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with Special Guests: HELLYEAH
OnCenter War Memorial - Syracuse, NY - May 15, 2014

Chris Besaw and I were scheduled to do an interview with Chad Grey of HELLYEAH, but the morning of the show, we were contacted by their PR company who said that due to unforseen issues, we would not be able to do the interview, and there would be no press or photo passes for us. So, it being Morel mushroom season, (and me being obsessed with them) I made plans to go with the lovely Miss Dawn to make the hour drive to our Double Extra Super Secret Spot to hunt.
Later in the afternoon, Chris was contacted by the band's tour manager, who explained that there would still be no interview, but he DID have passes for us.
Since I had already commited to our trip, and was unable to go to the show at that point, Chris contacted our good friend Greg Allis, and he agreed to help us out and filled in for the review of the show. Check out his www.LiveHighFive.com site for more great interviews. Tell him Tom sent ya!

By Greg Allis
www.LiveHighFive.com

Huntington Beach, California’s Avenged Sevenfold invaded the Oncenter War Memorial on May 15, 2014 for a stop on their “Shepherd of Fire” tour. The long-running, genre flipping 5-piece remain a commercial success, equivalent to a modern day Guns N Roses, IMO.
For any of you detractors, I can only say this much: The ravenous crowd of eager fans lined up outside the venue for hours, HOURS, before doors, in Syracuse, all just aching to get in, was something else.
Touring in support of Hail To The King, their latest Warner Brothers Records release, A7X is undoubtedly one of the biggest bands in the world right now. The performance in Syracuse (my first time seeing the group live) was a clear indicator and strong testament as to why. Vocalist M. Shadows, making mention of the group’s absence from our area in recent years, whipped the crowd into several frenzies during the performance. For any A7X lifers in the room, he also alluded to past performances at much smaller Syracuse venues (Planet 505 anyone?) during a time when the then-hardcore band often found themselves dodging bodies and encouraging scream-a-longs more than looking down on several thousand screaming fans happy to be in the same room as the band. Patience, Persistence, and Rock n Roll, folks… A7X has it.
The always-awesome twin guitar attack of Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates really tells me I should’ve tried harder to see the band years ago. The interplay between these two, now a well-oiled machine after years of touring and recording, makes the whole endeavor seem effortless. With plenty of confidence and more than enough room for the star posturing, they’ve also perfected their interactions with the crowd, especially bassist Johnny Christ. Clearly holding down the easiest job of the bunch, Mr. Christ aptly provided every ounce of low-end thump while strutting around the stage like a total boss.
The best part of the evening came from a particularly somber moment, when M. Shadows made mention of drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, who passed away a few years back. Touching in a way not often seen by music’s commercial elite (until they get their “Behind The Music” special anyway), he explained that A7X leaves The Rev’s recorded vocals in the mix, their way of “bringing him with us every night.” Thankfully, the group’s new drummer Arin Ilejay fits the band to a T, his explosive and energetic performance demeanor radiating during his time on the three video screens, highlighting a wonderfully evil looking stage set up.

Official Site

The 14-song set, heavy on the hits, also featured a few deep cuts for the 315 fans, including the not-often heard “Burn It Down,” much to the delight of this writer. I’d have paid an extra $20 to hear “Beast and The Harlot” and “Eternal Rest” as well, but I suppose there’s no reason to be greedy. A7X played a great set, and I’ll make it a point to see them again in the not-too-distant future.
To open the evening, we had Hell Yeah, the super-group made up of (most notably) Vinnie Paul from Pantera and Chad from Mudvayne. The band played a solid set of tunes, it wasn’t a bad time by any means, and I don’t want to take away from the group or the members at all, but I’ve got to be upfront and honest here: Hell Yeah is more of a reason for old friends to hit the road and lay down jams in the studio than anything else.
To be extremely bias, and (hopefully) a little offensive, no one in the crowd (or their right fucking minds) would ever, EVER, choose to see/listen to this group over the former members’ other acts, recorded or otherwise. I mean, we’re talking about Pantera and Mudvayne here, both sonic equivalents of heavy machinery leveling elementary schools with children still inside.
The songs have all been done before, Chad’s stage banter sounded entirely too scripted to be sincere and from the gut, and Vinnie’s playing, while still solid as ever, seemed secondary to the fact that he himself was in the band. I love flashy drummers, stick twirling, and a hefty dose of attitude, but I’d rather feel my chest cave in from the pummel I know for a fact Vinnie is still able to produce.
But it’s Rock n Roll, and those guys are on the stage while I’m here writing about it, so let’s be honest: the Hell Yeah guys provided a solid warm up to get the crowd ready for Avenged Sevenfold.
Mission accomplished