Anthrax, Testament and more at The Tabernacle (2012)

The Tabernacle (Atlanta, GA, USA)

Anthrax, Testament, Death Angel

Two days. That's how long I had to whine and recline after this show. See, […]

By Phillip Lawless

• February 2, 2012

Two days. That's how long I had to whine and recline after this show. See, climbing into the pit at an all-out thrash show is completely different at 37 than it was at 16. As a teenager, you're spry, quick and ready for the beating that's surely headed your way. As a gray-haired, almost middle-ager, you step into that sweaty, shoving mass of humanity with a touch of trepidation. Heck, as I prepared for the show, I joked with my wife that she should probably plan on an emergency room visit for me after the concert.
So, what possessed an old codger like me to tie on my tightest tennis shoes and shuffle into a thrash pit at almost 40? Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel, all on one stage … that's what. Sure, the Big 4 tour in Europe had more flash and sold a ton more tickets, but, for me, this is the thrash revival tour that gets it right. See, way back in the 1980s, my first metal tape was Anthrax and my first metal shirt was Testament, so it's pretty easy to see where my allegiances lie.

Still, I tried to not get too carried away. Sure, I bought the ticket, and I made the plans. But that little voice inside nagged and asked question after question. Will this show be worth all the trouble? How will Joey Belladonna sound in 2012? Is Testament's post-reunion spark still striking? Only two old-school members are left in Death Angel?

The concert was booked for the Tabernacle in Atlanta, a decent-sized theater venue that used to be a church ... how fitting. When I arrived, Death Angel's stage setup sat waiting, and the band came out and started soon after. The crowd was still relatively small as original members Mark Osegueda and Rob Cavestany kicked off the festivities with a six or seven song set made up mostly of post-reunion tracks. Their newer sound verges into nu-thrash territory, but it is still pretty listenable. I'm thinking they played one or two old songs, but nothing I was familiar with. I heard they played "Seemingly Endless Time" off of "Act III," but, sadly, not in Atlanta. Still, the band was solid, and Osegueda was quite the frontman, running and raging all over the large stage. Sure, I couldn't dive into their set headfirst because of the song selection, but it was enjoyable enough.

After a super-quick set change, the house lights dimmed and Testament appeared. I moved up to the front of the stage in anticipation, and there was no letdown here. Their setlist was packed with classic after classic. "Practice What You Preach," "The New Order" and "Over the Wall" were all highlights. As Chuck Billy's gruff voice echoed, Alex Skolnick blasted out blistering lead after blistering lead. In all my years, I've never seen another player shred leads and solos like Skolnick. Also, the mighty Gene Holgan is manning the drums during this tour and damn if he wasn't on point. I came into the concert expecting Testament to be the highlight, and I was not discouraged. I've seen them twice since they reunited, and they've floored me both times. I was holding out hope for a new song or two off the upcoming album, but they didn't give out any early previews.

Next up was Anthrax … or, more accurately, 3/5ths of Anthrax. Charlie Benante and Frank Bello both ended up leaving the tour due to an ailing family member. Holgan, fresh off the Testament set, filled in on drums while Joey Vera from Armored Saint stepped in on bass. So, while I was only seeing 3/5ths of Anthrax, I was also seeing 1/5 of Dark Angel and 1/5 of Armored Saint. I can live with that. With Joey Belladonna's return, it was pretty obvious what era the band would concentrate on. Their set included five or six songs off the new album, and then it dug deep into history to please long-time fans with some seldom-heard tracks. In fact, the set included two songs of both "Fistful of Metal" and "Spreading the Disease" plus four tracks off "Among the Living." And, I am happy to report that there were no attempts to perform any metal/rap crossover songs.

Honestly, I came into Anthrax's set fully expecting to be underwhelmed. I had seen the original lineup on the Bring the Noise tour back in the 1990s, and I figured there was no way that, 20 years later, they could live up to my memories. Well, I'll admit I was wrong. After opening with a new song, the beginning of "Caught in a Mosh" had me dashing for the pit. As they ran through the set, I found myself impressed with Scott Ian's rhythm playing and Joey's voice. While Joey may not hit 100 percent of the notes now, he's still got unbelievable range. He hit a note on "Deathrider" that completely blew my mind. They wrapped the evening with "Madhouse" and "I Am the Law," and I can't even describe the audience reaction. There had been a good-sized pit going all night, but it grew even larger for these final encores.

Reading back over this review, it sounds like a gushing teenager, spewing rose-colored hyperbole after attending his first metal show. And, maybe that's kind of what it is. This show took me and a few thousand other metal heads back in time, if just for a while. While these bands stomped and screamed, we all managed to forget our 401Ks, our car payments and our day jobs, and we beat the crap out of each other listening to raucous and rowdy thrash metal. Thinking back, there's not much bad I can say here. I fully recommend that anyone with fond memories of "Metal Thrashing Mad" attend this show … trust me, I don't think anyone will be disappointed. show … trust me, I don't think anyone will be disappointed.