For the sake of variety this live review shall be done a little different than the ones I did before, because I visited this concert together with Voices-fellow respectively friend Christoph Göbel, who was eager to write something about this gig and I felt like doing the same. So we decided to do it a little dialogue-style delivering not one, but two views on this concert and I think it worked out pretty well, so have fun reading our little “Live review experiment” and participate or recall the memorable show we were able to enjoy…
Stefan: Well, I had expected DEMENTOR to start tonight’s Metal massacre, but I was wrong, INSISION from Sweden were the first band of the evening and despite lacking guitarist Brynedal the remaining four delivered a good dose of traditional brutal Death Metal in the SUFFOCATION, CANNIBAL CORPSE vein, just as I had expected… There were only few people already inside the venue watching INSISION and so they did not received much more appreciation than some applause and two banging maniacs, but the Swedes played a good show, performed some new songs off their upcoming second full-length “Revealed And Worshipped” (out on Earache on July 19th) and had given a short yet very sympathetic impression. It was the first time I had seen them live and I hope to see them again…
Christoph: Beer…….
Christoph: Next up came DEMENTOR from Slovakia, who were in the difficult position of being quite unknown to the audience. At least that was my impression, since the reactions to DEMENTOR were not very euphoric, although they were acknowledged with the deserved applause. I understand that they have released 4 albums so far and that they are experienced musicians who play their asses off, but they are still lacking some charisma on stage and some brutal Death Metal “chart hits“ to stick out of the underground.
Stefan: I can only heartedly agree… musical skill is not a problem in this band and the Slovak’s concept of anti-religious Death Metal is very positive, too, but the quartet fails in representing this image on stage. It would be a bit cheesy to say the guys need to look more “evil” or dress up with vast amounts of nails, spikes and start drinking children’s blood at shows, but I think a little more imagery or aura would help them… In addition to that the “chart hit” thing is definitely true! DEMENTOR give their best to enter the MORBID ANGEL / IMMOLATION - league, but they do not succeed in creating as powerful and intense songs yet. Whereas the mentioned bands offer true Death Metal hymns, DEMENTOR have a couple of nice tunes, I guess that’s their problem and the reason why they could not fully convince me. I recently listened to their new album on Osmose “God Defamer” and it supports this impression…
Christoph: Then the first part of this evening's Death Metal inferno happened: DISGORGE from the US. They are nothing but pure megablast and were quite entertaining for the first few songs. The drummer is fast as hell, the guys on the stringed instruments have high-speed wrists and the vocalist sounds like a starting airplane. Unfortunately this blast massacre made it hard to recognize any song structures or details, if there are any, so they became a bit monotonous after a while, especially the vocals could have been a bit more diversified. I noticed only one slower part in which some headbanging started among the audience, but the rest of the time the people were just watching the incredibly fast performance.
Stefan: Yes, you’re right once again…the vocals sounded like sitting in a wind tunnel and if I remember “She Lay Gutted” and “Consume The Forsaken” correctly there are not that monotonous on disc! But Levi Fuselier (ex - SABBATIC FEAST) is DISGORGE’s fourth vocalist after Bryan Urgatechea, Matti Way and AJ, maybe that’s an explanation for the difference. Musically the bunch from California definitely makes my balls pop, such speed, so many breaks and brutality is a bit hard to endure and for my terms I prefer to listen to it at home since live the guitars were drowned in the mix and I need to hear riffs when I listen to Metal!!! This kind of ultra brutal stuff definitely fascinates me, but since I’m as tough as cotton wool a little wanker like me is overcharged by a band like DISGORGE. BRODEQUIN for example can uphold my interest in them over a whole set, since their drumming and riffing is more straight yet still fucking fast and hellish brutal, onstage the straighter bands always win I think…
Christoph: And then, last and best, SUFFOCATION entered the stage. It was clear that most people showed up to see them, because they had the best reactions of the evening, with lots of stage diving action. SUFFOCATION put across what the bands before somehow couldn’t manage, namely fucking intensity! Their songs are masterpieces of Death Metal, including catchy riffs and various tempos, which are crowned by Frank Mullen's extremely brutal but still intelligible vocals. Their whole set was a celebration of brutality, fucking awesome! It's as easy as that: SUFFOCATION are Death Metal Gods and you must worship them!
Stefan: Although I missed the first song and hasted into the crowded insides of the venue I was awestrucked at the first sight of SUFFOCATION, consisting of Terrance Hobbs, Frank “Yeah, yeah, fuck, yeah” Mullen, Mike Smith, DECREPIT BIRTH’s Derek Boyer and INTERNAL BLEEDING’s Guy Marchais today. With the set including many songs from my personal favourite album “Pierced From Within”, old stuff like ‘Effigy Of The Forgotten’ or ‘Liege Of Inveracity’, a great sound and obvious enthusiasm and fun onstage there was nothing to complain about! SUFFOCATION delivered the world’s best example how a “reunion” can work, how new songs can easily merge with the old material and hold the same level of quality, e.g. the rather melodic ‘Deceit’ or the continuation of ‘Jesus Wept’ ‘To Weep Once More’ are instant classics and honestly spoken sound live better than on the actual album. Of course there were songs I missed like e.g. ‘Reincremated’, ‘Catatonia’, ‘Despise The Sun’, ‘Human Waste’ or ‘Funeral Inception’, but maybe they’ll do some of them when they return to Europe in autumn. This was an incredible show, I’m glad I witnessed it and although I was even too awestruck to bang, just watching those guys doing their thing like they did ten years ago was simply a great pleasure.
Christoph: After the show Stefan, I and two crazy fuckers from Datteln had the pleasure to meet Terrance and do some small talk and, most important, drink some beers, so thanks very much and cheers! All in all, it has been a “blast“ of a show, so hail to all four bands on the tour, stay brutal!!!
Stefan: Damn Christoph, don’t speak of those idiots again, the crazier one rubbed his naked ass on my car…urk! I felt the serious need to disgorge the crappy “Kick-Mac” I had consumed earlier that night, but yeah in case of SUFFOCATION it felt good to be groupie for at least a moment…a great evening indeed, Horns Up!!!

Live Review: Christoph Göbel & Stefan Franke
Photos: Hazim Fouad / www.metalius.de

Links of interest: www.suffocation.us, dementor.nfo.sk, www.insision.com, www.disgorge-usa.com, www.metallysee.com, www.relapse.com, www.osmoseproductions.com, www.uniqueleader-europe.com, www.earache.com, www.zechecarl.de 

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