Wed November 3, 2004
@ The House of Blues, Hollywood
Kataklysm was the first act up and although they played to a less than packed house their die hard fans showed their support. Their new drummer is simply amazing to watch. I know his kit is triggered and whatnot but just seeing a human being move that fast is insane. They played older songs like "II Diavolo in Me," "Illuminati," and "Where the Enemy Sleeps" and newer tracks like "As I Slither" and "Blood on the Swans" from their latest cd. They ended the night with "In Shadows & Dust" and the now half full House of Blues screamed along.
It took a while before the audience warmed up to Goatwhore. Their ultra sludgy brand of Southern black metal doesnt have the same immediate impact Kataklysm's music does but once the band finally did click , most people seemed to eat it right up. I was so glad to hear songs like "Nocturnal Holocaust" and "Commanding the Legions of Hell" because they sound soo much better live than on record ( no produciotn budget will do that to you). Around the time they played their single/video track "Blood Guilt Eucharist" vocalist Ben Falgoust told the crowd to stand close together and not leave anyroom for "that gay hardcore dancing" which seemed to delight everyone in the building. Next up was Macabre. The weirdest band I have ever seen in my life. They play an oldschool brand of death metal mixed with a fanatical obession with serial killers and a bizarre sense of humor. I cant really describe them other than fucking weird. Entertaining nonetheless, especially when they brought out the Zodiac Killer (who looks and acts like the gimp from Pulp Fiction) during their first song.
Napalm Death didnt take too long setting up and proceeded to tear the place apart. I honestly think they stole the show. Their first song was plagued with sound problems, like the mic not working and the drums fading in and out, but after that it was pure devastation for the rest of the night. Its the bands newer songs that first made me a fan so I was stoked to hear "Taste the Poison" " Next on the List" and "Icing on the Hate" from their last two records. The song that got the biggest reaction was "Suffer the Children" and by biggest reaction I mean every person on the floor caught in one giant shove fest. Their wasnt really room for a big pit becuase everyone was stuck together in a huge free for all. The band played a medley of classic grind songs from their early days that satisfied their legion of die hard fans (and their was lots of them). This didnt take too long since most of these songs are about 25-30 seconds in length. GREAT performance from Napalm Death.
The nights headliners, the most successful death metal band of all time, the mighty Cannibal Corpse had a tough act to follow. Sadly I dont think they matched the performance of Napalm Death, but Cannibal still put on a great show. Their set was heavy with songs off The Wretched Spawn which didnt come as a surprise. Nor did the fact that everyone seemed to love the old Barnes era stuff better. "Hammer Smashed Face" and "A Skull Full of Maggots" just hold up better live than most of their newer songs. Not to slag on the Corpsegrinder era because "I Will Kill You" ruled. During "The Cryptic Stench" a Chris Barnes fanatic threw a beer can onstage and beamed Corpsegrinder right in the head! All the Cannibal guys played their hearts out and didnt stop headbanging once during the set but even that gets old after awhile. They played an especially brutal version of "Stripped Raped and Strangled" that had everyone singing word for word before ended the night with "Devoured by Vermin."
This proved to be a great night. Alex Webster, Cannibal's bass player/ band leader hoped down off the stage after their set and spent time talking with the fans which is always cool. Even though they didnt blow me away, Cannibal Corpse put on a solid show and picked an amazing lineup of bands to tour with. Napalm Death's energy was ridiculous and both Goatwhore and Kataklysm were awesome. In the long run Im almost glad Vader didnt make it...or else I would have never been exposed to the madness that is Macabre.