There are always shows that come along that I simply can’t wait to cover. Friday night was definitely one of those shows. Nile and Terrorizer announced a show at The Cabooze months ago and added local Death Metal bands Glutton For Punishment, Taking The Head Of Goliath, and Coffinrot. Nile and Terrorizer had me easily sold on wanting to cover the show, but when the bill added familiar local bands, it turned into a must see event.
With the late Fall temps playing the bouncing game yet keeping things on the cool side, I donned my concert-wear apparel and headed to The Cabooze. After securing a close parking space steps from the door, I headed inside as the venue doors had just opened. With a quick coat check, I was eager to get started with the coverage. The room was buzzing and beer (along with other spirits) were flowing. The merch area was very active as well, with lots of familiar faces engaged in the discussions. After a few greets and conversations, it was time to get the show started.
Coffinrot took the stage first. This local favorite never disappoints and always seems to bring their full-force ‘A-Game’ to the stage. Having covered these guys many times, I am always impressed by the energy, drive, and solid delivery they unleash during their set. Coffinrot blends elements of Death Metal and Black Metal together to create an unrelenting sound and presence. The crowd wasted no time in stirring up a mosh pit that continued throughout the set.
Next up was Taking The Head Of Goliath. The last time these guys performed local, I was unable to catch their set. From start to finish, these guys nailed in and executed a full, brutal attack on the crowd. Taking The Head Of Goliath has an interesting position in the local Death Metal scene. They are not breaking new ground with their old school/new school sound, but they are a tremendous force of musical power and faith. The band and their music is deeply rooted in Christianity. It doesn’t matter the side of your belief or religious values, these guys clearly rocked it on stage with a pure Death Metal sound that fed the crowd continuously throuh the set.
It was now time to turn the dial up another notch. Another one of my local favorites, Glutton For Punishment, took the stage next. Loud, fast, and hard to the core, Glutton For Punishment wastes no time in getting the music right in your face. Like a well oiled machine, there is never a detail missed. The level of execution is brilliant with riffs and lyrics that cut through you and get you moving without conscious effort. After covering them many times, I believe it is the pure chemistry between all the band members that glue things together … and when you add in music that doesn’t let one up for air, the crowd explodes with mosh pits and cheers for more.
At this stage after having been headbanging and shouting along with the bands thus far, I was really pumped and so was the crowd. We were all excited to see the two headlining bands show us what they were made of. When the revered American Death Metal/Grindcore band, Terrorizer, took the stage they sure as fuck let you know what they were made of. From the very start they gave you no opportunity to take a breather and stepped it up a notch. The crowd went absolutely ballistic with the pit hardly stopping. It was about half way through their set when I couldn’t believe how Terrorizer continued to hammer out song after song at that rapid pace. Simply put … Terrorizer was fantastic. I shook their drummer’s hand as he left the stage and let him know I was completely blown away.
Nile of course was up next, and as always, delivered a larger than life sound that was ALMOST too much for the venue’s sound system to handle. Those who write Death Metal off as simplistic and basic certainly have never encountered Nile. This is Death Metal at its most bombastic and wide-screen. Every song of their immense set was full of ambition and soaring melodic hooks. Yes it is still brutal and yes it is still heavy, but the song structures were intricate and full of breath-taking guitar work. Nile definitely doesn’t do minimalism, every song was big and epic in their own right adorned with layered guitars and pulsating drums.
As I left for the evening, I had a very full feeling of satisfaction. Coffinrot, Taking The Head Of Goliath, and Glutton For Punishment all supremely represented the local Minneapolis Metal Scene with seamless effort. Trerrorizer and Nile completely destroyed the crowd in the best way possible. I can’t wait to see what the next show brings.
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1 Comment
Exactly what I took from the show. First time at this venue which is really intimate.
Exactly what I took from the show. First time at this venue which is really intimate.