Fear Factory/Mastodon

7/31/04 Axis - Boston, MA

Live review

Home | Interviews | Live Pictures | Reviews | News | Tourdates | Message Board | Links | Search | CD Store | Trade Index | Mailing List | Donno about you, but when I found out that Fear Factory was taking Mastodon out with them, I figured it was too good to be true. Then came the question of, could the veteran Fear Factory easily follow the newer hairy ball of furious noise that preceded their set. Of course Fear Factory prove time and time again why they are a headlining band, but Mastodon would give anyone a run for their money. Anyone who wasn't impressed with both bands that night must not have had a pulse, (as it seemed the night before in CT, sorry but the crowds down there are LAAAAAME). Mastodon played several new tunes from their upcoming album, "Leviathan" which were brilliant, as well as some older material off their first album, "Remission", (including the mandatory "March Of The Fire Ants") and earlier EP "Lifesblood". We weren't treated to a cover of Thin Lizzy's "Emerald" because of earlier technical problems which ate into the set, but this is killer if you're lucky enough to catch it. After Mastodon had already caved everyone's head in, Fear Factory came on...and I was somewhere else in Boston, about 5 blocks away during the first 3 songs... (I figured the set change would take a little longer, since it took an hour the night before) And this would be why I have no live Fear Factory pics for this show...I ran in as the band were pummeling through "Demanufacture" and caught the remainder of the 80 minute set which destroyed the previous night's performance. Fear Factory were "on" in Boston. There was a good mix of everything new and old, with one exception, nothing off of "Digimortal". I didn't mind however, I'll take "Arise Above Oppression" live over anything on that album anyday. "Scumgrief", "Dog Day Sunrise", "Pisschrist", "Shock", "Slave Labor" "Drones", "Archetype", "Human Shields", and a crushing cover of Nirvana's "School" was also somewhere in there. The sickest show I've seen in a long time... Reviewed by: Wolfie