Saturday 17/03/07 Killswitch Engage, DragonForce, Chimaira, He Is Legend @ Mesa Amphitheater Arizona

It’s a freakin hot day signalling an early spring and a portent for the fire that’ll ignite the stage tonight. He Is Legend hails from North Carolina and their Post-Hardcore/rock smolders on the stage. We love their earthy intensity as ‘Attack Of The Dungeon Witch’ makes us yearn for the taste of Jack Daniels and bonfires. The sweet low down intro to ‘Dinner With A Gypsy’ sweeps in and builds into frustrated agitated vox then puts a spell on us as bewitching, wandering instrumental bridges take hold. Sweat pours off of lead singer Schuyler Croom making his tattoos shine in the setting sun as the band lines up and head bangs. He stands on the rail leans back and roars at the thickening crowd.

The Chimaira banner is raised and the rabble cheers. They begin with ‘Resurrection’ off their new album of the same name. It’s thrashy, nervy and hair raising with a sinister chugging bass and high velocity drums. A big nasty mosh pit forms as lead singer Mark Hunter roars “Worthless” and the raging cry is picked up then mirrored by the mob that now fills the venue to capacity.  Mark yells “I want the people who are being crazy to annihilate the people who are being lazy” and the mosh turns into a tempest amidst the jumping horde. Brutal and malevolent ‘Pure Hatred’ brings on the fury as people scream “I hate everyone” and Chimaira leaves the stage.

The band appears, the crowd roars and people start running from the sidelines for a spot close to the stage. London’s DragonForce is here. We’re always amazed at people’s initial reaction to their perfect metal storm. Everyone seems to be holding their breath and hypnotized as they watch twin-guitarist Herman Li and Sam Totman’s fingers fly at mind numbing speeds during ‘Revolution Death Squad.’ Elite showman Vadim Pruzhanov plays the keyboard whilst in mid-air as he twists and whirls about like a frayed hot electrical cord. ZP Theart’s perfect vox hurls ‘My Spirit Will Go On’ forward at ludicrous speeds. Then Herman and Sam do a simultaneous leap four feet in the air as they play the final note. The entire Amphitheater is on its feet, fists are beating the air and ‘Through The Fire And Flames’ begins. All eyes are fixed on Herman and Sam. They do their signature guitar moves while their fingers scream and smoke the strings. We are left as stunned as when they started and the crowd chants “DragonForce” long after they are gone.