LiveLarge

Thrash is Revived at the Regent: The thrash revival of the mid-to-late 2000’s threw some great bands into the metal-loving public’s ears, some of which had already been touring like dogs for years and were finally able to seize their opportunity.

Municipal Waste is a great example; They formed in 2001, and by the middle of the decade they were household names (in niche households, admittedly). Two other names that enjoyed a similar trajectory are Denver’s Havok and Portland’s Toxic Holocaust.

Putting the two of them on a bill together is a perfect, if low-hanging, idea. The fanbase here in L.A. is pretty much the same people and, most importantly, both have a string of fucking awesome records in their arsenals. Oh, and both have magnificent metal logos, which means a ton of impressive merch and some cool backdrops.

DSC 0005

Toxic Holocaust (Brett Callwood)

Led by Joel Grind, the sole founder of the band, Toxic Holocaust raised hell, perhaps literally, in Los Angeles on Saturday night. The packed crowd responded to every song, including “War is Hell” and “Death Brings Death,” like this was the last concert they’d ever be attending and they had to make the last mosh count. Closing tune “The Lords of the Wasteland” brought the whole thing to a gloriously adrenalin-fueled conclusion.

Toxic Holocaust Setlist The Regent Theater, Los Angeles, CA, USA 2023

David Sanchez is the sole remaining original member of Havok, though Pete Webber and Reece Scruggs (drums and guitar respectively) have been in since 2010 and bassist Nick Schendzielos has been in and out and in again since 2015. The chemistry is immaculate and the band is air-tight.
Toxic Holocaust were not easily followed, but the Colorado boys managed it with aplomb. Every song hit home like a heart-seeker, from the opening “Point of No Return” to the closing “Time is Up.” They were greeted like the metal heroes that they now are and, again, the crowd went seven shades of apeshit. Stage diving and slam-dancing — it was all going on.
This metal shit man — it’s clearly here to stay.
Thrash is Revived at the Regent: Visit regentdtla.com for more info.
Havok Setlist The Regent Theater, Los Angeles, CA, USA 2023

Editor’s note: The disclaimer below refers to advertising posts and does not apply to this or any other editorial stories. LA Weekly editorial does not and will not sell content.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.