This was a show I had been looking forward to, both for the lineup and the location. I like the Ogden as a venue because it's a nice-sounding theatre and the sound is rarely cranked up to the point that it becomes painful. However, the multi-leveled design (left over from its days as an old movie house I think) on the main floor can sometimes create problems, mostly because the space between the stage and the next highest level is probably only 10-15 feet across. This makes it basically impossible for a decent mosh pit to ever get going. On the other hand, if you can get on the rail of the next level, you're essentially on eye-level with the stage from about 15 feet out, which passes "rad" and goes straight to "awesome." I also made another discovery about the Ogden at this show, namely that there are several rows of movie-theatre style seats in the balcony. They've also got a killer Scottish porter on tap, so what more could anyone want? So once we arrived at the show, my lady and I headed upstairs and got cozy for an evening with Hypocrisy, Children of Bodom, Nevermore, and Dimmu Borgir.

We arrived shortly after Hypocrisy had taken the stage, missing maybe half of the first song. I had never heard Hypocrisy before, but I had heard their name dropped numerous times. Their set was quite good, and I get the feeling that I'm going to have to pick up a CD of theirs at some point in the future. Since I have no experience with this band, I can't provide a set-list, but I do know that they played several new songs. The first one that they introduced fell kind of flat in my opinion as it seemed simpler and sort of watered down compared to the rest of their set. Then again, a bunch of the kids up front seemed to dig it, so what do I know?

Children of Bodom was perhaps the most anticipated band of the evening, and I was really curious to hear them. I remembered that Stormdrake and company really liked them back in the day, but I hadn't ever really listened to them seriously. I was also kind of curious about the keyboard rig, as it was set-up vertically on its stand with the keys pointed to the ceiling. I later realized that was so that those of us in the audience could see the keyboardist's fingers as he played blistering licks in unison with the lead guitarist. After this show, Children of Bodom is yet another band to put on my short list. I particularly like that they can be melodic while still being heavy and engage in impressively technical guitar work without ever seeming like they're just showing off. I think that's mainly because the guitar solos and lead lines are obviously composed within the context of the entire song, as opposed to simply being a space for wankery. My only complaint was that Children of Bodom were only allotted 30 minutes for their set and I think they should have gotten at least 45. When their set ended, as impressive as it had been, it felt to me like they were just getting ready to kick it up a notch. They should at least be given a chance to go out on top, and it didn't feel to me that they had gotten there yet. Bummer.

After Children of Bodom, I was kind of unsure how the audience, myself, included would react to Nevermore. They're a band that I've heard in passing but that never really did much for me. That was kind of how I felt about their set ultimately. They sounded good, but nothing particularly leapt out at me, especially after Children of Bodom. The vocals were also kind of in and out, as if the singer didn't quite have the strength to project over the band or as if he was possibly too wobbly with booze to hold the mic still. The highlight of the set was towards the end when Nevermore's singer told the security guards to let people (especially girls) onstage after a brief tug-of-war between a security guard and the singer over a zealous fan. They ended up with perhaps 25 people onstage, almost all girls, headbanging and generally having a grand time. I found it funny that they sort of lined up across the stage and rocked out, like they were in some kind of heavy metal chorus line. At the end of the set, the singer got a series of group hugs, revealing the ulterior motive behind the whole stunt. David Lee Roth would be proud.

This is the second time I've seen Dimmu Borgir and they were in top form. I think a lot of the people that disparage them as sell-outs forget that they tour relentlessly (or at least more than any other black metal band that comes to mind) and that they put on a hell of a show. That is where I think their success ultimately stems from. Their set was appropriately dramatic without ever becoming cheesy and their sound and energy were both top-shelf. The new material sounded great, and "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" was just huge. I couldn't tell what Mustis was up to behind all of his gear (which was cloaked with black sheets like some kind of deus ex machina), but from the sound of it I think he probably had the orchestral sessions running in Pro-Tools or something. Whatever he was doing, it sounded superb. This new material has kind of made me wonder what Dimmu Borgir will have to do for their next CD in order to top this one. I don't see them backing away from the orchestra in the studio, but I almost wonder if they could turn into a black metal version of The Moody Blues, requiring an orchestra to be provided at each gig. My only little beef with the set was that Shagrath incited the crowd to do the "Hey, Hey!" bit while throwing horns a little too often, but it might've just seemed that way since I was pretty far removed from it up in the balcony. But in any case, Dimmu Borgir's star certainly continues to rise and if this concert was any indication, they're definitely earning it .