Live in ThailanDemonslaught

How many live albums by metal bands can you say you actually appear on? Well, I was in the audience for this event, the Godbeheading Ritual 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand, so yes that's me you hear screaming in the audience. And while guitarist Ishidamien might not have honored my request that the band play "Black Metal Horses," it was still a damn fun show.

Ttrouble appeared early when leather-diapered vocalist/bassist Gezol broke a bass string. A replacement bass was not soon forthcoming, thus you have track #4, Ishidamien's guitar solos, which is actually the guitarist and drummer playing a song or two with no bassist/vocalist. That's the low point of the show/album, but it picks up from there and the listener is treated to live versions of Sabbat classics such as " Satan Bless You," "Disembody to the Abyss," and In League with Devils."

The band finished the set with a cover of a Metalucifer song, "Heavy Metal Bulldozer. Metalucifer is Gezol's heavy metal side band, and for the set-closer Sabbat was joined onstage by Surrender of Divinity guitarist Whatayakorn (not credited in the liner notes). And although you'd never know it by listening to this live album, believe me, the highlight of the night was when Whatayakorn's 6-inch spikes caught Sabbat guitarist Ishidamien in the forehead. Ouch! You know that had to hurt! Thus it was an awesome, bloodsoaked finale and a success for Sabbat's first journey to the land of smiles. The crowd went manic, although I got the feeling that many of those in attendance were not familiar with Sabbat's music. Or maybe it was the fact that they had to follow hometown heroes Surrender of Divinity. As for myself, it was an awesome experience to see and hear these legends from the Land of the Rising Sun, and I hope they soon return to Thailand to deliver another kamikaze hellstorm of thrashing black metal. For those of you who weren't at GBHR '07, or can't afford a plane ticket to Bangkok, let this live album serve as the next best thing.