Now that's more like it, Slayer!
Really solid performance tonight from the thrash vets which gives me some new hope about their future. The band powered through a well balanced if fairly predictable set with old favorites like Hell Awaits, War Ensemble and Dead Skin Mask really getting the Monday night crowd moving. The sound mix was as good as I'd ever heard at a Slayer gig with the guitars bold and up front and Araya's vocals clearly audible above the din. Speaking of Tom, he was much stronger onstage than I've seen him in several years and worked through the entire set with little noticeable fatigue. He's been real iffy performance wise since his back injury but tonight he appeared as good as ever, headbanging aside. Holt feels fully integrated into the Slayer machine now matching King riff for riff as if they'd been playing together for years. Hopefully that synergy will translate into the studio when they decide to start writing the next album.
Supporting acts Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus were solid as expected but the bass and drums were way too heavy in the mix for both bands. This plagued Exodus especially as the guitars weren't nearly as sharp as they should be which robbed the songs of a bit of their bite. It was nice to hear Zetro back in the band again as his vocals fit Exodus much better than Rob Dukes. Toxic Waltz now sounds like Toxic Waltz again. That said, he doesn't command the audience nearly as well as Dukes did, which was a disappointment. It was a painfully short set for them (5 songs in total) but the band did their best to make the most of it. I was really stoked to finally see Suicidal play live and they did not disappoint. To be honest, they were the hardest working band tonight delivering a non-stop barrage of killer tunes culled primarily from their first four (and best) records. Like Exodus, the guitars were a little muddled by the thumping rhythm section. While this hurt Holt and Co. to a moderate extent, it really showcased the inherent layer of groove in Suicidal's sound which was impossible not to move to. All their songs were first rate but Possessed to Skate was a personal highlight for me as it was the song that got me into the band and also reinforced my love for the X-Games.
Final Verdict: If you love thrash metal, then this is definitely worth your money. The old fucks delivered tonight.
