review by: Roberto Martinelli

Even though I rushed over from work, I still missed all but two of Krisiun's songs. I was so looking forward to another Krisiun experience like the one at Milwaukee Metalfest 2001. I was getting super antsy waiting outside in a very slow moving line to pick up my ticket at will call. What I did hear of Krisiun's was what is to be expected of them: super blurry fast and tight. The coolest part was being able to go up on the balcony and watch the drummer's technique.

Despite the Krisiun disappointment, I would be able to see once again Cryptopsy (left), which put on one of the greatest death metal shows of my young life last year. (read about it in issue #3). However, it turned out that this show fell short of last year's. This isn't to say it wasn't great, because it was - I don't think Cryptopsy could ever play a bad show. The first problem was a technical one: the stage right guitarist's tone only came through on the stage right speaker. This made my standing on the left side of the stage a problem as I couldn't hear his parts. The other factor that detracted to the show was new vocalist Martin. He's very good, and put his all into the show (I will never be able to fathom how guys like him can not only whip their head around at 80 mph, but also still be able to stand after), but he pales into comparison to departed vocalist Mike DiSalvo.

It's funny, I never appreciated DiSalvo until I interviewed Cryptopsy drummer Flo Mounier (issue #4). Once DiSalvo's talents were explained to me, I've been a fan of his. Also, DiSalvo had a rabid energy and stage presence that was second to none. The new vocalist is a bit in-between the whacked-out time, hardcore inspired shout of DiSalvo and the guttural evocations of first Cryptopsy vocalist Lord Worm. I guess in a sense that makes Martin the best of both worlds, but not superior to either of his predecessors.

Musically, Cryptopsy slayed. But, that's a foregone conclusion. As last time, the band only played one song from their third album, Whisper Supremacy, "Cold Hate, Warm Blood." The rest of the songs were evenly divided between the other three albums, with the playing of "Open Face Surgery" from the first album being the first time the band played that song live. It was not only fun to watch the band play, but also to watch the audience watch the band: one burly man in particular, whom I recognized as a drummer from one time when I went into Guitar Center, just stood there with his mouth open, shaking his head. Everyone needs to know about how amazing this band is.

Dimmu Borgir took the stage with some fanfare. It was a little awkward to see the unusual placement of the drum kit: in the stage right corner, with the concealed keyboards in the corner of stage left. Dimmu Borgir put on an excellent show. True, their music doesn't have the raw power of the other bands, but they reproduced the sound from their albums so well. This was especially the case with the clean vocals of bassist ICS Vortex.

Dimmu Borgir opened and closed with two songs from their Enthrone Darkness Triumphant album, "In Death's Embrace" and "Mourning Palace," respectively. The rest of the set was predictably spread out between material from the two succeeding albums, Spiritual Black Dimensions and Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia. Not surprisingly, no material from the debut album, For All Tid, was played. Disappointingly, only one song from Stormblåst was played (and it wasn't my favorite, "Broderskapets Ring.") Still, it was a very professionally done and enjoyable show, one that came with a well-placed interlude in the form of a keyboard solo.