SUMMER SLAUGHTER LEAVES VEGAS BLOODY BUT UNBOWED with HATEBREED, TERROR, INCANTATION and MORE!!
- Aug 26
- 4 min read
HATEBREED brought the 2026 SUMMER SLAUGHTER TOUR to Las Vegas at the House of Blues, with hardcore from TERROR, and support from Incantation, Gates to Hell, Torture, and Creeping Death for a ferocious night of metal and melee.
The show started hella early, and with the stadium next door hosting a show too the commute was another hell, but I finally got parked (abeit $50 poorer) and rushed in during Creeping Death and got to hear at least a bit of Texas death metal. The band played a short but brutal set and nailed "Spector of War" and "Ripping Through Flesh". Not for the weak. More on the band HERE.
Torture brought more brutal death metal with their anti-war theme and abrasively raw slam metal sound, starting with "Overture 1948" from War Crimes 2: Genocide Protocol Torture is multi-instrumentalist Kevin Kraus on drums and vocals with added guitar and bass on tour, and the apocalyptic aesthetic make for a heavy set. Kraus has released a lot of music in the few years he has been recording and producing his solo projects, check out tracks HERE.
Gates of Hell changed up the tone with a more murder gore grind, starting up pits with "Resurrected" and kicking the night into high gear. Vocalist Ryan Storey paced the stage and let loose a savage set with a few songs from their recent album Death Comes to All (Nuclear Blast), and new unreleased "Riding On" and new single "Disfigured". The Louisville band is on the rise, check out music HERE.
Incantation's death metal mixes aggressive riffs and doom tempos, and the tempo change did not stop the pits and the energy. Founded by guitarist John McEntee, who leads the band in vocals and bass, they started heavy with the chaotic "Devoured Death" from their highly influential debut record, to hair flying and headbanging on the rail. They played a few less expected live tracks like ""Merciless Tyranny" and "Once Holy Throne", and the short set clicked with the fans. "Concordat (The Pact) I" from their most recent album Unholy Deification (Relapse Records) was in the mix, and it was a good time. More on the band and music HERE.
TERROR hardcore literally tuned to night into something EXTRA. Two seconds after they took the stage bodies started to fly over the barricade and the floor opened up like a out of control vortex, with "Pain into Power" leading the melee. Seriously good shit. The room really began to feel a bit out of control, but that's the way Terror like it. Scott Vogel was running back and forth across the stage, stirring up the crowd and egging on the House of Blues biggest hardcore dance pit ever.
Terror released their 10th record this year, the unrelenting Still Suffer (Flatspot Records) , produced by former Terror guitarist Todd Jones, and it is ferocious. The set gave us the title track and "Destruction of my Soul", but leaned heavily on cuts from the legendary debut One with the Underdogs. This was the first long set of the night, and after a legthy list the band broke for a minute before an encore wrap up with "Keepers of the Faith".
We got thrown out of the photo pit about a song and a half in, but we saw that coming. It was an experience. Every time I go see Terror I have to count my teeth afterward. So good. Check out the new music HERE. and merch HERE
Hatebreed took the stage for the main event, "Proven" and "Before Dishonor" kicking the shit out of the House of Blues and creating a massive wall of bodies moving on the floor. Jamie Jasta on stage front and center was jumping up and down and punching the sky, and guitarist Frank Novinec was down in the crowd before the first song was even over. "Welcome to Summer Slaughter, it's Saturday night in Vegas... time to Make The Demons Obey"... and Vegas willingly complied. The song is a premier cut from their upcoming 9th album Fatal Paradox, due out in November and I can't wait.
Hatebreed has had a little lineup change - Carl Schwartz (formerly Terror) is on bass duties, and good to see Wayne Lozinak back at the helm on guitar. The band played a long set, but the crowd never faded, jumping and moshing for a sweaty hour. Before the end of the set, Jasta dedicated the show to Sick of It All and Lou Koller, noting that "Sick of it All paved the way for bands like us... none us us would be where we are today".
The show wrapped up with a frantic "Looking Down The Barrel of Today", with the entire place screaming along and a grand finnish to the Summer Slaughter for the night. And what a slaughter it was. More on the new music and tour HERE.
--Jo Anna Jackson
Photo Slideshows for more photos from Summer Slaughter Below
Hatebreed Slideshow Photos Jo Anna Jackson / Stardogphotos.com
TERROR Slideshow Photos Jo Anna Jackson / Stardogphotos.com
Incantation SLideshow Photos Jo Anna Jackson / Stardogphotos.com
Gates to Hell Slideshow Photos Jo Anna Jackson / Stardogphotos.com
Torture SLideshow Photos Jo Anna Jackson / Stardogphotos.com
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