Danish rockers Volbeat played a headlining show at the City National Grove of Anaheim on Sunday, April 6.
These up-and-coming metalheads stand out in today’s cookie-cutter modern-rock landscape, mixing influences like Metallica, Elvis, and Johnny Cash. A current band on the rise (despite forming back in 2000), Volbeat recently received their first Grammy nomination in 2014 for Best Metal Performance. This aptly named “2014 Tour” has the rockers on the road for several months with Florida-based heavy metal outfit Trivium.
Trivium warmed up the Anaheim crowd with a killer show. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy was a dynamic showman, working the crowd while chugging through tons of heavy riffing. The band was incredibly tight, and all of their moves and playing locked together like the workings of a precise computer. Drummer Nick Augusto put on a veritable double-bass-drum workshop, pounding out powerful licks through the entire set. Trivium are currently touring on their sixth studio release, 2013’s Vengeance Falls, produced by Disturbed frontman David Draiman.
Volbeat came out and put on an amazing two-hour show featuring songs from throughout their entire catalog. Their sound was very unique and hard to describe, but it sounded something like Metallica transported back in time to the Old West. Despite the obvious dangers of this formula, the songs never seemed gimmicky and were full of emotion and powerful playing.
The band’s most recent album, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, was well represented, with songs like “Dead but Rising” and “Lola Montez” serving as standouts. The fans in attendance were super devoted, and Volbeat tee-shirts and jackets were seen on nearly every person in the audience. The band in turn seemed unusually devoted to its fanbase, even inviting a group of young attendees to sing onstage. The band’s sound and energy were unique and refreshing; it will be exciting to see what a new album will bring and what new awards lie ahead for this hard-rocking group.
Volbeat at City National Grove
Trivium at City National Grove
The Grove show was awesome. I’ve been a Volbeat and Trivium fan for a long time. Seeing them both at the same night was insane. Although not mentioned in the review was Digital Summer, the band that opened up the night. They were great. If you weren’t there and haven’t heard them. They are defininitly worth checking out.