Article and Photos: Linda Carlson
Huber Heights, OH – As the 2024 outdoor concert season winds down, the Rose Music Center hosted a fiery evening of heavy metal with the Klash Of The Titans Tour, featuring co-headlining thrash metal legends Kreator and Testament, with support from The Possessed.
The pairing of Kreator with Testament is a stroke of genius. Both are influential icons in the metal world, with performances that complement each other in their power and fury.
Germany’s Kreator was formed in 1982, and has had its share of lineup changes. The band’s current roster is Miland Petrozza (vocals, guitar), Jürgen Reil (drums), Sami Yli-Sirniö (lead guitar), and Frédéric Leclercq (bass). Petrozza and Reil are founding members.
The stage setup for Kreator was spectacular, with enormous air-filled busts of brutally frightening demons towering on either side of the stage and also behind the drum kit. Their presence enhanced the sense of domination of the band’s performance. The side-stage figures seemed to be shouting at the audience.
Kreator has consistently brought new music to their fans over their 42-year lifespan, with 15 studio albums, their latest being Hate Uber Alles in 2022, three live albums and five compilation albums. This made the evening’s performance ripe for fan favorites, and Kreator did not disappoint. Their 14-song set was bursting with metal ferocity. The repetitive chanting of “Sa-tan is Real” was haunting.
- Hate Über Alles
- Phobia
- Coma of Souls (Intro Only)
- Enemy of God
- 666 – World Divided
- Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)
- Hail to the Hordes
- Betrayer
- Satan Is Real
- Phantom Antichrist
- Strongest of the Strong
- Terrible Certainty
- Violent Revolution
- Pleasure to Kill
The headliner for this evening was Testament, a Berkeley California band also originating in the early 1980s. Like Kreator, roster changes abounded during the band’s rich history. The current lineup is Chuck Billy (vocals), sole remaining founding member Eric Peterson (rhythm guitar), Alex Skolnick (lead guitar), Steve Di Giorgio (bass) and Chris Dovas (drums).
Testament hit the stage with a furious onslaught of the senses. The explosive pounding of their music, coupled with blasts of flashing light and bursts of towering smoke, along with the constant movement of the performers, made for a veritable sensorial attack of the mind, body and soul of the crowd. Their intended effect was immediate, non-stop and cheered by the fans.
- Eerie Inhabitants
- The New Order
- Apocalyptic City
- Raging Waters
- The Preacher
- The Haunting
- Trial by Fire
- (Drum Solo)
- First Strike Is Deadly
- A Day of Reckoning
- Alone in the Dark
- Do or Die
- Disciples of the Watch
- Over the Wall
- Into the Pit
Touring opener was Possessed, another metal band that formed in the 1980s in the San Francisco Bay area. The lineup changes over the years is rather enormous, but the band today is Jeff Becerra (vocals), Daniel Gonzalez (guitar), Robert Cardenas (bass), Claudeous Creamer (guitar) and Chris Aguirre II (drums).
The tour continues stateside through October. After a short break, Testament and Kreator are joined by Anthrax for a European tour in late November. Check the bands’ websites for tour stops near you!
Check out the image carousel below for more photos from the Dayton show.