Concert Review

Kreator
Kataklysm

Evile

Lazarus AD

Lightning Swords of Death

Its been a long time since I put anything on here, other things have been getting in the way, but I promise to bring more metal to you all.

Kreator, Kataklysm, Evile, Lazarus AD, Lightning Swords of Death

El Corazon; Seattle, WA; 3/18/2010

Starting off the evening was the blackened thrash styles of Lightning Swords of Death. I was not familiar with this band but their presence was very good for an opening band. With a heavy fog machine and very high volumes, they kicked the evening off very well. The crowd was not too rowdy for them but in between songs and after their set they received a very solid ovation. As a result of their very heavy set and intense stage presence, I became interested in them and have since become a fan, which is pretty much the exact result a band in their situation could want.

Up next was the thrash stylings of Lazarus AD. I was able to catch them several months ago when they came through town with Testament and they seemed to have pretty much the same set. The crowd definitely got into the band; after a couple songs the pit erupted into a circle of destruction. If there is one thing that Lazarus AD is good for, it is a solid headbanging time. They have enough breakdowns in their songs that allow the audience to headbang along with the band for what seemed like the majority of the set. The vocals need to vary a little bit but they are a very young band with plenty of potential. They very well could be a top tier band in the future.

Up next was the classic thrash sounding of England’s Evile. This was their very first trip across the pond and they could not have picked a better tour to kick the trip off with. While not a huge name in the mainstream, in the underground they are definitely an up and coming band. They have had great success with their debut Enter the Grave, and they showed why so many people have jumped on their bandwagon. Thrashing through hits such as Thrasher and Enter the Grave, Evile showed their technical expertise while still making sure the audience does not get bored with heavy guitar wankery. If you have not checked out this band you need to go out and buy their music as soon as possible and catch them on tour when they come through your town.

The only death metal band on the bill was the direct support for the headliner. Hailing for Montreal was classic death dealers Kataklysm. Never a band to disappoint, they came out brutal and never let up. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy from note one and they hardly stopped throughout the entire set. They played such hits as Ambassador of Pain and Crippled and Broken which at times seemed to be sing-a-longs for the crowd. They were relentless with their brutality that fueled the crowd into a monsoon of bodies that flew across the floor with no thought of safety. Kataklysm have been around for many years and they never fail to put on an unbelievable performance for the crowd.

Finally, the headliner for the evening, Kreator took the stage. One of the originators of German thrash, Kreator have the ability to play any song from their collection and any crowd will eat up every word and note. They played songs from Pleasure to Kill, Coma of Souls, Enemy of God, Endless Pain, Hordes of Chaos, and others which delighted the audience to no end. When they plated such hits as Pleasure to Kill and Flag of Hate the audience sang along while moshing harder than they did for any other band on the bill. Mille Petrozza still has the ability to coerce the audience to destroy anything in their path even this late in his illustrious career. Kreator is simply a band that every metalhead needs to see live at least once in their life.