The Great American Jailbreak: Claustrofobia, Hatriot, Lich King, and Nervosa dominate at The Usual Place – DTLV

September 11, 2024 – Nervosa, Lich King, Hatriot, Claustrofobia 
The Usual Place – Las Vegas, NV. 

The second I saw the announcement for this show, I was overwhelmed with excitement. Not only because Nervosa are a bitchin’ all female thrash band, but also because a couple of my favorites, Claustrofobia and Hatriot opening up the show. Lich King was an added bonus! This lineup is a pure treat of metal goodness

As I mentioned already, Claustrofobia are a favorite of mine. We’ve covered them a number of times and I’ve been lucky enough to work for them quite a bit through the years. This show was a pre-tour kick off for the guys before they go out on a round country tour with the mighty Sepultura and Agnostic Front.

All bias aside, you really cannot go wrong with this band. They are a brutal three piece powerhouse of thrash and death metal. They command the attention of the crowds they’re in front of, and I never see anybody walk away from them disappointed. Having seen them so many times through the years, I can confidently say that Claustrofobia have captured the metal hearts of the locals in the scene. They were a perfect start to this high energy bill, and if you missed them, well… don’t make that mistake again. Go see them out on their next tour!

Claustrofobia were just signed to M-Theory Audio and are re-releasing their brutal masterpiece record, “Unleeched” that will include two bonus tracks and will be available on September 13th on CD and a special run of 100 limited edition cassette tapes. 

Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

Last time we covered Hatriot was back in 2022 at this same venue for a special Vegas Rock Revolution showcase. For those unaware, Hatriot, formed in Oakland, California, are a bit of a metal legacy, with Cody (bass,vocals) and Nicholas Souza (drums) and their metal roots, it’s no wonder where these guys get their influences from. Yes, in case you haven’t caught on yet. The brothers are none other than the sons of Steve “Zetro’ Souza from Exodus. (Zetro also initially started this band, and stepped away because of his obvious commitments to Exodus.)

This was Hatriot’s third time in Vegas, and vocalist Cody Souza mentioned how every time they come here, the metal family just keeps growing. He isn’t wrong, either. This time the crowd was much more full than the previous time. The mosh pit stayed pretty active through the set, and fans very clearly dug Hatriot’s modern take on metal. I’m always a little hesitant to label these guys as thrash metal, though I can hear quite a bit of thrash influences in their sound, and also with their energy. Also, fuck the labels. These guys are just hard hitting American heavy metal, and I am here for it! 

I look forward to seeing Hatriot again in the future, and I hope to keep seeing them rise to new heights within the scene. Hatriot’s last album The Vale of Shadows was released in 2022, and they have a new single, Forest of Illusion which was released late last month, and was put on display for this show. Do yourself a favor and go add all that music to your playlists, and go pick up a copy of the latest record, or any of them really! I find it hard to believe that any metal fan would not enjoy a piece of this band in their collections. 

I also highly suggest going and checking the band out on live streaming platforms such as TikTok or Twitch. The guys are regularly connecting with people even if they’re not on tour!

Official Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | TikTok

Probably the most rowdy set of the evening came from East Coast thrashers, LICH KING. I admittedly have missed these guys way too many times through the years and I’m super bummed about that. These guys radiate all the hard hitting, fast pace energy that most traditional thrash metal fans love. You know that old footage that you can find in the Murder in the Front Row documentary? (By the way, if you haven’t seen that documentary, go watch it. Seriously.) That’s what this band makes me think of. Nothing but fast riffing, pulverizing drumming, adding in a fun little tongue in cheek playing with the crowd and you’ve got a perfect formula for an exciting thrash set. If The Usual Place was more set up for moshing, I guarantee you’d see those crazy stage divers and crazy fans fucking shit up on the floor. 

LICH KING are another band that makes me wonder what’s in the water over there on the East coast. So many of my favorites across a number of genres come from back East, and they are true gems in their respective genres. 

LICH KING haven’t had an album release since 2017’s The Omniclasm, which is also when vocalist Zachary Smith was added to the roster after founding member/vocalist stepped down from the project he created. I haven’t seen this band prior to Zachary joining, so I can’t really give a comparison opinion, but I do think that Zachary brings a great level of energy and quirky nature to this band, and I look forward to further releases to showcase more of his talent as a vocalist. 

Official Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

Our final band of the evening, Nervosa is an all female thrash band hailing from São Paulo, Brazil. Now, I’m definitely a girl’s girl at my core and I absolutely love when I see all women bands like this wrecking stages in the metal scene. Though the presence of women has definitely been more prominent in recent years, the genre is still largely male dominant and it’s exciting to see women breaking rules and molds. These things alone had me so excited leading up to this show. 

Outside of hearing a few tracks here and there, I was largely unfamiliar with these fine ladies until the announcement of this show, but this live performance turned me into a fan, and I’ve already added them to my thrashy playlists. 

Right out of the gate I felt mesmerized by vocalist/guitarist Prika Amaral and her overall presence. She fiercely and confidently dominated that stage, while Helena Kotina (guitarist) Natalie Nova (bass) and Gabriela Abud (drums) flawlessly complimented and exchanged that high energy between each other and the crowd. 

There is currently no documented setlist for this night specifically, but previous nights of this tour show Nervosa playing a blistering 14 song setlist. 14 songs is A LOT of songs, and these ladies brutally and flawlessly kept the energy high for the entirety of it. 

If there’s anything overly solid and clear, it is that the metal that comes from São Paulo, Brazil is something special and superior. (Claustrofobia are also native to São Paulo, Brazil for those unaware.) 

Nervosa’s last record, Jailbreak was released almost exactly one year ago in 2023, and has generally received pretty positive reviews from all I’ve seen wandering around on the internet. 

Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Napalm Records Artist Page

Overall, I found myself quite elated by the end of the evening. All of the bands played well, and outside of some strange interactions with a random dude bothering me in the crowd repeatedly, I had a very enjoyable experience. Thrash metal holds a special place in my heart and I really don’t get to indulge in that enough. I look forward to the future of all four of these bands, and I cannot wait to see them again when they make their way back to the City of Sin. 

Hatriot, Lich King, and Nervosa will be on this current tour until mid October. Check the dates below and go check em out! Tickets can be purchased through any of the official website links for the bands above.

Live photos by Courtney Ware for ZrockR Magazine 2024 – All Rights Reserved.