I’m always amazed at how big certain metal artists feel in this province compared to the rest of the country. Many metal bands seem to play their largest headlining North American shows in Montreal, and its heavy scene is one of the many reasons I adore this city. This sentiment is best exemplified by Lamb Of God’s stop at the Bell Centre this last Thursday. No legacy album anniversary tour, no recent virality to capitalize on, just a textbook tour promoting the band’s 10th studio album, Into Oblivion, with a stop at the biggest indoor stage this city can offer.
First up that night was Sanguisugabogg, a band that I only really know from their comically complex logo and hilarious online presence. I was expecting some sort of gimmick, but their live show was anything but. Humour found its way in the manner that frontman Devin Swank addressed the crowd, but the music was blisteringly fast and seriously heavy. Complex subdivisions within the breakneck double kicks, peppered between beefy chugging breakdowns, made for a feral pit right from the get-go. Swank’s powerful stature propelled the music to the very back of the room, and they looked incredibly comfortable playing to so many attentive ears.
Following them was Fit For An Autopsy, a band that I properly discovered at their last show in Quebec at FEQ a few years back. They were just as impressive this time around, keeping things heavy while introducing some musical elements for the first time that night. Some soaring lead guitar solos and frankly impressive clean vocals broke out of the fold from time to time, making for a diverse setlist that was over far too soon.
Kublai Khan TX was next to hit the stage, a band that I was surprised to learn are big enough to be billed as direct support for the night’s headliners. I’ve seen more complex technical setups at house shows. Monitor wedges, three amps, and a three-piece, single-kick drum set were all that occupied the massive stage. No fancy light show for their set, and I’m even sure the guitarist and bassist could have gotten by using only their bottom two strings. Yet, what followed was effectively simple, hardcore-influenced heavy metal to go wild to. The band fed off the crowd’s passion, as frontman Matt Honeycutt encouraged the two-steppers in the pit with a stern southern drawl while sporting his military cap and wife-beater. These Texans oozed charm, and the music’s lack of complexity wasn’t at all a drawback. As Honeycutt said best, Kublai Khan TX like to keep things simple. You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make a heavy meal.
Finally, Lamb Of God were next to amaze the audience. Their new logo projected onto a black curtain was met with a roaring crowd. The curtain dropped as the band broke into Ruin, and expertly controlled chaos followed. The light show was marvellous as well, as unorthodox fusions of colours painted the stage, and video walls between set decor displayed some captivating animations. It was just as much a visual feast as it was an auditory one.
The class act that he is, Randy Blythe kindly addressed the crowd a few times through the night and kept us equally hooked whether or not he was delivering his iconic screams. After playing a cherry-picked collection of songs from across their catalogue, the band closed things out with Redneck. Blythe called for the crowd to come together and form the biggest circle pit possible, and Montreal delivered. Now, one of my biggest show regrets is seeing Strung Out at Amnesia Rockfest over Lamb Of God in 2016. Anyone who experienced that Lamb Of God show knows the stories that emerged from that circle pit have become legend. Last week proved that Quebec keeps delivering, even ten years later. The pit was quite something to behold. Though I wished I could have been on the floor for this show, having an overhead view of the massive circle pit growing to take up the majority of the Bell Centre’s general admission space was an experience in itself, and a perfect way to end such a monstrous set.
Just like that, in what felt like the fastest four hours I’ve witnessed in recent memory, the show was over. I won’t pretend that the Bell Centre was packed for the spectacle that Lamb Of God put on that night. But even with the 200 and 300 sections tarped off and the 100s filled right around halfway, Lamb Of God still put on a masterclass of a show. With all three support acts being newer bands that are no doubt influenced by the night’s headliners, the evening, and this tour as a whole, feels like a supportive passing-the-torch moment of American metal between established juggernauts and fresh blood.
Review – Mathieu Perrier
Photos – Eric Brisson
