Extreme metal legends, Carcass, ripped up Raleigh like the masters they are with a show equally as fun as it was loud and punishing.
The Ritz in Raleigh, NC, hosted Carcass, the legendary extreme metal band from the United Kingdom. A pioneer in the death metal genre, Carcass released their first album back in 1988 but on this tour, they were celebrating their seventh studio album, Torn Arteries, released in 2021. Bringing a stellar set of supporting bands along for the tour, this evening was both a trip back in time for the older folks in the crowd and a lesson in punishing extreme metal excellence for the youngsters.
Opening the evening was Creeping Death. Heralding from Dallas, Texas, Creeping Death is an excellent band just waiting for their turn to headline. Wasting no time setting the tone for the evening, the band launched into full headbanging mode with “Humanity Transcends” from their EP, The Edge of Existence, released in 2021. A small but enthusiastic crowd responded with furious headbanging and mosh pits which were most impressive considering bright sunshine was still streaming in through the venue’s front doors. Creeping Death has well-written songs and a strong stage presence that will most certainly carry this band to greater heights and a much larger following.
Second on stage was Sacred Reich. Credited as a leading band ushering in the thrash metal wave of the 1980s, Sacred Reich released Awakening in 2019 and performed several songs from the album. The audience’s reaction was instantaneous, chanting the band’s name and roaring into applause the moment they took the stage. Bassist and vocalist, Phil Rind, dedicated the evening to his friend, Reed Mullin, the founding drummer of Raleigh-based Corrosion of Conformity. Several times during the set, Phil explained how the lyrics of their songs reminded him of Reed and how happy the band was to be performing in Raleigh.Performing “Awakening” and “Salvation” from Awakening, the band also included “Death Squad” from their first album released in 1987. After a brief poll, it was determined roughly half the audience wasn’t born yet in 1987 which did nothing to dampen the mosh pit exuberance for the entirety of their set. Sacred Reich is an incredibly positive, inclusive, and joyful band when they engage the audience and speak in between songs. Perhaps the audience highlight of the evening, Sacred Reich gave one hell of an amazing performance.
Municipal Waste is known for their high energy, party metal intensity during their live shows and tonight’s performance was arguably a highlight reel of what makes the band amazing to witness. Literally dancing onto the stage, some backward, each band member gave fist bumps, high fives, and massive smiles as they took the stage. Clearly excited to be on stage, vocalist Tony Foresta literally could not stay still. Jumping rope with the microphone cable and doing cartwheels across the stage, the amount of energy pumping off the stage throughout the band’s set was awe-inspiring.Many friends of the band based in North Carolina were in the audience, plus their former tour manager surprised the band with his presence in the side stage. They performed “Grave Dive” as a shout-out to their friends in attendance. The band also pulled out rarity “Substitute Creature” to celebrate their return to Raleigh. Launching the obligatory trash can out into the audience and wrapping up with “Born To Party,” Municipal Waste could not be more alive and turned on than this performance.
Death metal legends and headliner for the evening, Carcass, took the stage and launched instantly into an all-out punishing aural assault. Hard, fast, and incredibly loud, the band tore through a 14-song set with the power and fury of a 1000-horsepower muscle car going full throttle. Refusing to pause between most songs, the intensity of the music was matched with a piercing light show and the first fight of the evening in the audience broke out. Carcass might be approaching forty years as a band but this lineup is as strong as ever.Celebrating their album Torn Arteries, the band opened with “Kelly’s Meat Emporium” and included “Dance of Ixtab,” “Under the Scalpel Blade,” and “The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing” in the setlist. Bassist and vocalist, Jeff Walker, tore through the searing guitars with his deep, guttural growl, and guitarist, Bill Steer, did his best to light his fretboard on fire with his rapid-fire fingertips. The venue remained full but the audience lost a little energy after the three opening bands. Still, plenty of devil horns were thrown into the air and the mosh pit refused to stop as Carcass proved once again their lasting legacy as death metal royalty.
This amazing lineup will continue to tour throughout the month of April, 2023. Regardless if young or old, any and every metalhead will find pure bliss in attending this show. Some of the nicest guys in metal are on this tour and their enthusiasm and positivity will make every tour stop a party to remember!CARCASS
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MUNICIPAL WASTE
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SACRED REICH
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