Kataklysm and Misery INdex Liv

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Immediately prior to this show, I was at The Showbox covering In Flames and as I Lay Dying. After hearing of the poor turnout there I felt compelled to bail on In Flames and Killswitch engage and indulge in some real heaviness. I got to the Graceland too late to catch Cannae or Through the Discipline, so I can't comment on their performance. More than one person told me Through the Discipline kicked ass but I didn't hear a word about Cannae. When I walked in I felt immediately sorry for the bands and the promoter, at the most there were probably about thirty people in attendance. Crowds like this make Seattle look really bad to touring bands but when a bigger (read: played on MTV) band is in town it's often unavoidable.

About 15 minutes after I got inside Misery Index started their set. Having never heard the band before I suspected that, since the band is comprised of ex-Dying Fetus members, that the music would basically be the same as DF's. With the exception of some of the headbanging breakdown parts, I couldn't have been more wrong: Misery Index played a more deathy flavor of grindcore, somewhat reminiscent of bands like Brutal Truth, early Napalm Death and early Boltthrower, with a little crust thrown in for good measure. Drummer Kevin Talley did an incredible job even though his drum sound was really flat, I'm surprised he isn't mentioned in more "best death metal drummer" conversations. While there wasn't much of an audience there, those who were watching gave the band a very positive response, hopefully making the band feel it was worth their time to show up and play. Misery Index's set seemed way too short for me, I would have definitely liked to hear more. Hopefully the bad turnout won't keep them from coming back for another round!

Katakysm started playing while I was in the bar eating a grilled cheese sandwich so I wolfed that down and got into the showroom as quickly as I could, missing most of "Ambassador of Pain." After seeing Misery Index, Kataklysm seemed slow even though they do have their share of speedy material. That is no criticism of their performance though, of the three times I have seen the band I think this was probably the best. Perhaps it had something to do with being able to concentrate on the performance without fighting the crowd, perhaps is was the material from their KILLER latest release, Serenity In Fire -- who knows. Even though the turnout was about as bad as I have seen for a show featuring international acts, Kataklysm showed no signs of that affecting them as far as their performance went; they were tight as hell and played with the fury one would expect for a group that has been in the international metal scene for over a decade. All things said and done Kataklysm stole the show from Misery Index, in my opinion. If you have even a remote interest in death metal I urge you to check these guys out, there are few that can compare in the scene today. P> Kataklysm set list (probably way off, I lost my notes):

Ambassador of Pain
The Resurrected
Illuminati
Manipulator of Souls
As I Slither
Serenity in Fire
Drumsolo
Blood on the Swans
The Awakener
Where the Enemy sleeps
In Shadows and Dust