Thousands Slayed in Moline

The TaxSlayer Center in Moline could barely contain the metal Thursday Night As Slayer's Final Campaign tour tore through the Quad Cities.

For nearly 6 hours a nearly packed house was assaulted by 4 very different brands of metal. Starting with the thrashing groove of Pantera's Phil Anselmo And The Illegals, to the screeching industrial strains of Ministry, and the pounding upside down funk of Primus, Slayer's last night in the QCA left no rock unturned.

A crowd of about 8,500 fans, young and old (from a baby with ear protection, to a Korean War Vet) at times swayed in unison, moshed and screamed with fists raised. I never saw so many metal fans gathered in one place here in the QCA. It was very energizing to see.

To see so much dedication and near-frenzied loyalty to music that doesn't really get much radio support in town is a testament to the following these bands have found through non-traditional means.

Anselmo hit the gas from the get-go, slicing through Pantera songs that really only he can sing, highlights including 'Yesterday Don't mean Shit,' crowd favorites 'Fucking Hostile' and 'Walk.' Ministry founder and singer Al Jourgansen told the crowd he felt, "Fucking Old" before launching into a song from 30 years ago, but the band stayed as electric and fresh as I've ever heard them with 'Stigmata,' 'Jesus Built my Hot Rod' and the hardest version of Black Sabbath's 'Supernaut' to ever hit the back of my head.

Primus? Man, I don't get those guys. But they brought their super-tight bass heavy brand of metal to a boil, preventing a full-on eruption by not playing the 'Southpark' theme. But even I knew "My Name Is Mud' and 'Jerry Was A Race Car Driver.'

And then, Slayer. It was their night. The crowd, already battered, and bruised by 3 other contenders, answered the final bell for one last pummeling. The four giant, lighted crosses slowly rose up, and inverted as the the bands' thundering notes of 'Repentless' washed over the TaxSlayer Center. And for the Next two hours, the band gave and gave until it hurt. Then gave some more. It was the hardest, fastest, loudest show I ever heard. They sounded great, and tore through their litany of songs as the crowd down front moshed, and the rest of crowd dragged around at will by the band.