By: Martyn Coppack
Photos: Sean Friswell | More Photos
Sepultura | website | facebook | twitter |
Support: Lazarus Syndrome | website and Grind Horizon | website
The Live Rooms, Chester | August 11, 2015
Metal gigs and Tuesday nights may not be a match made in heaven, particularly with the dread thought of work the next day, but when that gig is from metal titans Sepultura as part of their 30th anniversary tour and the venue is what can only be described as an intimate sweatbox, concessions have to be made. Throw in the added bonus of two support bands and it’s a done deal.
Grind Horizon start the night with a short, sharp set filled with slightly generic death/groove metal songs. Over hyped at appearing on the same stage as Sepultura their enthusiasm shows through and serves to bring a new element to their otherwise underwhelming set. Maybe in time, as they start to carve a sound out for themselves will they rise in stature, but for the time being it’s nothing that hasn’t been done a thousand times before.
Grind Horizon
That accusation cannot be thrown at Lazarys Syndrome though, as their progressive, melodic death metal shows some interesting signs. Big chunky riffs are played before their huge singer whose vocal range drifts from guttural growls to operatic tremor. Indeed, one song plays out like a long list King Diamond song although with a lot less panache. The band match this with a penchant for throwing in some interesting melodic interchanges. Ones to watch.
Lazarus Syndrome
Of course, the main reason we are all here is for Sepultura and as the stage darkens, anticipation reaches fever pitch as the audience chant the band’s name. Bathing the baying crowd in red light they practically launch themselves into ‘Troops of Doom’ instantly instigating a mosh pit, which doesn’t let up all night.
‘Kairos’ follows with the chorus providing more audience participation before a run of ‘Propaganda’ and ‘Breed Apart’ demonstrates the power these songs and band still have. It’s the next song, ‘Inner Self’, that really catches fire though and as it rumbles into ‘Dead Embryonic Cells’ it’s akin to turning the clock back to those early days of death metal.
With a setlist spanning their thirty years, there are songs from all eras with ‘Choke’ being a particularly ferocious choice. Even fan homage ‘Sepultura Under My Skin’ gets an airing although it does provide a slight lull in an otherwise impeccable set. Not to worry though as it’s time for the big guns and a powerful ‘Territory’ reminds us how important this band are to metal.
Sepultura
Finding time to throw in covers of ‘Policia’ and ‘Orgasmatron’ in their own tip of the hat to the bands that influenced them, the main set then comes to a close with two absolute classics, ‘Arise’ and ‘Refuse/Resist’. Playing to an audience who has simply lost all inhibitions, the floor of the venue is a mass of seething, sweaty bodies whilst Derrick leads the band into yet another ferocious attack of sound.
There’s no skimping on encores either and ‘Bestial Devastation’, ‘Biotech is Godzilla’ and ‘The Vatican’ storm past in all their glory. It’s down to the two songs that Sepultura are perhaps most well known for to finish the night off though as ‘Ratamahatta’ and ‘Roots Bloody Roots’ bring a rather percussive end to proceedings and remind everyone of the time when Sepultura had the world at their fingertips. Those were past glories indeed and we should be more than glad that the band continues to deliver to this day. Maybe Tuesday nights and metal gigs are made to go together. Thirty years of real metal distilled in a powerful two hour show.
Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura
