metal_alliance_2013_04

» Metal Alliance Tour 2013 04 07

Reviewed by MettleAngel
Photos by MettleMaiden
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Metal Alliance III Tour: Featuring Anthrax playing Among The Living in its entirety.
Special guest: Exodus, High On Fire, Municipal Waste, Holy Grail
City: Cincinnati, Ohio
Venue: Bogarts
Date: 7 April 2013
Exodus set length: 55 minutes
High On Fire set length: 45 minutes
Municipal Waste set length: 35 minutes
Holy Grail set length: 35 minutes

I was so excited when the Metal Alliance III Tour came to my hometown! Aside from High On Fire, every band on the bill I know and was excited to see perform live again.

It just sucks that so much shit has happened in my life since I saw this blessed event, and that it has taken nigh three weeks for me to write this review.

Holy Grail

I was surprised these immortal men were first to perform, but I had not had a chance to ride the void with them since they released their sophomore effort. Thankfuly, I saw them before they were even signed. I have always enjoyed their classic covers too. The guys know that I do not prefer the modern elements on the new album, and all those tedious breakdowns, but witnessing the great artifice live was a cherished and exciting time, as if I was in utopia Man!

Fulminating front man James fights to kill and thrill with his winded, pissed off cries like he is in a dystopic crisis. Eli howls with those stoney dark gruff growls, employing those seasoned shred techniques. Tyler savagely beats his skins, while the fast shock attack of ex-Bonded By Blood Alex Lee validates his place in the band and their hallowed sound. Take it to the grave, their presence is christened!

Performance: 7,5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7,5 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Dark Passenger
Bleeding Stone
Ride The Void
Crosswinds
My Last Attack
Fight To Kill

Municipal Waste

I was amazed at the magic turn-out for this show, given that there was also a big Wrestling Event happening just down the street featuring The Rock, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho, etc. all battling it out for the title. I am not a Wrestling fan, but Clearly "The Waste" wanted to attend this experience, more than being present for us, as they gave a detailed play-by-play account of the mayhem after each laconic cut. In fact this was the shortest sadistic set list they played, that I had seen. The only new song they chose was "You're Cut Off". They did not even perform the title track from their latest release 'The Fatal Feast', which is such a cool video.

I still attempted to mosh furiously, and had a great time partying with these hazzardous bastards, never succumbing to beer pressure, as they ripped into each headbangin'/face slammin' hit. Obviously thrashin' is their business and raising our massive aggressive mettle minds is good.

Performance: 7 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10

Setlist:
Intro
Unleash The Bastards
The Thrashin' Of The Christ
Sadistic Magician
You're Cut Off
Authority Complex
Beer Pressure
Thrashing's My Business...And Business Is Good
Headbanger Face Rip
Mind Eraser
The Art Of Partying (With "Born To Party" ending)

High On Fire

This inchoate noise is more than I could tolerate, and since I had my son to watch while Wendy shot the show, they took a break, and left me to endure this heavy, doom madness. I just went to the back of the club and hung out with my fired-up friends, giving everyone the high five. I am not a fan of this style, sorry!

Performance: -- chalices of 10
Stage sound: -- chalices of 10

Setlist:
Rumors Of War
Frost Hammer
Fertile Green
Madness Of An Architect
Snakes For The Divine

Exodus

Perhaps it is force of habit, but I always tease the "Bonded By Blood" Brothers about playing the same songs over and over again live with "Dukes". In fact, I even wrote a paradoy of "Blacklist" called "The Same Set-List". Tom, Gary, & Lee all laughed, when they first heard it, but they realize that they are too lazy to learn to play older songs.

Oh well, at least with other shows for which I was in attendance, they played "Brain Dead" (which by the way has the same riff as "Blacklist"), "Last Act Of Defiance", and "And Then There Were None". I acknowledge the fact that Gary has been quite busy with Slayer, so perhaps it is easier to play the same songs, who knows, perhaps this is just the human condition? If only they would try to include "Hammer And Life" back into the mix to honour Bailoff more. I love "Piranha", but how many times much I hear this song? Although, it may be the only Exodus song my son actually knows!

Either way, the band had a lot of energy and still kept me thrashing to their metal command and Exodus attack with each lesson in violence. James joined them on stage to sing "Bonded By Blood", and their choice to reminisce with "Toxik Waltz" was entertaining. As usual "Dukes" exacted his verbal razors and divided the crowd into two sections, for the wall of chaos collision and corruption on "Strike Of The Beast". The closer "Good Riddance" was a pleasant surprise.

I will always respect what Exodus have accomplished, and how their fabulous tempos of the damned have paved the way for pleasures of the past. Let there always be blood and I anxiously await another exhibition of atrocity.

Performance: 7 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: A Lesson In Violence
Worst: Piranha

Setlist:
The Ballad Of Leonard And Charles
A Lesson in Violence
War Is My Shepherd
Piranha
Blacklist
Bonded By Blood (with James Paul Luna of Holy Grail On Stage Singing)
Toxic Waltz
Strike Of The Beast
Good Riddance

Anthrax

The moment of truth was now at hand! I had my fistful of metal firmly held high! Sure I have seen Anthrax live several times since Joey re-joined in 2010, for a third time, but damn if everytime I see them there is a different line-up on stage. This time we were treated to the exceptional talent of John Donais of Shadows Fall on guitar and backing vocals. Apparently Rob Caggiano has opted to join Volbeat and become a record producer. At least Charlie and Frank were back after last year's unexpected tragedy.

The real state of euphoria was knowing that the armed and dangerous mosh men would be performing 'Among The Living" in its entirety, well sort-of... Apparently, they played the first side of the album, then as Scott suggested they had technical difficulties, and proceeded to play newer, less familiar material. Thanfully, they performed their AC/DC "T.N.T." cover from the 'Anthems' (EP). I wish they would have also included the Rush and Boston covers too; especially, since, they had cool tour shirts with the vintage covers depicted with the Anthrax logo replaced.

I was most thrilled to hear the Side-B tracks, as I had never heard them perform "One World" or "Horror Of It All" live, ever! I also really enjoyed experiencing "Imitation Of Life" one of my favourite cuts, which I have not heard in my world for over two decades!

I did not intuit why they did not finish "I'm The Man", and why they only played one song from S.O.D. The crowd did go wild for "Got The Time", which they supposedly had only played one time previously according to Eli of Holy Grail. This is the song that inspired him to become a Heavy Metal musician. Go figure! Did he ever he the horrific original?

I did not mind the splitting of the album, but I wish they would have added more covers from 'Anthems" and played newer cuts like "The Devil You Know" and "Fight 'Em" from 'Worship Music'. Well at least last year they did represent "Metal Thrashing Mad" and "Medusa"!

In the end, I agree with Scott, "Always worship music!" That said, the be all, end all of it is that I will forever be gung-ho to see Anthrax and to get caught in a mosh!

Performance: 7,5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7,5 chalices of 10
Best: Imitation Of Life
Worst: In The End

Setlist:
Worship (Intro)
- Side A:
Among The Living
Caught In A Mosh
I Am The Law
Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)
A Skeleton In The Closet
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Hymn 1
In The End
T.N.T. (AC/DC cover)
March Of The S.O.D. (Stormtroopers Of Death Cover)
I'm Alive
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- Side B:
Indians
One World
A.D.I./Horror Of It All
Imitation Of Life
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I'm The Man (Abridged Version)
Antisocial (Trust Cover)
Got The Time (Joe Jackson Cover)