America torn Asunder, the first ever headlining tour for the new wave thrashing titans, Warbringer. Along with Warbringer on this tour are fellow thrashers Diamond Plate of Chicago, Lazarus AD from Kenosha Wisconsin and death/grind maniacs, Landmine Marathon. Just a bunch of young bands who play with an amazing amount of energy and talent, what more could you want? I was lucky enough to catch this live tour package at the Key Club in West Hollywood, on the first day of the tour and I was not disappointed at all.
The first band to hit the stage, was a local opener, "Dark Crusaders." They weren't overly special, but they weren't bad by any means either. They definitely could have had some more stage presence, especially when Adam Carroll (Warbringer) and Grace Perry (Landmine Marathon) were in crowd watching. One thing to be said though, is they have a lot of potential, so keep your eye on this band!
Next up was Diamond Plate. I personally wasn't a huge fan of their debut album "Generation Why," but there is no doubt that these guys can command the stage. One of the biggest upsides to this band's live performance is the technical prowess of the members. Every solo was perfect and every riff was coherent. Despite being relatively new to the touring world, Diamond Plate showed that they are clearly on-stage ready and more than capable of getting a crowd pumped.
The next band to hit the stage was Landmine Marathon. This band may seem a little out of place, being the only non-thrash band on the bill, but the crowd responded greatly and Landmine Marathon slayed it. The most intriguing part of their live act is definitely frontwoman, Grace Perry's onstage presence. In between each track she would banter with the crowd in her normal voice that sounded like any other woman, but once the music hit, she transformed. Not only was this because of her growling and screaming vocals, but the way she moved and made these agonizing faces, it all fit very well and enhanced the band's overall live atmosphere.
Lazarus AD was the next band on the bill and I was pleasantly surprised with their performance, mainly because I didn't enjoy their sophomore effort "Black Rivers Flow," but the songs they played from it were a lot better live and enjoyable. Along with the new tracks, the band managed to destroy with fan favorite tracks like "Last Breath" and "Revolution." Another entertaining aspect of the band's live show, is their sales pitch involving marijuana, herpes and condoms.
And finally the headlining, Warbringer hit the stage, opening up with the perfect track to get the crowd moving, with "Living Weapon." This band's live performance is fantastic and it's easy to see that this band is no stranger to the stage. Adam Carroll and John Laux's constant headbanging along with John Kevill's savage vocals and stage presence, make for a terrific live environment that definitely transcends to the crowd. The mosh pits weren't as wild as expected at first, but Warbringer's last three songs all caused some serious violence. The insanely catchy "Total War" started the brutal cycle and then when the crowd thought they could catch their breath, "Living in a Whirlwind" kicked in and once again the fans were sent into a frenzy. The floor went absolutely berserk, though, once "Combat Shock" kicked in. It proved to be the perfect song to close a show with, but the fans simply could not get enough and begged for one more song, prompting Warbringer to play "Treacherous Tongue" before leaving the stage to converse and interact with their fans.
Overall, this show was great and if you have the chance to see these bands, don't miss the opportunity because you will regret it.
Best Performances
1. Warbringer
2. Landmine Marathon
3. Lazarus AD
4. Diamond Plate
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