Day 2 of the Heavy Chicago fest was excellent! How could Day 3 live up to such intense evening? Day 3 had a very strong line up, it was going to be crusher, and sure enough, it was. The musical dynamic was different, but the general feel of the fest was completely in sync with the previous night. The extreme nature of the bands on this bill brought on a slightly different audience in addition to the crew that was already there. In that regard, it was very clever of the promoters to schedule it this way.
The Suffering opened the final day of the fest with a very heavy set. They played songs off The Experiment Has Failed album. It’s a great record, and those songs sounded awesome live. The band knew they had a lot to prove this evening, and from the first moment, they gave it their best. The Suffering created a wall of heaviness, and the group backed it up with a very angry and physical approach. The singer, Casey Loving, was all over the stage, uttering his vocals from every angle possible. The Suffering’s set flew like a rocket. It was intense entertaining, and super heavy. Many noticed this great band for the first time, others were looking forward to their show. They left a lasting impression, and there’ll be more great things coming from this band.
Embryonic Autopsy is a brand-new band that includes Tim King on vocals. King is known for his contributions to Oppressor, and Soil, and both bands appear to be active. This is a new venture into the world of extreme. Embryonic Autopsy was heavy in a mesmerizing way. This band just assaulted the audience with demolition hammer-like delivery. The ground shook when they played. It was like hearing a soundtrack to a violent heart attack. Embryonic Autopsy pounded the room with decibels, song after song, their set was brutal!
Macabre was the last local Chicago band of the evening. There were a lot of Macabre t-shirts in the audience. You could feel a strong anticipation for this show. Macabre projected a very different approach from the other bands. They definitely have a style and the manner in which they do their shows. There is a level of (dark) humor and charisma attached to their performances. No other band does it the way they do it. Macabre came on very strong, highlighting their most favored songs about the infamous serial killers. Many of these “characters” appeared on stage as those songs were being played. It was a combination of heavy music and theatrics, which certainly worked in band’s favor. The three musicians showed extreme proficiency in their respective instruments. Macabre has an out-of-control musicianship, and a flawless delivery. The crowd was extremely excited to hear the band, and pay homage to a true underground legend.
Repulsion was another iconic band that flew all the way from California for this very special engagement. Originally from Michigan, Repulsion, are considered legendary and highly influential group in the world of the extreme metal. Many consider them the originators of grind. This was the only live appearance from the band this year, and first time back in Chicago since the mid 90s appearance at Fotch’s. Needless to say, Repulsion was the most anticipated group of the night, if not the entire fest. Their t-shirts were an instant hit, and the band quickly sold out all the merchandise they brought with them.
As soon as the sounds of The Stench of Burning Death were heard from the speakers, the audience went into a frenzy. All of a sudden there was a solid pit, and bodies were flying. Each song, Repulsion played got a great reaction, and considering the underground nature of their material, there were a lot of die-hard fans in the crowd. The band was having a great time on stage. They were raging, unleashing one classic tune after the another. Repulsion kept the audience in a relentless chokehold, and everyone was hungry for more. Scott Carlson’s vocals and rhythms created a very spine-chilling mood and Matt Olivo’s insane riffing kept everyone on the edge. Chris Moore combined both of those parts with his insane drumming. Repulsion did nice tributes to Chicago’s Master, Canada’s Slaughter, and England’s Venom. This was a very explosive set of tracks from Horrified and beyond. Fantastic material from the pioneers of the extreme!
D.R.I. needed no introduction to Chicago audiences. Just like C.O.C. on the previous night, D.R.I. has a 4-decade relationship with the Windy City crowds. As one would expect, D.R.I. wasted no time in getting things going. Their crossover approach always gets huge reactions from the audiences, and before you know it, things turn crazy. Almost from the start a massive pit formed, and pretty much remained that way until the very end. Immense amounts of calories were burnt during the time D.R.I. was on stage.
The two key members of D.R.I., Kurt Brecht, and Spike Cassidy, were in great spirits, and ready to rock hard. Vocalist, Kurt Brecht, sounded amazing, and the four-decade long wear on his voice did very little to alter his abilities. The vocals came across perfectly audible, and of course he is still a monster frontman. Guitarist, Spike Cassidy, went through some serious health concerns, but all that is now behind him. Cassidy plays with a crushing precision, and his tone is instrumental to the over all sound. Those two players are the foundation elements to what D.R.I. is. They are still as vital as ever, add a solid rhythm section behind them, and the magic will continue to happen every time they play.
D.R.I. played a very varied set combined of tracks from the last 40 years. It was obvious, the older songs got the best response, but they kept the intensity flowing throughout the entire set. In many ways D.R.I. was the catalyst to acts like Macabre and Repulsion. They provided this sense of balance which was perfect way to close the show at an absolute high. So many classic tracks that represent so many different things to just about everyone in the audience. D.R.I. brought all of it out, they used that 90-minutes for maximum results. Great way to conclude the festival!
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