May 7th, 2023
Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
Photos By: Kim Baarda
Words By: Jason Deaville
INGROWN
When you think of Idaho, the first thing that likely comes to mind is potatoes. The state is just a sea of potatoes… fields stretching as far as the eye can see. Tonight, there was not a potato to be found. Ingrown hit the unsuspecting early arrivers with a performance filled with a powerful and raw display of their unique brand of experimental extremity. At their core, the three-piece deliver a crushing blend of hardcore, d-beat, and powerviolence, with a bit of old-school death metal thrown in for good measure. Their youthful energy and uncompromising, technically brilliant performance situates Ingrown as the perfect opening band for this tour.
BLOOD INCANTATION
Opening with ‘Starspawn’ from 2016’s album of the same name, Denver, Colorado’s Blood Incantation immediately grabbed the near-capacity crowd’s attention and didn’t let go for the remainder of their set. Seemingly warmed-up, the guys jumped into the reverb-drenched ‘Chaosplasm’ (also from the Starspawn album), which featured a brutality-driven groove that instantly erupted into a circle pit. With the throngs of death metal-starved fiends begging for more, the band launched into the Nile-like ‘The Giza Power Plant’ and ‘Slave Species Of The Gods‘ (both taken from their brilliant 2019 album, Hidden History Of The Human Race). The guys ended their crushing set with Hovering Lifeless, a romp into cosmic horror territory (from their 2015 EP, Interdimensional Extinction).
IMMOLATION
Yonkers, New York death metal legends Immolation have been riding a high ever since the release of their 2022 studio album, Acts Of God. The album made the year-end lists of many a metal fan, often taking the number one spot. Everything aligned perfectly for the band on the album, and, if tonight was any indication, the same can be said of Immolation on the live from in 2023.
With the lights dimmed, the ominous, foreboding cinematic-like intro of ‘Abandoned’ filled the now-capacity venue. This was immediately followed-up with ‘An Act Of God’ and ‘The Age Of No Light’ – this triumvirate of songs are the very same songs – in the same order – that appear on Acts Of God. The guys then took things all the way back to 2005, with the unsettling, off-kilter death metal swagger of the title track from Harnessing Ruin (an underrated album and song, imo).
At this point, the denizens of old school death metal fans in attendance were surely waiting to hear something from the band’s legendary debut, Dawn Of Possession. The guys didn’t disappoint, launching into the immediately-recognizable sounds of ‘Despondent Souls’. The guys then brought it back to 2022 with the song ‘Blooded’, easily one of the best songs off of Acts Of God.
In a pleasant surprise, the guys then unleashed three songs that I don’t believe I’ve ever heard them play live, which included ‘World Agony’ (from 07’s Shadows In The Light), ‘Destructive Currents’ (off of 2017’s Atonement), and ‘Providence’ (from the incredible EP of the same name, released back in 2011).
Frontman, Ross Dolan, then surprised the crowd by introducing the one and only Danny Lilker (of Nuclear Assault and Brutal Truth fame), who came out onto the stage and took a bow amongst the cheering, appreciative fans. The guys then immediately launched into ‘Under The Supreme’ from the band’s sophomore effort, Here In After, and ended their set where they began, with ‘Let The Darkness In’ from Acts Of God.
Apart from the first three songs of Immolation‘s set, this was a completely different setlist from their last stop in Toronto back in November 2022 (on their headlining Acts Of God North American Tour). I appreciate the effort in bringing fans a completely different experience this time around. As always, a crushing set from the true masters of American death metal.
OBITUARY
Is there more fitting of an intro than Pat Travers’ ‘Snortin Whiskey’ for Floridian death metal legends Obituary? As the sounds of the aforementioned track faded, Obituary exploded onto the stage with the brutally addictive groove that is ‘Redneck Stomp’ from their 2005 album, Frozen In Time. The first thirty seconds of the song is all it took to get the at-capacity crowd whipped into a frenzied mass of hair, sweat, and horns held high! From that point on, Obituary had the crowd hypnotized with their very own redneck stomp. There is no doubt these guys wear their redneck roots with pride!
After a short reprieve from the insanity that just unfolded, the guys pulled two songs from their 2017 self-titled album in ‘Sentence Day’ and ‘A Lesson In Vengeance’. It was at this point that the bodies went up – body after body in a sea of crowd surfing. It was obvious that this display of love from the pit amped the band up to a fevered pitch, hitting back with ‘Visions In My Head’ (from 2015’s Inked In Blood), ‘The Wrong Time’ and ‘Barely Alive’ (the latter two off the band’s latest album, Dying Of Everything).
With barely time to breathe, the guys dropped another one from Frozen In Time, this time hitting like a punch to the throat with the percussive, bottom-end heavy ‘Slow Death’, and immediately following that up with the first truly old-school song of the night thus far in ‘Find The Arise’ (from the band’s classic Cause Of Death).
After a quick return to their latest album, Dying Of Everything, with the groove-heavy ‘Weaponize The Hate’ and ‘My Will To Live’, the guys once again pleased the old-school in attendance with a mash-up of ‘Chopped In Half’ and ‘Turned Inside out’ (both from Cause Of Death).
The crowd not eager to see the night end, the guys returned to the stage after a short break to drop four more songs as part of their encore. The first two songs, ‘War’ and ‘Dying Of Everything’ were once again pulled from their latest album. The last two songs took things all the way back, with ‘I’m In Pain’ (from the band’s ’92 album, The End Complete), and the legendary ‘Slowly We Rot’ (from the band’s debut album of the same name).
If tonight was any indication, Obituary are at the top of their game. Truly an amazing feat for a band that has been at it for nearly four decades. At this point, I can’t imagine a world without Obituary. Let’s hope they can keep the redneck stomp alive and kicking for another forty years!
