Testament/Kreator Concert Review Van Buren Theater Phoenix, AZ 10-24-24

Concert Review and Photos By Roc Boyum

Testament “graced” the sumptuous Van Buren Theater in Phoenix, AZ, on October 24, 2024, as part of their legendary “Klash Of The Titans” tour, featuring a powerful co-headling tour with Kreator. These two heavyweights delivered an unforgettable performance, leaving the Phoenix audience in a state of exhilarating chaos.

Kicking off this night of mayhem was the iconic death metal band, Possessed, widely recognized as pioneers of the genre since their inception in 1982. Longtime fans were thrilled to hear their classic hits, including “Pentagram,” “The Exorcist,” and “Death Metal,” along with three tracks from their latest 2019 release, Revelations of Oblivion, featuring “Raven Graven” and “Demon.”

Kreator:

Kreator, renowned for generating large circle pits and a lot of crowd surfing during their performances, had the Phoenix audience actively participating in both of these exhilarating activities throughout their set.

Early in the show, the crowd joined in on a Kreator tradition with chants of “Kreator, Kreator, Kreator!!!”

When lead singer Mike Petrozza urged everyone to “get into the pit,” a massive circle pit formed, creating a whirlwind of swirling bodies reminiscent of a tornado. During the track “Betrayer” from their 1989 classic album Extreme Aggression, Petrozza prompted a wave of nostalgia with his request for some old-school crowd surfing, which led to an exhilarating frenzy.

The band delivered a punishingly heavy set featuring 14 songs from 11 of their 15 studio albums.

Kreator put on an incredible performance that elevated the energy intensity, setting the stage for the chaos that was about to erupt with the arrival of Testament.

Check out the Kreator photo gallery at the bottom of the page.

Testament:

The venue had reached its maximum capacity, with fans tightly packed from wall to wall. The excitement for Testament was mounting with each passing second, and when the pre-recorded track of the Beastie Boys’ iconic party anthem, “Fight For Your Right” blared through the PA system, the crowd erupted into a thunderous, unified chorus. The energy in the room was palpable, and when the stage curtain fell, it felt as if chaos had erupted. Crowd surfing began instantly, with fans one after another making their way to the front of the stage, soaring over the barrier and landing safely in the arms of the waiting security team.

Midway through the second song, “New Order,” the crowd surfing escalated as waves of surfers surged onto the stage, overwhelming the security team with groups of three or four at a time. Many of the surfers were coming in head first and towards the end of “New Order,” one surfer managed to slip past the security and landed awkwardly – possibly on his head, shoulder or neck; (not the fan pictured). At this point, the band was unaware that the surfer was unresponsive to the security team’s attempts to assist him. As they transitioned into the third song, “Apocalyptic City,” lead singer Chuck Billy noticed the injured surfer still lying on the floor and immediately shouted to drummer Chris Dovas to halt the music. Billy could be heard urgently calling out, “man down, man down, man down.” The band stopped playing, and the injured fan was helped into a wheelchair and escorted to safety. Once everything was settled, the third song resumed, and the night’s festivities continued!

There’s no denying that this is one of the most exhilarating and chaotic fan engagement shows you could possibly experience. Instead of the typical sight of cell phones raised in the air, the entire crowd became a unified, energetic force, with waves of surfers, sometime in wide swathes all around… it was absolutely crazy!

Testament features an outstanding lineup of incredible musicians, including rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, solid bassist Steve Di Giorgio, shredding guitarist Alex Skolnick, the gritty vocals of Chuck Billy, and the newest addition, heavy-hitting drummer Chris Dovas.

The band delivered a relentlessly heavy performance in Phoenix, playing a total of 15 songs that primarily revisited their earliest recordings. Fourteen tracks were drawn from their first two albums, with seven from The Legacy (1987) and seven from The New Order (1988). The only other song performed was from their 2012 album, Dark Roots of Earth.

This is an unforgettable band and concert experience suitable for all ages, particularly for those who missed the wild energy of 1980s concerts. Testament is not for the faint-hearted or those who prefer to sit back and observe because… that’s simply not happening at a Testament show!!! This band delivers the electrifying intensity of a classic 1980s heavy metal performance, engaging their audience in a powerful exchange of energy. Everyone present, regardless of age, participates and reciprocates that same fervor to the band, creating an experience you truly need to be part of to fully appreciate.

Get Into Testament Here!

Testament Photo Gallery:

Kreator Photo Gallery:

Possessed Photo Gallery: