So then — the second coming of NAPALM DEATH has been accomplished! For over ten years people had been waiting for this event — and here are the fathers of grind-death in the First Capital! Much water had flowed under the bridge since their first visit; everyone had stopped believing they would honour us with their attention, but the "napalms" did come to us as part of their world tour called "Order Of The Leech". On 22 February the SDK MAI was packed with those wishing to see their idols.
moscow had not seen such mayhem in a long time! DESTRUCTION and CANNIBAL CORPSE are no comparison to NAPALM DEATH! Already in accordance with the established tradition of all concerts, arriving an hour late, the musicians began delivering their inimitable, crushing, unrelenting meat. The crowd in turn, having waited through the start of the concert, were already moshing near the stage, and some individuals had already begun enthusiastically stage-diving. The band's finest material rained down on the crowd with incredible speed. Barney Greenway fired up the audience to absolute maximum. He, unlike Mr. Fischer, did not stand in one place but, shaking his head in every direction and growling into the microphone, ran like a madman, constantly in motion, helping people climb onto the stage, embracing and fraternising with everyone, shaking the hands stretched out toward him. He also, at the request of certain thirsty fans, handed out his supply of mineral water, and even stopped a song mid-way because a fan had jumped poorly off the stage and was simply being crushed by the pit. He inquired at length how the person was and what was happening until they were pulled from the crush.
The pit — that is a whole separate conversation... The entire spectacle resembled more a giant meat grinder. Those who jumped from the stage invariably found themselves in the vortex of mayhem and, having passed through it all, crawled out on the other side. Sometimes people were carried away from the centre of things. Many people felt unwell, but having rested, they climbed back in regardless. And within this crush girls were also observed, who, not ceding ground to the male contingent, let loose to the full. Someone even managed to carry a microphone stand complete with microphone into the hall, and the valiant security had to participate in a game of tug-of-war with cables. The bald gentlemen in suits won, to general disappointment.
The sound was very pleasing. It did not degenerate into continuous white noise as it had at the "Cannibals" concert. One could clearly hear the guitar and bass parts, which struck with their technicality. And the virtuosity of the playing was genuinely at the highest level — at those moments when the fans distracted the musicians from the playing, the musicians slotted back into the general rhythm of the compositions without difficulty. Barney Greenway's feral vocals set the blood of all those present boiling.
Throughout the entire concert (which lasted approximately eighty minutes) no one had occasion to be bored. And even in those moments when the band went for a brief pause, the crowd chanted "Naaaapaaaarm Dezzzz!!!" — and the musicians launched into new portions of meat.
I sincerely sympathise with all those who for whatever reason were unable to attend this concert. You missed not simply a cult band — you missed a landmark grind-death event of recent years! Even the "Cannibals" by comparison with the "Napalms" performed to a C-grade, not giving themselves as the latter did.
Report by Autumn
Setlist: Instinct Of Survival Unchallenged Hate Continuing War Of Stupidity Narcoleptic Taste The Poison Next On The List Suffer The Children The Code Is Red...Long Live The Code Lowlife (cover of Cryptic Slaughter) The World Keeps Turning Vision Conquest To Lower Yourself (Blind Servitude) Mass Appeal Madness Silence Is Deafening Blind Justice From Enslavement To Obliteration Scum Life? The Kill Deciever You Suffer
Encore: If The Truth Be Known Nazi Punks Fuck Off! Siege Of Power
Special thanks for the accreditation provided.