ProgPower USA 2008

[Kenneth R.]

could that sound any more condescending?

You're right, I should try harder. My apologies. I'm just rusty lately.


Zach-sack: Dude, Sonata Arctica is a huge name. I've seen their shit at Hot Topic (and considered buying it). But look at the bands we have this year...

Let's put a spotlight on Andromeda. Wow, fucking excellent debut album. Mediocre sophomore effort. I bet most people didn't even realize they 'released' a third album out their musical rectum. Such a tragedy.

Jon Oliva's Pain: Alright, your debut kicked ass. Your second disc was decent. You're the epitome of Savatage. But can you pull the weight on your own? Maybe. Not a bad choice. At least you don't suck as hard as Andromeda.

Iced Earth: I'm sorry, but why is this band so awesome again? They had some kickass shit (Alive In Athens... hell yeah.) They're probably headlining material, but at a Prog Power show? Not much power or prog about them. Maybe that's why they're so good.

Rob Rock: Ok, you're generic power metal. But I like you. It's like squeeze cheese in a can. Ridiculous but practical. Can Glenn do better? Yes, but this still tops Andromeda.

Riverside: Osnap. Yeah, they're good. Yeah, they play just about every festival now. Congrats to them for getting much deserved recognition. But hey, they don't strike me as that great of a 'live' band.

Spheric Universe Experience: Your debut is a fucking beer coaster. Your second disc... ok, it's not bad. Not bad, better than anything Dream Theater farted out lately, but you may have just stolen their "good" songs that never made it onto their last 3 albums. Because you sound just like them. This one's extra points for the DT Clone fanclub and prog-o-saurs.

The Rest: Well, I think that already states it. You're "the rest". If hypothetically I were to attend, I would take this time to take my rest at the bar.

Overall: Past lineups have been far better. Should have booked Andromeda after album 1.

 

[Burnout]

Riverside: Osnap. Yeah, they're good. Yeah, they play just about every festival now. Congrats to them for getting much deserved recognition. But hey, they don't strike me as that great of a 'live' band.

The only band I would really even want to see.

Part of what I find so funny about the 'progressive' genre in general is that there is very little actual progression. A lot of what I hear from bands in that subgenre sounds tired and/or rehashed.

 

[Ascension]

I've never been afraid to state, or back up any of my opinions there, but I have never been slagged (except for my die hard support of FK when they were announced...)

My opinion & lack of fear is well documented over there (hell l got banned for it), but it never fails l catch hell from the minions. At least l don't share a brain.
BTW...l think l slagged you about FK.

Let's put a spotlight on Andromeda. Wow, fucking excellent debut album. Mediocre sophomore effort. I bet most people didn't even realize they 'released' a third album out their musical rectum. Such a tragedy.

l like the Andromeda choice, but agree it's kind of late bringing them in. But, that's usually the case with most of the bands that finally make it to PPUSA. How Andromeda gets in before Poverty's No Crime is beyond me. :Smug:

Riverside: Osnap. Yeah, they're good. Yeah, they play just about every festival now. Congrats to them for getting much deserved recognition. But hey, they don't strike me as that great of a 'live' band.

l like this choice too. Very good band, but l'm like you...not sure about the live performance. May be a snoozer.

Spheric Universe Experience: Your debut is a fucking beer coaster. Your second disc... ok, it's not bad. Not bad, better than anything Dream Theater farted out lately, but you may have just stolen their "good" songs that never made it onto their last 3 albums. Because you sound just like them. This one's extra points for the DT Clone fanclub and prog-o-saurs.

The Rest: Well, I think that already states it. You're "the rest". If hypothetically I were to attend, I would take this time to take my rest at the bar.

S.U.E, Pathosray, & Serenity seem like good choices too. l enjoy S.U.E...yeah they are derivitive...but that describes 3/4 of the bands at PPUSA. Of course...l'm a DT fan. The "rest"...you're right...who gives a shit.

 

[...AndTimeBegan]

Err, what you're saying implies that I do not agree with you.

