The Iron Will Tour featuring Kataklysm – TOUR REVIEW

The Iron Will Tour hit Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago on Sunday, August 26th like a ton of bricks. The tour’s headliner, Kataklysm, as well as Origin, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vital Remains and Rose Funeral took the stage for some epic performances. Check out our review and recap of the show after the break.

I must start this off by going out on a limb. If there is one thing I notice about shows in the Chicagoland area, the weather is more bi-polar than Charlie Sheen during his “WINNING” phase. But each and every time, it hasn’t affected the turn outs a single bit. This is the purest sign of a dedicated fan base for aggressive music and one that deserves more national attention.

Cincinatti, Ohio’s Rose Funeral got off to a start that was reminiscent of a band opening for Slayer via 1986 in the sense the attendee’s wanted to give this band the rough freshman start. Most say kill ‘em with kindness, well not in RF’s case. Drawing willingly(and smartly) from their recent output, they shoved their Whitechapel meets modern death metal arsenal for 30 minutes down several throats and didn’t appear a bit fazed by the rough crowd. Now that’s respect. More bands should learn from such young stalwarts on how to deal with hecklers and still have a fun time as RF did. This man definitely gives the horns loud and proud. Cheers fellas!

Veterans Vital Remains followed 2nd and with a newly revamped line up. New vocalist Brian Werner (ex-Infernaeon, ex-Monstrosity), guitarist Brian Weber, and drummer Alberto Allende have injected much needed new life into the band. This brutal 5 piece came out swinging as they just broke free of a mental institution and got past all authority. Classics “Hammer Down The Nails” and “Dechrisitanize” let off a serious musical grenade in the pits with these songs as if they were still the underdogs with something to prove. Older by age, but all youth in their playing and performance, this could be the defining line-up VR has always looked for and finally found. Keep an eye and ear out for new full length by year’s end/early next year!

Italy’s Fleshgod Apocalypse definitely brought the heat from 80 degrees to 100+. Many have heard the music these Italian stallions bring fourth to the table and wonder if they could pull it off live, and honestly speaking, they can and their execution is the stuff of insanity. A drum machine couldn’t keep up with what Francesco Paoli pulls off on his kit. Blending symphonic keyboards, more hyper than hyper drumming, and borderline opera-like clean vocals, this is a fresh and daring sound for such a brutal form of music. Purists might cringe, but that is their loss. Their reception was one as if they were playing to their home country. If you haven’t looked into this band and their back catalogue yet, what are you waiting for?!

Kansas-bred Death metallers Origin continued the heat wave that the previous act brought. This was not only being their final show on this tour, but also their very last show of the touring cycle for their current album “Entity”. Origin went out in style and wanted to make sure they were going to have some fun on their last stand. Honorable mention to the fact they might be the first band to get the (in)famous wall of death going WITHOUT any music happening. Vocalist Jason Keyser of Skinless fame was a front man’s front man being chaotic, movable and throwing in a little touch of comedic relief to brighten the mood in between songs. Closer and final epic of the night, “Portal” let out heavier ammunition than the Cold War itself. Take notice now youngins and elder statesmen, their just now hitting their stride.

20 years. 20 LONG YEARS. Any artist that has accomplished going this long deserves respect in the highest class. The music industry is an ongoing battle especially for touring metal acts. Kataklysm has defied all and have stood the test of time. How they have stood the test of time is one word: Consistency. Always touring, releasing albums, only few lineup changes, never really stopping. So clearly with this being an anniversary type show, fans were going to get treated to a few deeper cuts. “The Awakener” had the old school fans in joy considering they haven’t played that song in several years. However, it was newer cuts like “Crippled And Broken” and “At The Edge Of The World” that ignited the frenzy and kicked the fans into overdrive. For vocalist Maurizio Iacono, this was his homecoming show and the reception was all that and then some of what you would expect coming from his friends and family. After an hour of perseverance and annihilation, Kataklysm send their farewell’s to the crowd and promise to be back soon. Needless to say, the crowd wanted more, looks to be an early sign that each and everyone one of those fans will be back the next time their around!

Information about the tour…
Tour: The Iron Will Tour featuring Kataklysm
Bands: Kataklysm, Origin, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vital Remains and Rose Funeral
Reviewer: Nicholas Wier
Date: August 26, 2012
Venue: Reggie’s Rock Club in Chicago, IL