GWAR in Salt Lake City at The Depot with Against the Grain, Sacred Reich, and Toxic Holocaust

Written By | Adam Sandberg

As I walked up to The Depot in Salt Lake City there was already a line formed of metal-heads waiting to get in. The night consisted of: Against The Grain, Toxic Holocaust, Sacred Reich, and Gwar!

See More Photos of Against The Grain Here

First up for this evening was Against The Grain! This 4-piece band from Detroit, Michigan were amazing! They managed to take thrash metal and combine it with a southern twang. The crowd seem to have a positive reaction to them with huge mosh pits and loud cheers. This was definitely a great way to start the night.

See More Photos of Toxic Holocaust Here

Second up was Toxic Holocaust from Portland, Oregon. I cannot believe that such a huge sound is coming from this three-piece band! They had some of the fastest riffs that sounded insane, and then they would have these super groovy breakdowns. It kind of reminded me of Sepultura in the “Arise” album days. That’s a total compliment, because that is a sick album! The crowd loved these guys! They had a humungous pit, and people were banging their heads like no other! Definitely enjoyed them very much!

See More Photos of Sacred Reich Here

Third up of the night was the mighty Sacred Reich! I am a Phoenix native, so I grew up going to Sacred Reich shows, and eventually even playing with Sacred Reich on several occasions. With all that being said I have to say that Sacred Reich was definitely on point this evening. Their energy on stage was amazing! We even got to hear some new songs, and vocalist/bassist Phil Rind confirmed they are recording a new record. So make sure you keep an eye out for that!

 

See More Photos of GWAR Here

Last but not least… the infamous GWAR! These guys are still putting on one hell of a show after all these years. They definitely did not disappoint. I mean the first thing that happens in their set is a guy gets beheaded and bleeds all over the crowd. If that doesn’t say Gwar all over it, then you’ve never been to a Gwar show. The crowd was insanely crazy for Gwar! There were people right up front covered in fake blood and screaming the lyrics with the band, as well as intense huge mosh pits were happening just right behind the people in front.

My final thoughts of the show was that all the bands were amazing! A lot of great energy, a lot of great music, and a lot of metal!

Photo Credit: Adam Sandberg