By: Jay Broderick
Toronto, Ontario - In February of 2016, a couple buddies and I headed to The Opera House to catch one of my favourite metal bands, a local outfit called Sacrifice. One of the supporting acts that night was an extreme metal band who went by the name Goatwhore. We all thought "What in the hell is this madness???" Madness it was! And with a name like that, we were not likely to forget them very soon!
So it was without a doubt that I had to head to Lee's Palace on September 17, 2024 to cover Goatwhore's Venomous Evocation Tour 2024. With supporting acts Vitriol, Necrofier and local mystery band Thantifaxath, this one was expected to be one of the heaviest shows of the year.
As I lined up outside the venue from my typically early arrival, band members from tonight's show were hanging around, sound checking, and just killing time until the show began. With a scheduled 8:00 start, and 4 bands on the bill, this was going to be a late night. With still an hour+ until the 7:00 doors opening, Goatwhore band members Sammy Duet and Robert Coleman ask one of the security guys outside where to grab a bite. There are a lot of spots around the Bloor Street venue, but the guard sells the 2 musicians on a Shawarma spot just down the road. And off they headed! One of the things I love about the metal community is that bands typically "hang around" before, during and after shows. It allows fans to chat with them, and/or grab a selfie. Nothing like it!!
Thantifaxath
First up on tonight's bill is a local black metal band, from right here in Toronto. Aside from the band's name, we really don't know anything about Thantifaxath. With 3 anonymous band members adorned in black hooded shrouds, the band hits the stage at 7:45pm. It's 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled start time, and a perfect reason why everybody should arrive to a show early!
Cast in a red glow, Thantifaxath is dark, and heavy as hell. With zero interaction with the crowd, and not a ton of movement on the stage, the trio plays through their doom-laden set. The crowd stands back and watches, and listens. A small mosh opens up towards the end of the band's set, and at the conclusion, the band walks off as a guitar loop rings through the venue... leaving even more mystery, as to who the 3 really are.
Necrofier
While the crowd is starting to fill in, there aren't a ton of people here yet, as Necrofier take the stage at 8:30pm. The band's sound is much fuller than the previous act. The 4-piece ensemble makes a massive difference in this case, and the band has a much bigger stage presence. The thickening crowd have their metal horns in the air, as the stage continues to glow in red light. The billowing smoke adds another layer of mood, but boy, for a photographer, the light is horrendous. Certainly not one of the best venues for my role here, but I'll admit, it looks really cool!
There is a smattering of action from the crowd during the Houston Texans' set. One fan in front of me headbangs his way to glory, fists strike towards the stage, and air guitarists shred with fury. But despite the band's energy, and guitarist Semir Ozerkan's urges for the crowd to circle in a pit, the atmosphere from the crowd seemed, well.... dead. Necrofier definitely should have gotten more in return based on what they gave.
Vitriol
Vitriol are a death metal outfit from Portland, Oregon who have been on the scene for more than 10 years. Formed in 2013, Vitriol stormed onto the stage for their set here at the Palace, and from their opening track "I Drown Nightly", the crowd came alive. A mosh pit ensued immediately, and the dead were finally awake!
Vitriol started this tour as a 3-piece, but the band's front man Kyle Rasmussen explained that their bass player went home after the band had a ton of challenges. It left them as a 2-piece for the rest of the tour, but Rasmussen and drummer Matt Kilner would be damned if they weren't going to press forward and continue to give it everything they had. Now that my friends, is heavy metal!!! "We got any angry people here in Toronto?" Rasmussen asks? "This next track goes out to you!!" and the band roared into "Victim". The crowd continued to rage, and now some were even getting up on stage and diving into the crowd.
Vitriol had the crowd engaged for their full 45 minute set. The music was blistering, the energy was high, and this time, the band got their reward by an engaged fanbase. For 2 guys that had been abandoned by their brother, they poured it all out on stage, and through their music.
Goatwhore
The support during this show was heavy, doom filled metal. In fact, it was the first night that all 4 bands had played on the same night. During the first half of the tour, Necrofier was not on board, and the second half of the tour had Thantifaxath not partaking. But tonight, all 4 were on hand. And with all due respect, there was a clear reason why Goatwhore held the headlining position. The sound, the intensity, and the stage presence was unreal, right from the opening notes.
With bassist Robert Coleman constantly banging his head, and front man Louis Ben Falgoust II and guitarist Sammy Duet all over the stage, it made for great energy from the band. The crowd responded in kind by surfing, thrashing, moshing and headbanging along with the extreme metal screaming out of the speakers. I left my usual post at this venue and moved around the floor to get some different angles, even at one point being allowed to head up a ramp to stage left. I could feel the floor rumbling beneath my feet. It was louder than hell, even with my ear plugs in.
"How is everybody on this Tuesday night?" Falgoust asks the Toronto metalheads. He cheers' the crowd, and thanks the opening acts on tonight's bill. "COME ON!!" he screams, asking for a boisterous response. The crowd is completely committed by this time, and as the band continues their set, the crowd continues their madness. Even the ladies are stage diving. I love that this is allowed. Falgoust fist pumps the fans in the front row, and even cheers' his beer with a fan in the front. It's another glorious vision in a small venue.
By the end of the night, Goatwhore's lead vocalist takes a minute to give a special shout-out to Vitriol. Earlier, I mentioned that the band had some challenges on this tour, and that their bassist skipped out on them. Falgoust explains that Vitriol has had van troubles, but they still managed to get to every single show. Now that's dedication! And Falgoust urges the crowd to give them a massive round of applause.
I'll admit, this show got off to a bit of a slow start. Not specifically any fault of the opening bands on this bill. It was the crowd that was a little lax, but they definitely got more rambunctious with each act. By the time the headliners hit the stage, it was all out electric... and heavy! Goatwhore's set was fast. It was loud. It was extreme!!! There's a reason these guys have risen to the top of the pile when it comes to this sub-genre of metal. Their singer is what this type of metal is all about, and the musicianship is unbeatable. And when they're playing live, they're on fire, like the pits from which they dwell. It's something I didn't forget the first time I saw them, and it's something I won't forget from this last visit here in Toronto.
Concert Photo Gallery
Goatwhore Online
show date: September 17, 2024
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