Slayer, Testament, Carcass – Myth – Maplewood, MN

I’m one of those old guys that still listens to loud music. So when I heard Slayer was coming to town, I knew I’d not be the oldest one at the show. I immediately bought a ticket. And, it was a great line-up, as well. Some sweet bands I used to play a lot when I was a radio DJ back in Davenport, IA.

Carcass was pretty good. I like their older stuff more than their newer style, but they’re great musicians and have great presence on the stage. They’ve been doing this a really long time, so they’ve no doubt got their style and stage antics honed in. They played a lot of newer songs, but peppered in a few of the older ones.

Testament never disappoints. Chuck Billy hasn’t lost a beat, despite some health issues and being one of the older guys. Still has some solid pipes. Also, it’s good to see Alex Skolnick (aka Alex Trebek) still shredding like he’s 18. I always forget they came from some thrash-era styles of music, so it’s got that fast running tempo in most of their songs. I really enjoy these guys live (and have for like 25 years…).

Slayer kills it. Every show. They’re not running around like monkeys or jumping off things, but they’re in the upper echelon of incredibly influential bands for a reason. Solid playing and larger than most stage presence, even while standing there looking angry. I know they lost one of their founding members a few years back, but they still pulled off every song with perfection with the new guitarist. The singer and bass player, Tom Araya, has a giant white beard and black hair and still sounds fantastic. I am always bummed when I see the band without Dave Lombardo on the drums, but Paul Bostaph is flawless – I love watching both of them play equally, to be honest. But apparently, Dave Lombardo is touring with Suicidal Tendencies (who were playing the Myth the next night, oddly enough). Slayer puts on a pretty impressive show and I’m always happy to shell out some cash to see them. That being said, I still won’t shell out $80 for a Slayer sweatshirt, no matter how awesome it is.