Hatebreed brings the second leg of their Summer Slaughter Tour to Las Vegas, supported by Terror, Incantation, Gates to Hell, and more.
The Summer Slaughter Tour is a staple hardcore fans look forward to every year. There was a disappointment in Las Vegas when the first leg passed us by, but everyone was excited to see a stop announced on the second leg. With a lineup this full, it is an early night with doors at 4 PM, but the crowd doesn’t care, and it is certainly beginning to fill up by the time Torture takes the stage. This is a new band on the scene, and they are different: a three-piece with the drummer being the vocalist. Their message is highly political, focusing on an anti-war stance, and the crowd is interested since, for many, this is their first time hearing and seeing this band.
Twenty-five minutes later, it is time for Gates to Hell. This is the first taste of that high-energy hardcore/metalcore performance that fans of this genre are familiar with. Frontman Ryan Storey is exploding on the stage, and the rest of the band is matching his energy. It is at this time that we begin to see the first mosh pits forming in the crowd. This is a high energy performance that really gets the crowd going and, after an almost too short twenty-five minute set, it is time to move on.
Incantation, the long-lasting death metal band, is up next. This band has a totally different feel, as is expected with the death metal genre. It is not the high intensity feeling of Gates to Hell, but it is keeping the crowd moving. These guys have been doing this for a long time and it shows. It is nice to see a different genre in the middle of this night, and it is a good lead in for what is about to come.
Terror explodes onto the stage next, and they do not slow down at all, except for the moment when someone needed assistance in the pit. The performance can only be described as chaos in a good way. This band brings the aggression. The fans are moshing and crowd surfing like it hasn’t been seen in Las Vegas for a while. The security has their hands full with the amount of people coming over the barricade, and the band is encouraging it. Vocalist Scott Vogel is calling for more moshing and crowd surfing while pointing out security is being cool and that they are our friends. The crowd doesn’t stop for one moment of this set. It is the perfect way to get ready for Hatebreed.
The stage goes dark and Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” plays, and with that Hatebreed launches themselves onto the stage. Launch is the only way to describe it. Vocalist Jamey Jasta doesn’t stop for one second; he is all over this stage. When you watch this band, you are a little surprised that they have been doing this for thirty-plus years. That is a feat. They have their old and new fans at every show. Jasta mentions that they are going to play things from all of their albums, and they do so with songs like “I Will Be Heard,” “Last Breath,” “This is Now,” “Perseverance,” and fan favorite, “Destroy Everything.”
Jasta interacts with the crowd inbetween songs, and it is clear to see this band loves what they do. Frank Novinec and Wayne Lozinak on guitar are feeding off the energy. Before the band plays “As Diehard as They Come,” Jamey asks the crowd who has seen Hatebreed before. The majority of the crowd raises their hand, but when the same question is asked about who is seeing the band for the first time, there is a large group as well. Just another reason why this band continues to put out music, like their latest release Fatal Paradox, and why they continue to tour so much, including being a fixture on almost every metal festival that exists. So many songs are packed into this intense performance, and the crowd sings along to every word while moshing and crowd surfing. No one pauses for even a moment of this performance.
The set comes to a close too soon, but Jamey promises they will be back in Las Vegas, and this crowd definitely will be there for that.
HATEBREED
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INCANTATION
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