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Thursday, January 27, 2011
Photos / Live Reviews / setlist / News Live review: Nonpoint
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Nonpoint, Straight Line Stitch, Red Line Chemistry, A.M.M.A.S.
Amos' Southend
Jan. 26, 2011
The Deal: Four metal bands descend upon Amos' for night of heavy music.
The Good: The night started off early with a short set by Charlotte metal band A.M.M.A.S. Using a three guitar attack, the band did its best to get the small crowd warmed up. Singer McCray Bowen offered a good balance between melodic singing and the usual metal "cookie monster" vocals. (More on vocal styles under The Bad, below.) The band's experience and maturity came through instantly. They've got a solid stage presence and songwriting and was a great start to the evening.
The third band was Straight Line Stitch, a female-fronted metal band that leans toward the cookie-monster style but also shows plenty of melodic vocals as well. Singer Alexis Brown spun her head around so fast in a head banging motion that you wondered how she doesn't suffer from permanent whiplash. Her vocals showed dynamic range and the drummer is definitely worth keeping an eye on. The band's album is due in March.
Nonpoint hit the stage a little after 10 and came out swinging with "Miracle" followed by "Bones." The band's energy was infectious and the crowd was clearly ready for everything they had to give. Singer Elias Soriano has a easy-going and energetic stage presence — jumping up on a platform and whipping around his dreadlocks.
After playing its cover of Phil Collins "In the Air," the band deviated from the setlist when the crowd started asking for "Mindtrip." After joking that "Mindtrip" is "like nine years old and they haven't practiced it," the band launched into it. (It should be noted that it was listed as a song in the encore.) They tacked on "Bullet With a Name" to the end of the set, instead of as an encore, as well.
Though many might not have expected an encore with a small crowd, the band returned to fulfill another request. They offered up the intense "Rabia" as the lone encore song. I first caught Nonpoint live by accident around a decade ago, and the band remains just as talented, strong and focused as always. Now, if only more people would take notice...
The Bad: After A.M.M.A.S., Red Line Chemistry offered a brief 25-minute set. The band tried its best to get the crowd involved, but its cover of Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down a Dream" sounded a bit like The Cult and nearly cheesy. Their brand of rock was pretty straight forward and forgettable. There were hints of some Alice in Chains mixed in, but just nothing enough to stand out until their final song. A great aggressive rock song that was a little too late.
As for the vocals — both Bowen and Brown go back and forth between clear melodic singing and screeching cookie-monster growls that can rarely be understood. I understand some metal bands that focus on the monster side — usually because of lack of talent, but both of these singers have solid vocal abilities, as proved during those clear moments. If either band relied on the cookie monster style, I would have said they both need help. Instead, they left me wanting more — of the good stuff and less growling yawps.
The worst part of the night was the fact there were probably less than 200 people there. I have never understood why Nonpoint doesn't have a bigger following. They've got a charismatic frontman, catchy riffs and choruses and fantastic energy.
The Verdict: Nonpoint, for me, was clearly the standout performer of the night. Overall, a great night of metal and rock... hopefully the small crowd doesn't steer them away from visiting Charlotte again.
Nonpoint setlist
Miracle
Bones
Hands Off
Crazy
Buscando
Alive & Kicking
Truth
Victim
Frontlines
In the Air
Mindtrip
What a Day
Bullet
Encore
Rabia
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