When it was announced Anthrax would be the main support for Slayer at the legendary Brixton Academy it was obvious we would be in for a great night, two of America’s heavyweights who helped pioneer a genre back in the early eighties and have continued to make their mark on the thrash metal scene ever since…
ANTHRAX
Opening with “Caught in a Mosh” it was apparent frontman Joey Belladonna was on top form, running back and forth, inciting the crowd to sing along to as much of the set as possible.
I’ve been a big fan of 90’s/early 2000’s John Bush era Anthrax and have always maintained Bush to be the stronger vocalist despite there being a number of classics in their earlier back catalogue, but with Belladonna having returned to the fold in recent years there’s no denying the man is in great voice.
The set continued with the frantic Joe Jackson cover “Got the Time” and before long another cover in Trust’s “Anti-Social”, both of which have become classic Anthrax tracks in their own right over the years. It was also nice to hear Anthrax spin off band Storm Troopers of Death “March of the S.O.D” thrown into the mix with guitarist Scott Ian stomping around before the self-penned Ronnie James Dio (RIP) tribute “In the End”.
The reaction Anthrax received for yet another sing-along with “Indians” showed that even though they may have been considered the less serious of what was always referred to as the big four (Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer) they have certainly remained up there as relevant as the rest of them and you’d be hard pushed to find a better support act for tonight’s headliners.
SLAYER
Crosses, pentagrams and a wall of blood were projected towards the curtain and as it dropped for the brutal title track from the new “Repentless” album, the crosses were soon spun 180 degrees and remained inverted for the duration of the night as Slayer continued their sonic assault in the name of all things demonic, war and death related.
The set list just like the performance was epic, with only a couple of their twelve albums not getting a look in, “Disciple” and “God Send Death” from the “God Hates us All” release being delivered early on as Slayer of course often cause offense with their anti-religion use of free speech.
Frontman Tom Araya hardly had time to pause for breath, his vocal chords are a machine that will put many a younger band to shame but those rare moments he managed to stop and appreciate the fans were greeted with an evil grin when introducing “War Ensemble” and it was obvious this is a band who still love delivering with relentless speed and at deafening volume.
The new album is the band’s first since the passing of original member Jeff Hanneman, however in Gary Holt from Exodus Slayer have a guitarist who may well be less technical, but takes on the majority of tonight’s solo’s and with some amazingly heavy stuff – then the speakers are slightly panned to stage right when it comes to the occasional widdly widdly courtesy of the intimating figure of second guitarist Kerry King.
Mid-set and “Die by the Sword” and “Black Magic” from the 1983 debut “Show no Mercy” were aired whilst the title track from the overlooked “World Painted Red” album preceded those that would eventually close the night, for you can’t be Slayer and end on “South of Heaven”/”Raining Blood”/”Angel of Death” and then be expected to do an encore – there was also the nice touch with an additional back drop in tribute to their fallen comrade during the last song that read “Hanneman 1964-2013, Still Reigning”.
Although it has to be said that it’s not just Jeff Hanneman, but the legacy of Slayer that is indeed still reigning and will continue to do so from the depths of hell, so long live Hanneman and long live Slayer… and remember, it’s often said that the devil has the best tunes.
