EXHORDER, TAKE OFFENSE, PLAGUE YEARS, RUNESCARRED – Austin, Texas U.S.A. 2021

EXHORDER, TAKE OFFENSE, PLAGUE YEARS, RUNESCARRED – Come and Take It Live, Austin, Texas, U.S.A. December 5, 2021

New Orleans, Louisiana innovators of groove thrash, EXHORDER came to Austin, Texas to play a special set. The group were set to play their entire 1990 debut “Slaughter In The Vatican.” Tour mates hardcore thrashers TAKE OFFENSE and the thrashing death metal crossover band, PLAGUE YEARS joined them. EXTINCTION A.D. were part of the tour, but for some unknown reason didn’t play. It was a night of thrash metal with veterans and newcomers alike on the bill.

Austin, Texas locals RUNESCARRED opened the concert. The group provided local support, but they are talented enough to have been part of the tour. Their groove-laden style of power-prog also was a good fit for the bill. Led by the high-ranged voice of Ven Scott, the group were a worthy warm-up band as they did exactly that, warmed up the crowd. There was a dismal turnout for this first group, which was an ominous sign for the rest of the show, but Scott did a good job of pumping up the crowd. A more fortuitous sign of the night was that the crowd may have been small, but they were energetic, making noise, pumping fists and banging heads to songs from RUNESCARRED’s 2020 debut “The Distant Infinite.” RUNESCARRED are one of the more active bands in the Austin scene and always deliver a good performance.

The crowd started to pick up when the first band of the tour, PLAGUE YEARS, began their set. The Detroit band was in fine form with their blend of death metal, thrash and hardcore. The catchiness of their grooves could not be denied by the crowd. In some ways the group’s chunky, mid-paced grooves were similar to OBITUARY and BOLT THROWER while still being uniquely PLAGUE YEARS in sounds. To reiterate on the point made above, the crowd was small, but energetic. The first pits of the night broke out. Not a lot of people were moshing, but they instigated movement in the pit. PLAGUE YEARS are also a young band, being only five-years-old, but they’ve made waves with their two EPs and “Circle of Darkness” debut full-length via eOne Music. They brought a lot of energy. Their tones were monstrous and rhythms catchy enough to elicit head banging. One of the set highlights included the slam section on “Urge to Kill.” PLAGUE YEARS put on a tremendous performance. Readers who make it out to this tour make sure to come early and check them out.

Arguably not as catchy as their predecessors, TAKE OFFENSE were even more energetic. Hailing from Chula Vista, California, this group took cues from both the California and New York hardcore and crossover scenes. Their music reminded me of a cross between AGNOSTIC FRONT and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. Frontman Anthony Herrera brought to mind the vocalists of both bands. Their energy and style provoked circle pits. Again, the pit was pretty small as the crowd was still rather small, but hardcore dancers—arms swinging, legs kicking in a circular motion, just ate up their sound. I believe some of the slam dancers were there specifically to see this band. They had a style that made me believe so.

Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA), EXHORDER were instrumental in bringing thrash metal to America’s southern states. Some of their groove and down-tempo movements surely played a role in the oncoming sludge scene that NOLA has become famous for. Most notably, though, EXHORDER are widely regarded as having influenced the sound of Phil Anselmo-era PANTERA. I only noticed this influence in small doses before tonight. Kyle Thomas’s aggressive voice and the grooves laid down by the band certainly gave me the feel of PANTERA, but the groove infused with their ‘80s thrash sound (the band formed in mid-eighties) is entirely a device of their own that PANTERA never touched.

After TAKE OFFENSE ended their set, EXHORDER techs started sound checking. This was a preview of how loud EXHORDER’s set was going to be. A big rumble ensued as the intro played for the band to make their way to the stage. The group looked different from the last time I saw them with KATAKLSYM (show covered on Metalcentre.com) as original guitarist Vinnie LaBella had left the group. Now the lineup consisted of the four-piece of Kyle Thomas (vocals), Marzi Montazeri (guitar), Jason Viebrooks (bass) and Sasha Horn (drums). These three members came into the fold in 2017 and the group released “Mourn The Southern Skies” two years later.

