Lamb Of God, Mastodon, Kerry King and Malevolence Bring Heavy to Montreal [Photos]

Last Thursday, Lamb of God and Mastodon rolled into the Bell Centre in Montreal with their “Ashes of Leviathan” tour. It had me thinking back to what was once a yearly tradition. Once upon a time, Montreal used to hold one of the biggest heavy metal music festivals in not only North America but the world over. Heavy Montreal, or Heavy MTL as some of us old timers still called it, brought bands from all over the planet to Montreal for a weekend of music and mayhem, the likes of which were not paralleled.

Sadly, the festival has been on hiatus since 2019. But the people behind the event still try to line up several big shows for the city annually. It may not have been a traditional festival experience, but Malevolence, Kerry King, Mastodon and Lamb of God is the kind of lineup that would have been very Heavy MTL worthy.

The first to step on stage was Malevolence. Hailing from England, they had the unenviable task of opening the show at 5:40 PM on a weeknight. As such, the crowd may not have been as large, but Malevolence didn’t let that get them down. Rather, it seemed to fuel them.

Pushing to crowd to get more involved as their set went on, to the point where the roar behind me was as loud as a group that would have usually been twice as large. It was their first visit to Montreal, and hopefully won’t be their last. Their latest of three albums, Malicious Intent from 2022, was featured heavily in their setlist. They also mentioned that a new album was being worked on.

On the other side, Kerry King was the next to hit the stage. King has been here several times over the years with his band Slayer. They appeared at three different editions of the Heavy MTL festival, twice in headlining slots. Supergroups have popped up over the years, but I defy you to find a more metal supergroup than the gang Kerry King brought with him.

Joining King on stage was a who’s who of the scene. Mark Osegueda of Death Angel on vocals, Phil Demmel, formerly of Machine Head, on guitar, Kyle Sanders of HELLYEAH on bass, and rounded out by Paul Bostaph, who has drummed for Testament, Exodus, and Slayer. You know what you’re going to get with Kerry King. A bombardment of thrash metal that will leave you melted to the floor where you stand. Though Slayer as a band retired a few years back, Kerry King has still been writing music. He released his first solo album, From Hell I Rise, in May. Though Slayer may be done, it’s good to know that King will keep the music alive.

Up next was the first of our two headliners, Mastodon. They are on the road during this tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their album Leviathan. Their second release, back in 2004, is a concept album loosely based on the classic Herman Melville novel Moby Dick. True to form, before the band hits the stage, we get clips from the classic 1958 film adaptation of the tale. But the real magic happens when the music starts.

One of the leading bands from the new wave of American heavy metal, Mastodon, has been wowing crowds with their incredible songs since the turn of the century. Musically, there aren’t many bands that can hold a candle to them. The Montreal crowd were held in thrall during the entire set by the majestic songs and impressive light show. Though we were celebrating the anniversary of Leviathan, Mastodon has seven other albums. After announcing to the crowd that new music would be arriving soon, I think it is safe to say that we are all looking forward to album number eight.

To close the evening, another key member of the American heavy metal movement, Lamb of God, was out. The band is another frequent visitor to Montreal and a Heavy MTL veteran. It is hard to think of a more intense singer on stage than Randy Blythe. He prowls the stage left and right, looking like an animal just waiting to strike us down with his words.

Like Mastodon before them, Lamb of God is also celebrating the anniversary of one of their albums. Ashes of the Wake was released in 2004 and immediately forced people to take notice of the band. The album was inspired by events that took place during the Iraq War and is considered to be one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time. It helped cement the band as a force that still can’t be stopped to this day.

The tour continues through to the end of the month. Seeing Mastodon and Lamb of God on their own is a treat for metalheads. The addition of Malevolence and Kerry King makes this a tour that simply can not be missed. Be sure to catch the show if it comes through your town.

Lamb of God (w/ Mastodon, Kerry King, Malevolence) @ Centre Bell (Montreal, QC) on August 1, 2024

147 photos