Review and photos by Ellen Eldridge
Stolen Babies and Lacuna Coil opened for Coal Chamber and Sevendust at one of the most aesthetically pleasing shows to grace Tabernacle Atlanta. The guttural growls and high-pitched squeals reached by cabaret metal singer Dominique Lenore Persi got the early crowd’s blood pumping. Persi commanded attention as soon as she opened her mouth, but by the second song she picked up her accordion, which may have surprised Sevendust’s fans. The progressive elements in Stolen Babies’ songs mingled well with the lineup and Stolen Babies were well received as they played songs including “Never Come Back” off the 2012 release, Naught.
Lacuna Coil stirred fans’ emotions playing songs including “I Don’t Believe in Tomorrow,” “Kill the Light” and “Trip the Darkness.” These Atlanta favorites may be as much of a draw—if not more—than Coal Chamber, the band that provided direct support for Sevendust Wednesday.
The well-warmed crowd didn’t wane in waiting for Sevendust to take the stage. Though three bands came and went, and the hour approached 11, fans eagerly anticipated singer Lajon Witherspoon and the rest of Sevendust, a band that makes the city of Atlanta proud to call it home.
The energy exuded by fans warmed the Tabernacle like the heat kicking on during a chilly evening, after the break between Coal Chamber and the final act of the evening. Witherspoon called out to fans, asking if they could feel the energy; the band’s decision to open with “Decay” off the March 26, 2013, release, Black Out the Sun, drove an energetic feeling. Despite a few grumblings about Sevendust’s recent release taking a step backward toward a more mellow sound, “Decay” crunched under foot and revved up the crowd.
Witherspoon wasn’t the only energetic individual; all the members of Sevendust ran back and forth across the stage jumping and singing. He called out to his Atlanta crowd acknowledging that “this is our house” and continued to play through a setlist that included “Praise,” “Denial,” “Till Death,” “Waffle,” “Strong Arm,” “Rumble Fish,” “Bitch,” “Pieces,” “Got A Feeling,” “Black” and ended with “Splinter” and “Face to Face.”
An interesting fact for those who weren’t in the photo pit was that Witherspoon had the printed lyrics for the bluesy “Got A Feeling” taped to the stage. This song pulls away from the powerful crunch of earlier Sevendust songs and calls out to a reverence for religion with its lines “He saved my soul with gratitude and gave his life, yes he did. And God really knows us all.”
If you didn’t get a chance to see such an inspiring—both visually and aurally—lineup and Tabernacle last night, make plans to check these bands out individually next time they roll through.
Sevendust:
Lacuna Coil:
Stolen Babies:
