Fans of heavy, aggressive music who feel the Festival d’été de Québec has brushed them aside over the years were finally spoiled for choice for a furious metal night with Lamb of God at Park des Francophonie on Wednesday.
• Also read: Lamb of God at Summer Festival: “I hate making albums” – Randy Blythe
Consisting of throaty vocals, ultra-fast drumming and heavy guitars at will, this decibel wall was not for the mellow.
Various shades of metal, from death to black to progressive and thrash, served as the soundscape for an intense release session for almost five ear-splitting hours.
The highlight of the evening was the American quintet Lamb of God, which delighted metal lovers, many of whom were present on the first evening without rain since Sunday.
What can I say? With his perpetually angry expression, vocalist Randy Blythe, who has had his hair cut since the band’s visit to the Videotron Center in 2022, led a barrage as Lamb of God revisited their 20-year repertoire by equally outing almost everyone scooped his albums.
It’s hard to identify a highlight or highlights in this rolling fire of metalcore adorned with jets of flame. Let’s assume the explosive introduction of Memento Mori set the floor ablaze, where festival-goers indulged in plenty of crowdsurfing alongside several giant laps (circle pit).
A child on the stage
Both of these extreme activities were also popular at the early evening concerts, especially during the very excited performance of Fit For An Autopsy, where something was brewing near the fences after passages by Quebecers Fuudge and French Celeste.
It was oddly quieter during the equally electrifying performance by the Ontarians of Protest The Hero, who nonetheless took second place to Lamb of God in the evening’s established rankings.
We can’t really blame the musicians, especially singer Rody Walker, a guy who doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously and knows how to flout the codes of the show.
“Do you know a good way to express a simple cheer? Are you looking forward to seeing Lamb of God?”
Walker also decided to encourage the next metal generation by inviting a boy spotted in the crowd onto the stage. The boy didn’t understand a word of English but was able to greet Quebec and make the sign of the devil’s horns before returning to his seat.
To that end, among the festival-goers, we could also see other children not wearing earplugs. Given the decibel level, it can’t be said to have been particularly responsible.