Danzig, Superjoint Ritual, Veil Of Maya & Prong @ The Fillmore

Very rarely do I go to a show early nowadays to catch and opening act I've never heard, but the lure of Prong got me to the Fillmore early.  I may have missed the first couple of songs but Prong were on fire.  With Danzig's Tommy Victor pulling double duty tonight, it was great to see him just rocking out on Prong's punk inspired tunes - so different from that distinct Danzig twang.  Glad I got in early to see this.

Next up was Veil of Maya.  Like Suicide Silence opening for Korn, this music is too heavy for me today.  Screaming vocals and crunching guitars blared heavy metal rifts which a good majority of the front section were into....just not me.

I was also keen to see Phil Anselmo's Superjoint Ritual.  I've seen Pantera and Down before and really enjoyed their show.  Contrary to the other two bands, Superjoint is pretty loose.  A good heavy edge, which the crowd were into.  And Anselmo's between song banter was definitely funny.  Superjoint were a good choice as an opener for Danzig, as both artists seem to have a mutual appreciation for each other.  And the relatively small (disappointingly) crowd were amped for the main event.

After seeing Samhain at Riot Fest in 2014, I said I'd seen my last Danzig-led show, but this band has such a great, unique sound I couldn't stay away.  And rightly so.  Where Samhain seemed like a band who hadn't played together in a long time, Danzig is a well-oiled machine.  I love that when you hear a Danzig riff, there is no disputing which band is playing that song.  I heard a bunch of favorites, from How The Gods Kill to Twist of Cain to Am I Demon to the awesome Mother.  Also liked their Elvis cover of Let Yourself Go from their new Skeletons LP.   A set lasting just over an hour was enough to remind me not to miss Danzig whenever I get the chance.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 395th concert.

This is my 14th concert at The Fillmore.

This is my 39th concert in Charlotte.

This is my 44th concert in North Carolina.

This is my 203rd concert in the USA.

Prong are the 468th band I've seen.

Veil Of Maya are the 469th band I've seen.

Superjoint Ritual are the 470th band I've seen.

This is my 7th Danzig concert.