Photos and Review by Micah Gummel
Ghost B.C. photos HERE
Deftones photos HERE
Avenged Sevenfold photos HERE
Kicking off the show tonight was Ghost B.C. currently in the new with topic of controversy. It would seem a Chicago restaurant named a hamburger after the band, and it made national news over the weekend, because the burger comes dressed with a red wine reduction and a communion wafer.
The ingredients are inspired by Ghost B.C.’s act. The band’s lead singer, Papa Emeritus II, was dressed for the show, as usual, like a Roman Catholic priest – a satanic one, actually, donning a skull painted face. The other band members are identified only as Nameless Ghouls, and they wore black hooded robes with cloth covering their faces.
Ghost B.C. is good and worth checking out and is currently working with Dave Grohl
Next up was Deftones brining in the thrash but without any of the production bells and whistles. The California band brought its high-octane brand of alternative metal to a very enthusiastic crowd at the TD Garden promoting their latest release Koi No Yokan. The singer Chino Moreno was quite the crowd pleaser and job well done. The Deftones is one alternative metal band that has, over more than a decade, kept up a steady stream of devotees regardless of radical changes, both musically and physically. They consistently deliver a full of heavy riffage on stage be sure to catch them if you can.
Now for the Headliners! Avenged Sevenfold is currently in high gear touring across the world in support of their new album, Hail To The King. Fans packed in to the TD Garden last night. It would be an interesting experience for the fans that would be seeing the band’s newest drummer, Arin Ilejay, perform live for the first time in the Boston area. The expectations were high for the new drummer Arin Ilejay, and the energy was present across the entire venue.
A large curtain concealed the stage setting for Avenged Sevenfold’s headline set. When it dropped just after 9:00 p.m., an abundance of flames quickly brought fans to their feet. Avenged Sevenfold’s set and stage presence was one of a kind. With a great stage props Behind this five-man band was what looked like the façade of a castle. Archways framed video screens that showed caged skeletons enjoying the music. Out of the archway in the middle rolled a giant skeleton sitting on a throne. Numerous special effects created vast amounts of smoke that caused the light show throughout the set to be epic. The band seems to have their stage effects down to a science, and the fans definitely enjoyed it.
The lead vocalist, M. Shadows, was quick to welcome the new members of the audience who had never seen the band live before. They played “Welcome to the Family,” and the newest Avenged Sevenfold family members rocked out to the heavy tune, expressing with the devil’s horns the appreciation for the band’s hospitality. Shortly thereafter, the band gave the fans the song that they were eager to hear off of the new album. “Hail to the King,” was played and the crowd erupted in applause. At the same time, all of the attention was put on the king (the skeleton placed behind them), and it was interesting to watch as the band members turned and sang to the skeleton sitting on a throne. Since that song was so well received, Avenged Sevenfold decided to follow up with another song from the album, and “Doing Time,” was the selection of the evening.
The set was finished off with the more known classics that the band was made famous for. The first of these songs was “Afterlife,” and the pit went wild during the song’s breakdown. The band left the stage to the dismay of the crowd, but the house lights did not go on, a sure indication of an encore about to occur. The prediction came true, and they came back out and played “Unholy Confessions.” there was no doubt that Avenged Sevenfold are at the top of their game. If you get the chance to catch this so do it you will not be disappointed.