Nah I was just making a side comment that I still will go/enjoy PP even if the fest has some weird fans.

 

[...AndTimeBegan]

I knew I should have editied out Helloween...(I've been to every PP) I was leaving work at the time, and wanted to GTFO. All I'm saying is I was amazed at Amorphis' popularity, & I don't remember them even being mentioned previously. I also admiteed error in gaging their popularity. I was obviously not happy with the generalization, so you can disregard the rest of that post.

I wish I soundscan #'s at my disposal. And yes, there are people who I DON'T look forward to seeing there every year, but those are few & far between.
To further the "shitty people at cool events" topic. I never thought I'd be in the ER the morning after a Sy-X show, at least for something that wasn't self induced... Hope to meet you in GA this year!

Haha yeah I hear you man. Hopefully I'll see ya there dude.

 

[J-Dubya 777]

My opinion & lack of fear is well documented over there (hell l got banned for it), but it never fails l catch hell from the minions. At least l don't share a brain.
BTW...l think l slagged you about FK.

Yep, I believe you were one of them. I don't hold grudges.....

 

[Kenneth R.]

Nah I was just making a side comment that I still will go/enjoy PP even if the fest has some weird fans.

,,,and that's why I said that no, what you said does show that I don't agree with you. Durrr

Ascension: Poverty's No Crime had some kickass albums. Slave To The Mind was excellent. Their latest, like Andromeda, is 'meh'tastic. Like you said, another band that should have been featured about 5 years ago when they were hot off the press.

And, with my latest elaborate post, I neglected to mention the punchline: given that lineup, Amorphis looks damn good by comparison. I guess their only drawback is they might be too metal for some folks to handle. Probably the fans of The Flower Kings. Sorry but it's true.

Hah, PPS: Just noticed this post is 13,337.

 

[Iced Dog]

Amorphis looks damn good by comparison. I guess their only drawback is they might be too metal for some folks to handle.

Wait, I'm no Amorphis fan, but haven't they gone more alternative in recent years? If they played a set from their early days, your statement would seem to make more sense

Hah, PPS: Just noticed this post is 13,337.

Wow, while some people are simply leet, you have reached leeet status...mind boggling

 

[Phanto]

Too bad 13337 is 12000 more than 1337.

Edit: < Somone call 911. Ahahahahaha. Ehhhh.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Amorphis has gotten less death metal and more... 'prog' with recent albums. Which is why I think they should be a fitting band for PPUSA. But alas, even at their poppiest, they're too dm for some. Which says a lot about the PPUSA crowd. But really, like I said. Amorphis. Those Bands Above. Which sucks less? There is an answer.

 

[J-Dubya 777]

I don't think I heard about that...details plz

There were a couple moshers that looked like they were out to hurt people.
Eventually, the crowd in back of me on the main floor thinned out due to the moshing. I got hit once on the left, and shortly after, took a knee,shoulder, fist to the right kidney. Knocked me down, which isn't an easy task with a body blow. Dead on bullseye. Took a painful piss at the rest stop on the way home, and pissed a fair amount of blood Monday morning after the show. Moderate bruising of the right kidney, no laceration. If I go to the April show in Mokena (work is the only thing that could prevent me from attending) I'll be out for blood if history repeats itself. I'll even go so far as to say that I wouldn't care if I was kicked out or arrested. I'm not a mosher. People were moshing during The Odyssey for God's sake. I don't see Sy-X as a moshing type band. Most people are assholes, that's all I can say.

 

[proulxski]

I onced punched a mosher in the back of a the head, true story!

 

[Phanto]

I onced punched a mosher in the back of a the head, true story!

I guess he didn't notice, hah hah hah!

