A few thoughts after watching the Symphony X / Iced Earth tour kickoff...

[AngraRULES]

The SX/Iced Earth tour started last night in Hartford, CT. Nice to see close to 600 people (according to the venue) show up to see the bands on a Tuesday night considering how bad things are these days (when it comes to tours, that is)...

Iced Earth and Symphony X played equal-length sets. I don't know if it's just Hartford, but the crowd seemed to be there to see Iced Earth. It was Stu's first USA show with the band, and they were on. As always, Stu oscillated a bit throughout the set, but he's as comfortable as one can be with the new band. Nice variety with the setlist, too:

Dystopia
Angels Holocaust
Slave to the Dark
V
Stand Alone
When the Night Falls
Dark City
Damien
Anthem
Declaration Day
Days of Rage
Watching Over Me
Dante's Inferno
Iced Earth

Symphony X played a very solid and very heavy set consisting of mainly Iconoclast songs. It took me a while to get into the new album, but I finally get it. However, I think playing 7 new songs in a row right off the bat turned off a lot of people. The songs work very well live, regardless. Russel Allen is in a league of his own. I don't think there are many metal singers nowadays who can touch him (at least live). Oh, and Mike Romeo lost quite a bit of weight too!

Iconoclast
The End of Innocence
Dehumanized
Bastards of the Machine
When All is Lost
Electric Messiah
Children of a Faceless God
Inferno (Unleash the Fire)
Of Sins and Shadows
Eve of Seduction
Serpent's Kiss
Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies)

[Pelata]

I'll be seeing this tour on a Tuesday night in Charlotte as well...sets look good.

[espz]

Thank you for the setlists! I still have to wait five WEEKS! Really looking forward to both bands.

[AngraRULES]

I also need to add that quite a few people seemed to have left after Iced Earth... the venue looked emptier when SX took the stage.

[AMBR]

Still debating upon going to see this at the Starland in Jersey Friday due to other factors, not the lineup. Anyone else going?

[Justin Gaines]

I think I'd prefer a Symphony X setlist with mostly Iconoclast songs.

[espz]

Originally Posted by AngraRULES

I also need to add that quite a few people seemed to have left after Iced Earth... the venue looked emptier when SX took the stage.

It DOES seem like Stu has brought new life to IE. I really like the new disc...so I'm looking forward to it. If it was Ripper up front...well first one really good second one really bad with him....or Matt...who was hit and miss for me...I'd be more "meh" about them.

Whereas I've liked SX since Divine Wings....and I loved the hell out of Paradise Lost...but I admit it's taken some time for Iconoclast to grow on me.

Either way...I plan to have a good time in Orlando watching them all crush it.

[p1driftfiend]

I was at this show too.

Some of my thoughts -

Warbringer kicked ass and was a hot opener. Loved the thrash, lots of fun, and I find the opener bands sound great on the smaller sound system they use (not as damn loud and booming as the main house system).

Iced Earth was just absolutely killer! I was totally blown away by Stu! This was one of those rare performances where I just got completely lost and engrossed in the music and show and Stu! It was a great setlist, and while they didn't play some older well-known songs (Stormrider...Travel in Stygian...), getting to hear Damien, Dante's Inferno (what a journey!), and holy shit one of my all time favorites "When the night falls"! I about flipped when they introduced this song! Stu was a little shaky in the first song or two, but he was like that in IE, always settling down and hitting a grove thru the rest of the set. The high pitch part of Declaration Day was just insane!

Onto Sym X - This was my third time seeing them. First time I didn't know who they were, while the second time was on the Paradise Lost tour and I really enjoyed that set. After opening their set with at least three songs I didn't recognize, I realized they were playing the new album thru. Never got around to checking out the new album, so it was a mixed bag for me. It was nice to hear it thru, but also a little difficult not knowing the songs. Dissappointed they didn't play Odyssey, but oh well, I've heard it before. The biggest pain of the night was the god damn strobe lights blinding the crowd during the Sym X set. I didn't see half the show as I was blinking or looking down!

I'd love to see the tour again in Worcester at the Palladium on Mar 9th. I'd like to see IE close so they can get the encore, but I don't know if I could sit thru a whole Sym X set lol....

