As fans make their way to Finsbury Park, there’s a sense that something is different in the air.
Just the night before, everyone was watching—live or via streaming—what was arguably the biggest metal concert of all time: the final performances from Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. It was an unforgettable night in metal history, packed with special guests, and had everyone sobbing and headbanging from start to finish.
Where do we go after that? How do we live in a world where Ozzy and Sabbath no longer perform?
Well, seeing Slayer is a good start. And with a stacked lineup featuring Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed, and Neckbreakker, it certainly makes it easier.
Neckbreakker
It doesn’t take long for the first mosh pits of the afternoon to break out.
“I wake up and sharpen my axe!”, growls Christoffer, as these young lads from Denmark storm the stage playing their modern take on Death Metal. Neckbreakker released their debut album last year, but judging by their performance and how quickly they can grab the audience’s attention, you wouldn’t know.
As they go through songs like “Putrefied Body Fluid” and “Face-Splitting Madness”, you can see a band that fully controls their ability to blend technicality and brutality.
On an afternoon when most of the bands have decades of career, Neckbreakker is a very good reminder that the future of extreme metal is in good hands.
Hatebreed
As Finsbury Park starts to get packed for the rest of the afternoon, Jamey Jasta and his crew, accompanied by an inflatable demon, bring us rage and excitement with the first bass lines for “I Will be Heard”.
Hatebreed is one of those bands that gets everyone moving around, being you’re a fan or not. And this is something that Jasta acknowledges quite soon as he welcomes newcomers with “As Diehard as they come”.
It’s a set full of classics, such as “Tear it Down” and “Perseverance”. But when the Balls of Death are unleashed in the crowd and everyone is screaming “Born to bleed, Fighting to succeed, Built to endure what this world throws at me” together, that’s when you can see grins all around.
“Looking Down the Barrel of Today” wraps up a 10-track set that was just enough to get everyone pumped for the rest of the afternoon, but leaves you craving for more Hatebreed.
Mastodon
Last time Mastodon played in London, the world was a very different place: They were touring “Emperor of Sand”, no one knew what COVID was and co-founder/lead guitarist Brent Hinds was still in the band.
Earlier this year, Hinds and the band decided to go their separate ways, which took everyone by surprise. However, that didn’t get in the way of another amazing performance by the band.
Starters “Tread Lightly” and “The Motherload” show that the band continues to be as technical as ever. Brann Dailor continues to impress by doing drums and vocals at the same time, whilst newcomer Nick Johnston is already quite comfortable with his new role, always smiling and interacting with the audience and when doing solos with Bill.
Mastodon is the proggiest band of the lineup, and the psychedelic imagery on the backdrop helps with their trippy, crushing sound. But as the evening goes on, they get heavier and heavier, with hits like “Crystal Skull”, “Black Tongue”, “Megalodon” and “Mother Puncher”.
They promised to be back soon in London with a new record, just before the closer “Blood and Thunder” that manages to literally bring a refreshing downpour to the crowd.
Anthrax
When the first notes of “Among the Living” echo through Finsbury Park, the sun is out and shining again. The thunderous drumming from Benante, combined with Belladonna’s scream of “Disease!” has everyone jumping and moshing.
With over 40 years going on strong, it is still amazing to see how full of energy they are when playing live. Belladonna running around the stage and even going to the pit at some point, Ian Scott yelling and playing like this is the last gig ever, Benante still at the top of his game, Bello headbanging and demanding the crowds reaction and Donais shredding as ever.
“Caught in a Mosh”, “I am the Law” and “Antisocial” bring a huge reaction from everyone.
Before the solo for “Indians” starts blasting through to finish their set, the group promises to be back soon with a new release, their first in 10 years, and a new tour.
If the new tour is as fun as this gig, sign me up.
Amon Amarth
It’s time for Vikings!
As the stage is set with a gorgeous backdrop of Norse warriors between two Viking statues, dressed-up fans make their way to the front of the pit, wearing kilts, makeup and holding horns and inflatable axes. A bit of a different sight from the main headliner of this afternoon, but still a glorious and fun sight to behold.
“Guardians of Asgard”, below Johan Hegg, with the rage of a viking, while Mikkonen and Söderberg shred their guitars with an amazing pyro just behind them.
The rest of the set is as powerful as the starter: “Deceiver of the Gods”, “Crack the Sky”, and the classic “Put your back into the oar”, which gets the most hardcore fans rowing like it’s the 800s again.
As the Hammer of Thor strikes during the frantic “Twilight of the Thunder God” followed by a huge explosion, another mosh pit has everyone ready for the main event, while hoping that Amon Amarth will be back soon with another epic showing.
Slayer
This is it.
The moment fans have waited for since Slayer’s reunion announcement last year.
A nicely highlighted video from the band, spanning their decades of career, is played, amping up even more the fans that simply won’t stop screaming “SLAAAYEEEERGH” at this point.
As the opening riff of “South of Heaven” starts, chaos erupts. Araya screams, “Before you see the light, you must die” as fire explodes on the stage. King and Holt are as brutal as ever, and Bostaph’s drumming is a sight to behold.
The band won’t waste any time chatting around and continues with “Repentless” and “Disciple”. A hell of a trio of songs to begin with. Finsbury Park screaming “God hate us all” while an upside-down cross burns behind the band will stick in the memory for a long time.
As the set reaches new levels of rage, the pyro also gets more insane: “I will see you burned alive screaming for your god” during “Jihad” has all fire canisters working like it’s a Rammstein concert.
“Born of Fire” and “Dead Skin Mask” both make a nice contrast of brutality with the beautiful sunset hitting the stage.
To make things full circle, “Wicked World”, the first song ever played by Black Sabbath before they were Black Sabbath, is played by the band, mixed up with their own “Postmortem“.
And of course, as it usually goes, the ultimate finale: “Raining Blood” and “Angel of Death” has everyone jumping, screaming and tearing the place apart. A brutal and fitting way to finish a very special day and a unique and extreme weekend.
Ozzy and Black Sabbath might have retired, but at least, for now, we have Slayer back again in an incredible form.