A sea of studded leather, battle jackets, hair and beards descended upon Bristol Beacon for an evening of pure blissful brutality. The Thrash of the Titans tour featuring Nervosa, Destruction, Obituary, and Testament is arguably the best line up of this genre in decades with its title being a cheeky throwback to the ‘Clash of the Titans’ tour from 1991 which featured Slayer, Megadeth, Testament and Suicidal Tendencies. Each band brought its own brand of sonic destruction, and together they delivered a night of pure, unrelenting energy.
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Nervosa
With Goatwhore having to pull out of the tour, opening duties fell to Nervosa, and they didn’t waste a second. Their set was lean, mean, and full of fire. Tracks from new album Jailbreak hit hard, with dual guitar work of Prika Amaral and Helena Kotina slicing through the mix like a buzzsaw. Prika’s guttural vocals are astonishing, and the easily grabbed the enthused crowd warmly by the throat. Though their time on stage was brief, they left a lasting impression on a venue already three quarters full which was impressive given their 6:30 stage time. Was also a welcome surprise to see Elmo (yes, THAT Elmo) crowd surfing in a battle jacket. (His first of many appearances throughout the evening.)
Setlist
Seeds of death
Behind the wall
Kill the silence
Perpetual chaos
Venomous
Jailbreak
NERVOSA online:
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Napalm Records
Review: Steve Gibbons
Photography: Emma Painter
German thrash legends Destruction delivered a ferocious set that turned the venue into a warzone of riffs, sweat and circle pits. Opening with “Curse the Gods,” they tore through classics and new material with surgical precision. Ridiculously tight musicianship executed with choreographed metal poses rarely witnessed on stage these days, they have for decades been one of the underdogs of the thrash genre.
Highlights included “Mad Butcher,” new song “No Kings – No Masters,” and a pit-erupting “Thrash Till Death.” Schmier’s vocals were razor-sharp, and the band’s energy never dipped.
It was thrash at its finest: loud, fast, and gloriously unrelenting. It’s been 20 years since I last saw them, and they’ve only improved with age like a blood red wine
Setlist
Curse of the Gods
Nailed to the cross
Scumbag Human Race
Mad Butcher
No Kings No Masters
Bestial Invasion
Thrash ‘til death
Destruction
DESTRUCTION online:
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Napalm Records
Review: Steve Gibbons
Photography: Emma Painter
Obituary
From the moment they launched into Redneck Stomp, the room transformed into a pit of doom-laden brutality. Their sound is deceptively simple: slow, crushing riffs, guttural vocals, and a rhythm section that hits like a sledgehammer.
John Tardy’s vocals were a masterclass in controlled chaos — raw, primal, and unmistakable. He prowled the stage like a beast, letting the music speak through his body language more than words. With it being the 35th anniversary, the band leaned heavily on their second album Cause of Death, with Circle of the Tyrants, Chopped in Half and Dying drawing some of the loudest roars of the night.
Trevor Peres and Kenny Andrews traded riffs with surgical precision, while Donald Tardy’s drumming was thunderous and tight. The giant eyeball backdrop from the aforementioned Cause of Death album added a surreal, almost Lovecraftian vibe to the set.
Even when technical issues briefly interrupted the flow, the band didn’t flinch. They powered through with the confidence of seasoned veterans, the glitches only noticeable to guitar geeks like me. With barely any spoken interaction between John and the crowd, the long pauses and full blackouts between each song did begin to wear thin rather quickly but all in all, a solid set.
Setlist
Redneck Stomp
Sentence Day
A Lesson in Vengeance
The Wrong Time
Infected
Body Bag
Dying
Cause of Death
Circle of the Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover)
Chopped in Half
Turned Inside Out
I’m in Pain
Slowly We Rot
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Review: Steve Gibbons
Photography: Emma Painter
Testament
It’s taken me 19 years to forgive Testament. My old band were booked as local support to them in 2006 and they cancelled on the day of the gig (we still played in their absence). Actually, that’s a lie. I still haven’t forgiven them haha!
In 1988 a school friend recommended I check out ‘The New Order’ by Testament. From that moment on I always considered them to be the honorary 5th band of ‘The Big Four’ (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax) and would go as far as saying they should have replaced Metallica in that list a long time ago. Tonight only cemented that opinion even more.
With their huge ‘Nameless Demon’ mascot triumphantly holding horns aloft behind the drum kit, the display of thrash metal mastery begins. Blending speed, precision, and melody into a relentless assault.
Chuck Billy is in full command, wielding his mic stand like a weapon and engaging the crowd with every growl and gesture. His voice equal parts thunder and clarity cut through the mix with power and he wears a permanent grin when he isn’t singing. Alex Skolnick’s solos were jaw-dropping, fluid and fiery and, while sadly lower in the mix in places, Eric Peterson’s rhythm guitar laid down the foundation with crushing consistency.
The setlist leaned into Titans of Creation, but they don’t shy away from classics. Into the Pit, Practice What You Preach, and Over the Wall which turned the venue into a swirling vortex of moshing bodies and raised horns. Infanticide A.I. and Shadow People both from forthcoming album Para Bellum are very well received and the energy in the almost sold-out venue is electric. It’s refreshing to see that metal is not only still alive and well but, thriving again.
Drummer Chris Dovas, filling in for Gene Hoglan, proved he could hang with the best. His double-kick work and fills were tight, tasteful, and brutal. The band chemistry is undeniable, and they’ve evolved without losing their metal edge or trying to alter their style. The melodies beautifully crafted and delivered with graceful ferocity.
By the time they closed with Into the pit, the band, the crowd, the circle pit and, not forgetting Elmo of course, were all a contented sweaty mess.
Setlist
D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)
WWIII
Infanticide A.I.
Shadow People
Practice What You Preach
Sins of Omission
Native Blood
Trail of Tears
Low
More Than Meets the Eye
Return to Serenity
Drum Solo
First Strike Is Deadly
Electric Crown
Into the Pit
Testament Online:
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Review: Steve Gibbons
Photography: Emma Painter
UK/European Tour
05.10.2025 DE Hannover @ Capitol
07.10.2025 UK Bristol @ Beacon
08.10.2025 UK Birmingham @ O2 Academy
09.10.2025 IE Dublin @ Olympia Theatre
10.10.2025 UK Manchester @ Manchester Academy
11.10.2025 UK London @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
12.10.2025 BE Antwerp @ Trix
13.10.2025 DE Stuttgart @ LKA Longhorn
14.10.2025 DE Hamburg @ Große Freiheit 36
16.10.2025 CH Pratteln @ Z7 Konzertfabrik
17.10.2025 DE Wiesbaden @ Schlachthof
18.10.2025 IT Milan @ Live Club
19.10.2025 DE Saarbruecken @ Garage
21.10.2025 SI Ljubljana @ Media Center
22.10.2025 AT Vienna @ Arena
23.10.2025 PL Wroclaw @ A2
24.10.2025 DE Munich @ TonHalle
25.10.2025 DE Oberhausen @ Turbinenhalle
26.10.2025 NL Utrecht @ Tivoli Vredenburg – Ronda