[AngraRULES]

Originally Posted by p1driftfiend

Stu was a little shaky in the first song or two, but he was like that in IE, always settling down and hitting a grove thru the rest of the set.

Stu definitely hit his peak as the set went on. He was on fire towards the end though... which leads me to your next quote...

The high pitch part of Declaration Day was just insane!

Holy shit, yes!!!!

Onto Sym X - This was my third time seeing them. First time I didn't know who they were, while the second time was on the Paradise Lost tour and I really enjoyed that set. After opening their set with at least three songs I didn't recognize, I realized they were playing the new album thru. Never got around to checking out the new album, so it was a mixed bag for me. It was nice to hear it thru, but also a little difficult not knowing the songs. Dissappointed they didn't play Odyssey, but oh well, I've heard it before. The biggest pain of the night was the god damn strobe lights blinding the crowd during the Sym X set. I didn't see half the show as I was blinking or looking down!

I think this was my 11th time seeing Symphony X. They're great every single time. My friend had the same problem, though, as he hasn't heard the new album. He didn't start enjoying the show until the 8th song, really. And yes, fuck those strobe lights!!! If you guys thought the lights at PP a few years back were bad, prepare to be blinded.

[DarkOne]

Going to see them both tonight in Philly.

It'll be my third time seeing Iced Earth, and it'll be one with each of the last three singers. Nice. I think that's a pretty varied setlist, although 'Damien' is of my least liked songs off the incredibly underrated 'Horror Show' (Dracula, Jack, Wolf, and others much better). Really looking forward to seeing Stu in the mix.

I'm looking forward to but less thrilled with the SymX setlist. I love Iconoclast - one of my top albums in 2011, but I don't want to see (almost) the entire album live. SymX is all but ignoring their older catalog. It's hard to blame them, since the latest heavier band direction has really sold for them, but they could mix in a few songs for the older fans. Seven off the new one, followed by a cursory one song from Divine Wings and Odyssey**, and then three from Paradise Lost? Completely ignoring Twilight, Damnation, and New Mythology***? Ah well, I still expect a great show.

** Note# 1 - I'm glad they ditched the playing The Odyssey. I mean, it's a good song, and I'm glad I've heard it a few times live, but now I would much rather hear three separate songs than one 24 minute song played again.

**** Note# 2 - I'm sure Glenn is rectifying this when he has the band play The New Mythology in its entirety in Sept.

Steve in Philly

[toozabell]

Decided at the last minute to go to the show in Hartford- we were just planning to go to Worcester, but now we will do that too!

Warbringer brought the sort of high energy blast I have come to expect from openers, a solid set that got the crowd revved.

Iced Earth- this was my first time seeing them, and I was very impressed. Killer vocals! I had not been into them from what I heard on recordings, but they were simply great live!

Symphony X- this was my 3rd time seeing them, and I was a bit disappointed that they did so much Iconoclast, but the encores made up for it. Russell Allen's vocals were spot on, and Mike Romeo's shredding is amazing, but I wish I could have heard them more clearly, the drums seemed to override most of the other sound, and those strobes, ohhh, my eyes! But a good night, and looking forward to the Palladium show.

[Harvester]

Originally Posted by DarkOne

**** Note# 2 - I'm sure Glenn is rectifying this when he has the band play The New Mythology in its entirety in Sept. Steve in Philly

Buying a lottery ticket this afternoon.

[p1driftfiend]

Originally Posted by AngraRULES

And yes, fuck those strobe lights!!! If you guys thought the lights at PP a few years back were bad, prepare to be blinded.

I was meaning to ask the guys at the sound board - are lights like these the bands or the venues? They looked attached to the rigging, but portable, so I figured it's the bands? Why do they think it's a good idea to flash strobes in the eyes of the crowd in a dark place lol?!?!

[AngraRULES]

Originally Posted by p1driftfiend

I was meaning to ask the guys at the sound board - are lights like these the bands or the venues? They looked attached to the rigging, but portable, so I figured it's the bands? Why do they think it's a good idea to flash strobes in the eyes of the crowd in a dark place lol?!?!

I'm pretty sure those lights are going to be used throughout the whole tour. Whoever had the idea of using those lights to that extent (last night's) isn't the smartest person in the world.

[ApolloFC]

Originally Posted by p1driftfiend

I was meaning to ask the guys at the sound board - are lights like these the bands or the venues? They looked attached to the rigging, but portable, so I figured it's the bands? Why do they think it's a good idea to flash strobes in the eyes of the crowd in a dark place lol?!?!

They did that when I saw them in Raleigh last year. I knew Michael Romeo was going in to fist bump me but I couldn't see him actually doing it cause I was blinded by the lights at that moment

[Metal_Camden]

Originally Posted by p1driftfiend

I was at this show too.

Some of my thoughts -

Warbringer kicked ass and was a hot opener. Loved the thrash, lots of fun, and I find the opener bands sound great on the smaller sound system they use (not as damn loud and booming as the main house system).

Sometimes the headliners will put a limiter on the opener so they dont get the (full sound) which is obviously saved for the bigger bands.

OR

they have just too much stuff being mic'd and run through the board they run out of head room and (openers) don't have their own sound guy that is good enough to push through the 'headliner wall'. It sucks for the opener usually sound-wise, but its all in paying your dues.

[Metal_Camden]

Originally Posted by AngraRULES

Dante's Inferno

How was that epic live?

[Bryan316]

I am strongly, heavily, considering the road trip down to that dreaded Columbus OH for the 3-12-12 show.

And if my truck gets vandalized simply cuz of my Michigan license plate, I'll get this installed!

[AngraRULES]

Originally Posted by Metal_Camden

How was that epic live?

It was pretty good, though I honestly would have picked 3 shorter songs instead of that.

[longshot9]

Nice to see SyX completely ignoring V again. What was the point of the setlist poll they did on Facebook when they completely ignore 3 of the cd's (well 4 if you include the first one, but i'm glad they don't play anything off that)?? I love the new cd, and love PL even more, but very disappointed otherwise.

[Jasonic]

Sounds like ICED EARTH are still delivering live.
Glad to hear.

I will be at the Joliet show @ MoJoes.......

Oh wait!!! I forgot, my band is on that bill actually! Ha!

No Symphony X at that show though. I think they drop off for the last 5 dates.

If anyone needs tix for the Joliet show on March 17, please let me know.

[zedowns]

Originally Posted by longshot9

Nice to see SyX completely ignoring V again. What was the point of the setlist poll they did on Facebook when they completely ignore 3 of the cd's (well 4 if you include the first one, but i'm glad they don't play anything off that)?? I love the new cd, and love PL even more, but very disappointed otherwise.

Seriously. At this point I'd rather skip out on them and just wait to see them at ProgPower.

[p1driftfiend]

Originally Posted by Metal_Camden

Sometimes the headliners will put a limiter on the opener so they dont get the (full sound) which is obviously saved for the bigger bands.

OR

they have just too much stuff being mic'd and run through the board they run out of head room and (openers) don't have their own sound guy that is good enough to push through the 'headliner wall'. It sucks for the opener usually sound-wise, but its all in paying your dues.

I actually enjoyed the smaller system they played on. It's nice listening to music at a more reasonable level than the main house system. And I think they sounded really good too (not bass, drum, booming heavy, but nice and even and clear)

BTW - Dante's Inferno....the build-up to the end "Lucifer..." part? Yeah, I almost couldn't bear the wait thru that buildup and the delivery of that "Lucifer" section was just epic.

[TychoCelchu]

Originally Posted by p1driftfiend

I actually enjoyed the smaller system they played on. It's nice listening to music at a more reasonable level

YES!!! Some of the best sounding shows are far from the loudest ones. (Actually, I think that's 100% of the time) The trade off is that sometimes I have to hear people having conversations during the songs.

[MYSTIC1]

I'll be at Friday's show in Jersey. Love all 3 bands and very much look forward to Stu on the mic. Oh yeah, I don't care if I never hear the Odyssey live again, would MUCH rather hear a few shorter songs which aren't played as often