Jan 03 2009
Metalblog 2008 Concert of the Year
It was an OK year for the Metalblog and gigs. Family problems over the summer meant I wasn’t able to get to as many as hoped for, but the Metalblog still was able to catch some good concerts in 2008 (including Metallica’s Death Magnetic release party at the O2 Arena for only £5) and these were my favorites.
The runners up for Metalblog 2008 Concert of the Year…
Obituary/Holy Moses - ULU, London 03/02/08
The all too rare UK appearance of Holy Moses as opening act for Obituary is what brings this gig into my top 3 for 2008. Sure, Obituary are legends of Florida death metal, but Holy Moses are also legends - of German thrash metal.I was on the barrier for the whole of Holy Moses’ set and it was one of the best sets I saw from any band in 2008. Obituary weren’t too shabby either.
Helloween/Gamma Ray - Shepherds Bush Empire, London 08/01/08
More German metal legends, but this time in the power metal genre. Gamma Ray started after guitarist, and original singer, Kai Hansen left Helloween. Nearly twenty years later he was sharing a stage with them once again. At the end of Helloween’s set Hansen and Gamma Ray joined Helloween for some classic Helloween numbers that sent everybody home in power metal heaven.
And the winner of Metalblog’s Best Concert for 2008 is….
Municipal Waste/Toxic Holocaust/Mutant/Seregon - Islington Academy, London 06/02/08
While no single band from this show could have made this list on their own, this was the most solid lineup of any show I saw in 2008. Four good young thrash metal bands taking no prisoners.
Things kicked off with two of the Metalblog’s favorite unsigned bands, Seregon and Mutant getting the crowd warmed up in style and getting the mosh pit readied for the American acts to follow.
Mutant was followed by Toxic Holocaust, who played a great set of blackened thrash and then Municipal Waste playing their party crossover thrash. Municipal Waste’s set was short for a headlining act, but with the allround great thrash show just witnesedthere were few complaints - not to mention most of the audience was probablly too drunk to notice or care.
