Kreator / Overkill / Warbringer
Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, BC
November 11th, 2013
Starting the evening off was the thrash stylings of Warbringer, a band from the United States. While they served to raise the energy of the crowd streaming into the Rickshaw Theatre, their set seemed frantic and a little disorganized at times. This was atoned for by vocalist John Kevill’s willingness to chat with fans and hang out in the crowd for the rest of the evening.
Veteran thrashers Overkill raised the bar significantly upon taking stage. With a no holds barred, in your face attitude they demonstrated more energy than musicians half their age seem to have. They played a solid set, mixing both newer material and old spanning a career of thirty years. The crowd seemed to enjoy the Overkill set, moshing enthusiastically at the urgings of vocalist Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth. Not being too familiar with Overkill, I found myself immensely enjoying their set. These American thrash legends definitely gained a new fan.
Anticipation was high as German thrash legends Kreator began their set. They brought a blistering intensity, playing with the ardor of a band with something left to prove, although their highly acclaimed career speaks for itself. Kreator played a mixed set of old and new material, both equally as heavy. ‘Phantom Antichrist’ had the crowd chanting the chorus, as well as ‘Hordes of Chaos’. The fact that everyone in the venue, younger and older, seemed to be involved in some way, rather than standing on the fringes, proved how well liked and how true to their thrash roots that Kreator have consistently remained over the years. While songs like ‘Pleasure to Kill’ and ‘Endless Pain’ seemed like staples, they were executed greatly to the uninitiated Kreator fan. At the end of the set, vocalist Mille Petrozza brought the “Flag of Hate” onstage, accompanied by the song of the same name, adding a little bit of flair. Overall, Kreator played a fantastic set.
After the show, it was refreshing to see that all the members of Kreator, but namely Mille Petrozza and Sami Yli-Sirniö, were willing to chat and sign autographs, even in a dank alley in one of the worst neighbourhoods in the entirety of Canada. With all of the bands bring a solid array of merchandise, a venue that was unrivaled by anything locally and a solid night of thrash, the Legends of Thrash tour was well worth the nearly two thousand five hundred kilometer round trip to see it.
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| My boyfriend's now-signed vinyl. |
