Lamb of God in Montreal

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Lamb of God in Montreal with Mastodon, Kerry King and Malevolence

Lamb of God in Montreal – Several years after my last visit to the Bell Centre for a concert, I was blessed by a nostalgic evening this previous August 1st. Having never witnessed Slayer’s guitarist Kerry King’s new band – Kerry King, Montreal was sure to experience an evening that would make an interesting impression on a seasoned crowd of metalheads. Opening for this “fresh” five-piece was Malevolence, an English metalcore band active for around a decade and a half. Following King Kerry, the ever-nerdy prog metal group Mastodon graced the stage, offering the audience the usual experience of you can only get this sound live. Closing out the night with Lamb of God, Montreal got to party in the classic giant circle pit that is always tradition at their shows.

Malevolence

A suitable warm-up for what was to come, Malevolence proved themselves worthy to the growing audience of the stadium; signs of success and approval spread throughout their set, as fans who were already present noticed the flawless performance the band gave. Even with a half-full floor, the mosh pit was moving quickly, as if spectators were stretching their violent tendencies in preparation for the sets to come. This is no surprise since Montrealer Quebecois metalheads have a special place for metalcore in their hearts. Well-rehearsed and experienced, Malevolence meant business and even sold quite a bit of merch, as many bore their t-shirts before and after their set. Having shared the stage in the past with Dying Fetus, Goatwhore, Kublai Klan, and Knocked Loose, their experience shone through as they riled up the crowd just enough to ramp up the energy needed to welcome in Kerry King.

Kerry King

A Frankenstein group composed of Hellyeah’s bassist Kyle Sanders, Death Angel’s vocalist Mike Osegueda, Machine Head’s guitarist Phil Demmel, and none other than Slayer’s former drummer Paul Bostaph, Kerry King’s time to meet Montreal for the first time arrived. Fans lit up the atmosphere as red inverted cross lights flared on the dark stage in front of a massive KK flag. King stepped onto the dark purple lit stage, reminding the audience that even though Slayer shows may not be as accessible as they used to be, the magical dream of blood raining from the sky is closer than you think.

The King amalgamation ignited the pit, making an exposition of the energy that never leaves Montreal crowds. The smell of the Devil’s lettuce filled the stadium, as Kerry thrashed on his legendary Flying V and merged in beautifully demonic harmonies with Demmel. Following the last few notes of “Shrapnel” were heard three unmistakable strikes – Raining Blood. As the crowd grew to their most ecstatic state, crowd surfers continued to flow to the front barricade while Oseguada thanked those present. A warm, familiar embrace.

Mastodon

Immediately living up to their reputation as lords of the stoner realm, Mastodon’s set debuted with a clip from the 1979 Soviet science fiction film Stalker. Often used to open their performances, the film evokes a strong imagery and sets the stage with a surreal ambience, lending itself perfectly to the skiffy vibes of Mastodon. Playing Leviathan in its entirety in honour of the 20 th anniversary, the band was happily welcomed by the audience and proved the city’s excitement to see Mastodon for the fourth time in 5 years. Flashing lights and trippy visuals adorned the stage, as well as lasers, pyrotechnics and a celebrity cameo from Precious – the poor Bichon Frisé from The Silence of the Lambs that gets lured into the “it puts the lotion on its skin” pit.

As I giggled about Precious on drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor’s bass drum, I was struck with the realization that seeing Mastodon live is truly that special of an experience. The band laid out a sound that can’t possibly be reproduced unless you’re right in front of them. After hearing “Megalodon” played to visuals of, well, a bunch of Megalodons, and followed by the last four tracks on Leviathan, the band served up three encores, including “Circle of Cysquatch”. You had to be there to see the giant, sparkly and brightly coloured Sasquatch creature walk onto stage, with glowing eyes and a hilariously huggable demeanor. Closing out their hour and fifteen-minute set, Mastodon left us with “Steambreather” and very satisfied ears.

Lamb of God

Out of the darkness, the massive Lamb of God flag lit up from behind and dropped to the floor as “Laid to Rest” poured out of the groovy five-piece on stage. The energy of a Montreal crowd at a Lamb of God show is truly unmatched and caters to most metal fans as their performances normally generate an unstoppable moshpit party. The nostalgic sound of “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For” began, and the amount of headbangers could’ve probably lifted the stadium right off its feet if it weren’t attached to the ground. Flowing into “Omerta,” As it is customary in Quebec, the circle pit (sometimes multiple pits) raged on, and spanned nearly the whole floor of the stadium. Smiling faces were rampant during “Ashes of the Wake” and pit-goers pushed around, feeding off the band’s energy.

I had to practice the most self-control I’ve had to in years, to not hurl myself off the side of the stadium right into the tightly packed floor of the Bell Centre. Playing an equally long set as Mastodon, and in honour of the 20 th anniversary of Ashes of the Wake, Lamb of God stretched thirteen songs over what seemed to be an eternal stream of constant thrashing. The energy never diminished as Randy Blythe’s dreadless head banged towards the ground, making fans such as myself copy him for enough time, that the aftermath pains lasted at least three days following the concert. Saving “Walk With Me in Hell” and “Redneck” as their two encores, the band ended the evening by solidifying their tight relationship with the metalhead crowd of Montreal – It’s always a MF-ing invitation. https://www.lamb-of-god.com/tour/

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