Playing on its last-ever tour, metal icons Slayer rolled into Blossom last night to headline a multi-band bill that started at 5 p.m.
Testament played to an almost empty setting only because they kicked the show off. They did set the pace for a brutal evening of some of metal’s finest. Alex Skolnick is known as one of metal’s finest guitarists; his precise and well-crafted solos added finesse to the fury. Behemoth were the heaviest of the evening. Everything about this band is steeped in evil. ?They take black metal to a whole new level but with an extreme technical ability; the band has tight complex arrangements and is one of the most musically accomplished of the so-called “black” or “death” metal bands.
Anthrax provided a fun break from the Behemoth’s serious satanic smothering. Fast and furious but fun and lighthearted, the band was on fire and had the crowd in a frenzied state for the entirety of the set. Only one song in the set, “Evil Twin,” was from the past few years; everything else in the set was at least 25 years old.
Lamb of God have forged quite a place for themselves amongst the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. They’re one of the most musically proficient bands in the world of metal. Their set clocked in at just under an hour and left much of the crowd wanting more.
By the time Slayer took the stage, Blossom was packed, and the rabid audience was at a fever pitch. Opening with the title track from their last studio offering, 2015’s Repentless, the band launched into a 90-minute set which solidified its place as the kings of metal. This last Northeast Ohio show, just shy of 20 songs, touched on all eras and devoured the last bits of energy contained in the already exhausted crowd.
Let’s hope the success of this show convinces Blossom to add more metal to the menu in the future.
