Prelude: I made it to the venue by 7:00 PM, after driving through torrential rain and wind for an hour and a half. Parking was five dollars right next to the venue; there was probably free parking somewhere, but I didn't want to have to walk through the rain. There was a very long line outside the Masquerade, and I ended up having to wait in line outside for over an hour. Luckily, it was only drizzling. A few minutes after 8:00, I made it into the venue. $25.00 seems a high price to pay for an underground metal concert, but for me the evening was more than worth the cost. I got in during the first few minutes of the Berserker's set, but took time to buy a Strapping Young Lad shirt before they sold out. Then, I went into the main room to catch the live music.

Venue: The Masquerade is one of the better venues I have gone to. There were multiple bars, a large stage and floor, and quite a bit of space around the sides, higher up than the floor or stage. I was able to walk around and watch the bands play from different angles. For the majority of the concert, I stayed close to the stage, on the right side of the floor, near the speakers. Which is probably why my ears are still ringing at the time of this writing. But I got some great pictures, so I guess it was worth it. The sound was very loud, but remained clear; all musicians were easily audible, from the first opening band to the headliner. The Masquerade deserves accolades for this, as I can't remember the last time I saw a concert where every band sounded so great. Lighting was also well done, with some effects and strobes but nothing especially spectacular.

The Berserker: I missed the first two or three songs by this band, and did not get especially close (nor did I take any photos). They didn't sound bad, but were not particularly impressive. Everyone in the band wore a mask of some sort, which did not add to their appeal. They sounded like an electronica-infused nü metal band with some death metal influences. Not terrible, but the Berserker did nothing to move me to want to learn more about them or their music.

Strapping Young Lad: This was the band I drove two hours to see. And by God, they did not disappoint. They only played six or seven songs, but every one was extreme and amazing. The crowd loved it, moshing it up like during no other band, save Napalm Death. Devin Townsend is one of the most enjoyable front men to watch, mixing bizarre humor with great metal guitar and vocals. I saw him a few months ago fronting the Devin Townsend Band at Prog Power 3, but he was much angrier and more metal this time around. And Gene Hoglan was certainly a monster of a man, in more ways than one. While he was easily the largest drummer I have ever seen (as well as one of the largest men I have ever seen), he was also the fastest, playing ridiculous fills and blasts on the drums. And he made it all look so easy! During some of the most mind-blowing segments of Strapping Young Lad percussion, Hoglan would close his eyes and groove, or flip a drumstick in his right hand in the middle of playing a blast or fill. He flipped his drumstick a lot. But it was obvious that as complex and extreme as Strapping Young Lad's music was, it was nothing for Hoglan to worry about. Wow. Strapping Young Lad are one of my favorite bands, and to see them live makes me feel so good. They were also the only band whose songs I recognized well enough to get a complete set list for.

Here is what they played:

Oh My Fucking God
SYL
Last Minute
In the Rainy Season
Dire -> Consequence
Rape Song

Dark Tranquility: I know little of this band, and was never impressed by any of their music before. But it seems that melodic death metal bands like Dark Tranquility or In Flames always look and sound better live than on CD. The band was tight and professional, the lead singer used a wireless microphone and was quite engaging, and in all the show was emotional and enjoyable. I will probably pay a bit more attention to Dark Tranquility the next time I hear some of their music or see one of their albums. This band was the most melodic of the night, but the crowd loved them, and it was great to see a metal band of this caliber on stage in the United States.

Napalm Death: Dear God, they were loud. They were also crazy, jumping around on stage and inciting the crowd to endless moshing and slamming. Napalm Death are the reason my ears are ringing. But even though their performance did not necessarily move me to want to buy their albums or go out and proclaim their greatness in the streets, their show was a lot of fun. The pit was active, and I even got involved in some of the fringes (though I didn't want to jeopardize my camera, so I played it light). This was easily the performance of the night, in terms of crowd participation and stage presence. I enjoy Strapping Young Lad and Nile more, but Napalm Death are old school, and it's hard to argue with that.

Nile: This is the fourth time I have seen Nile live. It's not that I drop everything every time they tour, but it has turned out seemingly by chance that I have seen Nile more times on stage than any other band. I'm running out of things to say about this band. They have the atmosphere on stage to match their CDs, and how they can play so fast and so technically is amazing. Nile were easily the fastest and most virtuosic band of the night. They are always impressive, and always brutal. They played a mix of music from their three albums, including the ever-popular "Ramses, Bringer of War." Yeah… they were cool. And with that, an evening of phenomenal music and extreme metal was over. Let the healing begin.