SUMMER SLAUGHTER SLAYS SATANTONIO

Summer Slaughter Tour Terrorizes Texas on Independence Day

One problem with being an Old Fart in the metal scene is that you have to do Old Farty kind of things, like celebrating 4th of July with your family and friends. The problem arises when said celebration coincides with one of the biggest concerts of the year – the Summer Slaughter Tour.

My intent was to spend as much time with the family and then head on over to San Antonio’s famed sweatbox, The White Rabbit. I knew I would have to miss the undercard of the night’s bill which meant no Whitechapel, Psycroptic, Aborted, Despised Icon, and Born of Osiris. Though I would have loved to witness the entire bloodbath, I was content knowing I would soon see The Faceless, Cryptopsy, Vader, Kataklysm, and The Black Dahlia Murder. Unfortunately, after more than a month of promoting the show with a 6:00 p.m. doors time, things suddenly changed. The doors were now opening at 4:00 p.m. Needless to say; the Old Fart opted for hot dogs and the smile on my 2 1/2 –year-old daughter’s face

By the time I headed out to the White Rabbit with my friend Adam, a wounded military veteran, I had resigned myself to the fact that I would be missing The Faceless and Cryptopsy. We walked into the venue just as the Pollack godfathers of death metal, Vader, hit the boards running. Having never experienced the band in the flesh, I often imagined them as a writhing, muddy, oversized Panzerkampfwagen IV tank crushing the bodies of peasants beneath its bloody track runs with a maniacally laughing engineer at the helm. My expectations were met as the “Fawking heeevy metal” machine pulverized San Antonio

Vader’s criminally short set – a whopping twenty minutes – was fast, furious, and downright scary as they churned through such classics as “Epitaph” and “Carnal.” The massive crush toward the front of the stage, thrust onward by the propeller pit from behind, created a thick sheen of steam that was slit wide open by the shredding of guitarist/vocalist Peter Wiwczarek and guitarist Maurycy “Mauser” Stefanowicz. Much fun was had by all.

In between sets, I ventured out into the patio area, along with another 300-400 black t-shirted chimneys (there were at least 1,000 inside the venue). A stranger recognized the Divine Pustulence “Albert Fish” t-shirt that I co-designed, so we began to chat. It turned out to be Aaron Mendiola from the GoreGrowlers Ball, an extreme metal festival that will have its second annual gathering in San Antonio (or Satantonio as it is lovingly referred to by local metalheads) this November.

Aaron had been at the show for the entire day, so I asked him what the highlights were up to that point. He professed his admiration for Psycroptic, Aborted, and surprisingly for him, Despised Icon. He also added that Cryptopsy began their set with an extended version of “It’s Dinner Time,” featured on the band’s MySpace. Aaron noted that Cryptopsy played nothing but old shit and the crowd dug it.

Every time I am in the darkened bowels of the White Rabbit I can’t help but think of the Station/Great White fire that killed 100 concert-goers back in 2003 in Rhode Island. The Rabbit is poorly lit, way too crowded, and the exits are few and far between and almost impossible to locate. As a result, I wanted to be sure I was near an exit for a quick escape. I figured the best place to be would be right smack dab on the stage. I drug Adam, who was having his death metal concert cherry broken, up on stage right for Kataklysm.

This was my first time catching the Canucks in person. It was apparent that the San Antonio crowd, with its longtime reputation as the Heavy Metal Capital of the World (for its fans, not its bands), was in overdrive this evening. Despite already having logged several hours of headbanging, windmilling, moshing, circle pitting, not to mention drunken debauchery, the crowd was ready to internally combust once Kataklysm lumbered on stage.

The seasoned vets delivered with old material and new including the title track of their latest album, Prevail. Lead singer Maurizio Iacono had the crowd slurping out of his hand when he sang the praises of the United States and wished everyone a happy birthday. The biggest roar of approval, however, came when he lauded the men and women of the U.S. armed forces. San Antonio is also known as Military City, so not a bad move on his part. Needless to say, Adam ate it up and became a Kataklysm Konvert instantly.

My only complaint about the band’s set had nothing to do with their performance, but rather, their ridiculously small amount of stage space. Kataklysm were amped up and eager to give the fans a physical performance, but were constrained by the itty-bitty space provided by the tour’s headliners. Regardless, the band still thrashed around, with guitarist Jean-Francois “J.F.” Dagenais and bassist Stephan Barbe switching sides of the stage, Iacono acting like a younger Tony Foresta and getting into the crowd’s faces, and drummer Max Duhamel performing the ever-elusive and enjoyable “rubber pencil” magic trick with his snare blasts.

My friend Adam was so impressed with the Canadians’ patriotism that he ordered a round for the entire collective. It was backstage that I learned from J.F. that Kataklysm will be returning to the friendly confines of the White Rabbit sometime in September or October on a headline tour along with Dying Fetus, Eluveitie, and Keep of Kalessin. I look forward to their return trip and a set much longer than the 35 minutes they cranked out on this evening.

I caught The Black Dahlia Murder at Ozzfest back in 2005 and at Sounds of the Underground in 2006. I thoroughly enjoyed their performances as they blasted through the sweltering summer Texas heat during both jaunts. Though not a huge fan of their recorded output, I knew they were capable of putting on an entertaining spectacle. Unfortunately, that would not be the case on the night of our fine country’s birthday celebration.

I don’t know what it is, whether the band has been on the road too long or they were simply tired for this particular gig, but the word “lethargy” kept creeping into my head. Let me be clear, singer Trevor Strnad and drummer Shannon Lucas (ex-All That Remains) were incredible. Strnad is easily one of the best frontmen in extreme music today. He is full of energy, enthusiasm, and humor when he performs. Not to mention that he gives fat guys hope.

Axe-slingers Brian Eschbach, John Kempainen, and Bart Williams, however, seemed distant, aloof, and moved around as if landlocked in concrete boots. As a result, I focused almost all of my attention on Strnad, who tore through such gems as “Statutory Ape,” (with the obligatory man in the monkey costume) “Closed Casket Requiem,” and “Darkness Spawned.” Watching Strnad lead his weary comrades through an off night was a reward in and of itself.

Though I was unable to catch the entire Summer Slaughter extravaganza, the mini version was the perfect capper for an incredible Independence Day celebration. Just make sure the tour comes through on July 3rd next year, guys.

-CM

[Corey Mitchell is the author of the new true crime book Pure Murder. Visit his website at CoreyMitchell.com or his blog, In Cold Blog.]