Live report by Christian Tallone – Photos by Christian Tallone + Marco Pili

Saturday, July 6, 2024, a date I eagerly and curiously awaited since the event was announced, and honestly, with a bit of anxiety due to the fact that summer had been very late to arrive this year, and the risk of everything being ruined by bad weather was looming. Fortunately, however, a beautiful sunny day shines on Genoa’s old port, and already in the early afternoon, you can see black t-shirts emerging, from those of veterans like Testament, Slayer, Venom, etc., to many new recruits, lots of teens, and little metalheads accompanied by wise dads.

At 5:00 PM sharp, as scheduled, the gates of the sea arena open, and the rush to the barricades begins, giving those without a ticket half an hour to get one because the dances start at 6:00 PM.

SLUG GORE – 6 PM

Setlist – see the photo

At precisely 6:00 PM, SLUG GORE begins, but unfortunately, many of the attendees, myself included, miss the first few songs because we are still stuck at the ticket/accreditation office. However, I manage to catch the final part of their set, which ultimately lasts only 20 minutes. The guys from Ravenna warm our ears with some powerful death metal, with frontman Poldo and company hammering away splendidly. I’m happy to see Danny Metal in action on the drums, a YouTuber I’ve been following for a while. Old B-movie monster films serve as a backdrop. They finish with a cover of Gluch’s “Grounded by Slugs.” Unfortunately, due to the early hour and their brief time slot, there aren’t many people yet, but for the little I saw and heard, I liked them, and I hope to see them live again soon.

NECROART – 6:30 PM

After a quick stage change, it’s time for another local band, NECROART, active since 1999 with a long career and tours with giants like Rotting Christ, whom I personally adore. They bring a breath of melodic death metal to Genoa’s sea, sometimes symphonic but also very dark and decadent. Their atmospheres remind me a lot of Moonspell. Charismatic Max knows how to engage the audience, starting with “Withered”, a fresh new piece, followed by “An Invocation for the Horned”, “Son of Worms” and closing with “Lamma Sabactani”. Their set, unfortunately, is also brief, just half an hour, but they masterfully use it to leave a mark, theatrical, violent, dark, and melodic. In such a short time, they show all their nuances, a high-level band that I’ll gladly delve into more.

Setlist:

1. Withered (new single via Nadir)
2. An Invocation for the Horned
3. Son of Worms
4. Lamma Sabactani

NODE – 7:05 PM

Setlist – see the photo

A slightly longer stage change, used to grab a beer, and then back under the stage to wait for NODE, an Italian excellence active since 1994, celebrating their 30th anniversary today. Despite this, it’s my first time seeing them, so far. They open with the powerful “The Sacred Theater of Nothingness”, but for the first 30 seconds, there’s no sound due to a technical issue that is promptly resolved, giving them a notch more volume than the previous bands. The four priests are in great form, guitarist Gabriele and drummer Pietro are impeccable, while Dave and the historic member Gary are the true leaders, loving what they do and transmitting it to an audience that has visibly grown an hour after opening. Unfortunately, their time is also short, with only five songs on the setlist, but they don’t let up for a second, their style shifting from thrash to death, perhaps due to the multiple lineup changes over the years. They end with the final blow, “Life on Display”, and it’s a shame it’s over already… but my neck thanks them. Great NODE!

FULCI – 7:40 PM

At 7:40 PM, it’s FULCI’s turn, another Italian band named after the famous director Lucio Fulci (hence the tribute with the song “Zombi 2”, which they can’t play despite being on the setlist, perhaps due to time constraints). In recent years, they’ve made their way violently with their death/grind in the national scene. I didn’t know them well, but I started researching them as soon as I saw them on the program, and my curiosity grew noticing they have a strong following. Many were there for them, and I understood why as soon as they took the stage. Like SLUG GORE, they delight our eyes with horror and splatter footage, blood, and autopsies perfectly blending with their fast and brutal music. Here the situation gets more serious, with 12 pieces on the setlist, starting with “Glass”, then “Rotten Apple”. Edo’s drumming is a real bone-crushing blender, the bass and guitars deep and dark, and Fiore’s voice is truly talented, a growl that seems to come from the depths of the earth. They conclude after about 40 minutes of brutality with “Eye Full of Maggots”.

Setlist:

1. Glass
2. Rotten Apple
3. Apocalypse Zombie
4. Lonely Hearts
5. Splatter Fatality
6. Voodoo Gore Ritual
7. Tropical Sun
8. Among the Walking Dead
9. Matul Tribal Cult
10. Legion of the Resurrected
11. Nightmare
12. Eye Full of Maggots
13. Zombi 2

SADIST – 8:40 – PM

Setlist – see the photo

At 8:40 PM, it’s SADIST… eight years to see one of the most anticipated bands of this festival on stage again, not only Italian but Genoese, led by Trevor, who is also part of the event’s organization. He put his heart into it, dedicating part of their show to thanking everyone. They open with “One Thousand Memories”, the SADIST logo fixed on the screen, the excellent drumming of new entry Giorgio Piva meshes for this special tribal show with the percussion rhythms of the historic Oinos. Nine tracks that retrace the band’s career, “Season in Silence”, “Perversion Lust Orgasm”, well-blended sounds, perhaps only the guitar a bit low at the beginning, but then everything seems to balance out, maybe also depending on my position. Trevor is an exceptional frontman and entertainer, their show flows smoothly and quickly, and the audience goes wild under the heavy notes of “Escogido” from 1996, passing through the new “Accabadora”. I’ve been waiting a long time to see SADIST live again, and they did not disappoint anyone’s expectations. They say goodbye to the Genoese audience with “Tribe”, as great as always… now we await Infected Rain.

