It’s been almost two months since Bloodstock and I’ve been dying to go to a gig, especially since a couple of awesome looking shows have passed me by. There’s a lot of gigs this month that I’m interested in so I noted them all down and decided which ones to get time off for. The first of which, nicely preceding our own Moshville Oktoberfest, is death metal legends Vader! A band whose rapid fire blasting death metal with thrashing beats and a twist of the old-skool is one of my favourite neck wreckers. It’s been a while since I’ve given them a spin and seen them slay the stage so I’m buzzing to bang my head.
I arrive to a busy Slay, mid-set during openers Aetherian. There’s plenty of people present though the venue isn’t packed…yet. The Greek band are bringing a generally mid-paced set of epic sounding melodeath. There’s a handful of headbangers getting a pit going in the middle while the band members wring their necks onstage. The frontman is particularly animated, giving showmanship as if he was on an open air festival stage and bantering with the fans at the front. Their sound is interesting bringing in moments of blasting death, blackened flavours and even a hint of folk. The rumbling rhythm section is awesome though the guitars at times feel just a tad buried in the mix. Overall a cool band, making for a nice warm-up for the rest of the show. Aetherian are definitely a band to check out.
Following up is Swedish death metal legends Vomitory. Admittedly a band I’ve heard of but never looked into so this is another fresh cut of death to my ears. Fuck me I have some catching up to do! From the moment the first beat hits, the pit is in full swing. This is the death metal madness I’ve been craving. The band’s performance is no-nonsense just playing the damn songs – there’s no need for showmanship or banter. The sound is crushing, especially the pounding beats, however the guitars are still a little lost. No one’s caring though, instead feeling the noise and raging with bodies slamming in the pit and flurries of flying hair throughout an increasingly sweaty Slay. My head has been nodding the whole time as the Vomitory’s infection takes its hold – they’ve earned a new fan and my bus home listening is sorted. A killer set from a killer band I wish I’d checked out sooner.
Anticipation is building for the main event as classic metal tunes fill the air during the soundcheck, with a chunk of the crowd sinking drinks and singing along. The weekend metal party is in full force – a perfect atmosphere to celebrate the headliner’s 40th anniversary!
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The party vibe shows no sign of stopping as roars fill the room when Vader take to the stage. The mosh is increasingly mental from opening number “Decapitated Saints”. More heads are banging than before and the pit is more crowded, with bodies flying across the battlefield to the blasting death metal in front of it. The vicious circle rages constantly as Vader take us on a celebratory journey throughout their career. When my introduction to the band, “Dark Age” begins, I join the forces in the vortex and end up thrown to the opposite side from where I entered. The energy is omnipresent as frontman Peter and fellow axeman Spider rip those riffs, and shred those solos while posturing and gurning with the ferocity of their youth.
Rapturous applause and chants fill the gaps between songs and Peter’s introductions with a particular Polish expletive “ja pierdole” getting a few funny airings. A guest appearance comes in ex-Vader guitarist Mauser, shredding along for the rest of the show beginning with his introduction to the band “Black to the Blind” and “Carnal”. There’s good vibes all around and everyone is having a great time both onstage and off as Vader take us through the blistering blast of “Cold Demons” and stomp of “Dark Transmission”.
I almost leave early to get the bus home but decide to stay until the end. I don’t regret it, otherwise I’d have missed another one of my favourite tunes “Helleluyah (God is Dead)”. After a final few minutes of neck wrecking the show is over. Four decades in extreme metal and Vader are as intense as they’ve always been both on disc and on the stage. They’ve never disappointed and continue to be killer. Here’s to decades more of their awesome death metal.
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Vader: facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
Vomitory: official | facebook | instagram | spotify | youtube
Aetherian: facebook | instagram | bandcamp | spotify | youtube
