Sun, Jan 29th - While the city of Chicago might be currently snow filled and frigid, that was not the case Sunday evening inside the walls of Radius Chicago, located at 640 W Cermak Rd in the city's East Pilsen neighborhood. Following the success of their first leg of their 40th Anniversary Tour, thrash metal legends Anthrax and heavy metal legends Black Label Society would embark on a 25-date, second leg run of their 40th Anniversary Tour, this time with support from fellow thrash metal legends Exodus in place of Hatebreed who were on the first leg. This time, they'd visit the Windy City and perform at Radius Chicago, one of the city's newer live music venues. Radius opened in early 2020, with the pandemic unfortunately following not long after. The 55,000-square-foot former steel factory turned venue can accommodate 2,500-3,800 fans depending on the setup, has been transformed into a modern artistic venue, displaying mural work by local and international artists and outfitted with stunning light fixtures to complement the murals. A previous press release notes that “the venue is equipped with a state of the art D&B KSL sound system, exceptional acoustics, a mezzanine level to host VIP guests/packages, lavish artist lounges, a spacious outdoor smoking section, and nine full service bars where guests can indulge in craft beers and specialized cocktails.” Cermak Hall, a 10,000 square foot multi-purpose event space with a capacity of 1,350 guests and its own entrance, a full bar, and an additional stage, is also located within Radius, and serves as a pre- and post-event space for attendees. This would be my first visit to the venue, and I certainly don't intend to make it the last. Though the parking situation could be improved upon, it is not the worst in the city. If you're going to a show here, arrive early to give yourself enough time to find a parking spot on a side street or you can expect to pay a premium for their next-door lot.
Courtesy of RADIUS Chicago
Thrash Metal icons Exodus would be tasked with setting the tone for the evening. The band was founded in 1979 in Richmond, California. Along with Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth, they are regarded as leaders of the Bay Area thrash metal scene as well as heavily debated over the years, "The Big 5" (or "The Big 6" depending on who you ask) members. The original lineup of the band included vocalist Paul Baloff, guitarists Tim Agnello & Kirk Hammett, bassist Geoff Andrews, and drummer Tom Hunting, with guitarist Gary Holt replacing Tim not long after in '81, before recording "Bonded by Blood", their debut album released in 1985, which is considered a thrash metal classic. The band's lineup has changed several times over the years, with Hunting & Holt remaining the only original members, accompanied by vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza, guitarist Lee Altus & bassist Jack Gibson. They would begin the night with "The Beatings Will Continue," off the 11th released album (first in 7 years), Persona Non Grata, which was released back in 2021. "A Lesson in Violence," would come next, followed by "Blood In, Blood Out,". Each member was on top of their game on the night, with Steve belting out each lyric with what seemed like effortless ease, and Gary & Lee hitting lick after lick of the classic tracks, energizing the crowd for what was still to come. Steve also did a phenomenal job with call outs and engagement to get the crowd involved, as well as taking a moment to express some heartfelt gratitude to the city of Chicago Metal community for always having their backs and showing up when Exodus visits the city. Most bands will say something along the lines of "We love playing here!" at most tour stops but there was something about the sincerity in which Steve addressed the crowd that made this one feel more personal than the others, and that they truly were indeed stoked to be in a Metal loving city. The set would rage on while they performed more of their hits such as "Blacklist", "Piranha", "Prescribing" & "Bonded by Blood", before the rowdiness was cranked up a notch when the pit was split and "Toxic Waltz" came on, causing chaos before finishing out their opening slot with "Strike of the Beast".
Set Length - 45min.
