The second act did not fare much better, although they were at least metal. The band is called Catacomb and they reminded me a little bit of Lamb of God. They had the heavy riffs and the guttural vocals requisite for the genre. One thing I really did not like about them was their guitar sound. This is nothing against the man playing, as he ripped off some impressive solos, but it sounded really, how to put it, fuzzy. It was something like a faulty ground or similar, I have to believe that there was a technical problem, I cannot believe this was their intended sound. Anyway, their music had a lot of energy while the band did not, their stage presence left something to be desired.
Thrash Ratchet was the third band to hit the stage, and this is where the show began to swing upwards. I have seen Thrash Ratchet a few times before, and they always put on a good show, although I never really thought of them as a good band. This time was a little different, they sounded a bit more metal, before they were solidly in the heavy hard rock arena. A big part of this is a line up change. The band is featuring a new lead singer, or at least new since the last time I saw them. He brings a strong vocal presence to the band and they seem to be headed in an upward direction. In addition to this new found vocal strength, they also feature some good guitar playing. Still, I do not see them becoming a great band, but one that is definitely worth seeing live.
By this time of the night, the crowd was starting to get anxious for a little Testament goodness. They all would have to wait a little bit longer as there was one more band in between us and the thrash legends.
The final opening act is an extreme/death metal style act called Left in Ruins. These guys are solid, heavy, and brutal. However, while they put on a great performance, I did not find any of their songs to be instantly memorable. On the other hand, not many bands do upon early listens. These guys did throw down the gauntlet and put the finishing touches on getting the crowd warmed up. By this point the floor had filled and the crowd definitely wanted their Testament. While everyone wanted the legends, Left in Ruins did not give any ground, led by a three guitar attack delivering brutal riffs as well as smooth, fast leads. These guys are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
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