Kreator/ Voivod/ Nachtmystium/ Evile/ Lazarus A.D.

Saturday night New Jersey traffic heading into the Holland Tunnel is why I arrived later than planned at the Nokia to catch the last couple songs from Lazarus A.D.. This was my second time seeing these leaders from the New Wave Of Thrash Metal and I look forward next time to hear their full set.

From the UK, Evile, touring behind "Infected Nation", are another new face on the scene blasting through an old school brand of thrash metal. Evile have all the ingredients 80s thrash was forged in with fast riffing, rhythmic changes, dynamic breaks, and shredding solos with a touch of influence from fellow countrymen Bullet For My Valentine in singer Matt Drake’s vocals. More European than American in songs like ‘Infected Nation’ where I hear a lot of Destruction in the proggyness (and guitarist Ol Drake’s style) and Kreator (ironically enough) in ‘Bathe on Blood’. Good stuff. Curious to see what they come up with next.

Nachtmystium, I don’t get it??? And these guys are apparently popular? 80s style Black Metal (with a heavy influence from Celtic Frost) and a hint of 70s psychedelia. Their intros aren’t bad, interesting on paper, but live it all sounds the same aside from something like the Motorheadish rock n roll groove to ‘Hellish Overdose’ which I enjoyed.

Voivod. A name respected within the Heavy Metal community, having released regarded albums like "Killing Technology" and "Nothing Face" in the 80s to the self titled album in 2003 with bassist Jason Newsted (Metallica). Never really became popular in the States (they are from Canada), but did have a following in the underground. I see their place in the history books and importance, playing a heavy trashy, punk influenced speed metal with progressive tendencies, but was never a fan and after tonight nothing has changed. In recent years, the band had been working on a new album in 2005 when guitarist Denis D'Amour passed away. His recorded guitar parts were used after his death for future recordings "Katorz" and "Infini".

Kreator, who always express their ‘Pleasure To Kill’ and ‘Extreme Aggression’, return to the New York area once again playing the Nokia Theater to a rather large, and fired up, crowd (the seats were curtained off but the rest of the venue was full). This the second run in the U.S. in support of the 2009 release "Hordes of Chaos" and the lineup remains in tact from 2001’s “Violent Revolution” album; Mille Petrozza (guitar/vocals), Sami Yli-Sirnio (guitar), Christian Geisler (bass), and drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil.

Mixing things up in the setlist were the inclusion of ‘The Pestilence’ off "Pleasure to Kill", ‘When The Sun Burns Red’, and the tile track to the debut ‘Endless Pain’. ‘Coma of Souls’ (one of my favorite songs/albums) title track and the rarely played ‘Phobia’ off the 1997 album "Outcast" were also great choices. Tight players as usual with angry precision. Several backdrops, red and green lights (see my pics), and smoke rounded out the German’s presentation punctuating Mille’s word’s of wisdom.

Setlists:

Lazarus A.D.:
Absolute Power
Last Breath
Thou Shall Not Fear
Revolution
+ two others

Evile:
Infected Nation
We Who Are About to Die
Time No More
Thrasher
Bathe in Blood
Enter the Grave

Nachtmystium:
Your True Enemy
Ghosts of Grace
Life of Fire
Hellish Overdose
Assassins

Voivod:
Voivod
The Unknowns
Ripping Headaches
Tornado
Overreaction
Tribal Convictions
Global Warning
Missing Consequences
Astronomy Domine

Kreator:
Choir of the Damned
The Pestilence
Hordes of Chaos
Phobia
Enemy of God
Impossible Brutality
Endless Pain
Pleasure to Kill
Terrible Certainty
Extreme Aggression
Coma of Souls
Servant in Heaven – King in Hell
The Patriarch/Violent Revolution
Demon Prince
Encore:
When the Sun Burns Red
Flag of Hate/Tormentor