Kreator, Evile & Xentrix
Venue: The Ritz, Manchester
Date: 4th May 2013
This was my first visit to Manchester and The Ritz and what an excellent venue, with reasonable drink prices and a balcony! It was the perfect setting for these three thrash icons. There was already a healthy audience for opening band Xentrix who rolled back the years, and took no time to warm the crowd up with 'Black Embrace', 'Balance of Power' and 'For Whose Advantage'. Many old metal heads who remembered Xentrix from the Eighties were having a party. The crowd were of mixed ages and their reaction to the band was quite stunning, as they continued to enthuse and batter the crowd senseless as 'Crimes', 'Ghost Busters / Dark Enemy' had small mosh pits exploding and their final song 'No Compromise', was totally fantastic and left the Mancunian crowd wanting more.
The band had played their first show on this tour the night before in Dublin and sold all of their merch! Much to peoples disappointment, so hopefully Xentrix are going be touring again, so on with a shedload of merchandise next time!
Evile had a lot to do after Xentrix’s opening set, and you know what, this was one the best performances I had seen by Evile. They were electric and showcasing two songs from their soon to be released album 'Skull', they totally took over the ballroom and soon had heads banging, people thrashing and moshing, as they opened with 'Infected Nation', 'Eternal Empire' and then we were introduced to the addictive 'Cult' fists punched the air, as the room engorged themselves on these thrash maestros from Huddersfield.
The band played their two new tracks from 'Skull' with 'Underworld' and the 'Head of the Demon', both going down really well and certainly got a seal of approval from all in attendance. Then 'Thrasher' was unleashed and metal bedlam ensued as mosh-pits again erupted and many a neck muscle was strained.
The band kicked into 'Five Serpents Teeth' with so much passion and intensity, it made your hair stand on end. Then set closer 'In Dreams of Terror' was received with so much enthusiasm, I could have sworn the building shook. Then that was it, many wanted more, but it was time for the headliners to take to the stage. The Ritz was jam packed by now and the crowd’s anticipation was palpable! And what a treat we had, as Kreator took to the stage, and played sixteen songs!!
The stage was set with their recent album 'The Phantom Anti-Christ' back ground, an album that has won over many new fans and presented the big four with a challenge to do better. The intro from the 'Phantom' album started the proceedings, then the band appeared to a huge roar as they opened with the title track from aforementioned opus and then quite simply exciting, and igniting everyone as 'Enemy of God' had pits exploding, bodies were tossed asunder and a maelstrom of people were carried through the air as the crowd surfed.
Kreator ran through their history of thrashing Metal Delirium. Bursting full of energy Kreator's front man Milie Petrozza kept the crowd hooked and never let them settle, as fellow axe-man Sam Yli-Sirnio and bassist Christian Giesler thrashed and pummeled their instruments into oblivion, and drummer Jurgen Reil executed and annihilated his drums.
Highlights for me were 'Phobia', 'Extreme Aggression' and 'Death to the World'. For the encore I went up to the balcony and wow! what a fantastic view it was, watching the band ripping into the room with guitar licks to scare Lucifer and mosh-pits detonating around the room. The band came back for an encore and played four more tunes opening with 'Violent Revolution' , then 'United in Hate' and 'Betrayer' continued to batter everyone’s heads, as the band played the final song 'Flag of Hate / Tormentor', a huge electrifying cheer was given to these Teutonic thrash monsters and brought an end to an excellent night of thrash.
Review by: Seb Di Gatto
