A sleepy Monday in mid-March dressed in a shroud of chilly, winter air could not hold back the feverous fanaticism of Edmonton's metal community.It was an exceptional turnout for the Starlite Room in spite of the chilly pseudo-wintry weather and a sound check mishap that delayed the doors opening for almost an hour and a half.
What band could inspire such adamant dedication to a level that its followers would gladly become more frigid than an Amish singles night?
The answer my friend is Teutonic thrash legends, Destruction. The trio from Lorrach, Germany that have been making music as long as Metallica has, an original cog you could say, in the great Metal machine and a gem of the underground scene.
Joined by Brazilian all brother group Krisiun and Pittsburgh's 'steely' hopefuls Mantic Ritual, this seemingly manic Monday was about to summon forth a Saturday night feel with all the trimmings!
Firing the first shot in the thrash metal barrage were Mantic Ritual, the young Pennsylvania outfit who just recently graced the stage of Starlite back in January on their tour with Greek headliners, Rotting Christ.
It's surprising what a couple of months can do for a band, whereas their performance with RC was marginal at best, this time out, they really turned up their intensity. Debuting with their song "One by One" it was at first, lyrically very disappointing. Vocalist Dan Wetmore was accomplishing more bark than bite at first, however as their set progressed whatever it was that hindered Wetmore from really digging deep and unleashing hell was gone.
With a group like Mantic Ritual you get a pure experience, the business has yet to take its toll on these young guys, leaving them untainted in their performance, and you genuinely feel based on their actions on stage that they are out there giving it their all and are still having fun when they play.
The night's set list for MR was mostly comprised of songs from their newly released studio album "Executioner" with a well executed cover of Venom's classic track "Black Metal", thrown in for good measure, it was just the right sound for this band to tackle. Not to undersell their album's songs, catchy hook and riff laden song "Panic" got quite a positive response from the crowd.
Their performance ended on a high note and it seemed to be the general consensus of those in the crowd that Mantic Ritual given time could be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.
Where Mantic Ritual left off, Krisiun picked up and knocked out of the park. These three brothers invoked a spirit of Brazilian metal style in the same tradition as Sepultura, but with much more growl, due to Krisiun being a death metal group straight out of the abyss.
From the first chord played, a sensation danced down your spine like a spider as Krisiun ignited the crowd with fiery metal zeal. The bass lines and percussion ripped through you like automatic gun fire, coursing in the veins of every song, rattling your teeth with every tone. Songs like "Vicious Wrath", "Refusal", and "BloodCraft" from their 2006 album "AssassiNation" firmly demonstrated the ferocity of their death roars and the consistency of their technical skill and chummed the waters of the pit below, inciting a swirling rift of moshing metalheads.
At every opportunity they could, Krisiun showed their humility by thanking the fans for coming out to see them on a Monday, understanding and acknowledging the level of dedication and support fans give them. This being their first ever show in Edmonton in their nineteen year history as a literal "band of brothers" the thanks seemed very genuine and was reciprocated by the raised horns and hollers from the Edmonton crowd.
Ending their set with the song "Slaying Steel" from their most recent album "Southern Storm", Krisiun left the crowd like a school of hungry, heavy metal piranha, anxious for the next band to cross their path and sate their wanton mosh-lust.
The crowds thirst for thrash did not go unquenched as main act, Destruction took the stage. Like Krisiun, these veteran performers are a three man group that could compete if not destroy inferior thrash metal four, five and six pieces.
Erupting on stage blanketed in smoke and bathed in strobing light, all set between two giant standees of their bands logo, the onslaught began. Like a blitzkrieg of sonic chaos, front man Schmier unleashed powerful raw vocals while galloping percussion and incredible thrash riffs sent the crowd into overdrive.
It was one great song after another, as they took us through their twenty-eight year journey as a band. Album title tracks like "Devolution" and "Metal Discharge" melded harmoniously with mid-80's favourites like "Death Trap".
Schmier as a lead man hasn't lost the ability to keep a crowd pleased and stirred into frenzy, as he demonstrates with ease before leading into 1986 song "Life Without Sense". His counterpart and career long band mate Mark Sifringer did not slip one iota despite the intensity and speed of their bands playlist.
