Hatebreed equals intensity.
They opened the proceedings at the ungodly early hour of 6:45pm, when most people are still digesting dinner and/or shedding work mode, but their power and energy went right through the crowd like an electrical current. No one stayed sluggish for long. Hatebreed’s brand of Hardcore is designed to channel the aggression and stir the pit, and that’s exactly what they did. Razor throat vocals piled on top of power chord riffs. As furious and vicious as they sound, however, they instilled a positive, unifying vibe. It was - - to steal a phrase from Amy Sciarretto - - a set of “angry music for happy people.”
There’s nothing subtle or unassuming about Hatebreed, but in their own workmanlike way, they quietly conquered the attention of everyone inside the building. I mean. . . they especially are pretty fucking hard to ignore. . .
Hats off to their fanbase too; they’re more like a dedicated underground. Completely engaged and berzerk, but without any kind of violence or other shitty behavior. Judging by the number of Hatebreed t-shirts and the energized fan reaction, they could come back another night and headline/own this club.
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The weirdest thing happened after Hatebreed’s set. . . a guy from Pantera came out and played a bunch of songs.* Zakk Wylde is best-known as Ozzy Osbourne’s longest-tenured guitarist, but of his own projects, Black Label Society is the most renowned. With long blonde hair and beard for days, a mercifully long kilt, and a Jersey accent like my uncle’s, his stage presence is as titanic as his axe prowess. But to Zakk’s credit, Black Label Society perform as a band, never as a vanity project for their celebrity leader.
His antics were slightly more subdued than I’ve seen from him in the past, but he still wrenches the hell out of every song, every riff, every bend. Note: subdued for Zakk Wylde still includes an extended over-the-shoulder soloing duel with BLS’s co-lead guitarist, Dario Lorina.
Massive tapestries of Pantera’s Abbott brothers were displayed during Zakk’s piano ballad, “In This River.” Cynics may think that it was. . . ehhh, fuck the cynics. It was a classy move.
Black Label Society songs are better live than on record. Case in point: their 2022 single, “Set You Free.” Honestly, the song’s release had left me a little cold, but in their hands on this night, it was mesmerizing.
With twelve songs and nearly as much time onstage as Anthrax, you could almost have considered BLS the co-headliners. Almost.
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The evening was truly centered around Anthrax. Their set was preceded by a tribute video featuring a plethora of music all-stars, including Corey Taylor, Gene Simmons, Robert Trujillo, Henry Rollins, Mike Patton, Dave Mustaine, Chuck D., and many more, all of them heaping praise on Anthrax: the men, the moshers, the music.
What a privilege to have been in attendance for the first show of Anthrax’s 40th Anniversary Tour - - especially in an intimate, sold-out club setting.
Scott Ian: household name and Metal’s best rhythm guitarist. No slight to James Hetfield, but Scott is even better.
Charlie Benante: renaissance man, visual artist, songwriter, and one of Metal’s all-time great drummers.
Frank Bello: universally beloved, mega-talented bassist. 1000% heart in everything he does.
Joey Belladonna: still sounds and looks almost exactly like he did in 1986. Anthrax have been blessed with three incredible vocalists, in different eras, but Belladonna was always truly special.
Jonathan Donais. The new guy. Powerful shredder and solid presence. He’s a perfect fit.
These five kids. . . excuse me. . . these five gentlemen in their 40s, 50s, and 60s blasted through a near-perfect setlist of decades-spanning Anthrax classics.
If there were any doubters, they were silenced immediately. In spite of the Phoenix summer heat, these guys brought madhouse energy and exuberance, with no letdown. This didn’t sound like a band who hadn’t toured in years; they were tight and their execution was near flawless.
The big surprise of the night, positioned as a climactic late moment, was their performance of “Only,” a John Bush-era song. Joey Belladonna masterfully echoed Bush’s style from the original, but also made it his own.
My only complaints: No “A.I.R.” and no “I’m the Man.”
Look. . . There’s no way to adequately cover 40 years in a 90 minute set, but I feel like those songs are both landmarks in Anthrax history. Really, they should have played for five hours and gotten to ALL of the greats and deep cuts, like “Discharge,” “Panic,” “The Enemy,” and “Bud E. Lovebomb.” Is that unreasonable to ask? Funny, after this incredible night of cherished memories from my teenage boombox, it’s “Breathing Lightning” from their 2016 “For All Kings” album that’s been stuck in my head.
Anthrax are the real thing. If you’ve paid any attention to Metal and/or Thrash in the past 41 years, then this is a show that you should not, cannot, must not miss. Get caught in the mosh when they come to your town.
Anthrax setlist:
Among the Living
Caught in a Mosh
Madhouse
Metal Thrashing Mad
Breathing Lightning
Keep It in the Family
Antisocial
I Am the Law
In the End
Only
Bring the Noise (excerpt)
Indians
Black Label Society setlist:
Funeral Bell
Destroy & Conquer
Overlord
Heart of Darkness
A Love Unreal
You Made Me Want to Live
In This River
Trampled Down Below
Set You Free
Fire It Up
Suicide Messiah
Stillborn
Hatebreed setlist:
Proven
Destroy Everything
Tear It Down
Instinctive (Slaughterlust)
A Stroke of Red
Perseverance
Driven by Suffering
Looking Down the Barrel of Today
I Will Be Heard
*If you haven’t heard, Zakk Wylde is slated to join Pantera’s forthcoming reunion tour, filling in for Dimebag Darrell Abbott. RIP, Dime and Vinny.
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