If you like your roses black, your jewelry spiked and your Valentine’s bloody then the place to have been on February 14, 2016 was the Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore, Maryland. Hundreds of death metal fans descended upon the Inner Harbor to watch Cannibal Corpse as they began their 2016 tour.
The show started at 7:30 p.m., but it was no surprise that the venue was packed with an adrenalized crowd prior to the first band taking the stage. After all, Cannibal Corpse is the king of the death metal hill and they’ve been a constant musical presence for over 25 years.
Joining them on tour are death metal veterans, Cryptopsy, Abysmal Dawn and Obituary, also a heavy hitter in the death metal genre. The show opened with Abysmal Dawn. The Los Angeles group recently released their highly acclaimed Obsolescence album. They provided a high energy 40 minute set that brought a buzz to the already lively crowd.
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After a short 15 minute break, the road crew had the stage set for Crytopsy. The Canadian death metal veterans brought the crowd to another level of excitement as singer, Matt McGachy, effortlessly took command of the stage and encouraged the rowdiness of the audience. Midway through their set, a mosh pit formed in the middle of the crowd. Elbows and bodies met as those participating appeared to have a great time as they released a weeks worth of aggression in the pit.
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Obituary followed Cryptopsy’s blistering set. Donald Tardy (drums), Trevor Peres (rhythm guitar), Kenny Andrews (guitar) and Terry Butler (bass) took the stage and tore into “Redneck Stomp”, before being joined by singer, John Tardy. The band blazed through a 45 minute set that consisted of tunes from earlier albums, including “Til’ Death” and “Slowly We Rot”. During the set, the crowd reached a fever pitch and body surfers began tumbling over the steel barricades.
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Fortunately, there was just a short break between Obituary and Cannibal Corpse as the metal faithful in attendance could barely contain their excitement. When the lights dimmed in anticipation of Cannibal Corpse taking the stage, the venue erupted in cheers and screams. The band, Alex Webster (bass), Paul Mazurkiewicz (drums), Rob Barrett (rhythm guitar) and Patrick O’Brien (guitar) took their places onstage. George Fisher followed the others and stood center stage with his hands hanging by his sides, as he glared at the crowd in a menacing pose. For a brief second, he could have been mistaken for the mass axe murderer in a horror flick. And with that, the band ripped into an 18 song set that began with “Evisceration Plague”. After the first song, they dug deep into their catalogue, playing some of their best tracks from as far back as Butchered at Birth. It wasn’t until the midpoint of the set that they played a few songs from their 2014 release, A Skeletal Domain, including “Kill or Become”, “Icepick Lobotomy”, and “Sadistic Embodiment”.
The show was loud, brutal and electrifying. From the sinister guitar riffs by O’brien, the speed drumming of Mazurkiewicz, the guttural growl of Fisher to the constant head thrashing and banging, it was everything you’d want and expect from a Cannibal Corpse show. Throughout their set, the crowd was worked into a frenzied state. Crowd surfing bodies came over the barricades at a frantic pace, keeping security busy as they ensured everyone landed safely. The carnage didn’t stop until the last note was played.
This was the type of show that leaves you sweaty and exhausted, in a good way. If you are a fan of metal or if you need to unleash pent up anger, buy a ticket to this show. You’ll be glad you did.
