Gig Review: Destruction at 40: A Thrash Bash at The Garage!
Venue: The Garage
|
Date: Oct 24, 2023
|
Location: London, UK
|
Venue: The Garage | Date: Oct 24, 2023 | Location: London, UK |
Here's a few things that turned 40 years old this year:
The Nintendo entertainment system
Microsoft Word
Our Hollywood equivalent, the doubly handsome duo of Chris Hemsworth and Henry Cavill
The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, poignant epistolary novel that explores the resilience and transformation of Celie, an African American woman facing oppression and abuse in the early 20th century South, as she finds her voice and identity through sisterhood and love.
And of course... Destruction!!
On October 25th, London’s Car Hole, I mean uhh The Garage, was the epicenter of a seismic thrashquake, as Destruction, the titans of thrash metal, unleashed four decades of fury in their 40th-anniversary tour gig. The venue, a grimy grail of the metal underworld, felt like it might just crumble under the weight of raging riffs and tumultuous tempos, but, like us all, it hung on for dear life and survived to tell the tale. Together on this tasty tour were old-school legends Whiplash, Swedish sweaty metallers Enforcer, and ultra thrashers Crisix. Your fellow Citadelians Chort and Chern were there to witness this feast for the eyes, ears, and even nose!
Crisix opened the festivities for the smart ones who showed up early. Like a good paella, there was a mix of classic simple flavours of thrash, but when it all came together and simmered since 2008, the result was a delicious plate of retro thrash. The “World Needs Mosh” indeed, and you need more of this band in your life. Following on, one of the Citadel’s faves, Enforcer, took to the stage. They pounced upon the stage like lions, with golden flowing manes to match. Ripping through fan-favourites like “Midnight Vice” and “Undying Evil” the crowd was grooving along, entranced by the guitar wizard on show. Chort himself nearly shed a tear with the beauty of their title track of their new album “Nostalgia”. If you haven’t already, check it out!
Next, Whiplash. Fitting that legends will open for legends. Tony Portaro, a masterful custodian of the thrash realm, wielded his guitar like an axe (cool analogy right?!), cutting through the silence with electrifying riffs that left the crowd gasping and headbanging in a unified rhythm of metal camaraderie. His vocals, still so raw and potent, like a Rob Halford of thrash, perfectly encapsulated the band’s unyielding spirit and the rebellious essence of the genre itself. “Stage Dive” and “Spit on Your Grave” were real standouts. As Mirai, of the legendary band Sigh, said of Power and Pain: “This is the best pure thrash metal album ever, hands down.”
Opening with "Curse The Gods", Destruction immediately set the room ablaze, metaphorically speaking. If you felt a sudden drop in London’s temperature last night, blame Destruction; they had hoarded all the fire at The Garage. We were still yelping out that iconic chorus on the tube right to our nearest McDonald’s. Marching through a setlist that was nothing short of legendary, they showered us with shards of sharp, old-school nostalgia, carving through tracks like "Death Trap" and "Mad Butcher". Destruction was in top form and where to start but with the frontman, Schmier? With a voice that sounds like it’s forged in the molten fires of metal itself, so hot it could cook a bratwurst in 5 seconds flat, he was in peak form. His bass guitar wasn’t just played; it was weaponized, launching sonic assaults that reverberated with ferocity.
The crowd, a motley crew of battle-jacket veterans and fresh-faced mosh pit warriors, lapped it up, heads banging and hair flying like a convention of mopheads. "Nailed to the Cross" felt like a religious experience, if your religion involves being hammered with killer guitar solos and throat-shredding vocals. "Life Without Sense"? Only if you missed this gig! As they hurtled towards the apocalyptic "Bestial Invasion", you could almost see the spirits of vanished guitar picks and broken drumsticks rising to the battered and beer-soaked heavens of The Garage. A raucous, rip-roaring rollercoaster of a concert, Destruction's 40th-anniversary gig was an unforgettable night of metal. Here's to 40 more years of diabolic decibels and manic mosh pits!
Written by: Chernoglav The Hero With The Silver Moustache
Sporting more than just a moustache under his hood, Chernoglav loves underground Metal, but also listens to a dynamic range of other sub-genres like Power. He’s also never had a moustache.
