Photos and review by Thomas Bogus
Suicidal Tendencies show photos HERE
Black Friday 2014. While others waited in lines to get that great deal. Diehard fans waited in line at the Palladium in Worcester, Ma to see Slayer, Exodus and Suicidal Tendencies in a “Sold Out” performance. The line extended around the block and was filled with fans both young and old. As the doors opened sharply at 6:30PM, the venue started filling up quickly many rushed to the railing to secure a front row spot.
Exodus hit the stage at 7:30PM, opening with “Black 13” off of their recent release “Blood In, Blood Out”. Their set was about thirty minutes of complete speed and metal madness. Suicidal Tendencies took to the stage at 8:15PM, opening with “You Can’t Bring Me Down”. Not only was that a crowd favorite, but a perfect song to open with. They quickly kicked right into “Freedumb”, the title track to their 1999 release. The energy coming from singer Mike Muir and the rest of the band was unbelievable. After playing some classics off the earlier releases, they ended the set with “Pledge Your Allegiance”, which left the crowd chanting “ST—ST—ST”.
The clock struck 9:30PM and the audience was waiting for Slayer to hit the stage. Prior to set up, the crew placed a while curtain in front of the stage so nobody can see. House lights go out and white lights fill the stage and red lights with spinning Slayer emblems fill the curtain. Once all the band members are in position, the white curtain drops. The stage was full of smoke and four silver and well lit upside down crosses hang over the stage. Behind the drum kit was a huge black backdrop with a skull wearing a metal Army helmet and the words Slayer across it. The band opened up with “World Painted Blood” and the crowd went nuts. Fists flying, pits forming and crowd surfing began. Wasting no time, the band peeled through it’s 21 song set list, playing crowd favorites War Ensemble, Mandatory Suicide, Hell Awaits, Jesus Saves, Seasons in the Abyss, Dead Skin Mask, Raining Blood and South of Heaven. Before ending the night, Slayer played “Angel of Death”. Right at Tom Araya’s scream at the beginning of the song, the back drop falls and it exposes the Jeff Hanneman/Still Reigning/Heineken back drop. It was a great tribute to honor Jeff Hanneman who died in 2013. Exodus guitarist Gary Holt has been doing double duty this tour by playing with Exodus and then playing with Slayer in Hannemans place. It was a great night for metal and my ears will be ringing for a few more days I am sure.
Exodus
Suicidal Tendencies
Slayer
Exodus Setlist:
1. Black 13
2. Blood in, Blood out
3. Blacklist
4. Bonded by Blood
5. The Toxic Waltz
6. Strike of the Beast
Suicidal Tendencies Setlist:
1. You Can’t Bring Me Down
2. Freedumb
3. War Inside My Head
4. Subliminal
5. Possessed to Skate
6. I Saw Your Mommy
7. Cyco Vision
8. Pledge Your Allegiance
Slayer Setlist:
1. World Painted Blood
2. Postmortem
3. Hate Worldwide
4. Die by the Sword
5. Chemical Warfare
6. War Ensemble
7. Mandatory Suicide
8. Necrophiliac
9. Spill the Blood
10. Hell Awaits
11. At Dawn They Sleep
12. Alter of Sacrifice
13. Jesus Saves
14. Disciple
15. Seasons in the Abyss
16. Snuff
17. Dead Skin Mask
18. Raining Blood
19. Psychopathy Red
20. South of Heaven
21. Angel of Death