thrashfest_2011_12

» Thrashfest 2011 12 06

Reviewed by Bjorn
---------------------
Headliners: Exodus/Sepultura
Special guest: Destruction, Heathen, Mortal Sin
City: Göteborg, Sweden
Venue: Trädgårn
Date: 6 December 2011
Mortal Sin set length: 30 minutes
Heathen set length: 45 minutes
Destruction set length: 50 minutes
Sepultura set length: 70 minutes
Exodus set length: 70 minutes

Mortal Sin

With only 30 minutes at their disposal, opening act Mortal Sin wasted no time and got right down to business at once. As the concept of this tour is only to play songs from the classic albums, I was positively surprised that they "cheated" and played Hatred from their phenomenal latest record, Psychology Of Death. It worked really well among classics such as Lebanon, Mayhemic Destruction and I Am Immortal.

Although the audience was a little slow at first, everyone in the band seemed to love every single second onstage and did a really solid performance. Apart from bad sound in the beginning, which was resolved quickly, it was a great opening gig - nearly the best gig of the evening.

Performance: 7,5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: Lebanon is hard to beat
Worst: Too short

(sorry, no setlist)

Heathen

If the audience was somewhat tired during Mortal Sin, everyone were bright awake when Heathen started playing. Being their first Swedish gig ever, they were highly anticipated and seemed almost chocked by the greeting they got. But then again, it's hard to go wrong with songs like Open The Grave, Goblin's Blade and Death By Hanging.

Formed by guitarist Lee Altus in 1984, this was the first of two gigs for him tonight as he also plays in Exodus. He and the rest of the band did a solid job, indeed, with a lot of passion and energy. I was amazed by how well David R White still sings - the 25 years that have passed since the debut album was recorded seemingly hasn't affected his voice at all.

Performance: 7,5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: The overwhelming audience response
Worst: The sound could have been a lot better

(sorry, no setlist)

Destruction

With the stage dimly lit and with heavy smoke filling the room, German veterans in Destruction fittingly kicked off the show with the first song from their first EP. There's no denying that frontman Schmier has a phenomenal stage presence and he seemed to be in a good mood, with brief pauses to talk to the audience and the occasional beer thrown into the crowd.

It was said that they would only play songs from their first EP and their first full-length album, which would have left out some of their best songs. With this in mind, I was extremely pleased that they included Eternal Band and Curse The Gods from Eternal Devastation - coincidentally my two favourite songs by Destruction.

Performance: 7 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 6 chalices of 10
Best: Schmier
Worst: Some problems with the sound that were only partially resolved

Setlist:
Total Desaster
Satan's Vengeance
Mad Butcher
Black Mass/Antichrist/Death Trap
Invincible Force
The Ritual/Thrash Attack
Eternal Ban
Bestial Invasion
Curse The Gods

Sepultura

Almost everyone seems to have an opinion about Sepultura and while many seem to think that the band died when Max left in 1996, I don't see it that way. Bands evolve and I'm not sure if I believe that Sepultura would have evolved into something better than they did had Max stayed, and with the latest album Kairos they finally seem to have gotten back on track.

With this said, this night probably wasn't their strongest performance. Derrick Green is a really cool frontman and Andreas Kisser's passion for his music shines through constantly but something was amiss tonight. The sound was okay but lacked the heavy force that would have given their music the power it deserves. And that is a shame, considering what great songs they played, Subtraction being a personal favourite of mine.

However, I have to mention their new drummer, Eloy Casagrande. He's only twenty years old and was recruited just a month ago but I have to say - he's probably one of the best drummers I've ever heard. If the rest of the gig lacked some power, just listening to his phenomenal playing was a pure delight.

Performance: 5 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 5,5 chalices of 10
Best: Eloy Casagrande
Worst: Hard to say, but something was missing

Setlist:
Beneath The Remains
Refuse/Resist
Dead Embryonic Cells
Desperate Cry
Mass Hypnosis
We Who Are Not As Others
Altered State
Infected Voice
Subtraction
Inner Self
Kaiowas
Territory
Arise

Exodus

Four thrash metal concerts later, it was finally time for the main attraction. By now, I was pretty beat and if it weren't for the fact that Exodus was about to play I might have considered going home. Luckily, that didn't cross my mind and as soon as the intro speech from The Last Act Of Defiance started rolling, there was no place I'd rather be.

Looking at the setlist, it's hard to say how anything could go wrong. Those songs are so great that basically, a gig consisting of a tape player playing the riffs would still result in a fantastic gig. Rob Dukes did a great job firing up the audience as well - he seems to grow more and more into his role as a frontman for each time I see Exodus. By the end of the gig, the mosh pit basically covered the entire floor, pretty good for a Tuesday night.

Overall, this was a great night with good performances overall, showing just how diverse thrash metal can be.

Performance: 8 chalices of 10
Stage sound: 7 chalices of 10
Best: The songs, the riffs, the Toxic Waltz!
Worst: Nothing, really

Setlist:
The Last Act Of Defiance
A Lesson In Violence
Fabulous Disaster
Brain Dead
Exodus
Deranged
Pleasures Of The Flesh
Piranha
Metal Command
And Then There Were None
Bonded By Blood
The Toxic Waltz
Strike Of The Beast