They opened with “My Time,” an aggressive, relatable track taken from their last album “Mourn The Southern Skies,” released two years ago. Thomas told the crowd they would play some songs off that album and their sophomore album, “The Law,” before launching into “Slaughter In The Vatican” in its entirety. The highlight of their pre-“Slaughter In The Vatican” set came when they played “(Cadence Of) The Dirge” from “The Law” album. With so many hiatuses and only three albums, EXHORDER aren’t as popular as other bands of this ilk, but those in the know understand the weight of this song. “(Cadence Of) The Dirge” is a classic example of how to lay down concrete groove on top of a thrash song. “Desecrator,” the third track from their “Slaughter In The Vatican” album, was another highlight of floor-stomping groove. Their short cover of TYPE O NEGATIVE’s “Black No 1” was a welcomed surprise.

Once the intro to “Slaughter In The Vatican” started, the Exhorder band banner was replaced with a “Slaughter In The Vatican” banner. Cinder-block guitar tones ushered in the first part of “Death In Vain” before the band took off in speed. Much of their set was like this. They assaulted the crowd with a balanced attack of mid-paced crunch and fast picking and drumming. While the bands that preceded EXHORDER all brought energy, EXHORDER was god damn electric! Thomas moved around the stage and even jumped at certain points, kicking his legs out in the air in a quasi-split. I didn’t really notice the lack of two guitars as Marzi’s combination of shredding solos and meaty riffs enthralled the crowd. His skill was matched by his passion.

Not only was this set special as they played their whole first album, but Thomas made each song special by telling “old man stories” before launching into the song. One of the stories I thought was interesting was how EXHORDER were denied in the heavy metal industry because they weren’t pretty and glam. The punk scene were the first to embrace them and metal came later. He also went into detail before “The Tragic Period” on how that song is about Edgar Allan Poe’s tragic life and how Poe is his favorite author. “Slaughter In the Vatican” was a song he wrote while he attended Catholic school. He said this was when he came to the realization that it was all bullshit. “Anal Lust” was their “love song.” The crowd relished the chance to shout “Anal Lust” as Thomas pointed the mic their direction before launching into what he called “an art form.”

EXHORDER headlined a great night of thrash metal. The bill was stacked. Although the crowd was small (most likely because the show occurred on Sunday), it picked up steadily throughout the night, it was energetic. Once EXHORDER took the stage, head banging was in mass. EXHORDER sounded excellent. They were loud and their tones were huge. Thomas’s voice was excellent and the band were energetic. It was a monumental show to see. Although it never received accolades like METALLICA, SLAYER and EXODUS, “Slaughter In The Vatican” is a classic thrash metal album. Their performance proved that, sounding even better than the recording.

Check to see if this tour is coming to your town:

11/24/2021 Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY
11/26/2021 The Middle East – Cambridge, MA
11/27/2021 Cafe 611 – Frederick, MD
11/28/2021 Craft House – Pittsburgh, PA
11/29/2021 Reggies – Chicago, IL
11/30/2021 Emerson Theatre – Indianapolis, IN
12/02/2021 Southport Music Hall – New Orleans, LA
12/03/2021 Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
12/04/2021 The Rail Club – Ft. Worth, TX
12/05/2021 Come And Take It Live – Austin, TX
12/06/2021 Rock House Bar – El Paso, TX
12/07/2021 Nile Theater – Mesa, AZ
12/08/2021 1720 – Los Angeles, CA
12/09/2021 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
12/10/2021 1933 – Bakersfield, CA
12/11/2021 Dive Bar – Las Vegas, NV
12/12/2021 The Phoenix Theater – Petaluma, CA
12/14/2021 Bossanova Ballroom – Portland, OR
12/15/2021 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
12/16/2021 The Shredder – Boise, ID
12/17/2021 The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
12/18/2021 Moxi Theater – Greeley, CO
12/19/2021 Marquis Theater – Denver, CO