Immolation and Demolition Hammer Crush New York City: Live at Irving Plaza 3/19/2022 (Live Report + Photos)
A righteous set of extreme metal bands took the stage at Irving Plaza, acting as a beacon of violent hope for a crowd full of scenesters of old and new alike. Immolation’s “Acts of God” North American Tour 2022 reached its finale here in New York City and it was larger than all the rest: gone were Mortiferum and Imperial Triumphant, replaced with Funeral Leech, Mortician and Demolition Hammer for a one-off show for the ages.
NYC’s own Funeral Leech kicked things off with cuts off of their Death Meditation LP from 2020, giving the crowd a whole lot of death-doom to kick off their Saturday night. Following up were scene veterans Black Anvil (who also feature Sanhedrin guitarist Jeremy Sosville), running through a set that was heavy on the band’s last release, 2017’s As Was, blackening a night that was chock full of all the twisted debris from various metal extrema. Mortician were up next, representing the same Yonkers crowd that birthed Immolation all those years ago. Will Rahmer’s crew grinded the crowd to dust with a variety of tracks heavy on Hacked Up For Barbeque, House of the Cemetery, and Chainsaw Dismemberment.
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NYC thrash metal legends Demolition Hammer featuring an 8-song set that played out as a combination of their first 2 legendary albums Epidemic of Violence and Tortured Existence. Their set was loud and bombastic, reminding the crowd why their presence there was needed. This was another one of the bands that played alongside Immolation at their genesis and now that Demolition Hammer are playing live with more frequency, it only made sense to get these back together again.
Setlist via (setlist.fm):
Skull Fracturing Nightmare
Crippling Velocity
.44 Caliber Brain Surgery
Epidemic of Violence
Carnivorous Obsession
Infectious Hospital Waste
Human Dissection
Aborticide
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Immolation took the stage to finish out the night and the tour as well. Fans, including members of the other bands and Immolation’s own family members, took in a performance that ran the gamut of albums, heavily featuring their new album Acts of God. Ross Dolan sounded absolutely massive, flanked by the karate chopping riff master Bob Vigna and Alex Bouks with Steve Shalaty behind the battery, absolutely destroying his drum kit. The classic stop-and-start action between the mid-paced riffs hit home with neck-breaking fury. The band also uncorked a few tracks from Dawn of Possession, serving as an impetus for getting the crowd of OG Yonkers fans going like it was about 30 years ago. The live performance of “Father, You’re Not A Father” was of particular note: it’s just a nasty track that fans of Immolation can get behind every time the band plays it. It was a night of New York legends showcasing the metallic impact that this state has had on the scene as a whole, and it was a righteous and violently good time had by all.
Setlist:
Abandoned
An Act of God
The Age of No Light
Majesty and Decay
Noose of Thorns
When the Jackals Come
Father, You’re Not a Father
Into Everlasting Fire
Blooded
Swarm of Terror
Rise the Heretics
Broken Prey
The Distorting Light
Kingdom of Conspiracy
Let the Darkness In
Immolation
Encore:
And the Flames Wept
Apostle
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photos by Mathieu Bredeau
