Cannibal Corpse @ Knitting Factory (Boise, Idaho) on April 7, 2009 [Show Review]

Tonight is only the second time Cannibal Corpse has come to Boise in their 20+ years of writing and touring. The first since 1996; but when they finally showed again, they brought a talented arsenal of diverse metal along with them.

The Knitting Factory was an ideal place for this cataclysmic combination of diverse musical elements. With the best sound and lighting in the Northwest, it was a perfect stage for the onslaught. The P.A. had to have been rocking at 150+decibals the entire night, the chaos of being a witness to this show is only comparable to being in a failing submarine engine room with multiple explosions and flying shards of searing metal all around.

It was easy to see from the first band Obscura that this crowd was ready to lose their minds. Obscura is an extremely talented progressive death metal band out of Munich, Germany who instantly filled the extreme metal void this crowd had been waiting so patiently for. Exchanging some hits off their first album “Retribution” for the crowd’s undivided attention, once hooked Obscura gave us a taste off their newest release Cosmogenisis. Guitarist Christian Muenzner, (Necrophagist, Death) wowed the fans with an amazing display of fret work using almost every inch of the ax in an almost violent display of sacrifice. Drummer Hannes Grossman (Negrophagist) and fretless bass player Jereon Paul Thesseling (Pestilence) fed off each other with enough speeding low end that I was sure the building would dissipate under the sheer vibration alone.

After a quick smoke break and a set change Neuraxis was next up to bat, with the crowd’s anxious anticipation and curiosity as the fuel. Neuraxis did not disappoint, delivering a solid spectacle of technicality and intricate song structure from their span of 4 albums including Imagery and The Thin Line Between. Hailing from Montreal, Canada, the members of Neuraxis guitarists Rob Milley, and Will Seghers bassist Yan Thiel, drummer Tommy Mckinnon and vocalist Alex LeBlanc introduced a very appealing and extremely technical aspect to the show with the live intensity and a studio precision that was unmatched.

As I was wondering how much brutality this crowd would endure, The Faceless took the stage before I could take a guess. Guitarist Jeff Ventimeglias’ neon green guitar took center stage for the first minute almost illuminating the entire room with a ghostly green glow. Playing songs off of their albums Akeldama and their newest Planetary Duality The Faceless stunned the fans with their dizzying guitar work, and hellish vocals and thundering bass and drums. The faceless have the ability to be running like a full speed freight train; hands and feet flying around like zombie hummingbirds feeding off of their instruments decaying bodies, then suddenly slam on the breaks bringing it to a dead stop, and just as quickly throw it back into full speed. They had amazing full speed runs that would somehow kick into an almost Mudvayne style breakdown, a very different ability from that of any other band on the bill. It was during their set that the bouncers had to ask several excited fans to leave the premises due to flying elbows and flying beers, what a waste.

Cannibal Corpse stepped right into the freshly shredded club with the ease of a combine mowing through decayed bodies, somehow topping their opening acts with a visual and audible lesson in endurance and stamina from the dark side. Vocalist George “Corpse Grinder” Fisher and Bassist Alex Webster combined for a stunning windmill head assault that resembled that of two massive airplane propellers running at full speed in perfect synchronicity. Belting out hit’s “I Cum Blood”, “Fucked With a Knife” and a crowd favorite “Hammer Smashed Face” Cannibal Corpse showed why they’ve been destroying the world for over 20 years.

Corpse Grinder challenged anyone to attempt to out drink him that night and also shared his love of World of Warcraft, saying ”Fuck the Alliance!” There is a classic video of Corpse grinder being asked about Warcraft in an 8 minute conversation on YouTube, I highly recommend checking this out, it is a classic. One thing was for sure, all of these bands could shred their sets the exact same in a dark tunnel as they could on a lit stage. Not one musician had to look at their instrument the entire night. It was the perfect death metal line-up for this death deprived town.

Only one person was injured during the making of this concert. He twisted the hell out of his ankle and had to limp out after the show was over; even he said it was worth it. Most of us left smelling like beer whether we drank any or not but we left knowing we had witnessed a show the likes of which we had not seen before. All of the bands were greatly appreciated and they all left with hundreds of new fans in Boise, Idaho.

Check out the song “I Cum Blood” here.