January 28th, 2016
Starlite Room
An
early start to the show resulted in only catching the final song of Exmortus’
set, which was a little disappointing considering I was hoping to get a good
live preview before they open for Amon Amarth later this year. From what I
heard, it was a set that was so good it definitely shouldn’t have been missed.
Cauldron
was up next, with Striker’s Dan Cleary on vocals due to Cauldron’s own vocalist
having a nasty throat infection. Playing in the style of traditional heavy
metal, I thought their set was pretty good.
Sweden’s
Enforcer amped up the energy, playing to an enthusiastic crowd. Proving that
metal is timeless, Enforcer definitely reminded me of some of the classic speed
metal bands, right down to their stage outfits. I thoroughly enjoyed their set,
which was near perfect in terms of song choice according to several people who
were much more familiar with the band than I. Even if you don’t particularly
enjoy the style of metal that Enforcer plays, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend
catching a live show if you have the opportunity.
Warbringer
headlined the evening. A bit surprisingly, half of the crowd had emptied out of
the building when they started, apparently unaware of what they were about to
miss. Playing deliriously fast thrash metal, appropriate for the circle pit
that developed, Warbringer delivered and ended the night on a high note.
