Metal massacre
Unholy Alliance kills ’em all at the MTS Centre
Mike Warkentin

It’s a good thing most folkies were at Birds Hill Park on July 9, because at 5:30 p.m. some 6,000 people at the MTS Centre were looking for a few humans to sacrifice to the metal gods.

The doors at MTS were supposed to open at 5 p.m., but overzealous Canadian border guards held the Unholy Alliance convoy at the border for several hours while drug dogs sniffed bags and humped legs.

While an army of impatient black-clad metal minions filled the arena lobby with chants of “Slayyyer!” Lamb of God greeted about a dozen fans backstage after letting the randomly selected group hear five awesomely heavy songs from upcoming new disc Sacrament.

Bassist John Campbell admitted he was rather surprised that the drug dogs had bypassed him, and singer Randy Blythe was far more soft-spoken than his feral onstage personality would suggest.

As the fans shook hands with the Lambs, Ontario metal outfit Thine Eyes Bleed (Johnny Araya, brother of Slayer singer/bassist Tom, plays bass) took the stage, followed shortly by the mighty Mastodon. Both bands played good sets, but the crowd didn’t get truly savage until Finnish quintet Children of Bodom laid down one of the best performances of the night.

The band was in fine form, and frontman Alexi Laiho showed why Slayer axeman Kerry King makes a point of watching the Children whenever he can. Some brilliant metal guitarists have been through the ’Peg in recent years, and the hard-drinking Laiho can easily be added to that list.

On songs such as Living Dead Beat Laiho dueled keyboardist Janne Warman with incredibly deft, jaw-dropping solos that proved he’s the real deal.

Lamb of God hit the stage next and served up ultra-raw American metal at crotch-shaking volume. The band was tight as hell through new song Redneck and trademark punishers Now You’ve Got Something to Die For and As the Palaces Burn. Blythe’s banshee-like screams soon had the crowd on the floor locked in a violent circle pit.

In the concourse after the set, fans lurched about and yelled at each other in anticipation of the headliner. Screams echoed in packed bathrooms, and one banger discovered that he couldn’t pee when he tensed up to howl metal lyrics. Satan himself was in the audience in full regalia, while one fan in a wheelchair had decorated his ride with scythes.

At 10:10 p.m. King, guitarist Jeff Hanneman, singer/bassist Araya and drum wizard Dave Lombardo walked onstage underneath a large projection screen and inverted crosses made of Marshall stacks.

As expected, Slayer launched into South of Heaven, also slipping new song Cult and 2001 blasphemic beast Disciple into the opening half of the set.

Lombardo’s skill on the skins was impressive, and his thunderous double kicks rattled the room as satanic imagery and disturbing footage played on the screen above the band.

Shoes, clothing, glow sticks, pot smoke and beer filled the air as the band brought things to a close with the terrible trio of Raining Blood, Antichrist and signature cut Angel of Death.

It was odd how we got through such a wicked show without offering any human sacrifices...