Artist: SOiL

Venue:  02 Academy, Newcastle

Date: 8 November 2009  

One of the surprises of this year for me had to be the new SOiL album 'Picture Perfect', an album that shows the band in a totally new light.  Yes the angst metal is there but with the band losing one guitarist and bringing in vocalist A.J., they band have developed a more rounded sound and one that will surely take the band further up the rock n' roll ladder to ultimate stardom.

So when we the band announced a series of headline dates to run parallel with their support slot for Shinedown, I couldn’t wait to see if the album was a powerful live as on CD.

Well believe me the band are the whole package with A.J. as frontman, the guy has a passion for the live event I haven’t seen in a while.  Combine this with his superb power driven vocal tonight we witnessed the re-birth of the band.

The venue has the big room in the Academy but the 250+ capacity smaller room gave this gig that intimate feel and also gave A.J. a chance to get up close and personal with those down the front.

From the off the band and crowd were on the same level of mayhem as a mosh pit ensued just two bars into the opening song.  The whole place just erupted as A.J. Cavalier took over and played the crowd like a puppet master pulling their strings as he powered through the set like a man possessed, with the crowds enthusiasm just seeming to fuel this man further.

I’d come to hear songs from the new album and the first of these was ‘Tear’, a great song on CD but a totally monster live, as the band gave their all with Adam Zadel just burning it up the guitar, while Tim King and Tom Schofield just power-housed their way through in the rhythm section.

But it was A.J. who was the star tonight as he pushed the SOiL envelope further than you could ever imagine.  The older songs seemed to have more punch but are now a bit dated compared to the new more vibrant songs, such is the impact A.J. has on the bands songs and sound, with the likes of ‘True Self’ from the first album to feature A.J. as vocalist and ‘Break Me Up’ were maybe the only exceptions. The likes of ‘The Lesser Man’ and ‘Like It Is’ were just in another class and the crowd here tonight were certainly into these newer songs.

The band had to finish on their most recognised single, that one, oh you know, what’s it called?  Oh yes!  ‘Halo’!  This one really blew the venue apart as the crowd just leaped as one and rocked along with the band on this one.  All of which ended a great set from a band definitely on their way back to the top.  Don’t be surprised if the band tour next year and next time play in the bigger venues as headliners.  I'd certainly love to see them play these shores again soon.

 

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