Mon Apr. 24th - Slamming their way across North America currently embarked on a 10 date headline tour run, deathcore heavyweights Slaughter To Prevail would make their way to The Forge in Joliet, IL Monday night, much to the delight of the Chicago Metal scene, as this show ended up selling out in just a matter of weeks. The Forge is a popular music venue in Joliet, Illinois, just a few miles south of the historic old Joliet Prison, famous for the opening scene of the 1980 classic movie Blues Brothers. It's a newer venue, having opened in 2017 after previously being known as Mojoes, and has quickly become a favorite among local music fans, especially the Metal community. The 1,200-person capacity venue is known for its open and modern design. The main room has a large stage with high-quality sound and recently upgraded lighting systems, making it an ideal venue for concerts of all genres. Aside from the main room, The Forge also has The Sapphire Room upstairs, which has a smaller lounge area and is ideal for more intimate performances or private events. The lounge has its own bar and seating area, and it's a great place to unwind before or after a show. The Forge is a top-notch music venue that's well worth a visit if you're in or around the Joliet area. Whether you're a fan of rock, hip-hop, electronic, or any other genre of music, they're sure to have a show for you.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Slaughter To Prevail is a deathcore band from Yekaterinburg, Russia, founded in 2014 by guitarist Jack Simmons, a native of the UK, and Russian native vocalist Alex Terrible. The group's music is distinguished by a fusion of death metal and hardcore, and features guttural vocals that, may I say, even Satan himself would be envious of. It also includes powerful, downtuned guitars and some of the most aggressive drumming in the genre. With the releasing of their debut EP, "Chapters of Misery," in 2015, the group was quickly signed to the well-known label Sumerian Records in 2016. This move helped the group rise among the deathcore elite and attract substantial recognition in the scene. In the years afterwards, they released their first full-length album, "Misery Sermon," in 2017, and their most recent full-length album, "Kostolom," in 2021, both of which have reinforced their position as a rising force in the metal world. Over the years, Slaughter To Prevail's lineup has changed a few times, with Terrible and Simmons maintaining the only constants. The current lineup features vocalist Alex Terrible, lead guitarist Jack Simmons, rhythm guitarist Dmitry Mamedov, drummer Evgeny Novikov, and bassist Mikhail "Mike" Petrov. Slaughter To Prevail is well-known for their energetic live performances in addition to their recorded music, which have helped them develop a devoted following across the globe. They have previously toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, including appearances at major festivals such as Download, Wacken Open Air, Summer Breeze, Kentucky Irate Fest and a dust storm inducing set at last year's Blue Ridge Rock Fest. The band posted a statement on Facebook in February 2022 denouncing the days-earlier invasion of Ukraine by Russia. On March 1, Terrible posted a second statement on behalf of the band on Youtube and Instagram, pleading with viewers to "not make the entire Russian people an accomplice." In opposition to the government and the war, the band on August 9th released the song "1984," which was based on the George Orwell book of the same name. Three months earlier, the band had made the decision to move to Orlando, Florida, citing the war's impact, the Russian government's previous suppression, as well as the more robust American metal scene.
With an absolutely packed house in attendance this evening, the lights would dim while the fog machines on both sides of the stage began to pump profusely to set the ambiance for what was to come. The Joliet crowd was hyped beyond belief jumping around to "Confusion" from New Order, also known as the "Vampire Nightclub Song" from the opening scene of the classic movie Blade, while they awaited the band. The eager crowd would begin a steady "STP!!" chant, provoking the band to begin the show, and that they did. With the band's opening intro taking over the PA system, they would take the stage and begin the set with a fan favorite track "Bonebreaker," which would have the crowd jumping up and down, to kick off the set with an energy that would not let up for the duration of the hour-long performance. The set was filled with a blistering selection of tracks as they followed up with "Agony," "Zavali Ebalo," and "Hell" before Alex took a moment to express his gratitude for all the fans who came out and would then share how much he loves the Wall of Death, to which he encouraged the venue to split it down the middle for the next track "Bratva," resulting in the crowd fulfilling his wish and absolutely erupting for a Wall of Death. This would be my second time seeing the band live, and despite Alex's claim that he was feeling under the weather tonight, you'd never know. Over the years, I've been to a countless number of shows, and I have to say that Slaughter To Prevail is truly in a class of their own when it comes to live performances. Any fan of deathcore must witness the incredible live power that comes from the combination of Alex's world-class vocals and each band member's apparent attempt to destroy their respected instruments by playing as hard as they possibly can on stage. When they embarked on their run of US dates in 2022, guitarist Jack Simmons was unfortunately unable to attend the trip so Alex would take a minute tonight to welcome him back with the band and have the crowd make some noise. Alex revealed that Jack was the one who first approached him about writing death metal music, and the rest is history. The chaos continued on as they performed "Made in Russia," which had the entire audience back to bouncing along, before gracing us with new material in "Viking," a brand-new fiery track that appears to be released this year, so keep an eye out for a release date! They continued the 11-song set by delving into their discography and launching into "I Killed A Man" and "Chronic Slaughter" before the fast-paced track "Baba Yaga" erupted and captivated the audience. As they headed off stage, the band would thank the audience for coming out and supporting them, suggesting that the set was coming to an end. The crowd were having none of it, beginning a boisterous "ONE MORE SONG!!" chant as there was a glaring omission from the set list thus far, the viral sensation "Demolisher" was still yet to be performed. The band would gladly oblige as they returned to the stage to do just that, creating one of the night's rowdiest pits as everyone engaged in their final call mosh for the evening as the band gave everything they had left.
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Tickets for the band's performances have seemed to be difficult to come by since their return to the U.S., with most shows selling out quickly after announcement. However, if you are a fan of the band or deathcore in general and ever have the opportunity to grab tickets and experience the band live, I cannot stress how important it is to be there to truly take in the power of these performances. The band will hit the road in May with Falling In Reverse and Ice Nine Kills for a string of dates, as well as appearances at multiple festivals along the way, including the popular Inkcarceration and So What?!, so go check out STP-Tour.Com for dates and clear your schedule if tickets are available because this is a live performance experience you do not want to miss out on!
- Nick B.
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