P.O.D. And Demon Hunter Performed Together In Argentina | Warriors And Hunters At The Arena Sur
(By Eric Balbi)
On Monday, December 15, at the Arena Sur (Buenos Aires), there was a double bill of international bands: P.O.D. and Demon Hunter. Yes, on a Monday, because in Buenos Aires, no show is off limits, not even on the first day of the week. Both groups, from the United States, were on an extensive tour that took them to Brazil. Then in South America, they extended their performances to two countries, including ours and neighboring Chile.
I’ll start where I should. The two groups that visited us weren’t the only ones to play; they were accompanied by a national band as the opening act. So, at the venue, after 7 p.m., Cabezones, formed in 1991 in the province of Santa Fe, took the stage. In their early days, they leaned toward hardcore punk and then toward alternative rock/nu metal. The setlist prepared for this occasion was more in line with the latter.
They started with “Frágil,” and the audience gradually settled in, with Cabezones fans ready to enjoy a nostalgic selection. To my surprise, Mario Ian, a legendary voice of national Hard Rock/Heavy Metal (formerly of Rata Blanca, Devenir, Alakrán, among others), participated as a guest. The surprise was not that he joined Cabezones to sing, but rather that he participated so early on and was the band’s only guest. In my experience, it is always a pleasure to see him live.
The setlist was loaded with nostalgic classics for those who follow the band. The classics continued with “Hombre Paranoico,” the Soda Stereo cover “Sueles dejarme solo,” and “Abismo.” The only break from their popular songs was to play “S.O.S.,” their most recent release, which already has its own music video for anyone who wants to see it. The song, which I would classify as alternative rock/metal, has Christian spiritual or religious references that were fitting for the occasion, as the next two bands have roots in the Christian faith. For the finale, they returned to their well-known songs and closed with “Pasajero en extinción” and “Frío.” César Andino, their singer, showed his gratitude by ending with applause for the audience, then leaving the stage and letting the band play the last rhythms, melodies, and harmonies.
Now it was Demon Hunter’s turn. On their second visit after 12 years, they were responsible for putting the first international stamp on the night. They started with “Sorrow Light The Way,” not as devastating as other modern extreme metal bands, but with a power worthy of alternative metal, fitting in with a solid, groovy show featuring the classic melodic choruses that these types of bands usually have. They played “Collapsing” and “The Heart Of A Graveyard,” with the band putting on a polished show and Ryan Clark, their vocalist, demonstrating clarity in his singing and performance as frontman.
The band is part of the historic record label Solidstate Records, which initially brought together a large number of bands with a Christian perspective. Demon Hunter’s first album, self-titled, was released in 2002 (previously, the Clark brothers, founders of Demon Hunter, of which only Ryan remains, were part of Training For Utopia, a historic band). and their setlist included “Infected,” a song from their first album that appeared on the soundtrack of the movie “Killing Floor 2” (2015). The next song from their early years was “Not Ready To Die,” from their second album, “Summer Of Darkness” (2004). Perhaps because of the venue or my specific location, I couldn’t appreciate them as clearly, but it’s great that they played them. The audience was receptive and in a good mood, but perhaps because of the heat, the biggest “chaos” came later, with a full-on mosh pit, which in my opinion, they were a bit shy about.
Other songs played that night included “Cut It Fit,” “Undying,” and, slowing things down a bit, “Dead Flowers” and “My Heartstrings Come Undone.” They closed with “Storm The Gates Of Hell,” a powerful ending befitting the occasion.
In the third act, and for the third time on Argentine soil, the band from San Diego, California, P.O.D., rocked the Arena Sur. And it was no surprise that, after the introduction, they kicked off with “Southtown,” one of their most popular songs, with all their energy and an audience that went wild singing, jumping, pure excitement for all P.O.D. fans.
They didn’t follow up with anything less, but seemed determined to give it their all, playing “Rock The Party,” “Boom,” and “Set It Off,” all energetic and powerful songs in the style that characterizes this type of rapcore/new metal/alternative band. It’s true that they’re not a hardcore, grindcore, or thrash metal band, let alone a metal powerhouse as they were promoted in the pre-concert publicity, so relax. All of these songs are from their hit albums “The Fundamental Elements of Southtown” and “Satellite,” released by Atlantic Records, which put them on the global map of the nu metal scene in the 2000s, perhaps their best era. Fun fact: the song “Southtown” is on their EP “The Warrior,” released before their success, and it’s one of my favorites, with a more hardcore sound. I recommend it.
If you thought they would slow down now, that wasn’t the case. They continued with “Drop,” from their latest album, “Veritas.” The song features Randy Blythe from Lamb of God. Live, they usually play a track of his voice, but on this occasion, Ryan Clark took the microphone and sang his part, adding more excitement to the night. “I Got That,” “Soundboy Killa,” and “Payable On Death” followed with full force. Sonny Sandoval, the singer, exudes charisma and connection with his audience. With his characteristic dreadlocks flying around—there was a time when he had cut them off and didn’t wear them on his visits to the country—it’s a nostalgic look for fans of the band that has characterized him for a long time.
Now, a little calmer, it was time to play their latest release, the Beatles cover, “Don’t Let Me Down.” This is not the first time the group has recorded a cover of bands outside their musical style. The “calm” did not last long, as he continued with “Murdered Love,” another one of those songs that makes you move your body if you’re into P.O.D. Even “Lost in Forever” sounded more energetic, although perhaps my subjectivity is working against me.
The second guest of the night was Andrés Giménez (A.N.I.M.A.L.); he was eagerly awaited, as the band re-released the song “I Won’t Bow Down” from their latest album, with Andrés singing the chorus in Spanish. Andrés participated with his band D-Mentes on P.O.D.’s first visit and on their second with A.N.I.M.A.L., also participating in the song “Alive.” Traa Daniels, bassist, coincidence or not, I noticed that he was wearing an A.N.I.M.A.L. T-shirt, and I wasn’t the only one.
The popular songs returned: “Sleeping Awake,” the soundtrack from the movie “Matrix Reloaded,” and the lighting turned green, characteristic of the film. In “Youth Of The Nation,” another anticipated classic, there was no crowd surfing as is often the case in other shows by the band. Marcos Curiel, the guitarist, was cool and spoke a few words in our language, as he has Mexican ancestry—like Sonny—seeking a Latin connection with the audience.
Towards the end, he interspersed songs from his latest album with classics, playing “Breaking,” then “Will You,” and returning with “Afraid To Die,” featuring Tatiana from Jinjer. No, she wasn’t there, nor was anyone else from here (who can you imagine collaborating live with Argentine singers?) and “Satellite.” In the interlude between the latter and their popular songs, the well-known ones clearly won out, and everything comes to an end in life, and so it was that “Alive” marked the end of the show.
Before finishing, I can’t help but mention, on a personal note and on behalf of all of us here at this media outlet, the absence of Living Sacrifice, a band we love very much and which our brothers in Brazil had the privilege of seeing on two dates of this tour. We are still waiting for their visit! Leaving that aside, we have to be realistic and honest; we enjoyed Cabezones, and of course, an international double bill like the hunters of Demon Hunter and the warriors of P.O.D. is not something you get to enjoy every day!!!