There's not much prog in ProgPower USA 2008, I must say.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

There were a couple moshers that looked like they were out to hurt people. Eventually, the crowd in back of me on the main floor thinned out due to the moshing. I got hit once on the left, and shortly after, took a knee,shoulder, fist to the right kidney. Knocked me down, which isn't an easy task with a body blow. Dead on bullseye. Took a painful piss at the rest stop on the way home, and pissed a fair amount of blood Monday morning after the show. Moderate bruising of the right kidney, no laceration. If I go to the April show in Mokena (work is the only thing that could prevent me from attending) I'll be out for blood if history repeats itself. I'll even go so far as to say that I wouldn't care if I was kicked out or arrested. I'm not a mosher. People were moshing during The Odyssey for God's sake. I don't see Sy-X as a moshing type band. Most people are assholes, that's all I can say.

I remember that... it happened last time Symphony X was at the Pearl Room (July 07), right? People in the Mokena/Frankfort area are typically a bunch of dumbass kids who listen to hardcore and have an IQ barely over mentally retarded. If they hear heaviness, they mosh (or hardcore dance or whatever - it's all designed to injure people if you ask me).

In my opinion, Symphony X is NOT a moshing band. Their music is far too sophisticated and intelligent to warrant moshing and the like. If I sound like a prog snob, I don't care. I like being at a show, being right up against the stage, watching my favorite band play and being in the moment of awesome music. Being a smaller guy, I don't enjoy looking beind me during heavy songs to see if idiots pose a threat to me when I should be watching all the crazy Romeo/Lepond tapping interaction.

 

[Kenneth R.]

there is no metal band for which moshing is not a side effect. If you beg to differ, I will point out that the band you offer for consideration is not metal.

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

there is no metal band for which moshing is not a side effect. If you beg to differ, I will point out that the band you offer for consideration is not metal.

Huh? Symphony X isn't metal? Evidence, please.

I've been to countless Symphony X shows in the past where nobody moshed. It was only the shows I've seen recently - after the release of Paradise Lost - that featured moshing.

 

[J-Dubya 777]

I remember that... it happened last time Symphony X was at the Pearl Room (July 07), right? People in the Mokena/Frankfort area are typically a bunch of dumbass kids who listen to hardcore and have an IQ barely over mentally retarded. If they hear heaviness, they mosh (or hardcore dance or whatever - it's all designed to injure people if you ask me).

In my opinion, Symphony X is NOT a moshing band. Their music is far too sophisticated and intelligent to warrant moshing and the like. If I sound like a prog snob, I don't care. I like being at a show, being right up against the stage, watching my favorite band play and being in the moment of awesome music. Being a smaller guy, I don't enjoy looking beind me during heavy songs to see if idiots pose a threat to me when I should be watching all the crazy Romeo/Lepond tapping interaction.

Yep, that was it! After I got up, and evil eyed the people in back of me, I spent the rest of the gig with keys in hand, ready to render flesh from bone, or eyes from sockets. I don't blame the band, but I blame the venue & staff.
There were CLEARLY people there that didn't want to be involved, and they shouldn't have to move. I'm in 100% agreement with you on standing close on the mainfloor, and wanting to check out the band. I shouldn't have to move because of a few. We'll see what happens in April...

 

[Kenneth R.]

Huh? Symphony X isn't metal? Evidence, please.

I've been to countless Symphony X shows in the past where nobody moshed. It was only the shows I've seen recently - after the release of Paradise Lost - that featured moshing.

That's your judgment, not mine. I just stated, as you'll see above, that if anyone wants to say a band shouldn't be moshed to, then the most likely explanation is that the band in question is not metal. I did and do mosh at SX gigs. Note that 'moshing' does not include roundhouse kicking everyone in sight and pretending you're Bruce Lee. If that's taking place, you aren't at a metal show either. You're at an emo gig. If everyone is just standing in place mute-faced, welcome to prog town. Commence the bashing of my blatant stereotyping.

 

[Progged]

No hints at what the showcase has to offer yet, but it's shaping up to be awesome as usual. Fuck the naysayers, and puke on the crybabies!uke:

Amen, I'm going this year as well Dubs!

 

[J-Dubya 777]

Amen, I'm going this year as well Dubs!

Unfortunately, there's a pretty good chance I may be skipping this year, all depends on my dad's rehab from his amputation a couple days ago. Ticket is paid for....