Metal band Exodus has been a part of the music scene for 33 years they have undergone many changes throughout their long career and still have a loyal following in the metal music world, | Courtesy of Fresnom media
A scent of smoke surrounded the entry to the House of Blues, and the cloud that accompanied it was only fitting for the music inside.
Metal-heads and thrashers alike packed the house 6 p.m. Wednesday for the Metal Alliance Tour, a concert that would leave a pounding in your skull and your body wracked with soreness for the next month. The show featured Holy Grail, Municipal Waste, High on Fire, Exodus and Anthrax.
Fans lined the walls and the standing area that made up general admission was already alive with a circle pit and fans throwing themselves against the stage like knights on a wall. Many wore black leather and had head-banging hair that fell down over their denim vests.
If the circle pits and moshing was intimidating before headliners Anthrax took the stage, it then became downright violent. The moshers looked set to start a riot, and those in the circle pit seemed ready to rouse a storm. The band themselves were possessed by the music; the fact that the entire band is within a year or two of 50 was entirely negligible. The audience sang back to vocalist Joey Belladonna the entire set, and any song that had some sort of chant section, such as “I Am the Law,” was filled in by the lively crowd. The band has garnered a dedicated following over the years.
The 33-year-old band Exodus, another large name on the ticket, has been through multiple lineup changes and hiatuses that got them where they are today. The band opened with “The Ballad of Leonard and Charles,” after which lead vocalist Rob Dukes took a monologue to explain how he’d love to live in Texas with our current gun rights. He remembered then, with a chuckle, that he was a felon and couldn’t keep a gun anyway, and the band roared into the rest of their set, which included “Bonded by Blood,” and “A Lesson in Violence.”
Municipal Waste’s singer took the stage by cartwheeling into center to greet the audience. If the younger band paused to speak during their 30-minute performance, it was to spew some vulgarities. Their ability to retain studio-quality sound was appreciable, but the drummer’s microphones left him sounding squelched.
High on Fire followed Waste with a much darker mood. The sweaty and shirtless singer looked as though he had just left a fight club and also cut the chatter to make up for the lacking time. The singer’s voice was a guttural yell that blended into their sound the entire set.
Anthrax played a number of their own songs, but also played “T.N.T.” by AC/DC, and finished their set with “Antisocial” by Trust.
Thanks for the review Zach. I missed almost all of the first three bands. Who starts a show at 6 on a weekday? Exodus sounded pretty good to me, but I liked them better when Zetro was singing back in their hey-day. As for Anthrax, wow. I’ve seen them several times and this was one of their best. The crowd was amazing! So much energy all throughout. Scott Ian testified to this by pointing out some nights they stop during “Indians” to rile up the fans, but that wasn’t necessary this time. Fans continued cheering after the show outside the venue. Been a very long time since I went to a show where that happened. Well done Houston!