On March fourth Myself and photographer Alex Pallis made our way down to a show that without a doubt would be impossible to disappoint any fan of Death Metal, as it is the band that helped both name and create it as a matter of fact, what we would witness would be a tribute to the music and the legacy of Death Metals architect Chuck Schuldiner, the band I am of course referring to is Death (DTA). On this night we would witness the twentieth anniversary of one of the most important records in Death Metal history, the album of course I am referring to is the mighty "Symbolic". During this time I would remain at the very front of the stage until the shows end just so I could witness the power and strength of the legendary "Symbolic" lineup playing the songs that I grew up listening to.

From the very beginning it was cleat that LOUDBLAST came to Manchester to blow everyone away with their style of extreme power and tone which if I may be honest defined their set as one of the strongest that night. I've been aware of the band for some time now, or should I say a few years now and can say that from when I first listened to the band back in 2014 with their then release "Burial Ground" I thought that they had a very interesting yet catchy sound which I would have loved to have listened to then, having watched them play Manchester I can say that the ait was well worth it as the band brought with them a very strong and solid performance to which many of the fans that night took with delight and excitement, myself included. All and all the band brought what can only be described as a solid representation of old school Thrash and Death Metal combined together as one whole storm.

Up next is a band that I only just started to get into all thanks to a friend of mine who as well attended the show, so from watching them live I can proudly say up next came Death Metal heavyweights all the way from California, ABYSMAL DAWN. Now from watching these guys you can tell that their is a strong Death inspiration going on here as the band proved just that with their set of extreme delights pounding through the small venue of the Manchester Club Academy. Their set consisted of some very technical  songs as well as some very aggressive tunes that you couldn't help but go crazy to, all in all their set was everything that you wanted it to be as it was able to win over a large portion of the crowd who attended mainly for the Florida legends DEATH (DTA). Now the question really is what makes a good show into a great show? When the band gives you everything that they have and prove why they are there to begin with and that is just what ABYSMAL DAWN did that night ladies and gentlemen. For fans of technical power and creative songs as well as an energy to shake the ground I would definitely suggest this band to anyone.
 

Setlist:
1. Perfecting Slavery
2. Perpetual Dormancy
3. My Own Savior
4. Rapture Renowned
5. By My Demons
6. The Inevitable Return to Darkness
7. In Service of Time

We now come to the final part of the show and certainly the best in my opinion, the the support bands brought everything they had I felt that when DEATH (DTA) stepped up on stage the atmosphere shifted and everything changed right there and then. It has been two years since DEATH (DTA) came to Manchester England and brought with them a set of classics that reminded us why we are fans of this music to begin with and why DEATH was and still is a key element to our lives to this day, from the last time the band came to our humble city of Manchester they played the sound control venue which in all honesty was cramped to high hell, having the band play the club academy proved to be a better choice if I may be honest. From the very beginning of DEATH (DTA)'s set we saw the band open with a classic that always gets the room moving, one of the most iconic tracks in their setlist, "The Philosopher". Once this heavy hitter started you could see that room open preparing for what would soon be pandemonium among the fans and with good reason as to why as well, when you hear that opening riff you know what to expect from the very start which is when you prepare for carnage of every kind in one moment.
 

As the show continued we saw the band play a selection of songs from both the "Leprosy" and "Human" records which allowed fans to see the full range of stand in front man and guitarist Max Phelps full range of both playability and vocal range on stage which allowed for fans who were unsure of him from the beginning to see that he is in fact a perfect match for this band and these songs together which if you ask me is a rare thing to see, I personally feel that Max is a very suitable front man for this band and in my opinion as a fan for many years I can say that I feel even Chuck (Schuldiner) would even be proud of his efforts and skill on stage.
 

From being at the front of the stage throughout the entire show I felt blown away by how strong this lineup still is after all these years and how incredible the performance from each band member was as well as the interaction with another giving a backup to the songs that were being played, I mean when your a kid you idolise these songs because these are the songs that literally made you who you are as a music fan in the Death Metal scene, but as an adult you just can't help but revert back to that twelve year old kid listening to these songs and going crazy at the fact you get to listen to them live and up close, it truly is mind blowing when you think about it.
 

By the shows end we saw the band close with one of the most intense songs in their catalogue, "Pull The Plug", and from that moment you know that the room your standing in is about to get completely destroyed. By the shows end I was lucky enough to be given Bobby Koelble's pick which for me was a dream succeeded after many years of waiting, but in the end the show gave fans a look back at a lineup which to this day stands as an example that the originators of this music still know how to bring it and with pride I can say I saw just that.

Setlist:
1. The Philosopher
2. Leprosy / Left to Die
3. Suicide Machine
4. Overactive Imagination
5. Trapped in a Corner
6. 1,000 Eyes
7. Without Judgement
8. Spiritual Healing / Within the Mind
9. Flattening of Emotions
10. Symbolic
11. Zero Tolerance
12. Bite the Pain
Encore:
13. Zombie Ritual / Baptized in Blood
14. Crystal Mountain
15. Pull the Plug

*Photography: Alex Pallis