One Minute Silence

opening for Biohazard and Sepultura

The Chili Pepper, Ft. Lauderdale • March 16, 1999

Geoff Baumgartner

Anyone who has heard One Minute Silence’s debut disc, Available in All Colors , may have unfairly dismissed it as same-old, same-old, Pantera-esque metal stuff. But I guarantee, if you see these guys live, you will be blown away, and you will become a fan.

Opening for Sepultura and Biohazard, you’re facing a tough, metal-loving crowd. These guys blasted onstage like an atomic bomb, and seemed to have a large fan base of their own, as I noticed everyone singing along to tracks like “New Dogs New Tricks” and “Pig Until Proven Cop.” The crossover crowd (half long hairs, half no hairs) was soon going nuts in the pit, and I must commend my friend and photographer, Dan, for his bravery in getting close-up pictures. For a moment he was swept away, and I lost sight of him entirely amongst the flailing members of a violent pit. At one point, lead singer Brian (Yap) Barry had to stop the show to remind the pugilistic moshers that “Solidarity” was the key. He even made some fighters shake hands.

OMS possess the raw energy of a band who still really mean what they are all about. Not taking away from the disc’s production quality, I must say, however, that these guys sounded better live than Slayer did back in 1989. After the show, we met up with Brian again. An Irishman and a helluva nice guy. Influenced by bands like Pantera, the entire group is a mixed bag of ethnicity from Greece to the Rock of Gibraltar. Metalheads, I recommend OMS highly, and whatever you do, don’t pass up any chance to see them live. ◼