After over a decade, Christian metal band Demon Hunter returned to Las Vegas’ Backstage Bar and Billiards for their 20 Years in Exile tour. I haven’t seen this band in almost a decade myself. To say I was excited was an understatement.
In my humble opinion, Demon Hunter has been and still is such an underrated band. They definitely deserve more recognition than they receive. They literally have all the elements of a solid great metal band, and nothing can compare to Ryan Clark’s powerful and versatile pipes.
The tour opened up with local seven-member band The Forerunner which consisted of a male and female screamer.
I, unfortunately, missed most of this set and I regret it. These guys were HEAVY, full of energy, and really set the tone for the rest of the night. There was even a small circle pit going and you know that’s a great sign especially for the first band.
The Forerunner Gallery.
Next on the bill was another Las Vegas’ own Haddonfield. Their music was along the metal core/hard rock genre. These guys were fun and you didn’t know what to expect next.
Their bassist even hopped on main vocals for one of their songs and tore the house down. Check out one of their singles “Call to Me”. It’s melodic and heavy.
Haddonfield Gallery.
Hailing from Seattle, WA, heavy metal band Opponent threw down on stage.
The trio’s sound reminded me a lot of Demon Hunter. The songs they played included “Betrayed”, “Shadows”, and “Rival”.
Guitarist and vocalist, Andy Maier, displayed his talented fingerings and it was honestly a sight to see. The lighting effects really added to the finger scales and shredding. You could tell he really takes pride in his playing.
Drummer Jovani Gomez’s mom was in the audience that night rooting her kiddo on. I know this was a metal show, but it was adorable to witness. Side note: I’m really sorry if I got in your way to take photos mom!
Opponent Gallery.
Demon Hunter gave me literal goosebumps when they opened their set with “Silence the World”. It really was the perfect intro to what was to come. They literally took you back in time with a song from each album.
I haven’t caught up with a couple of recent albums so when they played “Freedom is Dead” I became HOOKED. It is officially my new hyperfocus song. It is pure groove mixed with a heavy almost thrashy chorus.
Some hits (and personal favorites of mine) they played were “Dead Flowers”, “The Last One Alive”, “On my Side”, and “Not Ready to Die”. It was a walk down Demon Hunter memory lane and it was quite the beautiful walk.
I didn’t know how much I missed seeing Yogi on drums until then. Such an underrated drummer!
Everyone absolutely killed it! Religious or not, I highly suggest you check these guys out if you haven’t.
Gallery.
PHOTO CREDIT: All photos by Christina Corcoran for ZRockR Magazine – All Rights Reserved.