A local grind act kicked things off, providing early arrivals with a mix of spastic metal and filthy stage banter. Definitely leaning more towards the punk-side of the genre, the band lightened spirits with burst after burst of raw but hilarious music. Coupled with pitchers of beer all over the venue, the group's hijinks set the stage for a manic evening.

Openers Lazarus A.D. would have likely received higher placement on the card were it not for some of the older and more venerable acts rounding out the night's lineup. The young Metal Blade Records signing is frothing with talent, their performance the work of a band well beyond their years. Still touring behind their 2007 debut The Onslaught, Lazarus A.D. sported a high-octane set anchored by slicing thrash anthems rife with blistering speed and crushing groove. Headbanging manically through such toxic cuts as "Thou Shall Not Fear," "Last Breath," "Absolute Power," and "Revolution," the set cemented Lazarus A.D. as a band worth hunting down.

Up next were the U.K.'s Evile. Patiently pummeling their way through an airtight but unremarkable set, Evile delivered a performance somewhere between magnificent and mediocre. Lacking the energy of Lazarus A.D., the band nonetheless maintains a knack for solid thrash tunes in line with an oldschool aesthetic. Though wholly decent live, Evile's set ended with a sense of underwhelming consistency.

More uneven were Chicago's Nachtmystium. The band's brand of psychedelic black metal remains equally poignant live as it does between headphones despite some losses in translation between the two fields. Musically speaking, the group's hallucinogenic assault never seemed questionable. Faster songs like "Hellish Overdose" and "Your True Enemy" retained a blurry, coked-out mania which made them exhausting barnstormers. Slower tunes like "Omnivore," in contrast, wallowed in skin-crawling paranoia. The one major flaw was vocalist Blake Judd's howls – Judd sounded ill or worn out, never quite hitting the intensity his band's recordings hint he is capable of. Though ultimately an awesome high, Nachtmystium's set didn't lack its own share of brief downs.

Despite putting on a breathlessly-technical set, Canada's Voivod rarely connected with me during their portion of the concert. Lacking ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted on tour and still recovering from the death of guitarist Dennis "Piggy" D'Amour, Voivod remained devoid of the historical presence a band like theirs deserves. More importantly, the band's trademark mix of melody and technicality seemed out of place with the night's other bands, sounding weak in comparison. Overall, it wasn't my cup of tea.

At long last the mighty Kreator stormed the stage, triumphantly celebrating their storied and illustrious career. Playing a fan-chosen setlist in honor of their 25th anniversary, the band raged their way through a gig which was largely focused on classic thrashers. "Flag of Hate," "Tormentor," "Pleasure to Kill" and "Betrayer" led the charge, recalling the band's brutal genesis during the 1980s. More modern singles like "Violent Revolution," "Hordes of Chaos," and "Phobia" also made appearances, ensuing fans of all ages went home grinning ecstatically. Here's hoping for another 25 years of extreme aggression.

Lazarus A.D.

Evile

Nachtmystium

Voivod