Slaughter To Prevail @ The Gov, Adelaide 6/12/2023
Another huge Good Things Festival sideshow hit Adelaide with Russian deathcore band Slaughter To Prevail who are now based in Orlando, Florida. This show had been sold out for quite some time so you were doing well if you could score a ticket last minute. Their entire tour was sold out and having barnstormed their way through Good Things Festival shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane plus sideshows as well before their Adelaide appearance their was a real sense of anticipation and excitement at The Gov.
The focus was right on Slaughter To Prevail with no support prior. The band were that good that they didn’t need one to be honest. That popular that whatever merchandise there was had been snapped up well before the show had started. Essentially it was an hour of power as Alex Terrible and his masked cohorts took to the stage obliterating their way through Bonebreaker followed by Agony.
Alex Terrible took a moment to greet the crowd before asking the crowd “who’s coming along with us?” encouraging the formation of a circle pit and whipping them up in to a frenzy before Bratva. Alex Terrible reflects on the Australian tour saying it was “insane” with every single show sold out. The ferocity continued on Zavali Ebalo and with the temperature rising in the room Alex Terrible took off his mask saying “I can see you” and thanking the fans for being there right from the very first riff kicking it up a notch with new single Viking followed by Made In Russia.
Having played in Sydney the night before Alex Terrible told the crowd that he wanted to try something again on I Killed A Man requesting the crowd crouch down and wait for the cue to jump. Quite a site seeing everyone in the venue going off in unison on command. Alex Terrible is a humble and proud man who spoke about wanting to spread a good message since his “English is getting better” saying that they don’t sing about love and butterflies but suggesting he is a simple guy, introverted, who couldn’t kill a fly but if we are to make change it starts with our own lives and to stop making excuses. There was definitely something admirable and relatable with the message he was presenting and if he hadn’t won fans over he had at this point.
Baba Yaga was absolute killer which was followed by Alex Terrible thanking the crowd again for giving them the chance to live the dream which was quite a way from the small villages in Russia and that their goal in life was to play music. Powering their way through Demolisher the band left the stage and there was plenty raucous noise chanting “one more song” which they got with Hell. Incredible show giving fans their fix but also leaving them wanting more.
Live Review By Rob Lyon