Kreator, Voivod, Nachtmystium, Evile and Lazarus AD Concert Review

Even metal fans with the most diverse taste will find something to fault with almost every tour package. However, when Kreator came back to The Trocadero in Philadelphia on March 4th for their 25th anniversary tour, they brought along with them the perfect combination of bands. With Voivod, Nachtmystium, Evile, and Lazarus A.D. providing support, the thrash metal titans celebrated a major milestone in style. Even under a strict curfew, each band took advantage of the limited time they had on stage to deliver a well-rounded night of head banging and furious moshing.

With the curfew in place, Lazarus A.D. was forced to cut their set by a few songs. The crowd was slim at this point, but the few concertgoers in attendance kept the energy level high the whole set. The band didn’t waste any time, banging out track after track with few breaks. Even after a few years, the material off their debut album The Onslaught still sounds fresh. “Last Breath” and “Absolute Power” were the highlights of the 20-minute set.

Evile

The other band to have their set cut down, UK’s Evile, who released Infected Nations in 2009, was the hidden gem of the show. Not only was this their first U.S. tour, it was just their second show in the states. The crowd knew their material well, with “Thrasher” being the most requested song of the night by a large portion of the rabid crowd. The band obliged the request, along with a stirring rendition of the title track off their debut album. At the end of the set, the band asked everybody to spread the word about them in order to get a headlining tour in the future. If this night was any indication, a tour with a longer set will be in high demand soon enough.

Amiss all the thrashing, along came Nachtmystium. Experimental progressive metal disguised as dirty black/punk, the foursome stuck to songs from their recent album during their 30-minute set. The band captured the epic feel of Assassins: Black Meddle Pt 1 in a live setting, while “Life Of Fire” showcased the catchier side of the band. “Hellish Overdose” is a blast from the past, an evil beast that reeks of Venom and Sodom, which translated into a lot of needless cranial destruction by hundreds of loyal metal heads. The only disappointment was that they didn’t pull anything from earlier albums, especially Demise.

Denis “Snake” Bélanger slithered his way onto the stage, a gas mask covering his face. He pulled it off with a huge grin from ear to ear, and with that, the madness began. The classic anthem “Voivod” opened the set with a thrash metal onslaught. The band seemed to be having a great time on stage, joking around and smiling the whole time. Returning bassist Jean-Yves “Blacky” Thériault was a ball of energy on stage, hopping up and down like a madman and moving to all corners of the stage. Bélanger’s strong vocals matched his stage presence; he constantly swung his arms around as if he was the head conductor of a metal symphony.

The songs were mostly picked from the band’s past, including a surprising performance of “Nuclear War” off their 1984 debut War and Pain. “Experiment” and “Tornado” completely floored the crowd, while Infini’s “Global Warming” was the only song that represented the present-day era of Voivod’s music. For a band that hasn’t toured much in the states since the death of guitarist Denis “Piggy” D'Amour, they had the crowd’s undivided attention from start to finish.

Kreator

The last time Kreator was in Philadelphia, they completely tore the Trocadero down. This time around was no different, as the German thrashers delivered a set that was familiar, yet unique at the same time. With this being their 25th anniversary tour, the band pulled out a few numbers that they haven’t played in years. This was apparent from the very beginning, as the band opened with the epic “The Pestilence,” an underrated track from Pleasure To Kill.

The surprises didn’t stop there, as “Endless Pain,” “Servant in Heaven – King in Hell,” and “When the Sun Burns Red” were dusted off to the glee of the audience.

Of course, the usual fan favorites like “Coma Of Souls,” “Pleasure To Kill,” and “Tormentor” got the mosh pits going crazy, but it was nice to see the band change the set list up. The most noticeable omission was “Betrayer,” but considering the band has been playing that song live for two decades now, it wasn’t a major loss. The band was flawless on a musical level and vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza worked the crowd into a frenzy with his abrasive banter and screams of agony. The only issue was with guitarist Sami Yli-Sirnio, who seemed to have trouble with his equipment in the first few songs.

Conclusion

The curfew did cut a few sets down, but that didn’t diminish the awesomeness of the tour package. Five great bands provided a solid night of metal entertainment and the sound quality was strong the whole night, save for a little muddiness during Nachtmystium’s set. The club was about halfway-filled, which was slightly disappointing considering the mass amount of talent contained in this tour package. However, everybody in attendance got to see the past, present, and future of thrash metal all in one single night.

Disclosure: The company provided free access to this concert for review purposes. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.