Earlier this week Bellingham’s Ashes of Existence opened for The Black Dahlia Murder tour as they passed through Seattle alongside brutal death metal legends Suffocation and gore metal maniacs Exhumed. These three national touring bands have recently released new albums this year so it was a treat to get to see all of them playing new material in one show.
For this specific show we were out at the invite of Ashes of Existence. Ashes Of Existence are some of our Western Washington locals hailing from Bellingham. Band members are: Mike Agnini – Vox, Kevin George – Drums, Jorge Cantu – Guitars and Dylan Kane – Guitars. First up for the evening, this deathcore band came out ready to tear Seattle to shreds as they played songs off of their newly released EP called ‘Declination’. These guys helped set the tone of the evening and were a great opener. Check these guys out whenever you get a chance. They are well worth it and they’re great showman. Their EP ‘Declination’ is streaming now on YouTube, check it out below and give this band some much needed support while discovering some great new music.
Next up was Wormwitch from Vancouver, BC. The band had a very unique style to their sound. They melded together death metal vocals and almost a doom like atmosphere. This made for a very cool setting for the crowd as more and more people packed the venue. If you’re able to check them out I suggest it.
Following them was Necrot from Oakland, California. The three piece band brought one of the craziest sounds of the evening. With a mix of death metal and punk, the band quickly got a mosh pit going. The bands half hour set was one I will not forget. If these guys come to a city near you go check them out.
The fourth band of the night was Exhumed. This was the bands first show on the tour and they crushed it. The band opened up with their song “Defenders of The Grave” off of their recently released album ‘Death Revenge‘. The bands 35 minute set was filled with new songs and fan favorites. The highlight of the night was when the band played hit song “Limb From Limb” and a man dressed as a doctor ran out on stage with a chainsaw to get the audience riled up. It worked perfectly as the crowd started shouting “Limb From Limb” as loud as they could. The set came to a close with fan favorite “Open the Abscess”. If you get a chance to see this band live I highly recommend it. You’ll get to see a spectacle unlike any other.
Next up was Suffocation. With a crowd already feeling rowdy, you could just tell that the set was going to be crazy. All the members were already on stage doing their sound checks when new vocalist Kevin Muller walked out and tested the mic, put it down and walked away. Some of the audience members were confused, but the entire venue got quite a surprise when original vocalist Frank Mullen walked out on stage to perform. The place went crazy and as soon as the first riff of “Thrones Of Blood” started a massive mosh pit opened up. The minute set was packed full of songs spanning the bands discography. Halfway through the set Frank pulled up Kevin to perform the bands newer songs. One of the best parts was when both Kevin and Frank performed the breakdown of the bands new song “Clarity through Deprivation” off of the new album ‘…Of The Dark Light’. The set came to a close with the song “Infecting The Crypts”. If you get a chance to see this band live at any time make sure to go. These guys will blow you away with the brutality they showcase as well as their stage presence.
The headlining spot went to The Black Dahlia Murder. The band started their hour long set with “Widowmaker” off of their recently released album ‘Nightbringers’. The crowd was going insane with a raging circle pit up front, and stage divers going left and right the entire set. The band went back into their older albums and played “Statutory Ape” early on in the set. Vocalist Trevor Strnad called for a bigger and faster circle pit and he got exactly what he wanted. The crowd was ferocious during the entire set and never let up. The set came to a close with hit song “I Will Return'”off of their album ‘Deflorate‘. The Black Dahlia Murder knows how to put on a show. The energy they have on stage is matched by the crowd. If you get the chance to see this band live do it. There aren’t many bands that can put up that kind of energy live.
The Black Dahlia Murder setlist:
Widowmaker
Statutory Ape
Nightbringers
Miasma
Abysmal
Shrine To Madness
Kings Of Nightworld
What a Horrible Night To Have A Curse
Funeral Thirst
Deathmask
I Will Return
