After two painful years of no touring, no live music and locked away due to a world pandemic, concerts are back, and they are coming with a vengeance. The legendary death metal purveyors Nile and brutalizers Incantation are wrecking concert halls across America. The venue, 1720 Warehouse, the fans brutal and thirsty for heavy drums and malevolent guitar riffs the stage was set for these two titans of death metal to butcher the audience.

After a great couple of opening acts, the fans were ready for the much-anticipated return of death metal. Texas death metal act I Am came in hot with heavy riffs and amazing musicianship. Followed by the grindcore-death metal death lovers Sanguisugabogg who brought a neck stomping sound to Los Angeles, yes, we all love death and killing people fans loved this band no doubt about it.

As the fans raved about Sanguisugabogg, the stage was getting set for yet another destructive band and sound. Incantation followed a brutal act, and their legendary riffs conquered the fans and the mosh pit went berserk. John McEntee and the new line up raised hell on stage. Incantation plated tracks from classic albums as well as off the new record, Sect of Vile Divinities, which was release on August 21^st, 2020 through Relapse Records. Finally, after two years locked in, Incantation was able to bring this new material live to the masses. The ravaging guitar riffs played by Luke Shively and John McEntee are vicious and stunned the fans driving them in to a frenzy. No one was safe in the crowd as moshers pushed and shove rejoicing in such a beautiful deadly atmosphere death metal elicits. After nearly 25 years, Incantation keeps bringing the masses together and exerts such contagious ravenous rage on fans, there is no doubt they will stand the test of time. It was a celebration for the lovers of the dark arts, and Incantation came and conquered Los Angeles.

The main headliner was no other than the magnificent destroyers of catacombs, Nile. With a few line up changes Karl Sanders and George Kollias still remain the pharos bringing Egyptian chants and face melting metal. Nile set the stage on fire, with Brad Parris on vocals and bass, along with a new familiar face, Scott Eames of Nevalra, and Thy Antichrist on guitars. Both Brad Parris and Scott Eames exchanged vocals delivering that signature sound Nile has been known for years. It was such a brutal sight to see them deliver such a perfectly balanced utterance and musicianship. Fans were astonished by Karl Sanders guitar virtuosity and the never ending hammering on drums by George Kollias, the sounds of the undead pervaded the venue and beer was thrown as fans moshed relentlessly. The sonic power of Nile obliterates all that stands before them, with skill, gory vocals, shredding guitars and catatonic drumming all elements adored by those whom the gods detest. The tracks performed ranged from “Black Seeds of Vengance” to “Vile Nilotic Rites”, a malevolent return to the stage. There is no act that can follow these two legendary death metal bands, from ravaging drums to incendiaries guitar riffs these bands set the stage ablaze. The tour continues, make sure to check them out in a city near you.

By Jose Barrientos

Photos by: Jose Barrientos