American death metal was alive and well in Charlotte this past Monday night as the one and only Morbid Angel made a stop at The Underground. It was the opening night on their Kingdoms Disdained US Tour in support of their ninth studio album of the same name. The album was released back in December of 2017. Led by guitarist and sole remaining original member Trey Azogthoth, Morbid Angel is one of the most influential bands in the death metal genre. They were one of the first bands to incorporate guttural vocals with blast beats and tempo changes to really transform the new genre of death metal. The Underground was full of hardcore fans who came out to support the band.
The band has gone through its share of lineup changes over the years with Azogthoth being the steady driving force. The rest of the lineup includes bassist and vocalist Steve Tucker (who rejoined the band in 2015), new guitarist Dan Vadim Von and former Annihilated drummer Scott Fuller. As the venue lights went dark, screams of “Trey!” could be heard as the band came out. The stage was very dark with the only lights surrounding Fuller’s drum kit and occasional back lights flashing on and off. The atmosphere was perfect for a death metal show and the band wasted no time as they tore into their set leading off with three songs in a row from their latest album “Kingdoms Disdained,” including “Piles of Little Arms, “D.EA.D.,” and “Garden of Disdain.” Longtime fans were ecstatic to see Tucker once again front and center as he provided an ominous presence behind the mic all evening. Newer members Fuller and Vadim Von seemed to fit right in as Fuller pounded the skins and Vadim Von kept a steady yet frenzied pace. Of course, everyone was eager to see the Riff Lord himself, Trey Azogthoth, in action. Trey is hands down one of the best guitarists around with technical skills that will stand up next to anyone. His stage presence is a bit unique as he kept to the rear of the stage a lot and let the music speak for him. It was amazing to see his technique up close as he led Morbid Angel through a 15 song set. With his hair flowing, his face was mostly invisible but his fingers were on fire and it was easy to see why he is one of the best in the business. The setlist focused on Tucker’s time frame in the band going back to 1998’s “Formulas Fatal to the Flesh” and 2000’s “Gateways To Annihilation” albums. The crowd seemed to be just as familiar with the new songs as the Morbid Angel classics and the band seemed to really appreciate that. Tucker kept the chit chat to a minimum introducing a few songs and thanking the audience for coming out to support metal on a Monday night. The band closed out the night with a fist pumping “To The Victor The Spoils” as Charlotte metal heads banged in unison.
What a great way to kick off the tour! According to their merchandise, Morbid Angel is “Extreme Music for Extreme People” and that is exactly what they brought to The Underground in Charlotte. Get extreme and check out Morbid Angel for yourself when they bring their “Kingdoms Disdained Tour” to a city near you.
Set List:
Piles of Little Arms
D.E.A.D.
Garden of Disdain
I
Bil Ur-Sag
Paradigms Warped
Curse the Flesh
Prayer of Hatred
Covenant of Death
Praise the Strength
Ageless, Still I Am
He Who Sleeps
Acid Crusher
Nothing Is Not
To the Victor the Spoils
We would like to thank Liz Ciavarella-Brenner from Earsplit Media for the credentials to review the show.
