Extreme metal pioneers, Carcass, brought their unique brand of Death n Roll to Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom on Wednesday, bringing together a myriad of metal heads.
With a vast discography, ranging from grindcore to melodic death metal, and everything in between, revolutionaries Bill Steer and Jeff Walker, force-fed fans all of the best parts of Carcass throughout a 16-song set. And man, were we feasting.
From classics like “This Mortal Coil” And “Corporal Jigsore Quandry” to “Kelly’s Meat Emporium” and “316L Grade Surgical Steel” – the set list catered to fans of every Carcass era, despite it being dubbed the Torn Arteries tour. The band breezed through the song’s technicalities with ease and flair.
Though Walker and Steer are far from on their way out, you’d think after four decades of trailblazing they’d of slowed up. However, that’s far from the case. The pair, and their newest lineup additions, performed with such tenacity and prowess that if you closed your eyes you’d think it was their 20-year-old selves on stage.
Not only was the precision of the set a highlight, but the energy radiating from each member was truly remarkable. It didn’t feel like one of those “make-a-buck” tours, that you’ve come to expect from bands 40 years into their careers. The gratitude and love for their craft, and fans, was palpable. Not just from Carcass, but every band.
Each act to hit the stage commanded the room, creating a unifying ambiance that one really can only experience at a metal show. While Carcass was undoubtedly the highlight, one of the coolest things about this show was the diversity in the lineup. Sure, these bands all played some form of metal, but they were also fantastic representations of their niche sub-genre and Carcass’ influence on the genre as a whole.
Supported by party thrash legends, Municipal Waste, the groove-stricken Sacred Reich, and Texas death metal titans, Creeping Death, the attention to detail of this bill cannot go unnoticed. Every band delivered a crushing set, leaving the audience rabid and famished for more.
Whether we were headbanging to the point of whiplash with Creeping Death and Sacred Reich or guzzling beers and crowd surfing with Municipal Waste – this show and all the musicians who were a part of it, was not only perfection but an incredible look at the growth of metal music.
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