Creeping Death opened up this banger of a tour with their fast and furious style of death metal that can only come from the Lone Star State of Texas. Wippin’ up some serious Texas heat, Creeping Death are choked full of gruesome, heavy-metal riffage paired perfectly with Southern grooves giving their sound that extra smack of flavor. Filled with super heavy, fast, and groovy moments, Creeping Death are an excellent death metal band to first get into as they are masters of creating a sound that anyone can get down to helping bridge fanbases. Their skill at song-crafting, sonically pushing themselves constantly, and maintaining an approachable style is the perfect recipe.
Next up, thrash metal pioneers who helped lead the second wave of thrash in the ‘80s Sacred Reich exploded with the energy and mentality of something to prove to the world. Alongside metal legends like Testament, Death Angel, Dark Angel, and more, Sacred Reich have been releasing an onslaught of socially and politically conscious metal since the late ‘80s. Consisting of personal and political lyrics with a heavy sense of satirical humor, Sacred Reich have been shredding and thrashing around the world since their return from a 20-plus year hiatus in 2019, reminding everyone how they’re one of the biggest underdogs in speed metal.
Playing old and new songs alike, Sacred Reich made sure the entire Metro floor didn’t stop moving as bodies flew in all directions, but the best part of the night was the obvious, down-to-earth joy this band had for simply being on stage again after 20-plus years off and then COVID, everyone could tell there was nowhere else they’d rather be.
Municipal Waste wasted no time delivering instant chaos through their perfect homage sound to the memory of ‘80s thrash metal and crossover metal as they blasted their metal-punk fusion forcing everyone in the room to pump their fists and headbang along. With more of a fun-loving and upbeat mentality, Municipal Waste emphasize the more positive aspect of metal, crafting a sound around the notion of metal being fun. As the room turned into one massive circle pit, everyone chanted and sang along as Municipal Wasted unleashed their signature, full-steam-ahead onslaught of metal delivering a high-octane set pumped full of nitro from start to finish.
Carcass took the stage to the roar of a hyped-up crowd, everyone was more than ready for Carcass’s one-of-a-kind crackling, face-pummeling, death ‘n’ roll style of metal. Only a small trip away from across the pond, this legendary extreme metal band have been melting faces and worrying your parents about the music you listen to since the ‘80s with their pioneering grindcore and death metal sound.
Delivering a truly punishing 14-song set, Carcass never fails to have a bad set. I had the pleasure to see them in 2018 when they did a B-side tour with Deafheaven where they played at a super small and out-of-the-way venue in Indiana. Even there, they made you feel like you were in an arena, bringing high-energy and unmatched stage production. Now seeing them back-to-back with Amon Amarth and their current tour, everyone needs to appreciate Carcass’s ability to deliver consistent high-quality performances while regularly touring. It’s not often you get to see pioneers in metal touring as often as Carcass and even better, their fan base has stayed tried-and-true even after a decade-long hiatus.
The metal gods blessed us, as Carcass played one of their best sets filled with fan favorites and deep cuts, but it wasn’t so much the song selection that stood out as the pacing and flow of their set. Taking few breaks, Carcass let the music do the talking, as they were perfectly in sync with one another, delivering a set filled with pounding, earth-shattering breakdowns; gut-wrenching vocals; and crunchy guitar melodies, and riffs sharpened and ready to slice like steel surgical scalpels while others take on more of a rip and tear approach.
It’s these dualities within Carcass’ music that makes them so unique. It forces them to find the perfect blend to their sound where most bands hyper-focus on one aspect of metal to really refine, Carcass are masters of every aspect. Even after all these years, Carcass make the most of every moment, whether on stage or on their records. It can be easy to praise a legacy act band, but Carcass do deserve praise, as they plow forward with confidence in a whole new act of their lives.
Carcass
Municipal Waste
Sacred Reich
