Through Space And Grind Tour (Napalm Death, Voivod, Exhumed) LIVE Review

Venue: Gramercy Theater, NYC
Date: February 2nd, 2015
Line-up: Black Crown Initiate, Iron Reagan, Exhumed, Voivod, Napalm Death

Debriefing- Intel Collected:

 *Insufficient data for units 'Black Crown Initiate' and 'Iron Reagan' due to untimeliness of informational collection system.

Exhumed

Set list included: "Necromaniac," "Limb from Limb," and "In My Human Slaughterhouse" from the 'Gore Metal' album; one track from Necrocacy, and (for the first time ever live) "Consuming Impulse" from 'Anatomy Is Destiny.' Set time was super short and Exhumed was cut-off early.

 Agent Subjective Input: This was my first time seeing Exhumed, they play NYC constantly, but scheduling or some other issue has always prevented me from seeing them. Until now! In no way was I disappointed by their energetic show, other than the short set, which was out of their control. If you are a fan of Exhumed, see them live; their sound is even better live! If you aren't, prepare yourself, you may be surprised. If not, prepare yourself to become a 'platter of splatter' as the rest of us go nuts for some Gore Metal!

Voivod

Well balanced set, songs were played from 'War and Pain,' 'Rrroooaaarrr,' 'Killling Technology,' 'Dimension Hatross,' 'Nothingface,' Target Earth,' and the new single "We Are All Connected."

Agent Subjective Input: WOW! I have high hopes for Voivod but I still can't believe how good they were live! It wasn't just the set list, the energy and live sound were so solid that even with only 2 original members (Snake on vocals, Away on drums), Voivod managed to make ALL of their songs sound and feel heavier, faster, and downright better than any versions I've heard. Snake really put some venom into it, athetoid movements carrying him across the stage (and possibly through time as well); Away had a huge smile the whole show and never missed a beat. He hammered his kit like it was no harder than breathing. A dedication to Piggy was made, it was great to hear the whole venue yelling his name. I think the band was touched too. Hail Piggy!

Napalm Death

Set List highlights, for me, included: "Smash A Single Digit," "Timeless Flogging," "Cesspits," and "Adversarial/Copulating Snakes" from 'Apex Predator- Easy Meat'; "Scum," "Control," and "You Suffer" from 'Scum'; "Suffer The Children" from 'Harmony Corruption.' And yes, "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" was covered.

Agent Subjective Input: This was my third time seeing Napalm Death, and they have yet to disappoint! There was plenty of banter between Barney (vocals) and the audience throughout the set, with high-energy output by all members. I'm pretty sure I can't recognize Barney until his hair is matted to his head with sweat. The new album's material worked well with the aforementioned classics, so I will have to pick it up as I liked what I heard. To describe my feelings and recommendations about this show in a summary as short as "You Suffer" : GO!!!

*Review and photos copyright The Samnambulist, 2015*