Review and photos by Chris Crone
HAVOK Bring the Thrash and the Chaos to Goldfield
Goldfield Trading Post in Roseville was the place to be on October 26 as Parabellum, XOTH,Slackjaw, and Havok brought a full night of heavy music to Northern California. Four bands,four different approaches to metal, and a crowd that was ready to get moving. From the openingband to Havok’s final assault, there was no shortage of heavy riffs, banging heads, and bodiesflying around.And somehow, I ended up taking a little more punishment than I planned on. More on that later.
Parabellum
Parabellum got the night rolling with an aggressive set that gave the early crowd plenty of reasons to get closer to the stage. The riffs were heavy, the playing was tight, and the band wasted little time setting the tone for what was ahead. They brought a solid mix of aggression and melody, giving the crowd a taste of what the night had in store.
Opening a four-band metal show is never the easiest job, but Parabellum got things moving and helped set the stage for the madness to come.
XOTH
Seattle’s XOTH took things in a different direction, bringing a healthy dose of technical death metal, progressive songwriting, and cosmic weirdness to Goldfield. These guys can seriously play. The guitar work was intricate, the arrangements kept things interesting, and there was plenty going on for fans who like their metal with a little more going on beneath the surface.
With their sci-fi influences and nods to the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft, XOTH brought something different to the lineup. Their sound was a mix of technical precision and full-on heaviness, and they weren’t afraid to let the songs get a little strange along the way.
It was a change of pace from the opening set, but one that fit right into a night built around heavy music.
Slackjaw
Slackjaw came out swinging and brought the kind of groove-heavy aggression that gets a crowd moving. The riffs hit hard, the breakdowns landed where they needed to, and the energy in the room continued to build.
This was the kind of set that made it pretty clear the crowd wasn’t planning on standing around all night. Heads were banging, bodies were moving, and the pit was getting more active as the evening rolled on. Slackjaw had a strong presence onstage and kept the pressure on throughout their performance.
They also did a good job bridging the gap between XOTH’s more technical approach and the old-school thrash assault waiting in the wings. By the time their set wrapped up, Goldfield was ready for Havok.
Havok
When Havok finally hit the stage, it was time to turn things up another notch.
The Colorado thrash metal veterans wasted no time getting down to business. Lightning-fast riffs, blistering guitar work, and pounding rhythms came flying at the crowd, and frontman David Sanchez kept the energy moving from the stage to the floor. This was straight-up thrash metal played with speed, precision, and plenty of attitude.
The crowd responded in kind. The pit stayed active, heads were banging, and fans were singing along as Havok tore through their set. There was no shortage of energy on either side of the barricade, and the band clearly knew how to keep the room fired up.
Of course, a night like this wouldn’t be complete without a little Goldfield insanity.
At one point, an enthusiastic fan decided that climbing one of the venue’s support poles was a good idea. Security quickly stepped in, brought that little adventure to an end, and escorted the climber away. Apparently, the pit wasn’t providing quite enough excitement for everyone.
But that wasn’t even my biggest moment of the night.
While I was crouched down in the photo pit doing what I do for Capital Chaos TV, the evening’s first and only stage diver came sailing over the barricade and landed directly on my head.
Yep. My head.
There’s nothing quite like trying to get the shot and suddenly becoming part of the show yourself. One second, I’m concentrating on photographing Havok; the next, I’m apparently serving as the landing pad for a flying metal fan.
Thankfully, both cameras survived the impact, and I made it out without any serious damage. I was a little sore afterward, with my neck reminding me about the incident the following day, but nothing was going to keep me from finishing the job.
I’ve been photographing concerts for more than 40 years, and live music has a way of keeping you on your toes. Still, getting taken out by a stage diver while you’re working in the pit is one way to make a night memorable.
All kidding aside, Havok delivered the goods. The band brought the speed, aggression, and musicianship that thrash fans came to see, while the crowd supplied plenty of chaos of its own. It was loud, fast, unpredictable, and exactly the kind of night that makes live metal shows so much fun.
Final Thoughts
Goldfield hosted a solid night of metal, with Parabellum, XOTH, and Slackjaw each bringing something different to the table before Havok took over and unleashed the thrash.
From XOTH’s technical, cosmic approach to Slackjaw’s groove-heavy attack and Havok’s breakneck riffs, there was plenty to keep the crowd moving all night. Every band helped build the energy, and by the time Havok hit the stage, Goldfield was ready for the mayhem.
As for me, I went home with a memory card full of photos, two working cameras, and a sore neck courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the stage.
That’s live metal for you. Sometimes you get the shot. Sometimes the shot gets you.
Check out the photos and keep supporting live music. We’ll see you at the next show.
Categories: Concert Photography
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