Impaler Slays The Turf Club

Friday night Impaler was headlining the Turf Club and the audience worked up more than a little sweat. It was the 4th time that I’ve seen Impaler in concert and I enjoyed it more this time than any of the previous times. It was warming up outside and inside the four bands that were playing at the Turf Club had the heat set to high.

VVolf Mask opened the evening and starting working the crowd into a lather. I have seen VVolf mask twice in the past and they just keep getting better every time I see them. High Energy, Heavy Metal, non-stop, driving beat, they are everything I love in music. There were a few early moshers warming up for the evening too. If you haven’t see VVolf Mask and you like Heavy Metal, give them a listen, you won’t be disappointed.

The next band was God Came From Space. I had not heard them before, so I was curious to see them. Doing a little research I found they have been around since the late 2000’s. It didn’t take long for me to become a fan. Great guitar solos, smooth vocals and a pounding rhythm section. Based on audience response, their fan base grew Friday night.

The third band was Kublai Khan. I first saw Kublai Khan in the late 1980’s and became a fan, so was happy to see them playing again recently. This was the second time I’ve seen them in the last year. Khan is a thrash metal band and they haven’t changed much over the 30 years, but that is a good thing. Loud, fast, intense and everyone loved it. It was great to see them again and I hope to catch them more in the future.

Shortly after midnight, Impaler took the stage. I always look forward to seeing Impaler and Friday was no different. The crowd was especially rowdy and it seemed like everyone wanted to take photos and videos. It wasn’t too long into their set before I was splashed with beer and a few other drinks. A lot of people wanted to get close shots of the legends and it isn’t easy holding a drink and trying to get shots with your phone. I managed to hold my spot at the stage, but there was a lot of pushing and shoving and more spilled drinks. And before too long, Dr. Corpse was in the crowd with more jostling and spilled drinks. Being so close to the band has another benefit – getting hit with fake blood. The stuff was in my hair, on my face/arms and clothes and later I discovered some on both of my cameras. And with the heat there was also sweating, so I was a complete mess. It may have been one of the best times I’ve had in a while. Rock n Roll is all about sweat and beer, throw in a little fake blood and it makes for a memorable evening. I felt like I was walking in inches of beer and blood, but a little on the floor goes a long way. The stage was covered in blood and beer and the crowd was reaching out to be smeared with blood and several got it on their faces.

Impaler finished up around 1 am and the crowd chanted for an encore, but not tonight. I’m sure supplies of blood and beer were running low, as was their energy level. All the body slams, getting hit with folding chairs, beer bongs and disemboweling has got to be exhausting. It was another great show by Impaler and despite being a little damp after the beer showers and flying blood, I was smiling and looking forward to the next Impaler show. The next day I was shooting some high school sports and found some blood on my camera. Thinking of the night before, I smiled – life is good.