March 4, 2016 - I'm pretty sure when most people stereotype metal (despite its countless subgenres) they generally imagine death metal. From the growls to the blast beats, death metal has been known for its extreme sound and perhaps even more, its controversial lyricism including but not limited to: necrophilia, cannibalism, torture and mutilation. Generally maintaining a cult following, I was beyond excited to see these pioneers of the genre greet the Commodore Ballroom to a crowd of black shirts, long hair and heavily patched jean jackets.
First for the night was LA-based, Abysmal Dawn forming in 2003. Most of their setlist consisted of tracks off their latest record, Obsolescence, released in late 2014. Although fairly new to the scene, they've toured with names such as Exodus, Aborted, Decapitated and Goatwhore. They're up and coming in the scene, and had many diehard fans right up against the railing, screaming along to the lyrics.
Next up was Cryptopsy, formerly known as Necrosis, hailing from Montreal, Quebec back in '88. Perhaps the most technical of the bands on the roster tonight, it was amazing to see that they sounded even better live as opposed to their records, something almost unheard of due to the complexity of the riffs and timing for all the band members. Lead vocalist, Matt McGachy had the crowd doing circle pits - perhaps some of the largest I've seen at the Commodore to date, taking up the entirety of the wooden floor. The energy was great and fans were flying left, right and centre - be it in the pit, on the sidelines or being thrown into the air.
Following Cryptopsy's act came Obituary, formerly known as Xecutioner as executioner back in 1984, they finalized their name to Obituary in 1988. Despite taking a six year hiatus from 1997 to 2003, they have returned bigger than ever - being one of the most successful and influential death metal bands of all time. With their origins in Tampa, Florida - you can definitely hear the groove and southern influences in their music. It was a nice complement and change of pace from the earlier bands. Their latest album, Inked in Blood, was released in October 2014.
And finally, the most notorious of all death metal bands came the headliners, Cannibal Corpse. Having been at it with a fairly consistent lineup backing all the way to their founding in Buffalo, New York in 1988, they are the pinnacle of death metal - being the most well-known and highest-selling in the genre. The lyricism and album art have been highly controversial prompting bans from playing in certain countries or banning the sale of their album covers. The performance itself was LOUD. They wanted themselves to be heard, with people claiming they could hear some fry screams a few blocks away in the heart of downtown on a Friday. The crowd fed off their intensity and still found themselves moshing and crowd-surfing hours after the start of the night's performance. For everyone seeking an introduction to metal and its culture, CC is definitely a great place to start.
Setlists
Abysmal Dawn
- Programmed to Consume
- Inanimate
- Perfecting Slavery
- Human Obsolescence
- In Service of Time
- The Inevitable Return to Darkness
Cryptopsy
- Crown of Thorns
- Mutant Christ
- Detritus (The One They Kept)
- Two-Pound Torch
- Halothane Glow
- Slit Your Guts
- Probophile
Obituary
- Redneck Stomp
- Centuries of Lies
- Visions in My Head
- Intoxicated
- Bloodsoaked
- Dying
- Find the Arise
- Don't Care
- Chopped in Half / Turned Inside Out
- Slowly We Rot
Cannibal Corpse
- Evisceration Plague
- The Time to Kill Is Now
- Scourge of Iron
- Stripped, Raped and Strangled
- The Wretched Spawn
- Pit of Zombies
- Kill or Become
- Sadistic Embodiment
- Icepick Lobotomy
- Covered With Sores
- Born in a Casket
- I Cum Blood
- Unleashing the Bloodthirty
- Make Them Suffer
- Hammer Smashed Face
- Devoured by Vermin