Two Stages! (Pow!) One Ticket! (Slam!)
Fremont Country Club
Gwar – Scared Reich – Toxic Holocaust – Against The Grain
Backstage Bar & Billiards
Enforcer – Warbringer – Tyrants By Night – Death In Motion
Being a Las Vegas resident, I’m interested in what’s coming out of the local scene and thus I was introduced to Tyrants By Night and Death In Motion.
(Insert long sigh)
Death In Motion isn’t my thing. Certainly people there seemed to have ‘gotten it’; but what I was hearing from them was the sort of hard rock and metal that came to relevance after the arrival of nu-metal. Drowning Pool and the like, though this time around dressed up in the post-apocalypse. I may be totally off base but if any of that sounds interesting to you the reader have at it.
Death In Motion Gallery
Tyrants By Night on the other hand is a bit more my speed. Their style of heavy metal is more thrash in the vein of Metallica and that comes across in the vocals. That said I’d like to see them again or listen to them a bit more to solidify a more nuanced opinion than that.
Tyrants by Night Gallery
Main Openers
Against The Grain, Toxic Holocaust, and Sacred Reich were all worth seeing don’t get me wrong; but Warbringer were fucking killing it next door. The crowd were packed in like sardines, the mosh pit was taking people for a ride, and people were desperate to crowd surf onto the stage. I couldn’t have moved if I wanted to.
Warbringer Gallery
Against the Grain Gallery
So whether I liked it or not I was going to have to sit tight and hold onto the stage so I didn’t get my face smashed into the stage; all whilst hoping I wasn’t about to getting kicked in the back of the head. Lots of close calls; and one man wasn’t so lucky as he was sent to the ground and came up with one of the wheels of his walker broken.
Toxic Holocaust Gallery
Sacred Reich Gallery
Thankfully I did like the band. I’d be looking forward to seeing them again. The possibly of injuries being something I’ll just have to live with and I just might – with a smile.
Gwar and Enforcer
Our headliners were in serious danger of being upstaged by Warbringer; and if I’m being honest they absolutely were in my eyes. Gwar was everything I wanted and expected from them; however I found myself still missing the stage presence of David Brockie *ahem* excuse me Oderus Urungus. Nothing is wrong with the stage show or even their new lead vocalist but I’m still expecting a different voice when I hear many of their songs. Still a grand time but unexpectedly sad on my end.
Gwar Gallery
So after the Amon Amarth show I’ve been thinking about Swedish metal quite a lot as of late. Instead of existing in the two distinct scenes supporting death metal in their home country; or the same old school classic metal vibes of Grand Magus or Spiritual Beggars; Enforcer is a different beast altogether. Instead Enforcer is more of a throwback to pre-thrash speed metal of the late seventies and early eighties. If their sound doesn’t clue you in then their stage gear absolutely will.
Enforcer Gallery
Again this isn’t really my thing but good news is that the wife and I agree that they sound better live than their albums. That said maybe that’s the sound you want want to hear. More good news is that these guys have already released five full-length albums including this year’s ‘Zenith’. Also their still young so fans will likely have much more to look forward to.
Live photos by Courtney Ware for ZRockR Magazine 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.