Photos and Review by Kate Drexel
Lamb of God photos HERE
Anthrax photos HERE
Deafhaven photos HERE
Power Trip photos HERE
Last week, Lamb of God really rocked the sold out show at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia with kick-ass openers Anthrax, Deafheaven, and Power Trip. It was certainly a show to remember and I had the lucky opportunity to witness it. The first band to kick off the night was Power Trip, hailing from Dallas, Texas.
The excited voices from the various conversations between the fans bounced off the walls and soon melted into loud cheers as the theater was enveloped in darkness. One by one, each band member emerged from the shadows, the last to appear was front man, Riley Gale. Upon his arrival, the band immediately started their short but sweet set with “Manifest Decimation,” “Heretic’s Fork,” and “Suffer No Fool.” After having performed “Murderer’s Row,” the band finished their set with “Conditioned to Death,” “Crossbreaker,” and “The Hammer of Doubt.” They surely warmed up the crowd for the rest of the evening.
The chatter resumed as the crew began to prepare the stage for Deafheaven’s arrival. It wasn’t before long till the band immediately started their heavy set with “Brought to the Water,” “Luna” and “Baby Blue.” Mosh pits brewed heavily in the center of the venue, with a huge amount of crowd surfers emerging from the sea of head-banging bodies. After Deafheaven performed their last song, “Dream House,” they left the crowd more than ready for Anthrax’s set.
The crew began to assemble the gear for Anthrax’s set and it didn’t seem too long before the band made their presence known. After their introductory song, Anthrax immediately kicked off their set with “Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t,” a superb cover of Joe Jackson’s “Got the Time,” and “Caught in a Mosh.” Fans threw their horns in the air and bobbed their heads along to the beat of the songs being played before them. Crowd surfers appeared and fervently made their way to the front of the stage. After a cover of Trust’s hit, “Antisocial,” “Evil Twin,” and another excellent cover of Stormtroopers of Death’s “March of the S.O.D.,” sadly, it was time for the band to end their set but they did it on a fantastic note with “In the End,” “Indians,” and “Among the Living.” The crowd was more than energized but the night was not over, it was just beginning. There was one band left to end it all on a melt-facing note: Lamb of God.
The mixed chatter amongst the fans died down as the on-stage LED monitors lit up and showed various video snippets of building destruction, flashes of lightning, and other intricate flashes before the band appeared on stage. The first to show was drummer Chris Adler, bassist John Campbell, guitarists Willie Adler and Mark Morton then front man, Randy Blythe. He walked over to the drum kit to grab a bottle of water then poured it over his dreadlocks before taking a sip then spitting it out into the air. Lamb of God started off with “Desolation,” “512,” Walk with Me in Hell,” “Still Echoes” and “Ruin.” The mosh pits brewed heavily while Lamb of God continued with “The Subtle Arts of Murder and Persuasion,” then slowed the set down with “Overlord,” making its tour debut with Randy’s live clean vocals.
The band then picked up the pace again with “The Faded Line,” “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For,” “Set to Fail,” and “Blacken the Cursed Sun.” After Lamb of God played another song from their latest album, VII: Sturm Und Drang, “Erase This,” they finished the night off on a very explosive note with “Vigil,” “Laid to Rest,” and “Redneck.” Lamb of God left the stage, having successfully melted the fans’ faces off, including mine.
Overall, this was easily one of the best shows of 2016 so far. Be sure to check out their future tour dates, they put on a show you do not want to miss!
Lamb of God at the Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
