Onslaught @ St. Vitas Bar (Brooklyn, NY) 2012 April 07

Americans cling to an outmoded stereotype of a "metal" fan. Invariably its a young 18-24 year old drugged up non-ethnic white male with the IQ of a goldfish. The people who perpetuate this myth have obviously NEVER been to a metal show. I hit up St. Vitas Bar in Brooklyn to catch the last stop of Onslaught's first ever USA tour. The audience was as varied as the type of donuts at the local Krispy Kreme. Young and old and older; male and female; all colours, shapes,and sizes. Metal music appeals to everyone. The lyrics are honest and raw. It's a place to find refuge from a really crappy world. A place to find solidarity when everyone turns against you. At least that was the vibe in Brooklyn.

It's a long night of metal kicked off by local band Hypoxia. I got to meet lead singer, John, who is an affable bloke. Their music is hard and heavy, the highlight being a song called "The Walking Dead". It was excellent for all the Zombie lovers in the audience. Their set was a half-hour, only enough to whet the appetite of the crowd. The second band was a progressive speed metal outfit called Blue Hammer. The music was a cross between Black Sabbath and Slayer while the lead singer channeled King Diamond. Indestructible Noise Command from Connecticut hit the stage at 2200 hours. The band was comprised of 30-40 something year olds. I thought it novel the lead singer announced it was their first gig in twenty-three years. You read that right, 23 years! They played a surprisingly tight thrash metal set. It was circle pit worthy if you could have had the space as the crowd was quite densely packed by now. As the night progressed the bands got incrementally older. 2300 hours brought out Empire of Evil, a trio in their 40s-50s. They created a wall of sound with good old fashioned hard rock / heavy metal. The crowd loved them and knew all the songs.

That ends my review as for Onslaught, I shot some pretty choice shots for Australian metal magazine Metal as Fuck. Check out the photos.  Then peruse the website for the latest and greatest in heavy metal.

What I can say is that you know it's a good night when stage diving takes place. Onslaught nailed a 90 minute set to a much appreciative crowd. They played a heady mix of old and new. Travesty it took multiple decades to get them to the USA. The fanbase in Brooklyn is loyal and intense and I can't imagine it being different any where else they played this tour.



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