What better way to kick the shit out of your Monday than a night of metal. The 20 Monroe Live venue in Grand Rapids hosted a fearsome night of metal with Lamb of God and Behemoth. Each band left a wake of devastation and exalted metal fans.
The men of Lamb of God are an interminable touring machine. Since the release of ‘VII: Strum and Drang’ nearly two years ago, the band has been spreading the gospel of mayhem and metal. For their Fall tour, they have partnered up with Behemoth and Slayer. The Grand Rapids gig didn’t include Slayer, but I don’t think any of the fans cared as they reveled in an outstanding metal show.
The evening started out with Withhold The Blood from Muskegon, MI. This band knocked it out of the park with a stellar performance. Withhold The Blood stormed through their set with phenomenal intensity. Their music was psychotically aggressive with hints of Black Dahlia and The Faceless. They were on par with the national acts they supported and received well deserved appreciation from the crowd.
Shrouded in mist, the renown masters of sinister metal, Behemoth engulfed the stage. The throbbing menace of “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” opened the gates of raging metal.Due to the birth of a child, Inferno was unable to join the band on this tour. However, drummer Jon Rice (Scorpion Child, ex-Job For A Cowboy) was very capable in filling in. The light show suggested storms and lightning which added to the infernal majesty of the performance. Behemoth enjoyed strong support from the rapt crowd who eagerly cheered and flew the horns.
Lamb Of God have become titans of metal during their 23 years of existence. Their technical brand of metal contains enough hooks and grooves to invigorated and revitalized the scene. 20 Monroe Live was brimming with loyal fans who were eager for the physical release that the music of Lamb Of God provides.
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No time was wasted as Lamb Of God flew into the breach with “Laid To Rest”. A steady wave of crowd surfers frothed from a frenzied pit of fans who let the music soak them with its primal energy. This level of activity in the crowd continued as the band tore into such favorites as “Ruin”, “Something To Die For”, “512”, “Walk With Me In Hell”, and “Omerta”.
Randy Blythe mentioned that the band’s previous Grand Rapids gigs had always been at the Orbit room which is in a strip mall on the western edge of the city. This lead to his assumption that the city was basically a strip mall with a strip club. With 20 Monroe Live located in downtown Grand Rapids, Blythe took the opportunity to tour the city on his skate board before the show. He expressed his newfound appreciation for the city which received a hardy chorus of cheers.
The entire band and nearly everyone in the crowd was soaked in sweat as evening ended. Lamb Of God finished up with “Vigil” and “Redneck” to send crowd off physically exhausted, yet emotionally charged. Two big thumbs up to the staff at 20 Monroe Live. This fabulous new venue in Grand Rapids have a top-notch crew who ensured everyone had an enjoyable evening.
Lamb Of God and Behemoth demonstrated the cleansing power of metal music with brilliant performance at 20 Monroe Live in Grand Rapids. A lively crowd of metal diehards bathed in the waves of pummeling music. Restoring their strength through music to carry on another day.