SEPULTURA | EXODUS | BIOHAZARD | TRIBAL GAZE

TRIBAL GAZE

There is something in the water in Texas. The state is now the new Florida, delivering the death metal goods like it’s the early 90s all over again. The current crown of Texan death metal belongs to Fort Worth’s Frozen Soul, the “Masters Of The Cold”. In addition to these beasts are Creeping Death (Denton), Stabbing (Houston), Cognizant (Dallas), and the reason we are here today, Tribal Gaze (Longview). Formed in 2020, the guys have quickly gained momentum with their blend of old school death metal and hardcore-like beatdowns/slams. With two full-lengths and one EP under their belts (2021’s Godless Voyage, ’22’s The Nine Choirs, ’25’s Inveighing Brilliance, respectively), there was certainly enough brutal material to fill the curtain- raising slot of Sepultura‘s Celebrating Life Through Death tour. And the guys didn’t disappoint. Easily the heaviest set of the evening, short but extremely violent. They certainly did their job by setting both the tone, and bar, for the night.

SETLIST
‘Emptying The Nest’, ‘Smiling From Their Chariots’, ‘To The Spoils Of Faith’, ‘The Irreversible Sequence’, ‘Twitching On The Cross’, ‘Guarding The Illusion’, ‘Beyond Recognition’

BIOHAZARD

Are we back in the early 90s? That is all I kept thinking to myself as legendary Brooklyn hardcore band Biohazard tore London a new asshole. I mean, it’s clear the guys have aged since those early days, but only in flesh. The energy exuded was as vibrant and fresh as the music contained on 1992’s Urban Discipline. This is the first tour to showcase music from the album, Divided We Fall, released late last year, their first studio release in over a decade and the first with the original four members since 1994’s State Of The World Address. The entirety of their set, which included a good mix of new and classic tracks, was the perfect setup for what was to follow. Yes, perhaps there was a bit more bounce than mosh, but not without its own share of good, friendly violence. After this North American run, the band is slated to head to Europe, including a headlining slot at Xtreme Fest in France this summer.

SETLIST
‘Urban Discipline’, ‘Shades Of Grey’, ‘Fuck The System’, ‘Wrong Side Of The Tracks’, ‘Black And White And Red All Over’, ‘Eyes On Six’, ‘Punishment’

EXODUS

If you doubted the return of Dukes, well, I’ve got news for ya: the guy is a beast. Let me explain. Yes, we are all mourning Zetro’s exit. And, yes, perhaps the Dukes fronted material, which includes the recently released Goliath, isn’t everyone’s cup of Exotea. That said, on stage, Dukes is easily the most entertaining frontman since the legendary, late Paul Baloff. This guy knows how to control a crowd, and tonight was no exception. From the very start, the pit was absolute insanity: a non-stop vortex of bodies, both on the floor and above. And then we got to ‘The Toxic Waltz’. Look, if you have never seen Exodus live, no amount of words can describe what happened next. Dukes, the intimidating hulk that he is, commanded the floor to divide like the parting of the Red Sea. He then instructed each half to kill the other half. On his command, he let them loose… and all hell broke loose. This is Exodus. There is a reason they’ve been deemed the most dangerous band in thrash, and tonight was proof of this.

SETLIST
‘We Will Rock You (Queen Song)’, ‘3111’, ‘Bonded By Blood’, ‘Deathamphetamine’, ‘Blacklist’, ‘Goliath’, ‘A Lesson In Violence’, ‘The Toxic Waltz’, ‘Strike Of The Beast’, ‘We Are The Champions (Queen Song)’

SEPULTURA

After forty years, Brazilian metallers Sepultura have decided to call it a day. Tonight, we gathered to celebrate this genre-defining band with a two-hour set that dug deep into the archives. Some might argue that Sepultura actually ended in 1996, when Max Cavalera left the band. In some regards, this is certainly true. But we mustn’t forget that the Sepultura we know now, with Derek Green behind the mic, has been around far longer than the Max Cavalera-led Sepultura: more than twice as long, in fact. Max fronted the band from 1984 to 1996 (about 12 years). The band has continued without him from 1997 to now (about 29 years). That is truly insane to comprehend. So, yes, as much as we all might miss Max and Igor, Sepultura deserves a proper send-off, as Derek and the boys have absolutely earned it through sheer determination and grit over the last nearly three decades.

Of course, you can’t have a send-off without throwing in some classics, and the guys did just that. Right out of the gate, they dropped a triumvirate of Sepul-classics, which included ‘Beneath The Remains’, ‘Inner Self’, and ‘Desperate Cry.’ As can be expected, fans went absolutely bonkers. To be honest, not having ever seen Derek-fronted Sepultura, I wasn’t sure how the early material would sound with him behind the mic. Much to my surprise, it was flawless. Different, yes. But flawless. Heck, they even dug out some very early stuff, such as ‘Escape To The Void’. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Sepultura performance without their breakout hit, ‘Roots Bloody Roots’, which they saved right until the very end. I’m certain that the bounce could be felt for three city blocks.

So, what does this mean for Sepultura? Is this actually the end? Or, is there another chapter still to come, one that sees the return of the Cavalera brothers reunited with Paulo and Andreas? Max has already said that he will never come back. Stranger things have happened. I suppose time will tell.

SETLIST
‘Beneath The Remains’, ‘Inner Self’, ‘Desperate Cry’, ‘Kairos’, ‘Means To An End’, ‘Attitude’, ‘The Vatican’, ‘Choke’, ‘The Place’, ‘Escape To The Void’, ‘Kaiowas’, ‘Dead Embryonic Cells’, ‘Agony Of Defeat’, ‘Orgasmatron (Motörhead Cover)’, ‘Territory’, ‘Refuse/Resist’, ‘Arise’, ‘Ratamahatta’, ‘Roots Bloody Roots’, ‘Easy Lover (Phil Collins, Philip Bailey Song)’