With every generation, there is born a select few that will go on to become some of the most unique voices in music. They come from all walks of life, and from all over the globe. Back in the day, you had people like Aretha Franklin, Elvis, Freddy Mercury, and Robert Plant. Elton John and Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Bob Marley. Each one of these vocalists was known for their one-of-a-kind sound and delivery. Each genre has its own legends, but the genre I’d like to focus on today is Deathcore…and the legend? Alex Terrible. This Russian Juggernaut of a vocalist has one of the most unique and powerful voices in deathcore today. I first heard Alex Terrible back in 2016 and I was convinced that this guy was inhuman. There was no other explanation as to how this individual was able to make sounds like that using only their voice.
As a metalhead I inevitably fell in love with the Russian deathcore band that Alex sang for, Slaughter to Prevail. This band is one that truly brings me calm when I am feeling out of sorts. I’m not sure why or how metal does this to me, but when I am listening to thrashing guitars, relentless double bass, and bone-chilling gutturals, I am at peace. It is my happy place. I know that I can’t be alone in feeling like this, it can’t be a coincidence that the metal community is one of the most loving and accepting fanbases on the planet. The music we listen to may be rowdy, blasphemous, and loud, but the people who listen to metal are the people I’ve met with the biggest hearts. When I made my way into The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA the crowd was in a phenomenal mood. Everyone was happy and excited to be there, strangers were swapping info and becoming friends, and people were laughing and joking, it was nothing but love in this awesome Orange County venue.
When Slaughter to Prevail first announced this tour, I was a little surprised that it was so short, but what really threw me for a loop was when I saw that they were performing ALONE! This was the very first concert I had ever attended where the headliner was in fact the only band performing. This being my first time seeing them live, I was kind of happy that this was the case. Being able to see a band you love with no other bands makes it a much more intimate performance. Every person is there for the love of one band. There was an hour and a half between doors and the start of the show, so everyone got time to hang out with their pit neighbors, have a few drinks, and get to know each other. By the time the band hit the stage, it was like having a party with a bunch of old friends, a big metal-loving family if you will.
Slaughter to Prevail came out, Alex in an STP hoodie and track pants, and the rest of the band donned gold Kid of Darkness masks and jumped right into “Bonebreaker”. This crowd went from 0-100 in the blink of an eye! I loved seeing everyone losing their shit to these songs. I can say with complete confidence that we gave this group of Russian Metalheads more love and dedication than even they expected. In between Alex would take a moment to thank the crowd, the people making the shows possible like the lighting/sound/guitar techs, the venue, and even the merch guy. One thing I truly admired was how full of love Alex was. You could tell that he was beyond grateful to be on that stage and he made sure the audience knew that he was grateful for their support. Normally I’m not one for a lot of commentary between songs but I love that Alex took the time to tell us what the songs were about, how they came to be, and where he drew his inspiration. This was by far the most intimate metal show that I have ever attended. I loved every moment of it. It wasn’t just the love coming from the band, every person in the crowd was acting as if they’d known the people around them their entire lives. They were headbanging with their arms around one another, they were helping each other up in the pit, and they were laughing and screaming and having the time of their lives!
At one point Alex took a moment to speak on the war in Ukraine. He said “We don’t approve or support what is happening. We think war is disgusting. We are a heavy metal band, and we sing about brutality but in our hearts is nothing but love. We love all countries, and we love all people. We love all of you!”. He went on to say that he considered everyone in that room that night his family, and in Russia, their word for family is “Bratva”, and then kicked right into their song with that very same title. The set went on and the audience went on becoming rowdier and rowdier with each passing song. During “Chronic Slaughter” I counted at least 10 crowd surfers that poured over the barricade. The show they put on was amazing, the guitarists, in their golden masks, egged the crowd on, and riled them up as much as they possibly could, and if you think that seeing Alex Terrible perform his vocals live would blow your mind, just wait till you see Evgeny Novikov behind that drum kit! His endless assault on that double pedal is such an integral part of what makes Slaughter to Prevail such an amazing band. This band being the well-oiled machine that it is had that crowd brimming with electricity until you could feel it in the air you breathed. The sea of writhing bodies seemed to swell with each song till it seemed like the barricades would eventually burst!
We reached the end of the set with “Baba Yaga”, and the band took off backstage as the crowd began chanting “STP! STP! STP!” and “ONE MORE SONG!”. The band made their way back out on the stage for an encore, but this time nobody was wearing masks. Before they played, Alex brought out their guitarist Jack Simmons who, for reasons I’m not quite clear on, wasn’t playing guitar on this tour. He thanked him for everything he has done for the band and promised the crowd that Jack would be playing on the next tour (which they mentioned would be sometime next year, so keep your eyes and ears open for that one!). Jack left the stage and they kicked into their most popular song “Demolisher”. This song is brutal in all the right ways from beginning to end. The crowd sang and screamed along, and the band went even harder than they had gone all night. I was sold, not only was Slaughter to Prevail an amazing band on record, but their live performance was a force to be reckoned with. What I loved the most, again, was that feeling of community, the love flowing through that room was palpable. It brought me back to when I was a young metal head growing up in Los Angeles going to shows, the people that took me under their wing, introduced me to bands that ended up shaping who I became and just being the supportive family that I didn’t quite have at home. It meant the world to me. I’m sure many people at the STP show that night felt the same way. I know many of us left with thoughts already on the next time Slaughter to Prevail would come to the states to share their unique and impressive brand of brutality. As for me, I left there thinking about all the amazing people I met that night, about the following this band had created, and about the beautiful “Bratva” that they had forged.
