Kreator w/ Accept and Swallow the Sun at the Phoenix, September 12th

For those not at BMO Field to cheer on the hapless TFC or at the ACC to Celebrate with Madonna, the place to be Wednesday evening was The Phoenix as German Metal titans Kreator and guests brought the vintage. Battle-scarred veterans Accept and Finnish doom metalnauts Swallow the Sun were there to warm up the crowd.

Got there a bit after opening and met a modest lineup. Some older heads had their jean jackets with Accept band patches on. It looked generally to be an older crowd. Got in and took a look at the merch which was in the merch room - a sign they were expecting a reasonably full house. The balcony was closed off so settled for a view about midway.

Opening act Swallow the Sun from Finland started shortly after doors opened. A six-piece with a keyboardist, two guitarists, bassist and singer standing in a line at the front of the stage, it was a little unclear where to focus one's attention. They started off kind of mellow and a few songs in I clued in that this was doom metal. To me this was a novel way to start off a metal concert - most three act concerts go for a fast, slow, fast.

Well, it worked. It was a nice way to ease into the proceedings and I particularly liked their penultimate track Cathedral Walls. A track they played at the start had some post-rock/Mogwai-like stylings mostly originating from the keyboardist rather than the guitarists. Different opener and job well done.

Decided to head to the merch table once more and decided that Swallow the Sun had the most abstract design out of the three so got a shirt. Also met one of the guitarists who was super cool. The band is on their 5th tour already - the only way to make any profile/money these days. Best of luck to these guys.

Check them out!!!! Swallow the Sun.

Next up were German band Accept. Decided to take a walk around to scout the crowd a little. Wandered near the back and noticed more ladies back. Ended up next to a guy with a Judas Priest jacket and his mature lady friend. Not sure what the scene was there but whatever works.

Accept have been kicking around since 1968 in one form or another. They might have started off as a speaker company as each of their speaker heads had the ACCEPT logos where one would expect a Marshall logo to be. It wouldn't be the first time - I think the Rolling Stones started out as a Bed-and-Breakfast.

Accept roared onto stage and provided everyone with the proverbial kick in the pants. They had pretty good stage-work and really got the audience into participating. The ease with which the frontman did so was really something to behold. Some singers yell at the crowd and turns a number of people off, others mimic what the crowd is supposed to be doing (monkey see monkey do) but this guy was almost a Mesmer kind of suggesting and the crowd just responded.

The lead guitarist was pretty good as well - very good technique and between him and the singer, they pretty much commanded everyone's attention. Accept are still putting out albums and played Stalingrad which had a familiar refrain from the Russian national anthem - very nice. An interesting song given that Accept is German and the experiences during WWII. The song perspective was from a Russian point of view - just seems a bit odd is all. I mean, how many British songs recount the Suez?

Anyway, Accept finished up with Balls to the Wall and everyone was primed for the last act, Kreator. Must say the set break down between Accept and Kreator looked a bit chaotic. Not that there was anyone standing around, just seemed that there was alot more equipment on the stage than needed to be there.

Kreator bounded on stage after a decent interval. Millie (the singer) has been the stalwart force behind this band which has been around since the 80s. Must say, after Accept, the energy in the place did seem to go down. Not sure what it was. The Judas Priest dude and his lady friend took off midway (must have been Accept fans).

Kreator rolled through some of their solid tracks like Enemy of God, People of the Lie and Violent Revolution. The rapport between Millie and the Toronto audience was okay but seemed forced.

Perhaps it was the sound or the choice of tracks. I was waiting to hear a nice guitar track like Second Awakening but nothing really seemed to happen. Some tracks of their new Phantom Antichrist album were played and it seemed over before it started. There was no encore which most of the crowd seemed to expect. Oh well.

Tried to grab a Smoke's Poutine at Dundas East but it was closed. Ended up on the TTC heading north with a huddle of teenage girls and a clutch of gay guys sporting MDNA wrist bands. Toronto.

Highlights: Swallow the Sun Cathedral Walls and Accept Stalingrad.