Slayer
Date: February 9, 2007 Spreads the Virus Everywhere February saw me maintain my pattern of seeing Slayer every three years. Unlike the last two concerts, though, the latest did not require a trip to Montreal, as the band made a rare stop in Ottawa. While the ambience at Scotiabank Place obviously falls short of that at The Metropolis, the band and the crowd were as strong as ever, making for another fantastic show. The tightly-scheduled night got started right on time, with Canadian outfit Thine Eyes Bleed warming up the early arrivals. I knew nothing of the band prior to this set; and an opening slot at an arena rarely offers the best sonic showcase for unfamiliar music. However, Thine Eyes Bleed came across very well, playing a tight set of songs built on frequent tempo changes and a heavy thrash foundation that certainly owed a debt to the headlining act. Most importantly for an opening band, Thine Eyes Bleed raised the energy on the floor. They seemed to be having a blast on stage, with wide grins all around; and their playing and interaction spread that mood to the audience. My reaction to Unearth was similar. Although they obviously had numerous fans in the crowd, they were unknown to me. They also delivered a heavy, thrash-influenced set that was a natural fit with Slayer. While Trevor Phipp's screamed vocals were semi-distinguishable, his audience encouragement ("circle pit this bitch!") always seemed to find a response. The rest of the band was at least as notable in playing to the crowd, with the drummer occasionally standing behind his kit and the rest of the group seeming to spend more time perched on the speaker stacks, leaning above the audience, or leaping from the monitors than they spent on the stage floor. Of course, even given the solid efforts from the opening acts, the anticipation for Slayer went far beyond the earlier energy. That anticipation was rewarded with a set opener that mirrored that of the last I saw from the band. Once again, they took the stage to an intro of "Darkness of Christ" before launching their playing with "Disciple." As usual, "War Ensemble" raised the intensity early, although with the crowd chanting "Slayer," singer Tom Araya bypassed his usual questioning introduction to that song, instead simply noting, "Well, you're ready." That early salvo set the standard for a concert that was short on surprises, but extremely high on intensity, both with the band and the fans. Slayer was definitely less mobile than their opening acts, mostly staying rooted on the stage, but they maintained a pace that maintained the motion on the floor. The song selection spanned the band's long career, as typified when "Jihad," from their latest album, led to "Die by the Sword," from their 1983 debut. Other highlights included "Captor of Sin," "Cult," "Mandatory Suicide," "Seasons in the Abyss," "Postmortem," "Dead Skin Mask," and "Raining Blood." While the band bypassed the ritual of an encore, by the time that they capped a lengthy set with "South of Heaven" and "Angel of Death," they had certainly delivered a complete concert. As usual, a Slayer concert was a sense of pure fun. The band maintained a brisk pace, offering a great mix of songs drawn from throughout their back catalogue. With the often-bypassed Ottawa fans fully appreciating their effort and having a great time, there was easily enough good will on the floor to overcome the usually distancing arena setting. <--Prev (The Dears) | Next (Heaven and Hell)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |