Two kings of thrash metal, New York’s Anthrax and the Bay Area band Exodus, headlined the Metal Alliance tour’s stop at House of Blues San Diego last Monday. The bands played long sets of heavy metal classics for a very large crowd of old metalheads and young moshers alike.
Exodus has been around in many incarnations for over 30 years. Their membership list reads like a who’s who of metal, with the likes of John Tempesta, Paul Bostaph, and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammet all having played for the band in the past. The current lineup of Rob Dukes on vocals, Gary Holt on guitar, Tom Hunting on drums, Lee Altus on guitar, and Jack Gibson on bass is powerful, and the band had several circle pits going at one point in the small club. Exodus’s set list ended with classics like “The Toxic Waltz,” “Strike of the Beast,” and “Bonded by Blood.”
Anthrax is another metal band with 30 years of lineup changes, touring, and albums. They headlined the show, and as a special part of this tour, played their 1987 album Among the Living in its entirety. Featuring Anthrax classics like “Caught in a Mosh,” “I Am the Law,” and “Indians,” the album was fondly remembered by fans who knew all the words. The band also played a fair share of covers, including a rocking version of AC/DC’s “T.N.T.,” a highlight of the night.
At one point in the show, vocalist Joey Belladonna even grabbed this reviewer’s camera and took a nice shot of the crowd. Be sure to check it out if you were in attendance. The Metal Alliance tour proved that hard rock and heavy metal are still a large draw in San Diego, and that more tours like this need to make the trip down south.
Photos – Anthrax at House of Blues
Exodus