GWAR / SOULFLY / KING PARROT – LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT
By Rich Zoeller
On 3/23, GWAR brought their Gor-Gor Strikes Back tour to Long Island’s Paramount for a killer night of metal and gore with support from the one and only Soulfly and Australia’s own King Parrot.
As the lights dimmed, the crowd was ready as King Parrot hit the stage with their signature mix of chaos and aggression. Frontman Matt Young, took full control of the room like a ringmaster and instigator. He constantly pushed the crowd to be loud and involved as he was all over the stage with unbridled energy.
Photos Rich Zoeller
As a band, King Parrot is super tight with a killer style of grindcore mixed with a thrash punk blend. It’s a style they rightfully own. Their songs hit hard and fast. They barely give the audience a moment to breathe and everyone seemed quite okay with that. The crowd was constantly moving and the floor was open for moshing and crowd surfing.
They absolutely set a high bar for the remainder of the night as they were the opening band. Right now, King Parrot have proven to be one of the most consistently explosive live acts in extreme metal. The band currently has four studio albums. One thing is for sure, they don’t disappoint.
With the now amped up crowd, Soulfly was about to cave in the floor. They burst right into “No Hope=No Fear” off their debut album. Frontman Max Cavalera tore into those opening riffs while the house erupted into a full-on-circle pit. The crowd was locked in and the intensity was lit. Max brings that pure raw unmistakable sound that only Soulfly can produce.
Photos Rich Zoeller
Soulfly was remarkably tight from the first riff to the last. Max’s son, Zyon Cavalera hammered a thunderous beating on his drums. Soulfly blew through a stack of about 12 tracks from their catalogue. All were well received.
At one point, Max told the entire room to get down low. For any true Soulfly fan you know what’s coming next as they rip into “Jumpdafuckup”. The place just exploded. It was epic in every way possible. Soulfly destroyed it as one only knows the legendary Soulfly can.
Photos Rich Zoeller
It was finally that time of the evening for the almighty GWAR to hit the stage. From the moment the lights dropped, onlookers knew this wasn’t going to be your ordinary metal show, but a full-on blood bath. As the crowd was chanting, GWAR! GWAR! GWAR!, they stormed the dais in their grotesque armor turning the Paramount into an absolute sci-fi war zone.
They kicked off their set with “Fuck This Place” off the 2017 releaseThe Blood Of The Gods. Straight from the first punch, the room was in a frenzy. The sing-along commenced as well as the circle pits. As always, GWAR brought a carnival of chaos with their interludes of killing, horror and dousing the audience in blood and alien-like liquids. Like slaves, the crowd begs for more. There is no safe haven when you attend a GWAR show. There is no escape.
Underneath all the insanity, GWAR‘s musicianship was outstanding. The guitar riffs cut clearly through the Paramount as Blothar’s snarling vocals filled the space. The rhythm section was completely locked in despite all the onstage madness. Some of their interludes included the slaughtering of the late Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump, Kristi Noem and others. It’s always a slaughter-rama when GWAR comes to town.
Be sure to get on board with this Gor-Gor Strikes Back tour. This lineup is a total banger with artists like GWAR, Soulfly and King Parrot.
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