by Marko Popovich
– Guest Columnist —
March 9, 2016 at the Orpheum in Madison, WI. —
There are fans out there who say that Slayer died with Jeff Hanneman. There are also fans who say that Slayer without drummer Dave Lombardo that the band today isn’t Slayer. While there is some truth in these statements, what I saw last night at the Orpheum was most definitely NOT a dead band, and most definitely SLAYER.
I gotta admit I was also more than a bit skeptical about the band’s decision to continue under the guidance of Kerry King, as well as about seeing Slayer on tour, but that skepticism was first broken by “Repentless,” which is a very solid release, their best since “God Hates
Us All” from 2001, and now this concert.
So, let’s focus on the show for now. The gig had a solid attendance, the Orpheum had more than enough metalheads in it to make it one hell of an atmosphere, and Slayer were there to deliver the goods!
They started the show with “Repentless,” and boy the crowd went wild! That riff, featuring a striking “Disciple” type of guitar mania, is enough to make you wanna split someone’s head open. I’m very glad that it is a new Slayer song that got to spice up the atmosphere like
these. I was in the front, and can’t speak for the rest of the venue, but the front few rows got absolutely mental from the absolute start.
I really have to commend the band for picking all the songs I love; “Postmortem,” “Disciple,” “Chemical Warfare,” and “HELL AWAITS,” they were all performed.
Now the band. People have said Tom Araya is tired of Slayer, and while the man isn’t banging his head like a madman anymore, that’s due to his health issues. He’s not in his 20s anymore, and he really seemed to be having a good time there. He communicated with the crowd, sang his guts out and rocked that bass. Kerry is a killer rhythm player, his chops are on point, he looks menacing out there, and I really can’t hate the guy like some people do. Gary Holt is a well-known legend in the metal world, and I really enjoyed his lead playing, and Paul Bostaph – now that man is a beast!
I think that the fact that Paul always came as a replacement for Dave Lombardo caused metal fans to not give this man enough recognition. He played with many other legendary metal acts (Forbidden!) and his chops last night were brilliant. He’s one of the best metal drummers in the world. I stood there in awe thinking about how on-point and powerful his skin bashing is, he’s a true master.
But the real bloodshed took place at the end, as I expected. “Raining Blood” and “Angel of Death,” all the classics! Throughout the show, the band kept a gloomy and gory atmosphere going on, churned out around 20 tunes and once again reassured the stance I had since I was a kid – Slayer is more than a band, Slayer is a religion!
I returned home bruised and beaten from clashes with my fellow metalheads, but felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. Slayer is not getting younger, that much is true, but Slayer is still kicking ass!
Set List:
1. Repentless
2. Postmortem
3. Born of Fire
4. Disciple
5. God Send Death
6. War Ensemble
7. When the Stillness Comes
8. You Against You
9. Mandatory Suicide
10. Hate Worldwide
11. Chemical Warfare
12. Take Control
13. Pride in Prejudice
14. Payback
15. Seasons in the Abyss
16. Hell Awaits
17. Dead Skin Mask
18. World Painted Blood
19. South of Heaven
20. Raining Blood
21. Black Magic
22. Angel of Death
Visit the band online: https://www.facebook.com/slayer/
