Photos and Review by David De LaHuerta
The German thrash legends Destruction made a stop at Lee’s Palace in Toronto with Nervosa and special guests in support of their Diabolical North American Tour.
One of the opening bands VX36 from Northern California with Gage Higgins (Lead Guitar/Vocals) Nate Klug (Vocals/Guitar) John Lorence (Drums) and Nick Altenburg (Bass) took the stage and played their dynamic thrash music with fast-paced riffs and drumbeats. Their setlist which included, “The executioner,” “Satan’s fury,” “Looking through the eyes of a dead man,” and “Times in turmoil” kept the audience pumped. They definitely did a great job warming up the crowd.
Sunlord was the second group that took the stage. The Heavy Metal band from New York is also part of their current line up in this tour with Destruction. With great stage presence, they performed most of their songs from their album 222 released back in 2020. Due to the circumstances of the past two years, this was their first time getting to showcase the songs live in Canada. Sunlord was formed by Guitarist (and Vocals) Alfonzo Ferrazza, Lamar Little (Drums), and Ashley Wells (Bass). The band played to a bunch of moshing fans, keeping them engaged with songs “Miserable Gods,” “Forbidden Witch,” and “Do Your Push Up.”
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Next to appear was all-female metal band, Nervosa. When I heard they were going to be on the lineup, I was excited and could not wait to see them for the first time. They did not disappoint. Their entire performance was on point and they were all over the stage the entire time.
Prika shredding her guitar on each song was just phenomenal. Mia Wallace played bass with effortless precision. Eleni Nota did not miss a beat on drums and Diva Satanica on vocals delivered a flawless set that included, “Death,” “Venomous,” and “Under Ruins.” When they performed “Perpetual Chaos,” the fans went nuts. They certainly did not disappoint. I personally cannot wait to see them again.
It was time for the headliner, Destruction, to take the stage. Everyone in attendance started chanting the bands name and it just kept getting louder and louder. The band lived up to their name and literally destroyed Lee’s Palace with their performance. When Randy Black (Drums) emerged from backstage, the crowd went wild. Just when I thought they couldn’t get any louder, Damir Eskic (lead guitar, backing vocals), Martin Furia (rhythm guitar), and Schmier (bass) took the stage and the crowd’s cheers became deafening. Lee’s Palace is a very small venue. There is no space for stage diving and body surfing, they are not allowed. The fans were so excited that some of them found a way to make it happen despite the cramped space and venue restrictions.
Destruction played a mix of songs that spanned from the ‘80s and ‘90s right up to their latest release from April 2022, Diabolical. Fan favorites included, “Infernal Overkill,” “Eternal Devastation,” “The Antichrist,” “Diabolical,” “No Faith in Humanity,” “Repent Your Sins,” and “Tormented Soul.” The guitar work by Damir and Martin was incredible. Martin just joined the band this past year, but the way the two of them play together, the seamless back and forth, you would swear he has been playing longer.
Destruction played a mix of songs that spanned from the ‘80s and ‘90s right up to their latest release from April 2022, Diabolical. Fan favorites included, “Infernal Overkill,” “Eternal Devastation,” “The Antichrist,” “Diabolical,” “No Faith in Humanity,” “Repent Your Sins,” and “Tormented Soul.” The guitar work by Damir and Martin was incredible. Martin just joined the band this past year, but the way the two of them play together, the seamless back and forth, you would swear he has been playing longer.
For those that haven’t decided to attend this tour, I highly recommended checking them out.
There are still several upcoming US dates that you can catch them on.
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