. Best show of the year? Try best of my life.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Bow to the Priest

I can almost die happy.

Last night, I was able to make my “bands I want to see before I die” list one shorter, and Judas Priest did not dissapoint. I was a bit worried that Rob Halford would have lost his incredible vocal range (he’s 56 years old now), but he performed admirably. Sure, he doesn’t move around quite as fast, but he still managed to change between a wide array of studded leather trenchcoats will relative ease. K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton still have the chops as well. Their dual-lead guitar stylings never fail to impress me on albums, and they were just as sharp live.

You have to love a show where the singer starts off by rising out of the stage wearing a shiny robe, carrying a trident, and singing about Nostradamus. A bit much for some, perhaps, but the crowd ate it up. Judas Priest didn’t dwell in new territory for long, though. They quickly launched into fan-favorites Metal Gods and Between the Hammer and the Anvil (a personal favorite), and from that, the crowd knew that they were in for an amazing show. Things kind of dragged in the middle with one of the slower songs from their new album, Nostradamus, and the forgettable ballad Angel from 2005’s Angel of Retribution (I would have preferred Judas Rising, by far the best track on that album). However, my faith was restored with the rousing finale of Sinner (the highlight of the night) and Painkiller, followed by an encore of Hellbent for Leather, The Green Manalishi, and, of course, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.

Opening act Testament made me an instant fan. I now regret not checking these guys out earlier, as they put on an intense, incredibly heavy opening set. The sound in the Shaw isn’t made for thrash metal, but Testament persevered with an onslaught of pounding drums and Chuck Billy’s crushing vocals. It’s the first time that my ears were ringing after the opening act, and I loved every second of it.

The only disappointing thing was the long line to get in followed by a relatively small crowd of 3500 in the venue. I know Monsters of Rock was yesterday and Priest played there, but c’mon Edmonton! This may have been your last chance to see the Metal Gods themselves (though I sincerely hope not), and if you weren’t there, you missed out on a hell of a show.

Rating: four out of five.