Well Manchester has turned out tonight, the warmer than expected weather adding to the sights and smells as we queue up. A healthy mix of Fear Factory and Slayer tees are present, with a full complement waiting for merch. The Academy have been spot on getting people in and out of the still hot sun and as the room fills up ahead of FF kicking off proceedings, they've turned the AC on.
There's a great mix of ages too, dads with sons, old metal heads and plenty of battle vests on display. Some taking advantage of school being out and why not. The pre gig soundtrack is early 90s dance, which shows how things have changed since then as treating us to the out here brothers I think would have resulted in bottles being thrown.
Fear Factory (9) are treating us to Demanufacture in full, ripping through the first 5 tracks like a tornado. Dog Day Sunrise is excellent, far better than I expected as I never dug it originally but live it works so well. One thing you can bank on is Dino and his tremendous picking ability and his sound which is heavy and possessed a clarity to it, displayed on Body Hammer which is super tight, same as Flashpoint. Milo is moving, owning the crowd in a way that shows how much he's grown into that front man role. HK – Hunter Killer continues that run of bangers into Pisschrist non-stop. You forget just how good this album is, and FF are here to remind you of it.
A Therapy For Pain is turned into an impromptu tribute to Ozzy, with phone camera lights taking the place of cigarette lighters and it’s handled with aplomb, a fitting statement and tribute. There is time for one more and they deploy Lynchpin, somehow getting the crowd to go mental that one last time. I saw them here on their last headlining tour, and if anything, it’s a better experience tonight. The crowd are so into it and its one of the best band performances I’ve seen with the audience giving as much energy as they can. La King will have to be on top form tonight to do better than the FF set, that much is certain.
I didn't think it was possible for it to get any fuller, I was wrong and now it's a game of heavy metal sardines as we wait for the final set ups on stage. Is it remiss of me to say I'm not that familiar with the solo material despite being a massive Slayer fan? I reviewed it but I'll be honest it didn't land as well as I'd hoped. Still, any opportunity to catch it live is not to be passed up and there is a hope that the live setting will give it some additional oomph in delivery.
The first thing that is apparent is that each member is taking this very seriously, Phil Demmel is singlehandedly geeing the crowd back up, Kyle Sanders is everywhere with dreadlocks flying and Mark Osegueda is spitting the lyrics like fire. Of course, Kerry King (10) does get his fair share of bad press, but you cannot fault him on stage. It’s a full team effort in making sure these songs detonate with us.
I didn't think it was possible for it to get any fuller, I was wrong and now it's a game of heavy metal sardines as we wait for the final set ups on stage. Is it remiss of me to say I'm not that familiar with the solo material despite being a massive Slayer fan? I reviewed it but I'll be honest it didn't land as well as I'd hoped. Still, any opportunity to catch it live is not to be passed up and there is a hope that the live setting will give it some additional oomph in delivery.
The first thing that is apparent is that each member is taking this very seriously, Phil Demmel is singlehandedly geeing the crowd back up, Kyle Sanders is everywhere with dreadlocks flying and Mark Osegueda is spitting the lyrics like fire. Of course, Kerry King (10) does get his fair share of bad press, but you cannot fault him on stage. It’s a full team effort in making sure these songs detonate with us.
Opening with Where I Reign, its straight in and hits like a different song, its energy and the bands kinetic movement making it sound furious. It’s amazing how good it is live, and they don’t take a break until Two Fists, Mark taking centre stage whilst the rest refresh and regroup. It’s a different kind of metal from the super-precise riffing from Dino, but it still achieves its purpose of giving you a beating.
I’ve got to also give props to Paul Bostaph who tonight is resembling an Engine of precision, sounding better than I’ve heard him before. Mark’s singing tonight is exceptional, and each song is going down well. When they start dropping Slayer songs in there, then it becomes a different proposition. Repentless is first up and fired through with surgical precision. It sits well with the original compositions rather than showing any disparity in quality.
God Hates Us All is next and it’s bedlam, onto an Iron Maiden/Paul Di Anno tribute with Purgatory. There is some vocal fire here, with a lot of the older metal heads shouting in appreciation, which gets louder as the pedalling riff to Chemical Warfare kicks in. If you picked classic Slayer to go to bat with this would be there and its brutal.
Their cover of Wicked World has more meaning and takes a few by surprise but again its props to Mark for vocal gymnastics, respectfully delivered as the band merge Shrapnel into it and back once more. There is a sense of freedom on stage too, songs are played because they can, rather than having to do what is expected and then:
Feedback…. Then Dum, Dum, Dum you know what's coming next:
Reign In Blood. Bathed in red light, it's manic with the pit going wild and watching I didn’t think they could move anymore but no they have enough for this and Black Magic which then sets them straight on the final run to finish up with From Hell I Rise, delivered with purpose and venom. Thankfully there is no encore, it’s just too warm. For me it’s a case of honour’s even tonight, both have delivered tight sets which see the crowd go home happy. Seeing the solo material live has improved it in my eyes and the way they delivered tonight, you can fault them at all.
God Hates Us All is next and it’s bedlam, onto an Iron Maiden/Paul Di Anno tribute with Purgatory. There is some vocal fire here, with a lot of the older metal heads shouting in appreciation, which gets louder as the pedalling riff to Chemical Warfare kicks in. If you picked classic Slayer to go to bat with this would be there and its brutal.
Their cover of Wicked World has more meaning and takes a few by surprise but again its props to Mark for vocal gymnastics, respectfully delivered as the band merge Shrapnel into it and back once more. There is a sense of freedom on stage too, songs are played because they can, rather than having to do what is expected and then:
Feedback…. Then Dum, Dum, Dum you know what's coming next:
Reign In Blood. Bathed in red light, it's manic with the pit going wild and watching I didn’t think they could move anymore but no they have enough for this and Black Magic which then sets them straight on the final run to finish up with From Hell I Rise, delivered with purpose and venom. Thankfully there is no encore, it’s just too warm. For me it’s a case of honour’s even tonight, both have delivered tight sets which see the crowd go home happy. Seeing the solo material live has improved it in my eyes and the way they delivered tonight, you can fault them at all.
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