Metal Blade's 25th Anniversary Tour Rolls into Charlotte's Tremont Music Hall

Metal Blade has been around for 25 years? Huh. The record label didn't become a household name to metalheads until Cannibal Corpse defiled the scene in the early 90's. Since that golden era, Metal Blade has expanded and found mainstream success with metalcore outfits such as As I Lay Dying and Unearth. To commemorate their 25th year in business, Metal Blade Records has launched the Metal Blade 25th Anniversary Tour. The bill boasts both fresh talent and seasoned veterans. I caught the tour as it steamrolled its way into Charlotte, North Carolina. I'll spare you the non-essentials. While I didn't record the setlists, I headbanged to all five bands that took to the stage. Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

The Absence

The Absence is a melodic death metal band that just released their sophomore album, "Riders of the Plague." They are one of the few up-and-coming bands that are free of any "core" comparisons. This is a straight-up metal band with tasty leads, throaty roars (courtesy of commanding vocalist Jamie Stewart), and complex riffage. The Absence proved to be apt openers. They brought plenty of energy with them, and musically, they encapsulated all of the elements of the bands that would follow.

Goatwhore

Honestly, I don't own any Goatwhore albums. 'Tis a shame. These southern-fried black metallers delivered the best set of the night. I mean, holy shit! I'll be picking up their discography pronto. They burned through the first three songs without taking a breath in between each sepulchral death charge. The guitar tone was massive. Frontman Ben Falgoust pointed at me in mid-growl, which made me feel like a teenager discovering true metal for the first time. If you're not familiar with Goatwhore, imagine if Marduk were a punk band from New Orleans. Well, if you're familiar with Marduk, than you're probably familiar with Goatwhore. Nevermind.

The Red Chord

I've never been much for deathcore, although The Red Chord sports a faint quirkiness that appeals to me. Lead barker Guy Kozowyk smiled throughout the entire set. It was as though he was partying with the crowd, and in a sense, he was. One of the guitarists looked like an emo teenager, but to be fair, he proved to be an adept player. The drummer was most impressive. He handled all of the denticulate time signatures with calm fluency. The spastic quintet played songs off of all of their albums. I'm sure that the die-hard fans of The Red Chord dug the brief, yet explosive set.

The Black Dahlia Murder

If I had my druthers, this band would have been dropped from the bill. I find their one-dimensional take on black metal to be tiresome, but the front row went crazy for this stuff. One scenester mouthed every lyric along with the perpetually shirtless Trevor Strnad. I didn't get much out of The Black Dahlia Murder's set, but it's a matter of taste. All I heard was one song with endless blastbeats, unimaginative vocal patterns, and generic "kvlt" melodies. The band played this song about ten times before leaving the stage.

Cannibal Corpse

Ah, finally. Cannibal Corpse was the only reason I attended this gig. They didn't disappoint. My only complaint is that the setlist hasn't changed much over the past year. I could go without hearing "Stripped, Raped, and Strangled" or "I Will Kill You" live again. Their catalog is too expansive for them to stick with the standards. It's a curse that all established bands must bear. In any event, the seminal death metallers DESTROYED for 75 minutes. They are, without a doubt, one of the most consistent live bands on the planet. The sound was clear and gut-pummeling. Highlights included a brutal rendition of "The Pick-Axe Murders" (which is superior to the album version, if you ask me); the shout-along "The Time to Kill is Now"; and the mandatory inclusion of "Hammer Smashed Face" (the only set staple that never gets old).

Good show, Metal Blade, good show. Here's to 25 more years of brutality!