Havok, Skeletonwitch – Ivory Blacks, Glasgow – 12/08/2014

.@HAVOKthrash @Skeletonwitch show reviewed by  @AnybodyBC  for @Planetmosh

Although the summer festival season is coming to an end there are still plenty of opportunities to have a great time with live shows. For the thrash metal lovers, 12th of August was one hell of a party with Havok and Skeletonwitch front and centre as they hit Glasgow!

The night kicked off with local support from Black Talon, metallers from Edinburgh. These guys were a cracking warm up for the remainder of the night. The crowd are already in the very front and definitely enjoying what they see and hear. Half an hour passes very fast before it’s time for Skeletonwitch to take to the stage.

Skeletonwitch, blackened thrash metallers from Ohio, were fast enough to appear on the stage in less than half an hour break. If anyone thought that Havok were the only headliners for this gig, Skeletonwitch made sure that wasn’t the case. One hour of neck cracking, blackened, thrash metal. Bewitching with loads of energy, apparent all around the venue – a non-stop moshpit and stage divers coming one after another. And, well, one selfie (and probably facebook?) fan who used every possibility to make one while moshing around on the stage. “Take a look at that – onstage selfie! It’s enough already, get out now” – the following repetitive times didn’t go unnoticed by the band vocalist Chance Garnette. The band seemed to be in great mood and there were more jokes during the show.

Skeletonwitch
Skeletonwitch

Skeletonwitch setlist:

  • I Am Of Death (Hell Has Arrived)
  • From A Cloudless Sky
  • Burned From Bone
  • The Horrifying Force (The Desire To Kill)
  • Crushed Beyond Dust
  • Upon Wings Of Black
  • Choke Upon Betrayal
  • Beneath Dead Leaves
  • Serpents Unleashed
  • Stand, Fight & Die
  • Cleaver Of Souls
  • Beyond The Permafrost
  • Unending, Everliving
  • Repulsive Salvation
  • Of Ash & Torment
  • Within My Blood
  • More Cruel Than Weak
Havok
Havok

After an hour of crushing, blackened, thrash metal, the time had come for Havok. Way less crowded stage, but certainly no less energy and drive. As usual, four guys, all of them giving everything they have on the stage, totally stormed out, giving no chance for anyone in the audience to stop moving. Another hour full of cracking fast, energized thrash metal, complete with another mosh pit and stage diving. In the middle of the show the security guy comes up on the stage to keep some kind of order, which was not unnoticed by everyone. The band was laughing about the fact that fans are getting their “asses kicked” because of the stage diving, although that’s what they have come for. But that didn’t detract everybody, they just keep on moshing and enjoying themselves both on and off the stage. Havok played a great set of songs from various albums, including the well known “Point Of No Return”, “Cradle To The Grave”, “D.O.A.”, “Covering Fire” and plenty of furious tracks from the last album “Unnatural Selection”: “I Am The State”, “Give Me Liberty… Or Give Me Death”, “Under The Gun” and of course, “Unnatural Selection”. Time was flying by and the air was rich with loads of heat and sweat all around. When the matter turned about the drinks, the crowd was assertive “I want whiskey, fuck your gin..!”, seconds later singer David Sanchez admitted that that was one of the greatest things he heard so far. He also insisted everyone enjoy the day they live, because life is short and well, you never know. It seemed that was indeed what happened the 12th of August at the Ivory Blacks in Glasgow, despite the rain and summer going to the end.

Havok and Skeletonwitch totally trashed the place, with the help of their faithful fans and showed once again that these guys definitely have their crowd here, in Glasgow.

 

Links:
havokband.com
www.facebook.com/HavokOfficial
twitter.com/HAVOKthrash

skeletonwitch.com
www.facebook.com/skeletonwitchmetal
twitter.com/Skeletonwitch

www.facebook.com/blacktalonthrash

 

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About Jurga Kalinauskaite

Photographer, journalist, curious wanderer.