SUMMER SLAUGHTER was back this year for our annual dose of death metal colon cleansing and skull raping pleasure. Some argued publicly that the lineup wasn’t as great a years previous, while others thought this was a can’t miss show. Always a good value (amount of quality bands for bucks) and a good time was surely going to be had at this show once again stopping by at the Worcester Palladium. I got to the venue early and settled in for a hot, busy day of coverage.

Another great show at The Worcester Palladium, in Worcester MA of course!

WITHIN THE RUINS was the first band of the day and kicked things off in style. Since they are from the area they had a nice response and many heads in the house for the early part of the day. They play a mix of death core and tech death and was good way to warm up the crowd. They played two new songs off of their new EP Omen (Victory Records) “Controller” and “Infamy”. Both songs are pretty fast and heavy with “Infamy” being the most impressive. Then the finished up with “Versus” and “Invade” and went out strong. Those who doubted this band was choice enough to open the show only need have been present today to be proved wrong.

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE- played one of the sickest sets of any band.

One of the bands I was most excited to see was FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. I had caught the end of their set just briefly a few months back and I was stoked they were on this bill. I was not so stoked that they went on so early in the day. As the stage was being set up for the band I could feel the excitement on the floor building and I knew I wasn’t the only one thrilled to see these guys. As the lights went down a big cheer went up and smoke filled the stage. The band came out to a piped in intro music and took their places. Then as they began to play “The Violation” all hell broke loose. The pit opened up wide and the first crowd surfers of the day left their feet. Meanwhile the band just slayed with their perfect mix of symphonic death metal. “In Honor of Reason” rained down terrific guitars riffs, insanely fast blast beats and inhuman piano and other synth parts. Best of all the band’s theatrics took it up to another level of cool which was not equaled the entire day. Tommaso Riccadi’s vocals were ridiculously heavy and offset nicely by bassist Paolo Rossi’s clean singing. The entire band shredded away and left the crowd stunned. They were easily one of the top bands of the entire tour and I can’t wait to see them this fall open for DECAPITATED.

Set List:

The Violation
In Honor of Reason
The Egoism
Thru Our Scars

OCEANO front man Adam Walker keeps the crowd moving.

In between the bands I ran around conducting some interviews and as I heard the opening strains of OCEANO’s “Ending Intellect” I wrapped up my business and flew down the back stairs of the venue to the photo pit. OCEANO was killing it, every member of the band rocking their jocks off. The crowd was really into it and their high energy death core set and it was a good change up from FgA. Vocalist Adam Walker is one of the best front men in the game, just really active, jumping all over the stage and constantly keeping the crowd amped up. The crowd seemed to enjoy all of the choreographed breakdown parts and bass drops that the band employs and they are as fun as any band on the bill. The entire band was very tight and played well, especially guitarist Devin Shidaker. Songs like “Viral-ReAnimation” and “Weaponized” went down well with the crowd and the closer “District of Misery” brought the house down.

Set List:

Ending Intellect
With Legions
Viral Re-Animation
Empathy for Leviathan
Weaponized
District of Misery

I missed most of AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK’s set list as I was busy interviewing bands again. This bummed me out since when I got back in the venue they were on stage and killing it big time. I caught the last two songs “My Fears Have Become Phobias” and “Hester Prynne”. Both songs are slabs of chaotic tech death and death core. I felt like they have a lot of talent and heart based hearing these few songs. They wound up being a bit of an underrated surprise on the bill for me and I will need to check out more music by them in the future. I will catch their entire set next time they come to my town.

John Gallagher continues to hold it down, forever strong in DYING FETUS!