Black Label Society was set to follow up the impressive Exodus performance. Zakk Wylde, the former lead guitarist for the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne, founded the band in 1998. The band's music is known for combining heavy metal, hard rock, and southern rock influences, with a focus on guitar solos and strong musicianship, and those solos were on full display tonight. The lyrics and musical style of the band's early albums were heavily influenced by Wylde's experiences with alcoholism and drug addiction. The band's lineup has changed several times over the years, with Wylde being the only constant. Zakk would take the stage in his classic BLS cut and kilt look tonight to welcome the "Chicago Chapter" of the "Black Label Motherfuckin Society" to the show, followed out by bassist John DeServio, guitarist Dario Lorina, and drummer Jeff Fabb, while kicking off the set with "Funeral Bell," and wasting no time getting right into the pure riffage that would be in abundance on the evening. After years of waiting for the opportunity to see the band, I can now confirm that their energetic and intense stage presence performances you hear about, are exactly what you can expect from a BLS performance and more. Zakk, Dario & John were absolutely shredding through songs as Jeff brought it all together behind the kit. The set was filled with the likes of "The Beginning At Last," "Destroy & Conquer," "Destruction Overdrive," while all 3 members (not behind a drumkit) bounced around and worked the stage playing to the crowd, with Zakk using the risers on stage at every occasion to stand above the crowd illuminated in stage lights, while he ripped lick after lick, shaking his golden mane and holding his arm to the sky while the notes rang out, resembling a Thor like stature. "Heart of Darkness," "A Love Unreal," & "Made Me Wanna Live," would come next before they slowed things down a bit with the emotionally charged "In This River" that was made in dedication of Zakk's late great friend and one of the other greatest guitarists in Metal history, Dimebag Darrell. With Zakk sitting in front of his keyboard, the song was accompanied by a slide show on the back screen with behind-the-scenes photos of Zakk & Dime spending time together over the years, which also included photos of Dimes brother, Vinnie Paul, who passed away in 2018. It was a touching tribute which arguably would make the toughest in the pit shed a tear for their fallen brothers and some of Metal's legends. After a massive round of applause, they would get back into high gear busting out "Trampled Down Below," & "Set You Free," before playing "Fire It Up," which would include an impressive full-on extended guitar solo battle between Zakk & Dario, leaving the crowd in awe as they went absolutely wild playing in all different positions including behind the head. They would round out their set with arguably their 2 biggest hits and clear fan favorites "Suicide Messiah" & "Stillborn" as the crowd sang along word for word and would leave the band with a massive ovation, as smoke cannons erupted, and Zakk held his axe to the sky.
Set Length - 1hr 10min.
Capping off the night would be card carrying members of the "Big 4" themselves, Anthrax. They are one of America's most well-known thrash metal bands, having formed in New York City in 1981. They are known for their fast-paced and aggressive music, as well as their use of humor and social and political commentary in their lyrics. While the band's original lineup included vocalist Neil Turbin, guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz, bassist Danny Lilker, and drummer Dave Weiss, after a few lineup changes over the years, Scott Ian is the only original member who has remained, joined now by vocalist Joey Belladonna, drummer Charlie Benante, bassist Frank Bello & guitarist Jonathan Donais. The band's debut album, "Fistful of Metal," was released in 1984, and it helped establish them as one of the leading bands in the thrash metal scene. They are also known for being one of the first bands to combine thrash metal and rap elements, beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the release of the album "State of Euphoria" and the single "Bring the Noise," a collaboration with Public Enemy, which was always a favorite track of mine growing up while playing the classic Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 game growing up. Another interesting fact is that they are the first metal band to have their music heard on Mars, when NASA played "Got the Time" to wake up the Mars Rover in 2012. Before taking the stage, the band's logo would be prominently displayed on a curtain that covered the stage as it was being set up. The curtain would then change into a screen showing a short movie reel of celebrities and fellow musicians paying the band respects as they celebrated their 40th anniversary, and the crowd would erupt in applause when some of their favorites appeared on the screen. Once the curtain dropped, the band was off and running (literally), opening with "Among the Living" and "Caught in a Mosh" before breaking out the classic "Madhouse," which had the audience yelling along with the chorus "It's a madhouse," but with Joey egging them on to get even louder. The pace remained high as "Metal Thrashing Mad" continued the set while Joey belted out his signature high screams sounding incredible on the night seemingly hitting them with ease, while Scott, Frank, and Jonathan used every inch of stage to create a memorable experience for the audience watching them play up and down the lifted stairs attached to the drum risers where Charlie was going to town behind the kit. "Keep It in the Family" would come next, with their famous cover of Trusts' "Antisocial" following shortly after and tailed by "I Am the Law". After a brief intermission featuring the song "Hymn 1" played over the PA system the set would proceed with "In the End" and "Only" before launching into another of their well-known covers, "Got the Time," originally by Joe Jackson. The pace remained high as they ripped right into their "Bring the Noise" collaboration with Public Enemy before concluding their set with "Indians," giving the crowd one last chance to let loose and mosh before the night was over. Following a massive round of applause, the band would walk off stage to the classic Rainbow song "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll," with members saluting to all the fans, with horns raised, for joining them to help celebrate an incredible 40-year career tonight.
Set Length - 1hr 10min.
With the second leg of the tour nearly halfway through, fans still have the opportunity to purchase tickets to a date in their area and spend the night headbanging with some of Metal's top icons. After three hours of some of the most intense shredding I've ever had the pleasure to witness live, one thing was unmistakable: none of these bands show any signs of slowing down any time soon and can still play with the best of them, proving that age is simply nothing but a number. Keep your eyes open for more Anthrax news as there very well could be a long awaited brand new album coming this year! I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to all 3 bands PR teams for allowing me the opportunity to come out and capture a night full of some of our lifetimes most iconic Metal performers; it was an absolute honor and a privilege to be in attendance tonight.
-Nick B.
Solid review! Glad to see these Metal Legends still performing and not missing a beat!