Chaos AB Festival Rocks the Heart of Edmonton - July 26-27

Dana Zuk July 30, 2019

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR EXCLAIM.CA

I know, I know, I suck at this blogging thing and even more at keeping it up to date. I’m feeling ambitious today, so you’re getting a little recap of my weekend and a couple galleries to wash it down.

One of the most talked about events in western Canada commenced over the weekend of July 26th and 27th; Chaos AB debuted as a large scale metal and hard rock festival in Alberta’s capital which had lovers of aggressive music anxious for it’s arrival. Despite a few hiccups along the way (AKA: Losing Rob Zombie as a headliner) the festival’s first ever weekend went off without a hitch.

Kicking off day 1 in Kinsmen Park with hot temperatures and even hotter bands, the afternoon of metal had folks of all ages eager and wanting more. the lineup for Friday consisted of: Light The Torch, Animals As Leaders, GWAR, Slayer and Disturbed as our headlining act. This being an extra special day for the festival and heavy metal history, metal kings Slayer bid their final farewell to Alberta, making this their last appearance ever in the province. Though skeptics will question whether it’s legitimately their final show in Alberta, Slayer had a sentimental send off that I’m sure no one will forget.

Day 2 of the festival was promising for many. Despite the controversy of shock-rock-god Rob Zombie mysteriously dropping off of the bill 2 weeks prior and being replaced with British rockers The Cult, and despite the weather being rainy and overall total shit, the attendance for the second show was staggering. Starting late due to a lightning stand down and an evacuation from the hour of torrential rain we received, the show kicked off with Selfish Things, who helped warm the crowd up after the cool down pour. The rest of the day consisted of the likes of The Dirty Nil, Royal Tusk, One Bad Son, Headstones, The Cult (no photos) and the dark emperor himself, Marilyn Manson as the closing act.

Even though the rain was on and off all day, it certainly didn’t put a damper on the spirits of festival goers, as Kinsmen Park remained full and alive from start to finish. The festival will certainly be one that people talk about for ages to come, and I truly cannot wait to see what next year has in store!

Galleries Below!

Light the Torch

Animals as Leaders

GWAR

Slayer

Disturbed

Selfish Things

The Dirty Nil

Royal Tusk

One Bad Son

Headstones

Marilyn Manson

GALLERY: Slayer Crushes the Shaw Conference Centre One Last Time on Edmonton Farewell Tour Stop - May 20, 2018

Dana Zuk May 22, 2018

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR EXCLAIM.CA

Slayer graced Edmonton's Shaw Conference Centre for one last time on Sunday night, bringing with them one of the heaviest tours of the year, featuring heavy-hitters in the metal community such as Lamb of God, Anthrax, Behemoth and Testament.

Missed the show? Don't worry! The official Exclaim! review has you covered! Check it out right HERE!

SLAYER

LAMB OF GOD

ANTHRAX

BEHEMOTH

TESTAMENT

Slayer Lays Waste to Edmonton with Testament & Carcass at the Shaw Conference Centre - March 15, 2016

Dana Zuk March 17, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

One of the most notorious members of thrash metal forefathers, of the largely popular Big-4, graced downtown Edmonton with their sacrilegious presence on Tuesday night. Personally, I couldn't have been more excited about this gig! With their hellish songs of hatred and evil, Slayer, thrashed the cores of their audience at the Shaw Conference Centre, pummeling their fans with a heavy-as-hell 20 song set, spanning their 30-plus-year career.

In tow, fellow metal heavy weights, Testament and Carcass, pleasantly warmed up the crowd, delivering a healthy dosage of guitar-shreddery and double-kick-madness to the masses. Surely, preparing the headbangers and moshers in the audience for the ritualistic-chaos that was about to ensue.

With a white curtain draped in front of the stage, projections of sacrilegious symbols faded in and out, while sweeping across the canvas before displaying Slayer's pentagram logo. As the curtain fell, an eruption of heavily distorted guitars clashed against the roars of the audience. Aggressive from the start, Slayer's distinctive sound oozed out of the amplifiers, causing crowd surfers to worm-roll over the front rail, and a frenzy of whirlwind moshing in the pits below.

It's been roughly five years since I last saw Slayer in concert, so it's safe to say that I was anticipating this show from the day that the Edmonton date was announced. Sharing the common opinion, I was not disappointed with the song choices of Slayer's set list for the night. The band nailed a handful of fan favorite tracks, such as: "Seasons in the Abyss", "Hell Awaits" and, "Black Magic", to name a few. Over all, Slayer put on a display of raw heaviness, showcasing that the spirit of heavy metal does not wither with age. If any band out there is going to show an audience what thrash metal is, what it means, and how it's done, that band will always be Slayer, as they continue to maintain their spot in the ranks of being one of the most influential, and iconic metal bands of this lifetime.