Tuesday night in Arizona was no ordinary one. It was was jam packed with 5 different shows going on across the valley from Phoenix to Mesa. There was no shortage of options to chose from and no doubt the fans of Revocation would show up in full force. This was a stacked line up with Inoculation opening up the show. If you haven’t checked out this band out yet, you’re missing out big time.
Up next was Alluvial which was my first time hearing them. I was highly impressed and the crowd was going absolutely nuts for them.
Third of the night was Krisiun. If you have been listening to death metal for the past decade there’s a chance this band has been played on all platforms; tape, CD, and vinyl at some point in your life. They’re a must for any death metal enthusiast.
Revocation was initially known as Cryptic Warning, but changed their name to Revocation in 2006. Revocation was founded in 2000 by guitarist and vocalist David Davidson, bassist and vocalist Anthony Buda, and drummer Phil Dubois-Coyne. Revocation played several regional shows before recording their second full-length, Existence Is Futility, released September 29, 2009.
Empire of the Obscene was originally self-released, with the band being determined to share their sound across the nation. Revocation ended up funding their own tour! Which worked out well for them as they started to attract the interest from a few record labels. In September 2015, the band announced Empire of the Obscene would be reissued on November 13, 2015, through Metal Blade Records.
Extreme metal was officially put on the map when Revocation released their debut album, Empire of the Obscene (2008). With the shift in direction, Revocation has released six critically-acclaimed albums and toured more than 25 countries, taking their highly technical, highly energetic brand of extreme metal to avid fans across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
It was just a little after 9:30 when the lights dropped and the opening sample hit. The crowd was losing their minds as each member stepped out on the stage at The Nile theater. Opening up the night with the blistering song Nihilistic Violence was definitely a fan favorite and got everyone going right off the bat. This song will even get your grandma in the pit! It’s 5 mins of pure destruction and the perfect opening to kick off the night. I saw Revocation last year when they toured with Cannibal Corpse and while it’s hard for any band to match the Titans of death metal, Revocation definitely holds their own amongst the best in the genre. After listening to thier records what impresses me most is they create that same sound live. It’s not an easy feat with how technical they can be at times. Another thing worth pointing out is they’re not your typical death metal band standing still on stage. They take pride in their live performance and feed off the crowds participation. David Davidson is a true front man and his guitar skills are amongst some of the best I the world. The entire band is a complete blast on stage and you can tell they’re not taking this ride for granted. A couple songs in, the Devil ran out onto to the stage mocking and chasing David around. The Devil was holding up a piece of paper that said “soul contract”. Then he was trying to get David to sign it! This shows the band has a sense of humor and likes to have fun while out in tour.
Revocation doesn’t put on any old show, THEY GO ALL IN AND ABSOLUTELY DESTROY THE STAGE! The set list was stacked with such songs as Diabolical Majesty, The 9th Chamber, Madness Opus and to set off the final circle pit of the night they went into Of unworldly origin! As far as newer metal bands that are up and coming I can honestly say Revocation has already begun to stamp their place into metal history! Do not miss this band when they come through your city!
