LIVE: Slayer Still Reign Supreme
Wednesday July 05, 2006 @ 05:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

July 4, 2006
Molson Amphitheatre
Toronto, ON
by Shehzaad Jiwani

The Unholy Alliance tour is pretty much every metalhead's dream. The almighty Slayer alone could draw legions of devoted followers, but with Thine Eyes Bleed, Children Of Bodom, Mastodon and Lamb Of God opening and offering distinctly different styles of metal, the tour brought out every long-haired Satan-worshipper in Toronto.

I got to the amphitheatre just in time to hear Children Of Bodom rip into their first of many over-the-top solos. The Finnish quintet played songs mostly off of their new album, Are You Dead Yet, and focused primarily on tracks that went straight for the kill. These included the fairly straightforward "In Your Face," with its refrain of "I don't give a flying fuck, motherfucker."

It was sort of disappointing to see COB play their simple songs, ignoring their classically influenced older material in favour of dumbed-down headbangers, but the crowd ate it up nevertheless.

Atlanta's Mastodon seemed to have fewer fans wearing their T-shirts, but they were easily the most compelling act on the bill. Being the least metal-oriented, the band focused on technical structures more than shredding solos, and their low-end riffs were the most crushing of the night. They played songs off their critically acclaimed Leviathan album and the upcoming Blood Mountain, which will hopefully convert more of the uninitiated.

Judging by the amount of people chanting the band's name, Lamb Of God probably could have headlined. The band stomped onto the stage to start the biggest circle pit of the night. Individual moshers gathered in the aisles to raise hell throughout the set, and the crowd hung onto every word barked by vocalist Randy Blythe, most notably his orders for a bigger circle pit during their popular single, "Now You've Got Something To Die For."

Blythe, with his newly-shaven head, stalked the stage and held his mic exactly like Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo did in the early '90s, and the band's huge success and diehard fanbase closely resembled the legendary band's in their prime.

Speaking of Pantera, their greatest hits pounded through the PA after Lamb Of God's set. The entire venue shouted along when "Walk" was played, and if there was any doubt about the legitimacy of the group's deified status, one simply had to look around and see the thousands of fists in the air at the sound of the classic track.

An image of Dimebag Darrel was projected onto the stage's screen, thus causing an eruption of applause from the audience. After that tribute was paid, the night was validated as a bona fide metal experience.

That's when the lights when out. White crosses lit up around the stage and, as Slayer walked on to the opening notes of "South Of Heaven," they slowly turned upside down. The band made their openers look like amateurs with every note, and showed everyone why they're still a force to be reckoned with after more than 20 years.

Slayer don't have fans, they have worshippers. People weren't even moshing or headbanging, but simply staring in awe as the metal pioneers played. Guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King played solos that excited everyone from the kids who had just discovered the band to the middle-aged men who've followed them since the '80s. After every couple of songs, frontman Tom Araya would speak to the audience. After every speech, the crowd was a sea of horns.

Unlike Metallica or Megadeth, Slayer's sound is still as vital and menacing as ever, and newer songs "Disciple" and "Cult" were just as well-received as classics such as "Seasons In The Abyss," "Raining Blood" and the riotous closer, "Angel Of Death."

Slayer may have grown beards and some grey hair, but they proved that they're still one of the best heavy metal bands in the world.

To view some photos of Mastodon, Lamb Of God and Slayer from the Unholy Alliance Tour at Molson Amphitheatre, click here.