The Baroeg was sold out this evening Death Angel played, just as the other two nights in Utrecht and Eindhoven. I suppose that must mean that thrash metal is back. Anyway, they had a new album out that I haven’t heard yet, but their first three albums are good enough to warrant going to Rotterdam. That I had never seen this band play live was another good reason.

The first support act Extrema had actually cancelled, and were replaced by the Dutch band Cypher. During the 30 minutes they were given they played a reasonably interesting set of thrashy death metal, but nothing new here. They ended their set with a sloppy cover of Morbid Angel’s “Day of Suffering”.

The second band was far more interesting, the Austrian Demilotion, who play a style of deathrash I’m usually quite fond of and reminds me of bands like Benediction, Whiplash. Basically quite simple hard-hitting metal and very riff-centred. Unfortunately the band was plagued by lots of technical problems surrounding one of the guitarists and a terrible stage sound. Definitively a band I want to check out.

Mercenary are a Danish somewhat hard to classify band – a groove metal band with power metal vocals is my best attempt. Their music bores me and the sound was way too loud. It seems tho that many people came for this band too. But when Death Angel started to play, the hall was filled completely and a sold out Baroeg usually isn’t much fun as it is way too full and warm. Anyway Death Angel seemed to be keen on playing here as the singer told us many times and it could easily be read on their faces too. They opened with a new track “Lord of Hate” followed by the old “Evil Priest”. Nearly the entire new album was played with room for only few older songs, which is the only complain I can think of. The energetic presentation of the band and the good sound and most of all well played songs left a very positive impression even though the previous album was a bit of a let down.

• Lord of Hate
• Evil Priest
• Sonic Beatdown
• Dethroned
• Voracious Souls
• Carnival Justice
• Buried Alive
• Soulless
• When Worlds Collide
• Seemingly Endless Time
• God vs. God
• Steal The Crown
• Devil Incarnate
• 3rd Floor
• Kill As One
  –Encores–
• Resurrection Machine
• Thrown to The Wolves