Goatwhore -- Chicago, IL -- March 3rd, 2012

[kalfitegrdan]

I got to the venue half an hour late, which ended up being fifteen minutes early because Reggie's almost never starts on time. I met up with some friends and waited around for like fifteen minutes before the first band started. The first band was a local band called Air Raid and they were without a doubt the best local opener that I've ever seen. They were like a Brutal Death Metal band and they just fucking brought it, although there were no pits for their set, they had great energy and were pretty funny, with song titles like Tears of Shit and Boozington McLiesalot (or some shit like that.)

The next band up was another local band, Kataplexy. They are a self-proclaimed "hockey metal" band. They all wore hockey jerseys and donned goalie masks during their hockey themed song, "Intermission Zamboni Disfigurement." They played Brutal Death Metal with plenty of grunts and gurgles. They were okay. I wasn't too impressed with them.

Next up was Battlecross, who I'd never heard before. I actually really enjoyed their music and ended up buying their CD, but their vocalist just seemed to be a little bit full of himself. He introduced the first song by bragging that it was currently number 1 on some Sirius XM Liquid Metal list and then was getting pissed that most people weren't getting into their set too much.Their set list was as follows:
(I could be wrong on the order)
Push Pull Destroy
Leech
Kaleb
Misery
Deception
Breaking You
Man of Stone

Next up was fucking Hate Eternal. And god dammit were they brutal as all hell. The crowd really got into it for them and they played five minutes shy of an hour and it was just great. This was my third time seeing them and had to be the best. I came to this show determined to actually get the set list right because everyone else who posted this tour was a little foggy on the details, but that didn't really end up happening. Granted I couldn't really understand what Erik was saying during his song introductions and banter because he was speaking in his "brutal" voice, but I'm pretty sure the set list went something like this:

Behold Judas
The Victorious Reign
Saturated in Dejection
Thorns of Acacia
Phoenix Amongst the Ashes
Haunting Abound
The Obscure Terror
I, Monarch
Powers That Be
King of All Kings

After Hate Eternal I went outside for some fresh air and watched some homeless guy try to pick fights with some metalheads, get pushed away from the venue by security and then come back and yell about how they blast metal in the hood. Goatwhore came on promptly after this and the crowd just went fucking nuts! Goatwhore has to have one of the best, if not THE best live energies that I've ever seen. I wasn't planning on getting too rowdy for them, but as soon as they came on I couldn't help myself. I ended up headbanging fervently and moshing most of the set. This is the sixth time that I've seen Goatwhore and is probably the best, with the Lock Up show being a close second. My friend actually got their set list and sent me a picture because my phone was dead at the time, so I'm sure that this is correct.

Collapse in Eternal Worth
Provoking the Ritual of Death
The Black Art of Deception
In Deathless Tradition
Carving Out the Eyes of God
Sky Inferno
Alchemy of the Black Sun Cult
The All Destroying
When Steel and Bone Meet
Judgement of the Bleeding Crown (which they dedicated to Cerebral Bore and Fallujah for not being able to be there and to Battlecross for stepping up for the tour)
Invert the Virgin
Commanding the Legions of Hell
To Mourn and Forever Wander Through Forgotten Doorways
An End to Nothing
Apocalyptic Havoc

Overall this was a fantastic show and although I was really disappointed that Cerebral Bore and Fallujah had to drop, I'm glad that I went.

[VoidFlame]

Damn, this Hate Eternal setlist is looking great! I hope they add a few songs for the headlining off-dates (hoping for Dethroned ).

[kalfitegrdan]

Originally Posted by VoidFlame

Damn, this Hate Eternal setlist is looking great! I hope they add a few songs for the headlining off-dates (hoping for Dethroned ).

Goatwhore and Hate Eternal had the same amount of time in their set. It was more of a co-headliner. Hate Eternal had an hour to played, but only used 55 minutes and Goatwhore actually played the full hour.

[smearCampaign]

Great review. Both the Hate Eternal and Goatwhore sets look good. Goatwhore should never take Invert the Virgin out of their set lists.

[adamclark52]

I listen to Sirius Satellite's Liquid Metal, and that Battlecross song is indeed number one on their weekly countdown show ahead of bands like Machine Head, Lamb of God and Meshuggah. And I honestly can't see why aside from one little work in radio: payola.

[dcmetal108]

Great review.

I still haven't seen Goatwhore

[bigguytoo9]

Goatwhore are wonderful live, what a great set from them as well

[kalfitegrdan]

Originally Posted by dcmetal108

Great review.

I still haven't seen Goatwhore

Definitely do if you get the chance, man. Even if you aren't that big of a fan of their records, they are just really energetic and a great live show.