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Hatebreed (US)

Slayer (US)

Slipknot (US)

(*whispers* fuck 'em)

Brabanthal, Leuven - Oct. 1st, 2004.

Slayer set list: Disciple / War Ensemble / Behind the Crooked Cross / Fight Till Death / Mandatory Suicide / Hallowed Point / Dead Skin Mask / Seasons in the Abyss / Chemical Warfare / Hell Awaits / South of Heaven / Angel of Death // Postmortem / Raining Blood

Well, it wasn't just Slayer that night, but the UNHOLY ALLIANCE, some package deal which is meant to rip off as many people as possible in one night. In this case: Hatebreed, Slayer & Slipknot. Indeed, Slayer supported Slipknot. I have no further comments, except for… "Slayer supported Slipknot." As for Hatebreed… Well, I hate to be a dick, but they're the kind of band I just can't get into, no matter how hard I try (okay, I admit I don't try very hard). I certainly admire their dedication and their allegiance to the good 'ole hardcore ideals (in a way they're pretty much like Henry Rollins, using the perspective of the cornered animal trying to find a way out of oppression), but it's all wrapped up in a sound I'm so fed up with - Pantera meets Suicidal Tendencies, it's called metalcore - that I had a few drinks in the entrance hall instead. The singer's probably sincere, but he jumps up and down too much and he continually beats his fist against his chest. For real, man. That said, I admit I'm not an expert on the band/genre. Nor will I ever be.

Slayer's what we'd come for and fortunately they didn't disappoint. With the mighty Lombardo behind the drum kit they mainly focused on the "classic" albums (Reign in Blood, South of Heaven and Seasons in the Abyss), but not many people seemed to be complaining about that. In fact, the only song written after 1990 was "Discipline," the brutal slab of thrash that - along with the creepy soundscape "Darkness of Christ" kicks off God Hates Us All. When the eerie chaos of said introduction suddenly blasted through the speakers and the lights turned down, the stage was suddenly covered in all kinds of ugly graffiti and the 24 Marshall cabinets looked damn impressive (I wonder, however, how many of those were actually turned on). Throughout the set, things didn't get too bombastic or silly, as only Nazi-styled flags with eagles and the Slayer-logo, as well as crooked crosses, were projected. The band's performance was equally devoid of superfluous tra-la-la - if you're willing to accept the possibility that Slayer cannot be bombastic. Whereas the Hatebreed vocalist ran up and down the stage, Araya never strayed too far from his microphone, walking backwards a few meters or banging his head to the intense racket he created with his pals there. Hanneman on the left, King on the right, Lombardo in the middle on a drum stage. During the first few songs, the sound was annoyingly uneven - you couldn't hear the guitars because of the overwhelming noise of the drums - but gradually it became better and better. The volume should've been cranked up a bit more, though. Anyway, the band tore through all their early classics: "War Ensemble" sounded still like the thrash classic it's been the past 14 years (brutal, intense, well-constructed, displaying all their facets), "Mandatory Suicide" has a million dollar-riff, and the breakneck velocity of "Hallowed Point" is nothing but stunning when you hear an ultra-tight live version of it. Throughout the set, the band scattered also a few golden oldies around and apart from the fact that they perhaps don't have the character of the classics, the invigorated takes on "Fight Till Death" (from Show No Mercy) and "Chemical Warfare" (from EP Haunting the Chapel) are ferocious songs blending classic metal with hardcore punk's single-minded determination. Surprisingly, "Dead Skin Mask" with its creepy intro was one of the set's highlights and the way it was delivered back to back with "Seasons in the Abyss" was sheer awesomeness. The set ended with perhaps my two favorite Slayer songs: the chugging groove-fest of "South of Heaven" and thrash's defining moment (just admit it): the controversial "Angel of Death," which seethed with energy, but wasn't exactly the monumental blast I'd hoped it would be. They left after 60 minutes or so, but of course - only one song from Reign in Blood??? - they returned with the tandem of "Postmortem" and "Raining Blood" and I can assure you, when Lombardo hit those toms in between these two, I could feel the chicken skin cover my entire body. Fast, heavy and still insanely brutal, these songs ended a set that perhaps wasn't one of the best concerts I've seen this year, but they transcended my hesitant expectations. The riffs smacked me against the head, Lombardo's drum torture was awe-inspiring, Araya's vocals were still very much intact and although they were perhaps playing on "automatic" to a certain degree, Slayer came, saw and conquered.

You didn't think I was gonna check out Slipknot's show after that, did you?

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