UNDEROATH & ANIMALS AS LEADERS Gratify LA Fans

By Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal

My rating points:

January 26th 2011, House Of Blues, Hollywood CA: A couple of months after the release of their latest album "Disambiguation", Underoath started a new North American headline tour in support of the new music, and with them they brought Thursday, Animals As Leaders and A Skylit Drive. I knew that fans of Underoath would definitely appreciate Thursay and A Skylit Drive, but for Animals As Leaders this was going to be an adventure to say the least.

A Skylit Drive started things off with a short set. The place wasn't anywhere near packed at this point, but most of the people seemed to like what they were seeing. It really wasn't my cup of tea, so I wouldn't bother you with my opinion. But based on the response they were getting, I would say they are worthy openers on this tour.

Having missed their set at last year's Summer Slaughter show at the same venue, Animals As Leaders really was the band I was eagerly waiting to see, and I was delighted to see them hit the stage next. During their set, it was almost as if most of the Underoath fans took a vow of silence and the handful of metalheads in the crowd came to life. Those select few were enjoying each and every minute of Tosin Abasi's mesmerizing performance on the 8-string guitar, ably supported by his band mates Javier Reyes on guitar and Navene Koperweis on drums. The visual effects projected onto two screens either side of the drum kit augmented the music brilliantly and added a lot to their show in terms of its impact. Even though AAL fans are typically metalheads, you don't even need to be a metalhead to be able to enjoy the beauty and depth in their music. This is a band I recommend very highly to anyone looking for some great new music to listen to. They played five songs in total, ending their set with "Wave Of Babies" and "CAFO".

Here's their complete set list:

Song Of Solomon
Tempting Time
On Impulse
Wave Of Babies
CAFO

Thursday hit the stage next, and just like A Skylit Drive, they weren't my cup of tea even though everyone in the crowd seemed to be enjoying their show. So again, I would reserve my judgement. I don't see the point in taking a dig at bands that play a style of music that I don't listen to. I can't be a good judge in this case, and for me it would be best to leave it untouched. But all of their fans were having a blast, so I would say that if you're a Thursday fan, you won't be disappointed by what you see from them on this tour. They got a very decent set length of at least 45 minutes.

And finally, Underoath took the stage next among deafening cheers from the Hollywood faithful. As I was in the photo pit for the first three songs, I thought the stage was incredibly dark to begin with, and the only thing that was lighting it up to an extent was the screen in the backdrop. But I'm more than certain that this was done on purpose and was an endeavor towards creating just the kind of atmosphere the band wanted to create. Having a new album to promote in addition to six previous studio albums to pick from, it wasn't the easiest task in the world to come up with the perfect set list, specially for an LA show where crowds expect nothing less than the perfect show and start complaining and bitching as soon as they see something ever so slightly not up to their expectation. But judging from what they ended up playing tonight, they did an excellent job with the set list and no Underoath fan should be going home disappointed on this tour, that's for sure.

As for the new stuff, they played "In Division", "Paper Lung" and "Who Will Guard The Guardians?", and I thought these were great representatives for the new album, showcasing the musical style and variation that's present on the album as a whole. According to what guitarist Timothy McTague told me in a pre-show interview, the band will be trying to switch up the new material every night and include the other Disambiguation songs into the set as well.

Spencer Chamberlain carried out frontman duties excellently well, and had the crowd under his command for the entire set. Guitarist Timothy showed great energy in his performance, and so did keyboardist Chris Dudley. On the other side of the stage James Smith on rhythm guitar and Grant Brandell on bass performed their roles to perfection. Daniel Davison on drums was actually in the spotlight the entire time so to speak, because of being lit up by the backdrop screen. The screen itself displayed some nicely crafted artwork and patterns that were complimenting the music being played on stage.

After a tremendous performance, the sextet thanked the crowd for turning up in huge numbers and supporting the band, but it was really the fans tonight that were grateful for being treated to a show that was well worth their money.

The Hollywood stop of Underoath's winter tour was a great presentation of the band's musical catalog in addition to some interesting opening acts, and for Underoath fans across the country residing in cities where this tour is about to make a stop, this is a glorious opportunity to catch the band at their peak.

A gratifying performance.

Here's their complete set list:

In Regards To Myself
Breathing In A New Mentality
In Division
It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door
The Created Void
Catch Myself Catching Myself
Paper Lung
A Divine Eradication
Moving For The Sake Of Motion
To Whom It May Concern
A Boy Brushed Red
Who Will Guard the Guardians?
Desolate Earth: The End is Here
Illuminator
Writing on the Walls

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