11/10/2019
Cannibal Corpse @ Apollo Theatre 
Belvidere, IL

The death metal legends came to The Apollo Theatre on a cold and snowy night. That didn’t stop them from doing what they came to do and that was kicking your ass. Being able to snap such a legendary band in their genre was an absolute honor. As I entered the venue the line for merchandise was already long. If there is anything to take away from it was that they still produce some of the sickest tour shirts out there. I’d say a healthy third of the crowd was wearing them.
The set list looked like a greatest hits concert. These guys have so many popular song it was incredible to see it all listed out. Seeing Corpsegrinder walk out on to the stage I knew it was about to get real in the room. He picked up the microphone and went right into a circle head bang. Hair was flailing everywhere. He then leaned of the front monitor and went right into growls with the mic buried under his hair. Looking like Sumara from “The Ring” but, actually a bit scary. The intensity oozed from the stage. Corpsegrinder literally wasted no time inbetween song with small talk and chatter with the crowd. He filled the occasional gaps with death stares and smirks. Fill-in guitarist Erik Rutan and long time guitarist Rob Barrett occupied both ends of the stage. Barrett held his spot towards the front and ripped with efficiency. Rutan on the other end swayed and head banged. He moved around the whole half of the stage freely. He was totally cohesive with the rest of the band. Never skipped a step. Bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz laid the foundation of the music down thunderously. It truly was art performed to perfection. 

It was an honor to watch and capture images of such a legendary and controversial band. My bucket list had a huge check mark placed on it. I truly hope my images do the event justice. Such a fun evening on an absolutely miserable time outside.

Best Songs:
Code of Slashers - It was remarkable how fast they jumped into it. The hyped audience was ready. Bodies started to fly over the barricade almost immediately. It projected a mean and aggressively intense rush.

Hammer Smashed Face - Lets be real here. This is their most popular tune by far. For how strong the show already was it felt like they saved all of their energy for home stretch. The drums were so loud. Out in front the circle pit was large and at warped speed. 

Set List:
Code of Slashers
Only One Will Die
Red Before Black
Scourge of Iron
Staring Through The Eyes of The Dead
The Wretched Spawn
Devoured By Vermin
Unleashing The Blood Thirsty
Gutted
Kill or Become
A Skull Full of Maggots
Evisceration Plague
Firestorm Vengeance
Death Walking Terror
I Cum Blood
Make Them Suffer
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face