Since I find POWERGLOVE totally unenjoyable I fled the venue briefly in search of air, water and my late arriving metal buddies. I honestly couldn’t believe between set up, the actual playing time and breakdown how much time these ass clowns were on stage for, sucking up precious time from DYING FETUS. Sucking, I would soon find out being the operative word. Right as my peeps made it into the venue, the mighty FETUS took the stage as usual like a musical tornado. The now fully packed venue rocked as the band blasted through “Homicidal Retribution” and “One Shot, One Kill” in rapid succession. I know that these tours are arranged often by record sales, but at this point this band needs to be one of the top names on the bill, and not just in respect anymore. There are few bands as entertaining and consistent as these Maryland death metallers. John Gallagher just murders guitars dead with his technical, ferocious playing style. He is an absolute wild man of a performer too which makes him mesmerizing to watch. “Shepherd’s Commandment” was equally vicious and brutal led by bassist Sean Beasley on vocals. I have seen DF many times as an opener and early day band it was nice that they got to play more than five songs and so tracks like “Descend Into Depravity” and “Praise the Lord” were even more neck breaking and awe-inspiring than usual. As always Trey Williams is just a monster on the drums and easily the best of the day. That is a serious compliment considering all the talent on this tour. As they plowed through several more songs I realized I was witnessing the best set I had ever seen by the band and they are just now reaching the height of their powers. After playing “Pissing in the Mainstream” Beasley announced they were going to play “Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog”. Just then someone ran on stage and told the band they were out of time. The band apologized and the crowd immediately started the “bullshit, bullshit bullshit!” chants. All I could think of was FUCK FUCKING POWERGLOVE!

Set List:

Homicidal Retribution
One Shot, One Kill
Shepherd’s Commandment
Descend Into Depravity
Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)
Your Treachery Will Die With You
Grotesque Impalement
Pissing in the Mainstream

Love him or hate him, Chris Barnes doesn't give a shit. Because he's Chris Barnes bitch!

It would be impossible for most any band on any tour to follow what just transpired. SIX FEET UNDER seems to have as many fans as detractors. Front man Chris Barnes has put down a solid career post-CANNIBAL CORPSE, even thought frankly I have never been a big 6FU fan. They always seemed to be missing a special defining element to me and perhaps unfairly, they could never really live up to Barnes’ storied past. The recently reconstituted band hit the stage with authority and a cheering crowd. That was cool and of course Barnes himself looked maniacally pleased by the reception. The band launched into the CORPSE classic “Stripped, Raped and Strangled” and they seemed to be feeling it. For his part Barnes stalked the stage with his gaggle of dreadlocks and a pissed look on his face. He did a decent job on the vocals as you would expect, but perhaps age is catching up to the man since his high screams we a little off the mark. Next up was “No Warning Shot” which was cool, the band firing on all cylinders. Aside from Barnes the lone long term 6FU member was guitarist Steve Swanson who played great and looked like he was having fun. The rest of the band guitarist Rob Arnold (CHIMAIRA), Matt DeVries on bass (also from CHIMAIRA) and drummer extraordinaire Kevin Talley ( DAATH, many others) also looked like they were having a blast. The band tore through a set of 6FU hits mixed with another classic CC song, “Hammer Smashed Face”.  As for Barnes, who helped pioneer the genre for death vocalists it was a mixed blessing. Some of his animal squeals and high screams I could live without, but his lows were on point and he performed like a hungry contender, not a champ past his prime. Rob Arnold and Barnes are writing the next 6FU album so that development bares watching.

Set List:

Stripped, Raped And Strangled
No Warning Shot
Revenge of the Zombie
Feasting on the Blood of the Insane
Victim of the Paranoid
The Day the Dead Walked
Seed of Filth
Human Target
Hammer Smashed Face

Up next was DARKEST HOUR who are always great live. They had to cancel their appearance this spring at the New England Metal And Hardcore Festival 13. It’s all good since DH has always delivered live and been a stalwart act in the scene. They have played multiple times on this tour and even they aren’t really death metal (just influenced by it) they always hold their own. Coming on stage to the intro music of “Terror Nocturnus” the band peeled the lid off wit the first full song “The World Engulfed In Flames”. Again you might not think that melo-death inspired metalcore could follow some of the hardest and best names in death metal, but DH tore it up. The pits on the floor were enormous and even though some people weren’t digging it, many were caught up in the mania too. Stepping back in time for the Deliver Us album “With A Thousand Words to Say But One” upped the ante considerably. Fluid melody lines, fierce drumming and great dynamics, all capped off by John Henry’s killer vocals and performance. As one of the more veteran bands on the tour they really know how to put on a show. Playing one hit after another like “Sadist Nation”, the new single “Love As A Weapon” and “Convalescence” they put on an intense and strong show. Just like every time I have ever seen this band, it is them and everybody else. Closing with the epic “Doomsayer” you would have thought they were the headline band the way the crowd cheered when they left.

The great John Henry of DARKEST HOUR has an OZZY moment!

