Injecting a massive surge of adrenaline to kick off the night, one of the hardest bands in metal, Carcass launched straight into their thrash/death/grind-fueled set, chocked full of awesome guitar solos, hard-hitting riffage, and pummeling rhythms. With legendary records like Heartwork, Surgical Steel, and Swansong, Carcass are pioneers in the grind/death metal genre for good reason. Morbid lyrics, gruesome album covers, and thrash-inspired riffs, Carcass paved the way for the new generation of grindcore and death metal bands often being described as “Gray’s Anatomy set to music”. To this day, Carcass are at the top of their game as they continue to inspire the next generation of metalheads with iconic sound and style.

RESPECT THE NECK. A band so legendary people who don’t even know their songs or music recognize their logo and album artwork, death metal legends Cannibal Corpse, continue to take zero prisoners as they bludgeon and pummel their way through everything in their path delivering their iconic sonic brutality on Chicago. Whether you consider them brutal death metal, old-school death, or whatever else, Cannibal Corpse are 100% sonic aggression. One of the biggest bands in the genre, Cannibal Corpse have been the face of death metal for decades now, gaining both popularity and notoriety to the point where anyone can say, “There’s Cannibal Corpse, and then there’s a bunch of copycats and imitations,” and they would be 100% correct. They’re just that iconic. From blistering, neck-breaking breakdowns to ear-melting solos and riffs, or vocals that sound like they’re coming from pits of hell, Cannibal Corpse know what the people want: pure 100% unfiltered death metal.

There are few bands that would be considered legendary or iconic, even fewer that have fully reshaped a genre of music from the inside out. Meshuggah are in the upper echelon of metal acts due to their innovative and complex musical style featuring polyrhythms and polymetered song structures. Often cited as one of the most important metal bands of all time, Meshuggah stripped the genre down to its bare bones to only rebuild it back stronger and better than ever. This unique, never-before-seen experimentation and style put Meshuggah on the map, redefined an entire genre of music, and even create an entire new sub-genre/style. Absolute masterminds at work, Meshuggah are like the nuclear physicists of music piecing together elements that shouldn’t work together yet somehow do tearing music apart to only put it back together in an entirely new, never before heard way.

Matching their music, Meshuggah’s live performance and production is as unique and groundbreaking, stripping everything down to the bare essentials to then rebuild it back up time-syncing every second perfectly, while bright strobes repeatedly come in and out, complimented by a massive laser light show. You can find some extremely impressive light and stage productions, but what was unique about Meshuggah’s was how they managed to be bare bones while also being extremely fast-paced and engaging. The pairing of their sonic aggression with their equally intense live performance and stage production created that perfect chaotic atmosphere of a Meshuggah show.

Meshuggah are one of those life-changing bands that leave you walking out feeling like a whole new person. Intense, captivating, and engaging, Meshuggah are one of the best, performing to utter perfection as they take you on a mind-bending journey through the depths of polyrhythmic, technical complexity, and precision. Absolute shock and awe, Meshuggah didn’t pull punches as they chugged their way through their beefy, 13-song setlist taking fans on the journey of a lifetime.

Meshuggah

Cannibal Corpse

Carcass