Gig Review: Morbid Angel @ Mean Fiddler, London 19/04/2005

Few bands can rightfully claim to have had the influence and longevity of the great Morbid Angel. When "Altars of Madness" first dropped on an unsuspecting metal world in 1989, it signalled the beginning of a new era in extreme death metal. Throughout subsequent albums the Morbids honed their brutal craft, before singer/bassist David Vincent left the band after 1996's Domination tour. In his absence the band continued on, but the ingredients he brought to their chemistry were noticibly absent from their subsequent studio efforts. Now the big man is back, for this tour at least, and hopefully for the long term, because the Morbid Angel unit playing tonight's show was set to kill - powerful, intense and precise death metal mania.

KIcking off with a personal favourite in "Rapture", the band wasted no time in setting the intensity. "Pain Divine" aptly followed, as the crowd inside the Mean Fiddler went absolutely apeshit. Material from the four Vincent-era albums made up the show, with killer songs including "Immortal Rites", "World of Shit (Promised Land)", "Dominate", "Where the Slime Live", "Lord of All Fevers and Plague", "Sworn to the Black" and "Maze of Torment" being played among others. My only qualm is that only a single song from 1991's most excellent "Blessed..." album was aired, being "Day of Suffering".

Nonetheless, I can forgive the band for this minor transgression, for in every aspect tonight's performance was flawless. Trey Azagthoth as usual assumed his usual position stage right, head down as he churned out his trademark solos with ease and grace. Up the back, Pete "Commando" Sandoval was in fine form, and second guitarist Tony Norman was more than up to the task of churning out the death metal riff assault. But the icing on this cake was David Vincent in all his imposing glory. With his guttural death metal growls, insane bass playing and unique humour in between the songs, he was born to front this band, and looked to be enjoying every minute of it.

Tonight's encore consisted of "Chapel of Ghouls" and "G-d of Emptiness", and as the Morbids left the stage the only disappointment was that the show had to end. A triumphant return then for the kings of extreme death metal.

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