The “Ashes of Leviathan” Tour made a stop near the end of it’s run at the infamous Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Thursday August 29th. Celebrating the momentous co-anniversary of two pioneering albums released 20 years ago on the same date back in 2004, the tour features both Mastodon and Lamb Of God sharing the headlining duties, with both bands playing their respective albums in their entireties. With them they brought the British band Malevolence, and juggernaut Kerry King of Slayer fame to open the show.
From the second Kerry King and Co. stepped foot on stage you could tell this was anything but your usual opener. Playing with the presence and ferocity of a band used to closing out the show, they captivated the audience and set the tone for what was yet to come. For those not willing to give the guitarists new material, he threw them a proverbial bone by ending the set with the face melting Slayer favorite Raining Blood.
The sun was just starting to set at the outdoor venue as the Emmy winning Mastodon took their places. Kicking off their set was a clip from the 70 year old movie Moby Dick, making perfect sense, as the story is the basis for their epic Anniversary album, Leviathan. From the opening riff of the face melting opener “Blood and Thunder,” guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher switched off seamlessly, either barely stopping for breaths the entire hour. The bands mind blowing rhythm section and co-vocal duties consisting of Troy Sanders and Brann Dailor are an amazing combo to behold in real life. The ferocity of the band along with the impressive visuals thrust the crowd onto the raging seas for a portion of the evening, and were even treated to a few extra songs after the immersive Leviathan ride.
From the second Randy Blythe and Lamb Of God bandmates kicked off the beginning riffs of their Ashes Of The Wake opening track, Laid To Rest, they had the crowd right where they wanted them. For what seemed like the entire set, Randy bounded back and forth across the stage unable to be caught. For a band celebrating a two decade old album, they definitely played as if it could’ve been their first. The constant pyro was a nice touch all throughout the beginning of the set, and fans got the same end of set bonus with a few additional songs to end the night.
It is near impossible to convey the intense energy and flawless musicianship displayed by all the acts involved. Definitely a rare treat to all those who were able to attend. One can only hope that Mastodon’s “Crack The Skye” will have the same support in another five years!
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