Arch Enemy and The Black Dahlia Murder Bring Wrath to Raleigh
Metal veterans Arch Enemy and The Black Dahlia Murder joined forces to bring a death metal-fueled tour across the continent. Supported by Septic flesh, Crypta, and Thrown into Exile, the metal titans brutalized Raleigh for 5 hours on Thursday, October 22nd.
The night started at 6 PM when Thrown into Exile took the stage. The room was still filling up, but that didn’t stop Thrown into Exile from launching right into the thrashy-death metal track, Send Me Below. Throughout their whole set, guitarist Austin Monzon was smiling ear to ear, and the band's chemistry was great to watch. By the end of their set, the room had filled up quite a bit and the energy was incredible. At the end of their thirty-minute performance, they took a selfie with the cheering crowd.
Fifteen short minutes later, Crypta took the stage. This was the first time that I’d heard the Brazilian band, and I was immediately blown away. They launched into a blackened death metal performance, and the particular standout for me was vocalist and bassist Fernanda Lira. Her vocal talent, paired with the bass foundation she provided for the band, was simply incredible and as soon as the show ended, I dove into their catalog. Their penultimate song, A Portrait of Decay, was a particular standout. The shreddy guitar solos immediately caught my ear and the atmosphere that these 4 musicians created was palpable.
After Crypta’s dazzling performance, metal legends Septic flesh took the stage. I’ve long been a fan of them, and as soon as The Vampire from Nazareth played, I was cheering along from the photo pit. It was such a treat to see a song that I’ve loved for so long be performed live and with such energy. Unfortunately, they were down a member due to an injury, but that didn’t stop them from bringing the brutality. The crowd started singing (screaming?) along to their songs multiple times, but the standout was “Anubis”. Frontman Spires “Seth” Antoniou, instructed the crowd to hum the melody to Anubis, forming a hauntingly beautiful melodic tapestry to their unmatched brutality.
Fourth, and my personal favorite, was The Black Dahlia Murder. They were one of the first metal bands that attracted me almost 2 decades ago when I was in high school, and I’d never managed to see them before tonight. Their album “Deflorate” had just come out, and I was exploring metal. I was immediately drawn to the song Necropolis, due to the absolute killer guitar riff that opens the song. To my absolute astonishment, they opened with that very same track. The second I heard that guitar riff, I knew that I was in for an absolute treat. Brian Eschbach did a phenomenal job filling the late Trevor Strnad's shoes, and I felt like I was transported back to 2009, as a budding metalhead listening to what would become one of my favorite bands.
Finally, Arch Enemy was up next. The crowd waited with bated breath and admired the absolutely massive drum riser adorned with “PURE FUCKING METAL” on both bass drums. The crowd exploded into cheers, as drummer Daniel Erlandsson walked on stage and sat behind the kit before going right into “The World is Yours”. The new vocalist, Lauren Hart, was a delightful combo of absolute brutality and tangible joy when she was on stage performing with such a staple in the metal industry.
A close friend of mine, and long-time fan of Arch Enemy, Hayden Inman, was also in attendance, and I asked him his thoughts on his performance, and I think that he can sum it up better than I:
“Arch Enemy really inspired me. They came out there and gave it their all, 30+ years in, and you wouldn’t even be able to guess that. Their new vocalist, Lauren Hart, also brought such a joyful experience, and sounded so good on top of everything that I feel hugely inspired again, to the point where it even makes me approach my own vocals differently moving forward. Overall, it was genuinely such a great show. It’s honestly been probably my favorite show of the year so far. It has left such an impression on me.”
I love seeing this kind of energy in the metal space, and seeing the genuine love and joy for the craft by the fans and musicians alike. I can’t wait for the next time I get to see these bands again.