Suicidal Tendencies are currently touring the US on their World Gone Mad Tour, with support coming from Havok and Crowbar. I caught up with them in their sold out Atlanta show at The Masquerade.
Denver’s Havok have been around since 2004 and have cemented their place in the American thrash scene as one of the most exciting and energetic outfits. Their set was a complete joy to watch. The band blasted through their songs with the kind of energy that is reminiscent of the Bay Area acts of the 1980s, with frontman David Sanchez and lead guitarist Reece Scruggs exchanging classic thrash riffs over Pete Webber and Nick Schendzielos’s drums and bass respectively. This is what thrash is all about—fast riffs, strong vocals, and constant energy on stage! Be sure to check out Havok’s new album Conformicide out on March 10 on Century Media.
Next, New Orleans sludge legends Crowbar treated the crowd to a special set by kicking things off with all-time favorites High Rate Extinction and Conquering. The band worked the Masquerade crowd up into a frenzy with their classic hits before launching into Plasmic and Pure, one of the heaviest hitters off their latest album, The Serpent Only Lies. True to their southern roots, Crowbar were gracious hosts on stage, often electrifying the crowd in between songs with their badass attitude. It’s always a great time with Crowbar in town and tonight was no exception. I highly recommend The Serpent Only Lies if you haven’t picked it up already.
While Havok and Crowbar totally kicked ass, the real highlight of the night for me was the moment Suicidal Tendencies invited a bunch of people from the crowd on stage during Possessed to Skate/I Saw Your Mommy, creating the biggest onstage mosh pit I’ve seen in a long time. The crowd completely lost it—there were people jumping over the barricade and onto the stage, kids crowdsurfing, and total metal chaos everywhere, all of which are only possible at a Suicidal Tendencies show. The band have been around a long time and have one of the most dedicated fan bases in any genre of metal – and based on tonight’s performance, they will be around for many more years to come.
9.5/10
