Combichrist/Dope/September Mourning- Louisville, KY 3/20/2017

By Cathy Moore for Rock All Photography and Music

It was definitely an interesting Monday night in Louisville, Kentucky this week when the Blood Lust Death Tour 2017, presented by Blackcraft Whiskey, was unleashed at Trixie’s Entertainment Complex. Fans lined up around the building waiting for access to the half strip club, half concert venue to see Davey Suicide, September Mourning, Dope, and Combichrist in a show full of metal madness.

Things got off to a bit of a late start, so scheduled local opener Untold Rellik graciously bowed out of the lineup to help things run a bit smoother. That left Davey Suicide to get the crowd going. Davey Suicide distills heavy metal, industrial and punk into anthems that are as corrosive as they are catchy. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it through the line and into the venue in time to see Davey Suicide perform (which was HUGELY disappointing for me), but we could hear them and they sounded awesome.

Next up was dark culture transmedia group September Mourning (click here to view photo gallery). From the moment September pulled back her cloak and unveiled her “human-reaper hybrid” persona the crowd was transfixed. The band’s stage show is very theatrical and September’s performance is extraordinarily expressive – as if each movement tells a part of the story. I was particularly impressed with September Mourning’s unique version of the 1962 Ben E. King song “Stand By Me.” Definitely a new spin on an old classic.

DOPE (click here to view photo gallery) commanded the stage next. Lights and smoke and video screens created a dynamic setting for the veteran metal band to deliver hits from throughout their nearly 20 year career. They played new hits including “Blood Money” and “Lexipro”, old favorites such as “Violence”, “66 Sick”, “My Funeral”, and “Addiction”, and classic covers like “Rebel Yell” and “Spin Me Right Round.” Edsel expressed his astonishment that after decades of touring all over the world he had to come to Louisville, KY to play a strip club, and then he belted his “love song” to the crowd, “Die MF Die.” Dope ended the set with “1999” from their Blood Money Part 1 album which is almost an autobiographical tribute to the band’s career….a fitting wait to end a killer set.

Closing the show was Combichrist (click here to view photo gallery), a highly energetic, percussion driven band that engaged the crowd in sing-alongs and crowd surfing and everything a crazy metal show should be. They played a slew of songs from throughout their diverse 13 years from “What the Fuck Is Wrong with You?” to “Throat Full of Glass” to “Zombie Fistfight” and up to “Skullcrusher” from their most recent album This Is Where Death Begins. Combichrist refused to slow down the entire set. Their music is meant to be experienced live and it is truly a memorable experience.

The Blood Lust Death Tour 2017 is definitely an experience that stimulates the imagination and doesn’t fail to entertain. There are a few dates left so catch a show if you can.