INFECTED RAIN – 9:45 PM

At 9:45 PM, directly from Moldova, it’s time for Infected Rain, the first non-Italian band to take this stage, although to my great surprise, I discover they speak our language very well. The guys are having enormous success and are bouncing from corner to corner of the planet. A group that intrigued me for a long time, I couldn’t quite pin them down, so I devoured many live videos (thank you, YouTube… we used to wait for something to be shown on TV, and it was practically science fiction) to prepare myself for what I would see. They are the first and only band of the day that can be said to be “for everyone”… very groovy, solid and powerful yet very melodic… they stray far from the style of all the other bands of the day. It’s undeniable that the presence of Lena and Alice is noticeable… they make an impression. Eugene’s drumming is very precise, each hit resonates in your stomach, Vidik on guitar never stays still for a second, almost impossible to photograph him, Alice makes the whole stage vibrate with headbanging, and Lena switches from a fierce growl to clean and melodic singing with great naturalness. She speaks Italian to the audience, thanks them for their support, and engages them, something I personally liked a lot. She didn’t put a wall up with the fans by acting like a superstar; on the contrary, she showed great humility, earning a lot of points from me. “A Second or a Thousand Years” starts the dances, then moving on to “The Realm of Chaos” and “Pandemonium”. By now, night has fallen, and the atmosphere has started to change, the arena is almost full, and many are there for them. Even the passengers on departing ships could enjoy a moment of their performance, with the stage set about 20 meters from the water. It was nice to see people waving from the decks and dancing to Infected Rain. “The Answer is You”, “Paura”, “Orphan Soul”, ending after about an hour with the beautiful “Sweet, Sweet Lies”. In conclusion, their sound impact is devastating, their scenic impact remarkable, a live show I’d gladly see again! Greatly approved!

Setlist:

1. A Second or a Thousand Years
2. The Realm of Chaos
3. Pandemonium
4. Vivarium
5. The Answer is You
6. Dying Light
7. Never to Return
8. Because I Let You
9. Enmity
10. Sweet, Sweet Lies

CARCASS – 10:45 PM

Setlist not available

At around 10:45 PM, CARCASS takes the stage. Introducing the English quartet is almost unnecessary; we are in the presence of true giants. This is the fourth time I’ve seen them live, but the first as headliners. Despite this, they are not a band known for elaborate stage setups; the classic lights and screen that play their iconic and unmistakable backgrounds, familiar to all Carcass fans, are sufficient. Nothing else is needed. They are enough, imposing. Jeff Walker looks like a devil on the edge of hell; his voice is pure ferocity. Drummer Daniel Wilding is frighteningly precise and fast. Bill Steer, with his distinctive bell-bottom pants, plays with the natural ease of someone born to do it, and his partner on strings, Nippy Blakford, is no less impressive.

I couldn’t retrieve the setlist, but many songs are so ingrained in our heads that, in the end, do we really need it? They open powerfully and malevolently with “Buried Dreams,” followed by “Keep on Rotting,” “Arbeit Macht Fleisch,” and “Heartwork.” They give us about an hour and 20 minutes of music, totaling at least 15 songs that practically everyone sings along with them to catch their breath from the mosh pits, or maybe they mosh to catch their breath from singing… who knows.

What’s certain is that CARCASS is a guarantee. Everyone was waiting for them, everyone wanted them, and everyone got exactly what they expected: a show worthy of their name. They deserve a book, not just a few lines of a live report. Honestly, more than praises, I wouldn’t know what else to say. CARCASS must be experienced, not read about… and if any of you haven’t done so yet… well, stay alert and don’t miss the next opportunity. A few minutes before midnight, they bid us farewell with a video of “drive-in” style dancers that made me laugh out loud. IMMENSE, PERIOD!

CONCLUSION:
I’d like to say a few words about this event. It had been years since I had seen a metal concert of this scale in Genoa, and as a Ligurian, I can say I was truly astonished. The location is large but not immense, impeccable services, excellent beer, friendly staff, and, above all, a fantastic stage! Congratulations to Trevor and all the organizers! In the beautiful setting of the old port, which is already wonderful to experience pre- and post-concert, there is no shortage of parking, and there are bars and restaurants nearby for all tastes… everything was perfect, I’d say.

A festival that was a true success, and so I can be sure that the next edition of the Genoa Summer Festival will be one of the key events for us genre lovers! Congratulations again to everyone… from the bands to the staff! See you next year!