On April 9th, 2009, for the first time in years, Kreator came back to the Trocadero in Philadelphia. This time around, the thrash metal legends brought along Exodus, Warbringer, Belphegor, and Epicurean for the ride. The band is fresh off the release of their latest album Hordes of Chaos, which garnished them critical and commercial acclaim. The show was filled to capacity and each band delivered the goods, even with some technical issues.
Warbringer
The California thrash band was without drummer Nic Ritter, who fractured his arm about a week or so prior. Epicurean drummer John Gensmer filled in for Ritter, and did a great job, considering he only had a few days to rehearse with the rest of the band. Because of the replacement drummer, and the lack of time to practice, Warbringer only played about five songs. The band made the most out of their short set, playing a few new tunes, and energizing the audience with a powerful version of “Total War” from their debut album War Without End.
Belphegor
A good portion of the crowd seemed to be there just for Belphegor; shirts touting their new album Bondage Goat Zombie were scattered throughout the crowd. When the lights dimmed, and Helmuth let out the first grunt, all hell broke loose. The circle pits were huge, and the band put in commendable performance. Helmuth even brought out the spiked mask, to the delight of the crowd. The band played a wide range of material in their 40 minute set, and fans were screaming along to every word.
Exodus
Exodus tore the house down, putting on an hour-plus set full of a mix of new and classic material. With the exception of a few microphone issues, the band sounded as tight as they ever have. Vocalist Rob Dukes oozed charisma and a sense of humor in-between tracks, interacting with the audience, making jokes, and mocking their love of the local hockey team, the Flyers. The live version of songs like “Toxic Waltz” and “Children Of A Worthless God” sounded stronger than the studio versions. The crowd reacted warmly to the quintet, with the loudest response being for the earlier material (“Bonded By Blood,” “Strike Of The Beast”). There was even a wall of death during the latter, which was a sight to behold.
Kreator
Kreator sounded fantastic throughout their hour-and-a-half set, making the long wait to see them come back to Philly again well worth it. Vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza was a ball of energy, inviting the crowd to kill each other and destroy everything. Petrozza’s broken English made his banter with the crowd humorous at times, but he got the crowd riled up quickly. The rest of the band was solid as well, keeping the momentum strong, with a constant circle pit during the live set.
The set list was heavy on new material in the early goings, but the band opened up their discography and pulled out some classics, including “Pleasure To Kill” and “Flag Of Hate.” Kreator pulled out super-charged versions of “Enemy Of God” and “Violent Revolution” as well.
Kreator ended the show on a high note, with “Tormentor” getting the crowd into a frenzy one last time. When Petrozza told the crowd that the band would be back soon, a roar erupted unlike any other; a sign that Kreator would be welcomed back into Philadelphia anytime.