Set List:

Terror Nocturnus
The World Engulfed in Flames
With A Thousand Words to Say But One
Savor the Kill
The Sadist Nation
Love As A Weapon
Your Everyday Disaster
Convalescence
Doomsayer (The Beginning of the End)

Phil Bozeman dominates!

Just a few months back I saw WHITECHAPEL co-headline with local deathcore kings THE ACACIA STRAIN. Even though the same venue was packed and sold out that night, I wasn’t crazy about the show. Still, WHITECHAPEL is one of the more exciting bands in death core, so I was a little weirded out by that night. But fast forward back to tonight the band had a ton of heads in the house, as many as any other band. Just a few years back these guys were lower on the bill so clearly the respect they have been given here is impressive. Meanwhile they hit the stage and immediately kicked in to the anthemic “Breeding Violence” and the entire floor erupted in one big pit. Vocalist Phil Boezman leads the charge and the crowd was hanging on his every word and action. The band reeled off songs in rapid fire succession like “Possession”, “The Darkest Day of Man”, “Reprogrammed to Hate” and “Death Becomes Him”. Bozeman just stalks the stage from side to side and is a crazed mad man on the mic. The bands three guitar attack works best live and generally the rest of the band performs in equal measure to Bozeman or at least tries to. I basically figured out what my deal was with the band. I think away from too many similar bands WHITECHAPEL falls into a zone of a death core band capable of true modern death metal excellence. I’d prefer less bass drops and calculated breakdowns myself, but you can’t fault them for going to the well on what seems to move their fans. However, when they played “Vicer Exciser” from Somatic Defilement you hear the old, more straight up style of the band and wonder if they will ever step back in that direction. The closer “This Is Exile” might have gotten the biggest reaction of the entire show, leading me to believe that this band will eventually headline this tour, further cementing their legacy.

Set List:

Breeding Violence
Possession
The Darkest Day of Man
Reprogrammed to Hate
End of Flesh
Unnerving
Death Becomes Him
Vicer Exciser
Eternal Refuge
This Is Exile

After a long, exhausting day THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER’s banner was unfurled and the remaining faithful death metal fans let out a cheer. At this point I was pickled from exhaustion and watched the remainder of the show in the balcony. As the stage was readied for the band that was lower down on the bill just a few years back, I thought of my conversation earlier in the day with front man Trevor Strnad. He talked a lot about the history of death metal and how hard the band has been working to get to this place and time. I’m really proud to see them come this far and when you talk to fans of TBDM, they are too!

\m/ We are not worthy! \m/

Opening up with the ripping track “A Shrine to Madness” the band made it abundantly clear that they were not to be fucked with. Strnad as usual was a veritable madman on stage who is focused on audible carnage and tons of fun. I don’t think any band in the scene has as much fun playing a show as this band and it is always one of the best elements of their ethos. Tearing through a deep and well honed set of tracks like “Everything Went Black”, “A Vulgar Picture”, and “Nocturnal” the crowd went apeshit for these modern classics. Guitarists Brian Eschbach and Ryan Knight (ARSIS) have really built up a fine connection with one another. They trade licks and solos like nobody’s business and they give the band its foundation of melo-death inspired goodness. “Malenchantments of the Necrosphere” of off the excellent new album Ritual (Metal Blade) just slayed! Monster drummer Shannon Lucas was a beast on this and every song performed on this night. Although this track is relatively new, it should never come out of the set for its evil quotient. Other top tracks dropped left and right like “Statutory Ape”, “Necropolis”, “What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse” and former set closer “Miasma”. This just shows how deep the bands back catalog is becoming and how epic a set this was. At the end of the night it all comes back to Strnad as the leader of this band that has indisputably ascended to the upper echelon of modern death metal. Closing out their set and the arduous night with the feral 1-2 punch of “Unhallowed” and “Funeral Thirst” they finished up strong and catered to their oldest and most devoted fans. I’ll be looking forward to next years’ Slaughterific show!

Trevor Strnad says talk to the hand- the Satan hand!

Set List:

A Shrine To Madness
Everything Went Black
A Vulgar Picture
Nocturnal
Moonlight Equilibrium
Malenchantments of the Necrosphere
Statutory Ape
Necropolis
Carbonized in Cruciform
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
Deathmask Divine
Miasma
I Will Return
Blood In The Ink
Unhallowed
Funeral Thirst

(Special Thanks go out to Metal Blade, The Worcester Palladium all of the bands and Return to the Pit.)

by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes