Overkill and Nile Pack the House at The Cabooze

Photos by David Rubene

 

Legendary thrash metal band Overkill made a stop in Minneapolis on Saturday night. This band has definitely stood the test of time and it was easy to tell that the crowd was super excited to see this legendary band in such an intimate venue. Taking the stage a bit later than planned, Overkill had the crowd in the palm of their hand as they played through songs that dated all the back to the 1980’s. The energy in the crowd was electric with bodies flying through the air and people shouting along to the iconic lyrics. 

The band started their set with their new song Mean, Green, Killing Machine and didn’t stop through their twelve song set that ended in their rendition of Emerald by Thin Lizzy. Even though the song selection spanned their entire life as a band, the crowd stayed where they were and pleaded for more songs. Overkill was quick to come back out for a three song encore finally ending with a cover of The Subhumans’ Fuck You. Regardless of if the band was playing one of their many originals or one of the two covers they fit into their set, the crowd was respectful and supportive of the legends that graced the stage.

The first of two touring acts to take the stage was Nile. I have always been a fan of these guys just due to the fact that they are unique and the second you hear one of their songs, there’s no questioning it’s them. Nile has this way of mixing technical death metal with traditional Egyptian undertones. They use chords and runs of notes that scream Egypt and the age of Pharoahs but, because of the heaviness of the drums and vocals, it’s sometimes hard to pick it up. Another thing that had me falling in love with these guys is the sheer speed at which they play. Being able to see these seasoned musicians up close and personal is truly a jaw dropping experience. When watching these guys play, it’s almost impossible to keep up with how fast hands and limbs are moving.

Having been around since the early 1990’s, these guys have become a staple in the death metal scene. They have toured around with some of the greatest of greats but I feel like these guys really aren’t given the attention they deserve. Out of all of the death metal bands I’ve seen, these guys are one of the few bands that I truly get excited about being able to see. Even with a couple of line-up changes through out the year and eight full length releases, these guys have stayed true to their roots and that just adds to their charm.

Glutton For Punishment was the final local band to play last night and the one I had been wanting to see the most. I have heard nothing but good things about these guys and I just had to see it for myself. They didn’t disappoint. As soon as they took the stage and started playing their first song, the crowd erupted into a hot, sweaty mess. Glutton For Punishment’s music was clean and next to perfect. The great music mixed with the amazing energy from both the crowd and stage made for a very impressive set. With lots of chatter about this band already, after seeing them live it’s easy to see why.

Krawg, a band I had never heard of before, but as soon as they introduced a song as being about self mummification, I was intrigued. Their singer had the type of intensity that made me fall in love with the metal scene. He didn’t seem to care what the crowd was doing, he was just doing what he loved and you could tell it. The crowd seemed a bit hesitant to move but, as the band neared the end of their quick set, you could feel the energy in the room rise. I only wish that they guys had played a little bit longer but I understand that on shows like this timing is everything.