  
As usual, Hard Club in the beginning of the year has great gigs but something new to Portugal was coming: Toxic Holocaust. The North American band have been on the road with Exhumed for the promotion of their latest album “Chemistry of Consciousness” and nobody was expecting a confirmed date in Porto, but it happened and we had to be there.
After a little delay, the show started with Holocausto Canibal, a band that is well known to Hard Club. As expected, the room was a little empty but like the good performers that they are, they quickly managed to captivate people to go and enjoy their purest goregrind. Even though the setlist didn’t have many classics like we are used to, it was like a breath of fresh air from this Portuguese band.
Exhumed were next and they were ready to explode the room. The North American death metal band has been a regular presence in Portuguese stages but this time they were here with the purpose of promoting their latest album “Necrocracy”. “Coins upon the Eyes” and “Sickened” were some of the songs chosen to represent this album but classics like “Limb from Limb” and “All Guts, No Glory” wouldn’t be forgotten and the best was left for last with “The Matter of Splatter”.
All the velocity, ferocity and aggressiveness started to create some rotation in the pit but the real excitement for the crowd was when they started to do a little theatrical performance where the doctor tries to resuscitate Bud Burke and as he was being resurrected he played such intense riffs that sounded like a thousand thunder were striking the roof and walls of Hard Club. Without a doubt, the biggest surprise of the night.
Last but not least, Toxic Holocaust. Since this was the album “Chemistry of Consciousness” tour, the entire crowd was expecting that the setlist would be mostly composed with recent themes, but Toxic Holocaust doesn’t play by the rules. “Metal Attack” just to start the party but it would only go up from there with songs like “I Am Disease” “War is Hell”, and “Acid Fuzz”. For the joy of many, the album “An Overdose of Death” was the one that was in the spotlight with “Gravelord”, “Wild Dogs” and the one and only “Nuke the Cross”, among others.
As the setlist advanced, the mosh pit was growing fast and the North American band weren’t going to leave us without an answer. Their response to us was faster, louder and heavier thrash culminating in a massive mosh pit where no one was safe. In between songs Joel Grind showed his love for the crowd and mostly his love for destruction.
After a very quick break, they came back for the encore with “666” and their main classic, “Bitch”. Toxic Holocaust showed us how thrash doesn’t have to be old to be powerful.
http://www.festivalphoto.net/pictures?concertID=28370#.UxkgLPl_t8E - Toxic Holocaust
http://www.festivalphoto.net/pictures?concertID=28369#.UxkgK_l_t8E - Exhumed
http://www.festivalphoto.net/pictures?concertID=28368#.UxkgKvl_t8E - Holocausto Canibal
Photos by Afonso Aguiar. |
