Our man on the scene one again us Mat Price, he headed off to see 3 thrash big hitters take on London, here’s what he though

23rd NOVEMBER

Being an older, grumpier metal fan, there are two things (among many others) that I don’t like much… rain on a gig night, and the Hammersmith Odeon, sorry, O2 Apollo. Yet here I am, in both. Before, during and after.

Let me add some clarity to my view of the venue. Over the course of the last two years, I have spoiled myself with seeing the majority of bands in venues with below 2000 capacity. The last time I came here, the Marquee wasn’t a Wetherspoons pub and the Astoria was still an actual building. Now that I’ve got my bottom lip sucked back in, I can tell the full story of one of the year’s  best live thrash metal line ups.

Tonight, and pretty much most of the UK tour, was sold out and it’s not hard to imagine why. Three of the most successful regions of the genre are represented tonight. The West and East Coasts of the USA, and Germany have come to these shore’s to lay waste to the hungry horde filling this hall, and to highlight their nuances within the scene.

The early start acted as a double edged blade. All three acts got to play a decent set, but it was a rush to get in if you wanted the full show.

And what a show we got.

TESTAMENT

Representing the West coast USA, bullied their presence with D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate) and 3 Days In Darkness, both from 1999’s The Gathering album.

If one thing was painfully evident, being bottom billed is not their forte, and TESTAMENT were intent on making themselves a hard act to follow. There was little to no breathing space while CHUCK BILLY left hardly a wasted word between songs. Carolling guitarists ALEX SKOLNICK and ERIC PETERSON’s blade sharp shred work. Relative newcomer, CHRIS DOVAS was keeping everything tight with his drum work, and having STEVE DI GIORGIO was the perfect wingman on bass. Around the halfway point, we were treated to Return To Serenity. A song absent from setlists for around twenty years, and it gave some space to breathe before ploughing into the crushing Low.

The stage show itself was a spectacle of onstage lighting, highlighting the band and dazzling the crowd equally. It was just as tightly delivered as TESTAMENT’s set. I feel I need to mention that ERIC PETERSON doesn’t get enough love. One of the pair (along with CHUCK BILLY) that has been on every TESTAMENT album, was a tornado of presence and a joy to watch every time.

Into The Pit finished their set, and it was only then that there was a realisation that nothing from Practice What You Preach nor Souls Of Black was played. A small quibble for an outstanding set that should be an astonishing feat to surpass.

During the wait between bands, I noticed that, while the back of the venue was jam packed, deeper forward was more liberal with elbow room. I can only imagine (judging by the relative age of those hanging back) that, like me, our days of merrily taking and giving a beating in the name of thrash are over. So, a couple of us veterans ventured into the breach.

KREATOR

These guys were the main reason for myself and one of my MIG&S co. founders came tonight.

While we were waiting for KREATOR, two large demons were inflated… I mean, summoned from the underworld, each side of the stage. This told me two things. One; this was going to be a different type of beast from the previous band, and two; KREATOR are not messing about sharing a headline. They mean to leave a mark. As soon as Sergio Corbucci Is Dead sounded from the PA, the elbow room shrank.

Like a rabid stampede, Hate Über Alles heralded KREATOR’s time to deploy their arsenal. At this point, I was having a change of heart toward the O2 Apollo. If there’s one thing the big venues can provide, it is room for a band to deliver spectacle. KREATOR had this up their sleeves, and more in spades.

The pyro throughout was enough to heat a small country, with fire being thrown with gusto, while the stage was adorned with lit braziers and impaled, red robed effigies. Before you could even recover, MILLE PETROZZA, along with his longtime accomplice of beats, JÜRGEN “VENTOR” REIL and Co. got the heads and fists flying with Phobia. It’s simplistic yet anthemic power winning the crowd over wholesale. As if there wasn’t enough dressing on stage, we witness four more effigies being dropped tied to nooses around their necks over the band.

It’s hard to relay what was being unfurled this night, it was almost overwhelming. Among the fire and props, smoke and confetti cannons were fired while tracks like Enemy Of God and Hail To the Hordes were unleashed, among classics such as Betrayer and Terrible Certainty. This had the pit whipped, by MILLE, into overdrive.

It is to their merit that the new kids in KREATOR (guitarist SAMI YLI-SIRNIÖ, and bassist FRÉDÉRIC LECLERCQ) kept themselves in the background, although their presence was absolutely felt with spotless musicianship while Mr PETROZZA charmingly held court.

Rounding off an incendiary set with Violent Revolution and the timeless Pleasure To Kill left many a crowd surfer and mosher exhausted.

But there was more to come.

ANTHRAX

After what seemed like eons staring at a white curtain, front of stage, we were presented with the usual montage of “the famous faces saying nice things about ANTHRAX”.

If that sounded cynical, I make no apology, although it did give the audience a chance to pantomime style cheer/boo those on screen at any given time. Once the curtain dropped and A.I.R. from Spreading The Disease got under way, all cynicism evaporated.

There are thrash bands that have been doing it longer, and with varying levels of success, but Anthrax are able to deliver a level of energy into their live shows that bely their longevity. By the time they got through Got The Time and Caught In A Mosh, the entire band must’ve done more steps than Municipal Waste during their UK gigs with Cannibal Corpse.

ANTHRAX had the simplest stage set up. Just a raised platform behind CHARLIE BENANTE’s drum kit for the band to run along. Like I said, they know how to put in steps on this tour. Another thing that SCOTT IAN and co are acutely aware of is what the audience want. Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t was one of only two songs post 1990 they played. The other being the Devil You Know, both from the 2011 album Worship Music.

The rest of the set was equally flawless. Songs like Madhouse, I Am The Law, Antisocial and Indians were played with such an embedded familiarity, they sound just as fresh as they did decades ago. This was the ace up the ANTHRAX sleeve. No complex light show, no props, just five dudes smashing out proper bangers, as was the set closer, the outrageously moshable Gung Ho. It topped off a metal night to remember.

THE AFTERMATH.

There was some discussion among us after the show over who the band of the night was, and it was spread  between all three. That’s more important than an ultimate “winner” of sorts. There was no brighter star that shone and everyone got exactly what they wanted.

To be honest, picking a standout from an evening of standouts is like picking a favourite child. TESTAMENT, KREATOR and ANTHRAX deliver their own styles of thrash. From the established polish of the Bay Area, to the hardcore leanings of New York, via the harsh darkness of Germany.

The unholy trinity laid waste in the best way possible, and I’m sure there were a lot of happy victims of the onslaught!

All Pics and Words Courtesy of Mat 23rd NOVEMBER 2024