When Kreator come to town, that’s usually a big enough deal on its own. But the line up for the Krushers of the World Tour at the O2 Academy Brixton meant that Rock Sins absolutely had to be there to take in the action.
On tonight’s event-type billing there are defined roles for each band within the evening’s entertainment engine. Exodus (7) fulfil their part in proceedings with aplomb, kicking off the party with a series of classics. Bonded by Blood especially kicking things into gear after a slightly pedestrian introduction in the form of their latest album’s opener, 3111. Another new song, title-track Goliath sits in a much more unique niche in the setlist giving a slow-burn, menacing mid-pace stomp. This is fortunate because it gives the seething mosh pit a chance to recover from Blacklist, Strike of the Beast, and the wonderfully heterodoxically structured Deathamphetamine. This is all reinforced by a returned Rob Dukes prowling the stage, alongside super-star guitarist Gary Holt; offering a dual visual focus that punctuates the violence of the band’s music. Especially with the returned Rob Dukes Exodus remains one of the most modern sounding of the classic thrash bands, and a welcome introduction to tonight.
With this performance, Nails (6), who opened the bill, seem superfluous. Their hardcore-by-way-of-Florida doesn’t ever demonstrate the capacity to kick beyond the menacing mid-tempo stomp which Nails have mastered. It doesn’t help that all their sound and fury disappears off into the gloomy ceiling of Brixton academy, and it is only a coterie of the Nails faithful that the band really cut through to.
After Exodus provide the fuel, Carcass (7), bring the propulsion. A solid wall of the Liverpudlian’s finest cuts washes over the crowd. Where Exodus got the energy going, Carcass simply need to maintain the momentum. They may look like a 70s Dad Rock band, but the music speaks far louder than the bands collective stylings (thankfully) ever could. This they duly provide, with the malevolent Buried Dreams, and the magnificently titled Genital Grinder and Exhume to Consume. A rousing Heartwork closes proceedings. The band manage an impressive ten songs through the simple stakhanovite feat of putting their heads down and churning through songs offering scarce seconds between each to catch breath. Perhaps this is for the best as the first time this writer saw Carcass frontman Jeff Walker’s stage banter managed to get his band (allegedly) barred from performing at Bloodstock for several years. This is until the closing moments of the set when Walker addresses the crowd for the first and only time: ‘not bad for a bunch of southern poofs’. Well… you tried Jeff (although not that hard).
Kreator (8), on the other hand, provide the spectacle. It has been a feature of their last few trips to these shores that they show up their accomplished co-headliners with Anthrax, and even Lamb of God, looking tired in comparison in recent years. It is a testament to the strength of tonight’s bill, then, that Kreator aren’t quite as head and shoulders above their tour-mates, and tonight it is the stage show that pushes them into the highlight spot for the evening.
Burning effigies accompany Phantom Anti-Christ, and pyro blasts punctuate the fist pumping chorus of new album’s title-track Krushers of the World. At times, the stage lights up with smaller flames like a satanic temple, and drummer Ventor dominates the stage from his riser mounted atop giant demon horns, Ventor himself overlooked by an even larger demon skull. Such decor is nothing but fitting for a machine that can churn out hits like 666, Phantom Antichrist , Satan is Real, Enemy of God, and Satanic Anarchy.
Tonight’s setlist is geared more towards spectacle, although welcome deep cuts Betrayer and Endless Pain sneak their way into the setlist. With Kreator there are certain staples to their stage as to their stage show: fire, Satan, and anarchy. Tonight, they provide all three in abundance. Frontman Mille punctuates the end of closer Pleasure to Kill with one more staple: his traditional cry of ‘The Kreator will return’. Judging from tonight’s performance, they’d better.
