Concert Review: Kreator with Carcass & Cold Steel at The Worcester Palladium

Mark Kurtzner
5 hours ago
3 min read

Mark Kurtzner- Photos/Review

John Moore- Review

A night of Fast, Loud and heavy music treated the fans in attendance @ The Worcester Palladium to a thrashing fun show on May 14th when the "Krushers of the USA" tour came through town featuring the mighty Kreator along with support from Carcass & Cold Steel.

Worcester, as always, is a metal town, and the crowd this night was a little over half-ful, actually I was a little shocked at this but unfortunately many tours have been struggling recently but the bands still put on an amazing show! I too was shocked that I was the only photographer there, which was great for me—freedom to roam however I needed to get the best shots.

Triple-guitar Floridian heavies Cold Steel opened the night with an 8-song set of crossover hardcore-thrash which opened with the stomping “Blacksmith of Damnation” and drew mostly (but not exclusively) from the excellent new ‘Discipline & Punish’ record. They clearly were a new band for most as the crowd that eased in during their 30-minute set. By the end of their set, I would say they gained some new fans. They are clearly having fun on this tour and thanked Kreator for giving them a great opportunity. A good young band with a future ahead of them.

UK extreme metal godfather Carcass played next. This was my first time seeing them, and I was excited, still not knowing why I never had the chance to see them before. They put on an amazing, loud show of pure intensity. Vocalist, bassist and founding member Jeff Walker continuously rewarded the crowd with water bottles - he must have thrown out 36 or so. I'm sure the moshing, suffering crowd was thankful. He along with Bill Steer (guitarist and founding member), + recent additions James "Nip" Blackford on guitar and drummer Daniel Wilding, delivered an intense 50-minute set of pure bliss. I will definitely look forward to seeing them again.

While they touched on newer material (opening with “Unfit for Human Consumption” from 2013’s ‘Surgical Steel’, and the gloriously-titled “Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in b)” was the newest song played), the Carcass set drew on older 80s/90s material chiefly (classics like “Corporal Jigsore Quandry”, “Exhume to Consume” and venerable flesh-ripping and uncomfortably-monikered “Genital Grinder” from ’88 debut ‘Reek of Putrification’), including five songs from 1993 opus ‘Heartwork’, the show culminating with the title track of that record to close the show (which incorporated an outro “Carnerous Cacoffiny” from ‘91’s ‘Nectrotism-Descanting the Insalubrious’).

In contrast, German thrash gods Kreator (who formed in 1982) did not rest upon the classics as Carcass did but unleashed a 15-song set of which two-thirds of the songs hailed from the new century, as opposed to their 80s/90s salad days. They opened with 2026 thrasher “Seven Serpents” from the newest record ‘Krushers of the World” and hammered the crowd with newer material such as “Hail to the Hordes,” “Satanic Anarchy,” and “Krushers of the World,” sprinkling in older head-crushers such as “People of the Lie,” “Betrayer,” and “Endless Pain.” Their set was a very tight, high-energy show featuring lots of fog, blinding lights, and a super clear heavy sound.

Their 44-year career of performing live clearly showed their extensive stage experience. Vocalist, guitarist and founding member Mille Petrozza earned the crowd's respect early on and they loved every minute, rounding out the band was another longtime member Jurgen "Ventor" Reail on drums, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirnio and bassist Frederic Leclercq. The night concluded with the 1986 classic, “Pleasure to Kill”, they played a great hour-and-twenty-minute set that left the crowd feeling fulfilled. I heard that Kreator has played 9 shows at this historic venue. I'm sure they will return in the future, and I look forward to that date. If you have a chance to catch this tour on the remaining dates, definitely make a point to go - you won't be disappointed!