All That Remains with Chimaira & Divine Heresy
The Trocadero
Philadelphia, PA
February 1, 2008

by Matthew Hoffman
Staff Writer

Comments: When you go to see a metal show at The Trocadero in the middle of Chinatown in Philadelphia, it is always a special occasion. The venue is a classic multi-tiered theatre and is rich in history (it opened as an Opera House in 1870) with pretty much every major metal band in history having graced their stage. The bad thing though is that the venue while historical and cozy, is quickly becoming outdated. The sound system specifically drowned out vocals at some points and lead guitar work at others. This fact nearly ruined the entire show for its loyal patrons.

It all began with a raucous sold out crowd cheering on the wild and crazy boys of Divine Heresy, a death metal band from Los Angeles, Calif. The band was great with the crowd but far from great with their music and seemed disorganized almost like they were “winging it.” The music itself was very aggressive but void of any real melodies or lead guitar, a big no-no in death metal. Their guitarist the former Fear Factory founder Dino Cazares has the talent to play wonderful leads but settled on aggressive riffs only. His massive body dwarfed the eight-string that he held vertically after each song and constantly swung around his neck like a toy. This “play” helped the band get the crowd active but unfortunately the music never matched that wild energetic level.

Up next was the solid metal outfit Chimaira from Ohio, fresh off the success of their 2007 release Resurrection. This is where the sound system almost totally destroyed the show. The vocals of Mark Hunter and the spirited leads from dominant axe grinder Rob Arnold were so muted that you could barely hear them. This was very disappointing, as Chimaira is a great band to see live and had at least half the crowd there to see them specifically. Arnold finally being seen for his vast talents after years in the underground played his creative solos to the joy of the crowd but they were barely audible. Driving 90 miles to see Arnold’s lead work and then needing a hearing aid to decipher them was not a good sign for my attendance at future Trocadero events. Hunter’s vocals experienced the same phenomenon. It is a good thing that the crowd knew the songs so well and sang them in unison, as that was the only way non-fans would have known the words. This was surely a shame as Chimaira is a tight band that has grown and matured significantly in the past 2 years and it would have been nice to hear them play.

After a short break the headliners All That Remians arrived on stage to the chants of “ATR, ATR, ATR, ATR.” Their charisma and talent as well as an obvious shift in the sound system made the set by All That Remains more than worth the drive.

They played all their fan-favorite songs from their past few albums including “Not Alone,” “This Calling” and “Tattered on my Sleeve,” which the crowd energetically sang to. The sound system did not hold back ATR though and Phil Labonte sang his chords off, launching from traditional vocals to death metal to growls with the greatest of ease. Guitarist Mike Martin laid down tight riffs and melodies that his fantastic guitar teacher Oli Herbert killed over all night long. For fans in the know Oli is an elite guitarist and for those that had no idea they left with the knowledge that ATR is more than Phil Labonte. Last year in an interview with Labonte he lauded the talents of Herbert so I looked forward to the show especially to dissect his abilities. What I discovered was that Labonte was being humble and Herbert has a chance at being among the best axe wielders in the metal game. He is precise, clean, and spirited in his play without losing any of the requisite death metal ferocity. For guitar heads out there don’t miss this sick son of a bitch, they are on tour at a venue near you for the next few months.

Labonte also showed much of his appeal, inviting members of the opening bands out onto the stage to drink shots of whiskey with ATR, and constantly played with his adoring female fans (an amazing 25% of the crowd) showing off his ripped body by tearing off his shirt mid-way through their set. He also thanked the crowd for being a sell out and spoke reverently about the joy of playing The Trocadero.

All in all it was a cool night for metal and while the sound for the first few bands was horrid, they got it right in time for the headliners to blow it up!

Photos provided by Matthew Hoffman