VOLBEAT COMMODORE BALLROOM
APRIL 3rd, 2011
COMMODORE BALLROOM VANCOUVER BC
Review/Photos By: Peter Ruttan
Link to Photos Below: 
http://www.metaltitans.com/concertpics/volbeat/

Take a little bit of Johnny Cash with some Elvis thrown in and a dash of Metal, blend it up and what ya get is a kickass party with Volbeat at the soldout Commodore. The crowd at first took awhile to warm up inside but once the beer started flowing you know it was going to be a long night of hell raising, fist pumping horns held high metal show. I was amazed to see how many empty plastic beer cups that ended up on the floor even before the first band hit the stage.

Hourclast from Boston was the first band and the based quartet which had a Pop, Hard Rock FM Radio sound. There 20 minute set was mostly hits from their June 2010 album ‘Dystopia,’ including Zombie and Little Miss. I found that there sound really didn’t fit the bill for this type of show. I could see these guys more on the bill opening for bands like Papa Roach or Finger Eleven. But I’m giving them a full credit to there intense presence on stage, overall sound and for a opening band that perked more than a few ears in the crowd.

The second band up was the super-group The Damned Things. The six-piece is built musical from members of Anthrax, Fall Out Boy and Every Time I Die. Their guitar riffs are more memorable than most pop-based rock bands. Singer Keith Buckley fronts the band quite well with his singing style. They rocked the crowd with driven songs from their recent album ‘Ironiclast’. Rhythm guitarist Scott Ian from Anthrax was so present on stage and looked like he was having fun on every single song they played. There music is fast paced and catchy more american type metal but not thrash and for Scott Ian this is a change of pace for him as he is one of the fore-fathers of thrash. Is Cliff Burton turning in his grave?

Finally Copenhagen's Volbeat hit the stage and they know how to get the crowd into a frenzy without even strumming a chord. It seemed to me with the screams and chants of the crowd behind me that everyone had heard of Volbeat and wanted to give there energy back to the band. Lead singer and guitarist Michael Poulsen is an excellent front man, who’s slick back hair full and of tattoo’s can rock with the best of them. His vocal range varies from blues rock to metal but before he fronted a Death Metal band called Dominus and felt this type of music was true to his heart so he formed what is now Volbeat. Other band members Anders Kjolholm on bass, guitarist Thomas Bredahl and drummer Jon Larsen rock out to the crowd. The band was energetic on stage playing songs like Heaven nor Hell, Fallen, Still Counting with some special cover versions of a Misfits tune and Johnny Cash’s Sad Man’s Tongue. No matter the crowd loved it, Volbeat had something to deliver and it delivered with flying colours. Volbeat gave special thanks to bands like Metallica, Anthrax, Testament because without them there would be no Volbeat. This was there first time playing in Vancouver which i was surprised by and i hope they come back because i will definitely be back.....HIGHLY RECOMMENDED \m/