For the first time ever both Gino and I met up with our writer Adam Wasylyk (who lives somewhere in bum-fuck/West End Toronto) for this concert. We had known Adam for several months over the net as he originally just submitted concert reviews, but as time went on we realized that Adam would be a good asset for the 'zine and offered him the chance to write for us: doing reviews and interviews. He accepted and eventually Adam became part of the Chronicles of Chaos fold: 1/5 of the mag. And the rest is history.

That night we met up for a pretty solid triple bill at one of the better venues in Toronto: Lee's Palace. The sparse crowd at the beginning of the night (during Fu Manchu's set) eventually turned into a sweaty and congested assemblage of concert-goer's when Maryland noise-guys Clutch took the stage.

Opening the show was the always cool Fu Manchu, with their Black Sabbath-esque guitar riffs, drug influenced lyrics and feedback. Loud and proud, Fu Manchu delivered heavy song after heavy song as they stormed through 40-minutes of material, mostly off their latest album _In Search Of..._. Singer Scott Hill coated the songs with some trippy vocals and charisma, much like the ways of Monster Magnet frontman Dave Wyndorf. Standouts included: "Regal Begal," "Asphalt Risin," "Cyclone Launch" and "Solid Hex."

Next up was New York's Orange 9mm, a four-piece hardcore band led by the explosive frontman Chaka. The band's 50-minute set was pure adrenalin, showcasing some great songs (can't remember the names - grooves were all that counted) that just kept churning up strong riffs and hard-core grooves. The band had a good response from happy moshing fans up front and overall had Clutch's work cut out for them. Having seen this band last year on The Warped Tour and now in a smaller venue, I can strongly say that they are one of the better hardcore acts playing out right now. Intensity and might guided by a focused message.

As Clutch took the stage, Maryland flag adorning the wall behind them, the crowd grew more intense. In town for the third time with their 1995 self-titled record (the band was here with Marilyn Manson twice in October 1995) this seemed to be the least motivated or energetic show that the band has performed. Can you say road fatigue? With a new album surfacing soon, the band played some new material which kept the pit going, but nothing was more exhilarating to hear then their classic song (and Beavis And Butthead approved) "Shogun Named Marcus." Following that song, the remainder of the band's set was just a blur of noise and heavy riffs with no real peak of interest. Needless to say, the band fell flat and only once in a while surfaced with something interesting to keep the fans captivated.

Despite the somewhat dismal effort of Clutch, both opening acts worked hard and in the end proved to be the better choices for bands this night. Fu Manchu rocks - be sure to check this band out if you ever get the chance.