Continuing on with their set, songs like "The Butcher Strikes Back" and a cover of the Plasmatics song "The Damned" fed the fire and kept it hot, up until the encore.
After such a dynamite showing, one could not fathom what they would do for an encore or whether or not there would be one at all. Destruction did not disappoint making sure that any mosher standing wouldn't be after the they were through. Like their main set, it was a mix of everything, making your blood pump and burn with the fire that only true thrash metal can create. "Curse the Gods", followed by "Nailed to the Cross" and finally to finish a crowd weary with metal ecstasy, appropriately "Total Disaster" was chosen.
With a closing statement of true appreciation, the juggernauts that go by the name Destruction thanked Edmonton's metal community; because like Krisiun this was their first gig here in our city and in their own words they are "tired of the constant, boring cycle of Montreal, to Toronto, to Vancouver over and over again."
Where Mantic Ritual left off, Krisiun picked up and knocked out of the park. These three brothers invoked a spirit of Brazilian metal style in the same tradition as Sepultura, but with much more growl, due to Krisiun being a death metal group straight out of the abyss.
From the first chord played, a sensation danced down your spine like a spider as Krisiun ignited the crowd with fiery metal zeal. The bass lines and percussion ripped through you like automatic gun fire, coursing in the veins of every song, rattling your teeth with every tone. Songs like "Vicious Wrath", "Refusal", and "BloodCraft" from their 2006 album "AssassiNation" firmly demonstrated the ferocity of their death roars and the consistency of their technical skill and chummed the waters of the pit below, inciting a swirling rift of moshing metalheads.
At every opportunity they could, Krisiun showed their humility by thanking the fans for coming out to see them on a Monday, understanding and acknowledging the level of dedication and support fans give them. This being their first ever show in Edmonton in their nineteen year history as a literal "band of brothers" the thanks seemed very genuine and was reciprocated by the raised horns and hollers from the Edmonton crowd.
Ending their set with the song "Slaying Steel" from their most recent album "Southern Storm", Krisiun left the crowd like a school of hungry, heavy metal piranha, anxious for the next band to cross their path and sate their wanton mosh-lust.
The crowds thirst for thrash did not go unquenched as main act, Destruction took the stage. Like Krisiun, these veteran performers are a three man group that could compete if not destroy inferior thrash metal four, five and six pieces.
Erupting on stage blanketed in smoke and bathed in strobing light, all set between two giant standees of their bands logo, the onslaught began. Like a blitzkrieg of sonic chaos, front man Schmier unleashed powerful raw vocals while galloping percussion and incredible thrash riffs sent the crowd into overdrive.
It was one great song after another, as they took us through their twenty-eight year journey as a band. Album title tracks like "Devolution" and "Metal Discharge" melded harmoniously with mid-80's favourites like "Death Trap".
Schmier as a lead man hasn't lost the ability to keep a crowd pleased and stirred into frenzy, as he demonstrates with ease before leading into 1986 song "Life Without Sense". His counterpart and career long band mate Mark Sifringer did not slip one iota despite the intensity and speed of their bands playlist.
Continuing on with their set, songs like "The Butcher Strikes Back" and a cover of the Plasmatics song "The Damned" fed the fire and kept it hot, up until the encore.
After such a dynamite showing, one could not fathom what they would do for an encore or whether or not there would be one at all. Destruction did not disappoint making sure that any mosher standing wouldn't be after the they were through. Like their main set, it was a mix of everything, making your blood pump and burn with the fire that only true thrash metal can create. "Curse the Gods", followed by "Nailed to the Cross" and finally to finish a crowd weary with metal ecstasy, appropriately "Total Disaster" was chosen.
With a closing statement of true appreciation, the juggernauts that go by the name Destruction thanked Edmonton's metal community; because like Krisiun this was their first gig here in our city and in their own words they are "tired of the constant, boring cycle of Montreal, to Toronto, to Vancouver over and over again."
It seemed more than evident that with the showing of support Edmonton gave them, they will return sooner rather than later.
We'll be ready, for 100% pure thrash, ready for the next wave of Destruction and any who should choose to follow in their wake.
For more info on any of the bands showcased in the performance check out their websites below.
We'll be ready, for 100% pure thrash, ready for the next wave of Destruction and any who should choose to follow in their wake.
For more info on any of the bands showcased in the performance check out their websites below.
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