Charlotte metalheads were in for a real treat this past Leap Day Monday as one of the Big Four of Thrash made a stop in the Queen City. Slayer rolled into The Fillmore on their Repentless Tour and brought Testament and Carcass along for the ride. The crowd began to pile in as soon as the venue doors opened and it was clear that nobody wanted to miss even a second of the magic and mayhem of a night of metal.
The evening kicked off with the British melodeath band Carcass. Led by vocalist and bassist Jeff Walker, the band got the crowd going early on with their unique blend of death metal and grindcore and just like that, we’re off! The band is technically proficient and guitarist Bill Steer really tore it up.
Next up were California thrashers, Testament. They are one of my favorite bands and always bring an exciting and energetic live show. Frontman Chuck Billy is quite the character and was all over the stage playing to the audience. When not singing, he could be found playing air guitar and jamming on his mic stand and tossing giant guitar pics to the crowd. Alex Skolnick is simply a master and if you haven’t had the chance to see him play live, put it on your must see list now. The highlight of their set was the raucous “Into The Pit” with lights on the audience and Chuck encouraging the crowd to get those pits churning.
With two sets down, there was only one to go and it wasn’t long into the break before the Slayer chants began. A large white curtain covered the stage with illuminated images of inverted crosses and pentagrams setting the mood. As the strains of “Delusions of Saviour” played, the band was taking the stage and then the curtain dropped as Slayer tore into “Repentless,” the title track off their latest album. The band was on fire from the opening moments of their set and simply did not stop all night long.
Frontman Tom Araya was an ominous presence behind the microphone stand, slinging his bass as he belted out song after song. New tracks like “When The Stillness Comes” and “Pride in Prejudice” fit well into the setlist alongside Slayer classics and drew a solid reaction from the crowd. Guitarists Kerry King and Gary Holt were outstanding , simply showing how it should be done riff after riff and solo after solo. After the illness and subsequent death of original guitarist Jeff Hanneman in 2013, Holt had the difficult task of having some very big shoes to fill and has done a tremendous job. He has really found his place in the band and has a remarkable onstage chemistry with King. This new album and tour also saw the return of drummer Paul Bostaph and even though you could barely see the top of his head above his massive kit, he kept things pounding strong all evening long. Even Slayer’s stage set up was metal to the core, with lots of lights and smoke, and a “Repentless” backdrop which changed to a simpler “Slayer” backdrop later in the set. Things really heated up about midway through the set for “Season in the Abyss” and “Hell Awaits.” Everyone was pumped and couldn’t get enough of the thrash masters. As the opening notes of “Raining Blood” began the crowd simply exploded into a frenzied, sweaty mass as they crowd surfed and rocked out to the quintessential Slayer tune. A large group of fans had been chanting for the band to play “Black Magic” all night and they finally got their wish as Slayer obliged with not only that one but “Angel of Death” as well.
What a great ending to a enormous night of metal as Slayer showed why they are truly thrash legends. This is a must see show for all metal fans. After 30 plus years, Slayer is still kicking ass and taking names.
Slayer Set List:
Delusions of Saviour (taped intro)
Repentless
Postmortem
Born of Fire
Disciple
God Send Death
War Ensemble
When The Stillness Comes
You Against You
Mandatory Suicide
Hate Worldwide
Chemical Warfare
Take Control
Pride In Prejudice
Payback
Seasons in the Abyss
Hell Awaits
Dead Skin Mask
World Painted Blood
South of Heaven
Raining Blood
Black Magic
Angel of Death
Testment setlist:
D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)
Legions of the Dead
Rise Up
Dog Faced Gods
The New Order
Practice What You Preach
Into the Pit
The Formation of Damnation
We would like to thank Heidi Ellen Robinson Fitzgerald from Herfitz PR for the credentials to review the show.
