Napalm Death - Crowbar - Full of
Hell - Brat (Campaign For Musical Destruction Tour 2025)
Feb 9th 2025
Wizemann, Stuttgart
Review By:
Stefan Raspl
Here we are again: Saw the mighty NAPALM DEATH almost exactly 5 years
ago at the same venue - and two weeks later, everything got shut down
due to the Corona virus epidemic. Four bands total promised value for
money, and I was pleasantly surprised what a quality package this
turned out to be! Sound was pretty good for all bands, and attendance
likewise. Hard to estimate, but I'd guess around 600-800 or so.
First up were BRAT from New Orleans. This was an as bizarre as it was
entertaining performance. Typical long-haired bass & guitar players
at side of stage (I thought they were brothers, but apparently they
aren't), frontwoman Liz was a literal stage hog: Displaying what looked
like a wild mixture between cheerleader & dance moves, as well as
some aerobic, she really took no prisoners! You really gotta have some
serious confidence to pull that off - and she did, while pulling
various hilarious faces. Really cool, great entertainment! They had
some _really_ weird interlude songs, by likes such as Britney Spears or
Abba, which were abruptly stopped by their songs, which alternate
between grind and slower, more groovy parts. They threw in a cover of
HEART's Barracuda, which turned out very well. Liz' vocal range is
unfortunately a bit limited, growling in the same pitch throughout the
whole set. Some vocal parts by their guitar player helped loosen that
up a bit, but Liz needs to work on her vocal range to bring in a bit
more variety. Still: Definitely the best opener I've seen in many
years, and they got some good, appreciative crowd response!
Next up was FULL OF HELL. The fact that things would be a bit out of
the ordinary was obvious when they put up some kind of sequencer in the
center of the stage, which was operated by their vocalist. All hell
broke loose when they started: Vocalist Brandon looks more like a he
was in a hardcore band, and bounced around on stage like a madman. His
vocals were very varied, I haven't heard some of the noises he produced
so far, and he went for it all the time - this guy means business! But
the real point of attraction to me was their drummer, who was INTENSE -
like, holy shit, he counted in 1/64th or something like that, and did
blasts similar to the legendary Mick Harris of NAPALM DEATH, with some
kind of full body movement! Must have lost quite some weight during the
show, and watching that guy alone made made the show worthwhile. I was
hoping they'd add some electronic elements to their music, but either
they only use the sequencer for intros or the odd interlude, or they
were drowned out in the sound. Just like the vocal part of their
drummer during one of their songs, which was unfortunately inaudible.
They did a cover of a MELVINS song (Oven), which I knew from a HELMET
record, but had to google quite a bit to figure that out. It came out
well. All in all: Memorable performance!
Now it was time for a band I had heard about for decades, but never got
myself to check them out: CROWBAR. They sure are legendary at this
point, and the crowd reaction when Kirk Windstein and his boys entered
the stage underlined that. Not a fan of doom in general, but as a live
act, CROWBAR was the shit! Kirk sure can write great riffs in an
immediately recognizable style. I totally disliked the vocals, though -
they seem to have been somewhat OK early on, but his voice seems
halfway shot now, and kept me wondering what they would sound like with
a proper singer. But what really did it for me was their absolutely
devastating sound: They were heavy as a steam roller, emphasizing their
totally crushing riffs - really impressive! Trust me, YouTube videos
don't do that any justice, in case you were wondering. Still no desire
to listen to them on record - but would immediately go for their next
show when they come around - highly recommended! And a very welcome
counterpoint to the blasting and grinding from the other bands.
Finally: NAPALM DEATH! As usual, they did not mess around and
immediately plowed through a great set - it simply never gets old. And
I really have to give it to them: As Barney mentioned in-between songs,
they "are no lazy bastards", and added in some deep cuts like Necessary
Evil (off Enemy Of The Music Business), On The Brink Of Extinction (off
Time Waits For No Slave), or Twist The Knife (Slowly) (off Fear,
Emptiness, Despair) - greatly appreciated!! He displayed all his usual
stage antics which you gotta love - in suspenders this time around, no
less! However, I was a bit concerned with his posture, which looks a
bit unhealthy. He should get that checked - or maybe I just
binge-watched too much HOUSE lately :O Sound-wise, the guitar was
drowned out a bit too much, which was the only downside to their
otherwise great set. Crowd response left no doubt who most of the
attendees came for. Barney also emphasized that they put great effort
into selecting the bands for their tours. And that sure paid off: This
was a felicitous package, which was so much better than what it might
read on paper.
The tour is still on, and if you're unsure whether to go: By all means,
go, and support some good, honest metal!!
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