Summer Slaughter. A Live Review
Where: Louisville KY 6/12/09
Slaughter of the Summer Solstice?
Wow, what a kick-ass show. 10 bands, 8 hours. Summer Slaughter o9 did not disappoint, which was a task considering 2 bands listed on the bill (Ensiferum, Decrepit Birth) and 2 of the main reasons I went weren’t even at this particular show.
The one thing that bothered me about this tour is that I was expecting a death metal show. What I got was a death metal show mixed with a metalcore, hardcore, tardcore, crapcore whatever you want to call it show. I guess if it were a strict death metal bill, then it’d be me and like 5 other dudes. So they add a variety of other styles of music in order to sell more tix.
Here’s a band by band rundown:
Blackguard: Ugh, I just saw them last month at Paganfest. As far as folk-metal goes, these guys don’t cut it. They aren’t bad necessarily, it’s just that if you want to listen to this style of music, there are a ton of bands that do it much better (Finntroll, Eluveitie, Korpiklaani to name a few).
After the Burial: They hit the stage and announced that the singer was outside puking because of heat exhaustion and that they were going to do an instrumental set without him. I figured good, a metalcore band, the vocals probably blow anyhow.
So they start the instrumental set and man, the guitarists can shred. I’m talking sweep arpeggios, dual lead harmonies, tapping. The bassist and drummer were good too, excellent musicians all throughout this band.
Then the singer gets on stage for the final song, saying he was dizzy and tingly but wanted to at least do one song. Wow, he’s a big fucking hero. Remember what I said earlier about it was probably better that they were doing an instrumental set because the singer probably sucked? I was right. The vocals really take away from an otherwise good band.
Beneath the Massacre: More like on the shed. They aren’t bad, certainly not good either though. They are mediocre at best.
Angry metal pose perfection
Origin: I wasn’t familiar with Origin but am a huge fan now. They fucking destroyed, nay, decimated. The term “brutal” gets thrown around often when discussing death metal and grind, but these guys are fucking BRUTAL. The singer is amazing. Great vocals full of guttural growls and higher, almost chirps. He owns the stage and stalks it like a ravenous sasquatch with his hand held majestically skyward. He even lent a hand to a crowd surfer who was about to hit the floor head first. He grabbed the surfer by one ankle and held him up whilst singing. The music is technical and unrelenting with sick riffs and machine gun drums. Also, after the show, I saw the singer in front of the venue and said, “You guys fucking killed. I hadn’t heard of you guys until tonight but I’m a fan now.” He then proceeded to shake my hand and wobble as he was extremely inebriated and then ask the person behind me, “You got any weed?” Very metal.
Born of Osiris: Metalcore with a keyboard. Disco-core? I don’t know the proper label, but it sucked. The tour program states they have “proggy death skills”. The only thing progressive about them is their ability to progress from shit to shittier to shittiest band on the bill. Part of the bill designed to bring in hardcore teenagers in skinny jeans and white belts or gym shorts. Karate kicks and cartwheels in the pit. In the words of Brian Posehn, “Dude, you look gay-tarded.”
Dying Fetus: Fucking amazing. Hasn’t missed a step, still ferocious, technical and yes, brutal.
Winds of Plague: These guys are ok; I like them, not love them. Someone had to leave in an ambulance during their set if that tells you anything about their live show.
Darkest Hour: The only thing good about them was the solos, which were brilliant, precise and melodic.
Suffocatiioooonnngggghhhnn
Suffocation: They were great, fucking annihilated. Most of the material played was from their earliest albums (some would say their prime) but we also got a preview of their upcoming album. They just still are great after 20 years. The band is on point and the singer is charismatic. A high point of this particular set was when the singer from Blackguard took the Dying Fetus thong that was on display at a merch table, put it on his head and face and entered the pit.
Necrophagist: One of the main reasons for me going. They were excellent. Complex, beautiful and yes, brutal music. They owned. Wonderful musicianship all around. Muhammed Suicmez (the leader, writer of all music for all instruments in Necrophagist) has found a great group of musicians this time around to execute his vision. Can’t wait for their next record. We got a taste of it, but fuck a taste, I want the whole meal.
