If you like your roses black, your jewelry spiked and your Valentine’s bloody then the place to have been on February 14th, 2016 was the Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore, Maryland. Hundreds of death metal fans descended upon the Inner Harbor to watch Cannibal Corpse, as they began their 2016 tour.
The show started at 7:30 and it was no surprise that the venue was packed with a raucous crowd, prior to the first band taking the stage. Cannibal Corpse is considered the king of the death metal hill and they’ve been in existence for over 25 years. Joining them on tour are death metal veterans, Crytopsy, Abysmal Dawn and Obituary, also a heavy hitter in the death metal genre.
The show opened with Abysmal Dawn. The group recently released their highly acclaimed “Obsolescence” album. They provided a high energy 40 minute set that brought a buzz to the already lively crowd.
After a quick 15 minute break, the road crew had the stage set for Crytopsy. The Canadian death metal veterans brought the crowd to another level of excitement as singer, Matt McGachy, effortlessly took command of the stage. Midway through their set, a mosh pit formed in the middle of the crowd. Elbows and bodies met as those partaking appeared to be having a great time as they released a week’s worth of aggression.
Obituary followed Cryptopsy’s blistering set. Donald Tardy (drums), Trevor Peres (rhythm guitar), Kenny Andrews (guitar) and Terry Butler (bass) took the stage and tore into “Redneck Stomp”, before being joined by singer, John Tardy. The band blazed through a 45 minute set that consisted of tunes from their earlier releases, including “Til’ Death” and “Slowly We Rot”. During the set, the crowd reached a fever pitch and body surfers began tumbling over the steel barricades.
Fortunately, there was only a short break between Obituary and Cannibal Corpse as the metal faithful in attendance could barely contain their excitement. When the lights dimmed in anticipation of Cannibal Corpse taking the stage, the venue erupted in cheers and screams. Alex Webster (bass), Paul Mazurkiewicz (drums), Rob Barrett (rhythm guitar) and Patrick O’Brien (guitar), took their places onstage. George Fisher followed and stood center stage, his hands hung by his sides, as he glared at the crowd in a menacing pose. For a brief second, he looked as if he could be the mass axe murderer in a horror flick. And with that, the band ripped into an 18 song set that began with “Evisceration Plague”. From there, they dug deep into their catalogue, playing some of their best tracks from as far back as “Butchered at Birth”. It wasn’t until the midpoint of the set that they played a few songs from their 2014 release, “A Skeletal Domain”, including “Kill or Become”, “Icepick Lobotomy”, and “Sadistic Embodiment”.
The show was loud, brutal and electrifying. From the sinister riffs by O’brien, the speed drumming of Mazurkiewicz, the guttural growl of Fisher to the constant head thrashing and banging, it was everything you’d expect from Cannibal Corpse. Throughout the set, the crowd was worked into a frenzy and crowd surfing bodies came over the barricades at a frantic pace, keeping security busy as they ensured everyone landed safely.
This was the type of show that leaves you sweaty and exhausted, in a good way. If you are a fan of metal or if you simply need to unleash pent up anger, buy yourself a ticket to this show. You’ll be glad you did.
The show opened with Abysmal Dawn. The group recently released their highly acclaimed “Obsolescence” album. They provided a high energy 40 minute set that brought a buzz to the already lively crowd.
After a quick 15 minute break, the road crew had the stage set for Crytopsy. The Canadian death metal veterans brought the crowd to another level of excitement as singer, Matt McGachy, effortlessly took command of the stage. Midway through their set, a mosh pit formed in the middle of the crowd. Elbows and bodies met as those partaking appeared to be having a great time as they released a week’s worth of aggression.
Obituary followed Cryptopsy’s blistering set. Donald Tardy (drums), Trevor Peres (rhythm guitar), Kenny Andrews (guitar) and Terry Butler (bass) took the stage and tore into “Redneck Stomp”, before being joined by singer, John Tardy. The band blazed through a 45 minute set that consisted of tunes from their earlier releases, including “Til’ Death” and “Slowly We Rot”. During the set, the crowd reached a fever pitch and body surfers began tumbling over the steel barricades.
Fortunately, there was only a short break between Obituary and Cannibal Corpse as the metal faithful in attendance could barely contain their excitement. When the lights dimmed in anticipation of Cannibal Corpse taking the stage, the venue erupted in cheers and screams. Alex Webster (bass), Paul Mazurkiewicz (drums), Rob Barrett (rhythm guitar) and Patrick O’Brien (guitar), took their places onstage. George Fisher followed and stood center stage, his hands hung by his sides, as he glared at the crowd in a menacing pose. For a brief second, he looked as if he could be the mass axe murderer in a horror flick. And with that, the band ripped into an 18 song set that began with “Evisceration Plague”. From there, they dug deep into their catalogue, playing some of their best tracks from as far back as “Butchered at Birth”. It wasn’t until the midpoint of the set that they played a few songs from their 2014 release, “A Skeletal Domain”, including “Kill or Become”, “Icepick Lobotomy”, and “Sadistic Embodiment”.
The show was loud, brutal and electrifying. From the sinister riffs by O’brien, the speed drumming of Mazurkiewicz, the guttural growl of Fisher to the constant head thrashing and banging, it was everything you’d expect from Cannibal Corpse. Throughout the set, the crowd was worked into a frenzy and crowd surfing bodies came over the barricades at a frantic pace, keeping security busy as they ensured everyone landed safely.
This was the type of show that leaves you sweaty and exhausted, in a good way. If you are a fan of metal or if you simply need to unleash pent up anger, buy yourself a ticket to this show. You’ll be glad you did.
