When Decibel Magazine announced their 2019 tour, I was excited as this would be the first time I’d get to see Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Necrot, and Blood Incantation. Two legendary bands being opened by two fairly well-aged bands that were beginning to gain traction within the death metal circles in recent years. While not a once in a lifetime event, it was certainly a show that death metal fans wouldn’t want to miss. Who knows when it would happen again.
Quickly following the announcement, the venue housing the show in Kansas City immediately announced that Cannibal Corpse wouldn’t be playing that night. I was disappointed, as they were honestly my top reason for wanting to go, but I decided that I would still attend. I’m guessing Cannibal Corpse couldn’t attend because they would be playing at another venue in May. I’m still not entirely sure.
Finally, the night arrived, and the Truman had already filled up by the time I got there. It wasn’t a small venue by any means as it used to be a manufacturing building before being shut down and bought out by the current owners. I was quite surprised, as I figured that many wouldn’t show up until the end of Necrot’s set. The first set was postponed momentarily to allow people to arrive, with an eerie atmospheric track playing over the speakers. After about 15 to 20 minutes of waiting, Blood Incantation took the stage, almost completely shrouded in darkness.
As a concert-goer, the atmosphere was intense and fulfilling. A death metal band putting on such heavy ambiance is rare and Blood Incantation pulled it off with aplomb. I wasn’t too surprised, considering, but it was very nice to see them putting that amount of work into their stage presence. As a photographer, I was completely frustrated with the fact that all my pictures didn’t come out well at all because of how dark it was. However, that would be my only gripe. They were a great opener, even if they didn’t get the crowd to circle pit or mosh right away.
Necrot took the stage afterward, also in a slightly atmospheric manner but their lights were better, and I was able to snag a few good shots. They played a more fast-paced style of death metal and easily got the crowd involved a few songs in. This change of pace was a great build up to what was to come with Morbid Angel’s upcoming set. I found them quite enjoyable and would definitely include them on a playlist of death metal if in the mood. They would be a band to recommend in the live setting for sure.
Morbid Angel took the stage. Their lights were almost 200% better than their predecessors and even included some fans (not sure if for aesthetic reasons or in case they became hot over an extended period of time on stage) which really helped out the photography aspect of my visit. Their experience showed through their energetic stage presence as well as their tight synergy on stage. Their legendary status held true in their performance, playing tracks from their newest album all the way back to their demo days. It was very much a sight to behold.
Although Cannibal Corpse didn’t play the show, I wasn’t disappointed in that fact as much as I thought I would be. Every band played well and in their own unique style even though they could be lumped into the same sub-genre of metal. Hearing similar styles would have bored the hell out of me by Morbid Angel’s set (even if they do have their own unique sound altogether) and would have sincerely killed the experience for me. For those that weren’t able to attend the tour, you missed out on quite the performance. I’m also jealous of those that got to witness Cannibal Corpse as well as Immolation on the later tour dates. I can’t wait to see what Decibel Magazine comes up with for their 2020 tour package and hopefully they can stick with quality over quantity unlike some yearly tour packages out there.
All photos by Jeffrey Allee
MORBID ANGEL
NECROT
