On a blustery San Francisco evening Metal, J-pop and animation fans alike were all treated to an immersive experience full of thunderous metal, cosplay ,choreography and sheer hilarity. I can only be talking about the Mutilation On A Spring Night tour featuring the uproarious fictional band Dethklok, J-Pop darlings ,Babymetal and the comical ensemble, Nekrogoblikon.  The evening was filled with fantasy, innovation, and infectious enthusiasm topped off with pure theatrical mayhem. This spring tour kicked off April 7th in the west Coast running through may 3rd ending in Portland.  Let's dig in!

First up was Santa Barbra’s Goblin-Metal band Nekrogoblikon, a gang of pure absurdity and foolishness that leads you to a goblinesque realm of fantasy the moment the band takes the stage. Nekrogoblikon is a band of goblins that all seem to feed off of each others  high energy and have the stage antics and camaraderie  that remind me of the “everyone in the pool” mentality. The front man  and hype Goblin is mascot, John Goblikon who shares vocal duties with Dickie Allen (a Goblin in Human form).  Amazing keys and vocals are handled by Aaron “Raptor” Minich.  Guitar shreds from Alex “Goldberg” Alereza are melodic and face melting at the same time.  Drums are keeping the time perfectly with Eric.W.Brown behind the kit. This melodic Death Metal outfit evoke fist pumping and head banging which is impressive and entertaining and a perfect way to begin the evening.

Next up is the mega popular, genre bending Babymetal, with their precise choreography, dance moves, enthusiasm and catchy pop melodies. They are accompanied by the bone crushing metal of the “Kami” band. Babymetal lives up to the hype with their electrifying stage presence, theatrical passion and overall dynamic performance. Led by the powerful vocals of Su-Metal, Moametal and Momometal,  they transcend musical boundaries by blending Japanese pop with Heavy Metal, accompanied by  visually stunning dance moves and incredible stage antics. Babymetal treated fans to a set of their biggest hits beginning with “BABYMETAL DEATH” as they approached the stage shrouded in dark red lights the choreography was a sight to behold, and the fans were all singing along to favorite tracks from all their biggest hits ‘PA PA YA”!! and “Gimme Chocolate”.  These tracks rang through the theatre as the” Kami” Band exploded liquid metal behind the dancing Queens of J-Pop. Their set was  stunning with top notch production, elaborate visuals and of course an amazing set design. After a 10 song set, we were treated to an encore “Road Of Resistance”.  This one blasted through the arena as fans were in a head banging, dancing frenzy, a perfect state to leave the crowd in for what mayhem lies ahead this evening .

Next up, the headliner of the evening, Dethklok, the fictional Death Metal band born From Adult Swim's hugely popular animated series, Metalocalypse.   Dethklok exploded on the stage beginning with a large LED screen to usher fans into a world of humor, gore and face melting metal. First the animation took center stage but as soon as Dethklok started to play,  a whole world of debauchery began.   This wasn't now just visually,  but now all senses were engaged. Over the top videos accompanying Dethklok's biggest hits were on display in full color, gore and astonishing mayhem. From the genius mind of Brendon Small, Metalocalypse was born with all from the animated series including the characters, voices the songs and all instruments (are masterfully handled  by Small.)  When touring, Small is joined by Death Metal Legend, Gene Hoglan on drums, Nili Brosh on guitar, Bryan Beller on Bass,  with Small handling lead guitar and vocals.  Overall,  its a stunning ensemble of sheer talent and genius. According to Dethklok, “All the fans hold the power”.  Even though the fans can only see a silhouette of the band, they show through crystal clear with the brutal onslaught and sheer intensity of songs they perform.  The overall setlist is vast, bringing Metalocalypse to life with flawless, satirical humor with songs like “I Ejaculate Fire”, “Aortic Desecration” and “Thunderhorse” - all with accompanying videos.  The crowd was in a metal induced  frenzy and (of course) laughter.  Head banging and crowd surfing was happening all over the arena. A three-song encore was the climax of the night as Dethklok bid goodbye to San Francisco. Selling out 2 nights in a fairly large arena is proof that Dethklok has (and will) continue to have a stronghold on the metal fans of the Bay Area for years to come. I know I will surely be in line to witness the debauchery, humor and sheer talent and genius of Brendon Smalls and gang again. Catch the Mutilation On A Spring Night tour in a city near you, you won’t be disappointed.