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Rating: This time the Live Report of the concert that took place on May 20th in Turin, is really very late, featuring the mythical (not quite CLAAUDIO but almost) New York Suffocation as the headliner, with Natron from Apulia and Mindsnare from Turin as support.
The venue is indoors, at Spazio 201 on via Cigna 201 (a suburban area of Turin); easy to reach by car (much less so by public transport), and located in an area where parking is not a problem. The entrance fee is fifteen euros, which is quite cheap, and inside there are a few Merchandise stalls (few records, but plenty of Suffocation t-shirts also at a good price). The concert begins with a noticeable delay, but fortunately concludes around midnight, not exceeding too much beyond what I expected. You can hear the soundcheck, people begin to gather (unfortunately) and in a few minutes the place will crack from the heat.
MINDSNARE
Famous (perhaps the only) Turin-based Brutal Death band active for many years, they're the first to take the stage, welcomed by an already hot and ready-to-go crowd. The five's experience has made them more or less a legend in the Turin underground, so they need no introduction. Notable is the absence of their bassist, excellently replaced by the bassist of another Turin formation whose name escapes me now.
I personally knew them very superficially, and seeing them Live gave me an immediate proof of what they're about. Good, in fact, very good both technically and compositionally; they play a very "American" traditional Brutal Death that is appealing to fans of strong sounds but also to those approaching Brutal for the first time. In short, a band that clearly has a lot of experience and armed with a '90s flavor that I really like. I couldn't catch all the titles of the songs performed because, as is customary, they were shouted, but I can make out that one is "I Shall Not Fall" and another "I Shall Never Fall."
It's nice to finally see them (as they themselves said) on the same stage as Suffocation, and it's nice to see they don't try to excite the crowd with some cheap animation but play seriously and directly. The vocals are good (a bit static) and the guitar, excellent bass and drums. The basses are too prominent, which tends to become annoying to the ears over time.
Meanwhile, the crowd gets going, and a deadly mosh pit begins, which will culminate during Suffocation's set. I keep my distance because I want to focus more on the music than on the blows. Overall, after that of Suffocation, it's the best performance of the evening, with personality and heaviness that I like; a band that has never received what they deserved and that I hope was appreciated by many.
Rating: 9
A short break, friends go out to smoke a cigarette or buy something at the stalls, I go to put my jacket in the car because the air inside is unbreathable. A friend takes the chance to change into the Suffocation tank top just purchased.
NATRON
They hail from the distant lands of Apulia and accompany the Suffocation throughout the European Tour (not bad for an Italian band). I already knew them and I had "Livid Corruption," their debut LP (I think) focused on a decidedly traditional Death but well played. The singer is absent (bad luck night) and is replaced by the one from Stench of Dismemberment, another much more extreme Apulian band than Natron. I must say that the singer in question does not look out of place, on the contrary, he adds a bit of aggressiveness to the band.
Natron are much more violent live than they are in the studio, so much so that it takes me a while to recognize the songs (played faster and with more ferocity). I like the singer, and he has learned the songs well. His bandmates play correctly, but it seems to me that compared to Mindsnare, their proposal is less dark, and after a while, I start to get bored. To counterbalance the bass exuberance during Mindsnare's show, now the sound loses power and the songs have little impact. The crowd, however, is in a frenzy and launches into an even more ruthless mosh pit in which I participate half-heartedly (more to escape boredom than anything else): after a while, I step out and return to follow the concert. Although the performance is good, I am not thrilled and go to buy a bottle of water (prices are so high that they don't allow my already scarce finances to order an alcoholic drink). When I return, Natron are still there playing, and I really start to get fed up; I even have time to notice that the singer has an Enmity logo tattooed on his neck, which tells you how interested I was in the music.
The show drags on, and our guys practically exhaust their repertoire.
I am left with a bit of a bitter taste; everyone (or almost) thinks differently from me and is overjoyed with the Natron. I find them a bit dull and not very engaging; a good performance but nothing more.
Rating: 7
Another break, another cigarette, another trip to the bar. I go to the bathroom to relieve myself, next to me a blond guy with a dazed look and fully tattooed. No Sound Check for Suffocation, they immediately get on stage and settle in.
SUFFOCATION
It is almost amusing to see perhaps the band that founded Brutal Death and boasts nearly twenty years of career, playing on a children's stage in a tiny venue in a tiny city like Turin and then see two months later a Pantera tribute band playing on a stage as big as that of the Gods Of Metal with three times the people watching; Suffocation, however, are here right in front of me, and I almost can't believe it. Of the original lineup, Frank Mullen (vocals), Torrance Hobbs (guitar), and John Smith (drums) remain, while the other two come from other American bands; one of them, the bassist, is from Decrepit Birth and guess what, it's the very blond, tattooed, and dazed guy who was relieving himself next to me (I can say I relieved myself next to Suffocation's bassist, how Brutal). The venue is packed with people, the windows are completely fogged up. Suffocation start playing and all hell breaks loose.
What surprised me was seeing a technical band like Suffocation not hesitate, not make a mistake, and not even have a vocal drop during the hour-plus they played; true machines, but also people who, besides loving their music, greatly repay the audience for the money spent to see them. Naturally, they start by promoting their recent album "Suffocation": the beautiful "Abomination Reborn" and also "Bind, Torture, Kill," two songs that literally drive the audience crazy. Followed by tracks from "Effigy Of the Forgotten" like "Infecting The Crypt" and "Jesus Wept" but also from "Pierced From Within" from which they take "Thrones Of Blood," "Torn Into Enthrallment" and the Title Track with which they conclude the concert. All performed without even a hitch. I know all the songs by heart, so I dive into the crowd fresh and rested, and after a few minutes, I beg for mercy. They are serious here, in fact, they are going out of control so much so that a friend and I shield our friend literally at the feet of Frank Mullen, who is being nicely thrashed by the crowd. Things are bound to get worse: our friend finds herself clinging to the speaker, and the whole front row (I was shot backwards like a bullet) ends up on the stage (without exaggerating), and Suffocation, like true professionals, keep playing without any fuss. The audience starts practically moshing with Mullen and company so much that after the song, security intervenes to calm things down. Mullen chuckles and says he’s never seen a crowd this crazy before; honestly, I find it hard to believe. The performance continues with mediocre tracks from "Souls To Deny," among which I remember "Surgery Of Impalement": luckily, Suffocation realized the album didn't have great feedback, so they only play two songs from it. The thrashing continues without respite, and after resting a bit, I return to the fray. I will come out battered, but as Mp says, our metal concerts are like a video game; if you beat the final boss, you're done. The final boss in my case is "Funeral Inception." Mullen recites the intro, and I do with him; more blows. When it's all over, I take pictures with Hobbs and have him sign the "Human Waste" patch, then thank them endlessly and leave.
The performance was superb; technically grand, and despite being a name in extreme metal, they proved to be down-to-earth and not cocky at all. Great setlist, skilled at interacting with the audience, they've once again lived up to their fame; a concert every fan would have hoped to attend. Long live Suffocation.
Rating: 10
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