  Last Wednesday, legendary death metallers Cannibal Corpse and the californian deathcore act Suicide Silence brought destruction upon Lisbon.
Seven years since their last visit to our country, and still with the now deceased vocalist Mitch Lucker, Suicide Silence returned with new members and a new-found strength. The venue was packed with people who were eagerly waiting to see them, and despite not personally liking them, they did an amazing job. Former All Shall Perish vocalist, who took over after Mitch's death, Eddie Hermida is a beast, and he was notably very excited and glad to be playing in our country. Always communicative, even inviting the audience to smoke some weed with him after the gig, he led the crowd into a wall of death, and encouraged everyone to sing along to songs like ''Fuck Everything'' and ''Wake Up''. Amidst the oh-so-classic breakdowns and the crowd's poor attempts at some form of karate, Suicide Silence were really good, and it's refreshing to see them adopting a heavier sound, impressing even those who weren't such big fans.
The heat was already unbearable, but it was time for some Cannibal Corpse. Last time they were in Portugal, for their 2012 ''Torture'' tour, it was merciless brutality throughout the gig, and this time it was no different. However, it was noticeable that time is taking its toll on Corpsegrinder's vocals, but not on his neck, and good humour. Regardless, it's always a joy to witness such stellar musicians, from Alex Webster's geniality, to Pat O'Brien and Rob Barrett's shredding frenzy, to Paul Mazurkiewecz's hellish drumming. They opened the night with ''Scourge of Iron'' and ''Demented Aggression'', followed by ''Evisceration Plague'' and ''Stripped, Raped, and Strangled''. Next, they played two songs off ''Gallery of Suicide'' which is personally my favourite album - ''Disposal of the Body'' and ''Sentenced to Burn'' were played with an amazing power, and were followed by three songs from their most recent releases: ''Kill or Become'', ''Sadistic Embodiment'', and ''Icepick Lobotomy'', that are extremely pleasing for both newer and older fans. But for the most old-school fans, some treats were in order with ''Addicted to Vaginal Skin'' and ''The Wretched Spawn'', although the classics of the classics were still to come. Before that, ''Dormant Bodies Bursting'' was played, and the ultimate Cannibal Corpse song - ''I Cum Blood' - generated an all-around circle pit, and was introduced with Corpsegrinder's usual challenge to anyone who wanted to dare to headbang faster than him, my bet is most of them failed. ''Unleashing the Bloodthirsty'', and ''Make Them Suffer'' were next, and ''A Skull Full of Maggots'' delighted those of us who still worship their old-school work. Of course there was still time for ''Hammer Smashed Face'', and the night was ended with ''Devoured by Vermin''. And so, with a completely exhausted crowd, and an amazing concert, Cannibal Corpse said their goodbyes and one can only hope for their fast return. |
