Wellies show review:
Got to Bar Bodega at 8.35pm and ran into Matt and George (both of DEMIURGE) but couldn't really chat as I wanted to see my mate Shaun (Dauntless drummer) and the DAUNTLESS boys open for this ridiculously awesome extreme-metal show.
Pretty much walked straight up to the front of the stage directly in front of Shaun and stayed there for the entire duration of their set. I thought they played amazing well and seemed to get a good reaction from the crowd.
Hate Eternal: Great set! Was so stoked so finally seeing the legend that is Eric Rutan fucking murder that guitar of his. A very entertaining frontman throughout the set. He did not disappoint. Jade Simonetto (drummer) is just a machine and was stoked on how tight his drumming was (probably tighter than Nile's drummer this night). Stoked that they played a broad range of songs from all their albums. Only gripe is that there wasn't the second guitarist in the band. Songs sounded a bit weird when guitar solos were happening.
Nile: Fantastic set! You really couldn't ask for anything more intense and awesome than NILE. The entire band is just ridiculously talented. The guitar interplay has always astounded me about this band. Very 'tech' BUT always musical which is something that alot of the modern day so called "tech-death-metal" bands simply don't have. Drummer George Kollias is beyond amazing but cool thing in my opinion was that some of his fast double-kick work was flamming in some songs which goes to show that he is human after all! Their bass players a mean growler like Karl and Dallas. Did I see someone get kicked by Karl for tampering with his floorboard effects pedals?
I managed to stand in front of the left pillar in front of the stage and could basically see everything that Karl Sanders and Eric Rutan were doing on there guitars (jaw hanging the entire time).
Not sure what the turnout numbers were like but I did hear that they were less than stellar. Hope both bands at least come and play Auckland in the future.
Great gig 9.5/10. (Nile didn't play The BLESSED DEAD
)