Vapor Transmission tour visits the Palladium

The Vapor Transmission Tour stopped at the Worcester Palladium on March 3rd. The lineup included Tinfed, Alien Ant Farm, Spineshank, and Orgy. The first band, Tinfed, was not impressive in the very least. Their claim to fame was the track "Immune" on the Mission Impossible 2 sound track. Their current album is called Tried + True. Their sound has been compared to such great bands as Nine Inch Nails, Garbage, and Radiohead. Tinfed cannot compare to these excellent bands and their live shows. The band members have other talents such as producing and DJ-ing; perhaps they should stick with that. I do not recommend this band for anything (http://www.tinfed.com).

Next in line was Alien Ant Farm, which was great. I enjoyed their music and stage presence. They put on a very humorous show. AAF, as it is sometimes called, comes from California. They share a past with Papa Roach. Both bands were coming up and played the same places. The two groups became friends. When Papa Roach became large, they were sure to help out their buddies from AAF. AAF is signed to Papa Roach's New Noise label. The singer, Mitchell Dryden, and bass player, Tye Zamora, were the main attractions of the set. Tye looks as if he belongs in an insane asylum with the faces he displayed. Mitchell throughout the show ranted and raved about various things that lightened up the place. He says that everything is a pun or halfway joke with them. He addressed the issue of Napster saying it is all right and good as long as you buy the album as well. In 1999 AAF received Best Independent Album at the L.A. Music Awards. Alien Ant Farm's first release ANThology hit stores on March 6, 2001. I recommend seeing this band and buying the album. You can catch them with Papa Roach on Raid the Nation Tour and this year's Warp Tour (http://www.alienantfarm.com).

Spineshank is a hard-hitting angry band from California. Their album is based on betrayal and hardships. Specifically "the unforgiving LA scene," as they call it. Spineshank's big break came from Dino Cazares, guitarist from the band Fear Factory. They then began opening for Fear Factory and other bands such as Coal Chamber, Snot, Soulfly, Sepultura, and Danzig. These shows eventually lead to their signing with Roadrunners Records. Spineshank has an industrial sound with hard metal mixed in. Their songs are very fast paced displaying the hardships they endured. The debut album is Strictly Diesel. The whole building was filled with an enormous amount of energy during their set. You can catch them touring with Disturbed in the spring (http://www.spineshank.com).

Orgy was the headliner for this tour. They are touring for their sophomore release Vapor Transmission. Orgy's debut album was Candyass. The first album was based on fantasy worlds and sci-fi imagination. Most people may know them from their cover of the song "Blue Monday". This was later followed by "Stitches". They have a futuristic and sci-fi image. Vapor Transmission is based on a lot of real life experiences that the band has gone through. The band does not try to change any of the stories in the songs. All people named in the songs are actual people. The first single off this album was "Digital Fiction". The second was "Opticon".

When Orgy took the stage the whole place was rocking with their special brand of music. There is not much the band could do in regards to a set for the stage because of the Palladium's limited size. They had some futuristic props, but it was the lighting that really set the mood. The use of lasers for the show was excellent. The band played numerous songs from the new album such as Digital Fiction, Opticon, and Eyes. They also included old songs such as Stitches and Blue Monday. The band brought out the lead singers from Alien Ant Farm, Spineshank, and Tinfed during the set to sing along. Orgy put on an excellent show for what they had. If they were in a larger arena and had more special effects the show could be so much more. This band is great so buy the albums and see them live. http://www.orgymusic.com

Overall the night went well. The crowd was pumped and gave back all the energy that the bands dished out. There was a mix of people who attended that all seemed to love the music. Do not miss out on the bands recommended.