Although this column’s focus is shows in and around the Central Texas area, sometimes it’s fitting to venture out to different realms for particularly notable performances by some of extreme metal’s finest acts. For the first time in this column’s near two-year existence, it was time to venture up North to witness a performance by legendary thrash metal act Morbid Saint, who have been venerated in this column since its earliest of days. Proudly sporting emblems from Texas’s own Absu, Averse Sefira, and Plutonian Shore, your San Antonio Heavy Metal Examiner ventured out to Club Europa, a cozy hangout in Brooklyn. After we entered – a welcome sanctuary from the “I’m stuck in an Immortal music video” weather – we mingled with everybody from King Fowley from Deceased to promoter Ed Farshtey, both incredibly nice gentlemen. Once we had gotten acquainted with the hospitable locals, it was time for the show to start, initiating with local heavy metallers Midnite Hellion.
Midnite Hellion’sset got off to a rough start, with broken strings and blown amp heads that, coupled with a cape-clad bassist, certainly made for an odd experience. The band played a NWOBHM-inspired form of speed metal that appeared to draw heavily from “Feel the Fire” period Overkill (in fact, they even covered an Overkill song), with galloping rhythms and a high-pitched vocalist that was quite different than the other bands on the bill, albeit one that was enjoyable enough. The technical errors made it somewhat difficult to give an honest assessment of Midnite Hellion’s performance, but what was performed left a positive enough impression on this reporter. Better luck next time!
After the spectacle of Midnite Hellion, it was time to witness Carcinogen, who played a thrashy variant of death metal that recalled the eighties in its presentation. Carcinogen’s vocalist was apparently incarcerated (incarcinogenerated? Excuse the awful pun), so a friend of the band was filling in, doing a good enough job with a mid-paced growl that recalled early Cancer. Musically, Carcinogen could be compared to “Eaten Back to Life”-era Cannibal Corpse and Malevolent Creation with a hefty dose of Slayer, although the cover medley of “Postmortem” and “War Ensemble” would definitely assist in the latter comparison. It's especially notable to say that at this point, this reporter was absolutely awestruck at the New York crowd. Quite simply, it was one of the best crowds I’ve ever seen. There were no drunken imbeciles who were only there to pick fights or get hammered, there were no hipsters or people who looked “too cool to be there”, just a ton of people there by the hour of seven p.m. (unthinkably early here in Texas), kids stage-diving, moshing, and singing along to every single band, even Midnite Hellion. It was simply inspiring, and quite a change from many shows I’ve seen throughout the course of reviewing shows. Carcinogen was a great continuation of the energy that would persist throughout the night, but things were only about to get better.
Having witnessed Deceased a few months ago at the Goregrowler’s Ball in San Antonio, it was easy to say that an excellent show would be a foregone conclusion. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for just how good the performance would be. The band was full of energy, and with a crowd that was giving back 100%, it was a wonder to witness the group blasting out material that spanned from “Luck of the Corpse” to their newest masterpiece “Surreal Overdose” as well as a closing cover of Venom’s “Black Metal”, which was enthusiastically welcomed by the crowd, singing out the words as frontman King Fowley passed them the microphone. An especially notable cut was “Fading Survival” from the landmark “Luck of the Corpse” album, which serves as a particularly bile-filled slab of old-school death metal. Fowley no longer serves as drummer/vocalist, although he has made the transition from percussionist to frontman flawlessly, as his stage presence and captivating presence as a frontman serve Deceased well. The instrumentalists were unbelievably tight, delivering old-school-style guitar riffs and higher-end melodies with a wicked bass groove and tight percussion section, all with Fowley serving as the demented conductor. Other notable tracks included “Kindred Assembly”, from Deceased’s newest effort, “Surreal Overdose” and the incredibly catchy “The Premonition”, although just about all of Deceased’s work is high-quality zombie-loving death/thrash. The band’s love of classic horror stands out amongst a sea of gore and brutality-loving Suffocation clones, and it’s safe to say that they are a perfect band for those who love old-school heavy metal and extreme metal in equal measures. Deceased plays Texas quite frequently, so it should be a given that you check them out the next time they’re in town.
Following that Deceased performance was certainly no small task, but Morbid Saint absolutely conquered all expectations, playing a crushingly old-school set that contained just about everything from their landmark “Spectrum of Death” album to a few gems from the (famously unreleased) “Destruction System” to new material that thrashed as hard as one could imagine. Off the top of my head, I can recall “Assassins”, “Scars”, “Lock Up Your Children” (look for this reporter’s stage-dive at :40 in this video), “Beyond the Gates of Hell” and “Damien” among others, and from the “Spectrum of Death” material alone, it is safe to say that anyone familiar with the band was more than satisfied with the performance. This certainly seemed to be the case with the crowd, who were stage-diving and moshing all night, with several members even grabbing the mic to sing along with rabid devotion. The stage was an altar, with Morbid Saint serving as the inverse cardinals of their namesake, with plenty worshippers to the throne of thrash that just kept coming back for more.
Although singer Patrick Lind seemed to be having difficulty hearing himself onstage, from the crowd the sound was quite clear, with the all-too-familiarly-visceral cutting guitar tone and Lind’s shrieks recalling a dying goat in its moments of agony. Morbid Saint’s two guitar players possessed incredible chemistry, thrashing out complimentary riffs that were unparalleled in savagery, matching the aggression of early Venom and Bathory with an added edge of bands like Exhorder or Demolition Hammer that perfectly encapsulated the energy of old-school extreme thrash metal. The rhythm section, consisting of bassist Bob Zabel and drummer Randy Wall was locked in tight with a vicious groove assault, mostly serving as supporting players to the guitars, although maintaining a constant beat that allowed a constant low-end to be present. The new material was generally consistent with the vibe of old-school thrash that fans had come to expect from “Spectrum of Death”, which was quite a relief to hear. The band played for roughly an hour, ending at an early hour, which was much appreciated by this reporter. After all, it seems as if entirely too many Texas shows as of late have been going on until the wee hours of the morning, so it was nice to see a show not pushed as far as possible. To be fair, the venue itself apparently has an early curfew, but getting out before two in the morning was still a welcome change of pace.
It was easily one of the best shows this reporter has ever witnessed, without a hint of exaggeration in that statement. The passionate crowd, the professional sound, and world-class lineup made for a story to tell for the rest of those who witnessed its lives. If you were one of the lucky ones who purchased an “I SAW MORBID SAINT” shirt (as this reporter was), hang on to it – that’s something to tell your grandkids someday, assuming we aren’t all wiped out in a nuclear winter like just about every thrash band in the Eighties thought we would.
For more info: If a quick post-show chat with the band is any indicator, Morbid Saint will try to make it down to the Lone Star State soon enough. Don’t miss it!
Comments