By snoadmin
If you were to ask me what up-and-coming band reached its full potential with an album this year, I would say without hesitation Chiodos.
The Davison, Mich.-based emocore sextet released the all-killer-no-filler rock opera “Bone Palace Ballet” in early September and hasn’t slowed down since. The album is a big departure from what fans heard on the band’s 2005 debut LP, “All’s Well That Ends Well.” It drifted away from relentless shredding and screaming in favor of a more melodic and mature sound, using screaming and heavy guitar riffs only to accent the tracks.
The band’s evolving sound and its relentless tour schedule, which included headlining spots on both this year’s Taste of Chaos festival and the Vans Warped Tour, helped the album debut at No. 5 on the Billboard charts. Not only was it a successful debut for the band, but it was the highest-selling debut in indie powerhouse label Equal Vision Records’ history.
So you can imagine the excitement that was in the air when the “Bone Palace Ballet Tour” hit a very packed SOMA in San Diego on Saturday night. Everybody was excited to hear how the new songs would sound live, and to check out the rest of the screamo bill, which included Emery, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, The Devil Wears Prada and Underminded.
Unfortunately for concertgoers, Chiodos vocalist and alpha male Craig Owens was ill. He took the stage anyway, in true rock star fashion, but was visibly sluggish and his vocals were obviously suffering.
Kicking off with “The Undertaker’s Thirst For Revenge Is Unquenchable (The Final Battle),” the final and hardest track off of “Bone Palace Ballet,” Owens relied heavily on his bandmates and Underminded vocalist Nick Martin for energy and vocal support.
The fan favorite “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last A Minute On The Creek” followed, and Owens called upon fans to do more than half of the singing. They happily obliged, and screamed so loud it echoed through the large, hollowed movie theater-turned-concert venue that is SOMA.
Owen’s illness would have been less tragic if he weren’t such a huge part of the band’s sound. His unique falsetto provides a nice touch to the hard guitars, crashing drums and eerie piano, but you can’t let his woman-like serenading fool you. The man can let out blood-curdling screams on command.
Martin came back out to help on “Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered,” but took off before “A Letter From Janelle” started. That ballad didn’t last long, though, and the mosh pits were going in full force at the very first notes of “There’s No Penguins In Alaska” and through all of “Expired In Goreville.”
The other band members had contagiously great energy. Guitarists Jason Hale and Pat McManaman delivered shredding guitar riffs while dancing and rocking back and forth in unison with bassist Matt Goddard. Even keyboardist Bradley Bell stepped out from behind his keys to get in the faces of the crowd and help sing along.
Owens announced that it was the largest crowd yet for the “Bone Palace Ballet Tour” and encouraged the crowd to go crazy for “Is It Progression If A Cannibal Uses A Fork?,” “We’re Gonna Have Us A Champagne Jam” and “If I Cut My Hair, Hawaii Will Sink.”
Taking a break from all the moshing and craziness, Owens encouraged the crowd to put their arms around their loved ones for””Lexington (Joey Pea-Pot With A Monkey Face).”
The almost hour-long set came to a crashing close with “The Words ‘Best Friend’ Become Redefined.” Some audience members chanted for an encore, but most accepted that it wasn’t going to happen and filed out. On previous dates of the tour, Owens came out to do two more songs acoustically, but it seemed obvious this wasn’t going to happen considering his struggle to get through the normal set.
Six of the 11 songs played were new, but the crowd seemed to react to them just as well if not better than older songs. And even though it was disappointing the band wasn’t at 100 percent, the atmosphere was really positive after the show and the sweat-drenched moshers exited the building looking like they just got rocked.
The band’s never-ending touring ethic promises that Chiodos will be back in the area soon, hopefully healthy. And when the guys are, fans will be ready for them.
