We’ve all had those moments where we should have paid a little bit closer attention. Yours truly had one such moment this past Monday night when I realized that both Ensiferum and Decrepit Birth were not playing the Hartford edition of the 2009 Summer Slaughter Tour at The Webster Theater. Instead of being transfixed by those fancy color posters touting all of the bands that will eventually appear on this nationwide trek I should have noticed the fine print which noted that certain bands only appear on certain shows, (truth be told, I should have known this was the case anyway after having worked with large package tours in a previous life). For most fans finding out at the door that two of the three bands you came to see weren’t present would be a deal-breaker. But I decided to soldier on and I’m certainly thankful that I did.

As I pulled up to the venue one fan was already being taken out on a stretcher. Of course after showing some remorse for a fellow human being in pain one had to smile at the irony of someone being carted off via ambulance from a tour with ‘slaughter’ in the title. With so many bands playing (doors for this show where at 3:00 pm on a Monday!) it became obvious early on that some bands are just simply better at what they do than others. It’s why bands like Suffocation have been around for 20 years (which we were reminded of over and over again during their set) and others on this tour will be lucky to last through the end of the decade.

Suffocation is a great starting point when talking about this tour, but also death metal in general. The band’s new material has a home alongside classic tracks culled from albums like “Effigy of the Forgotten” and “Human Waste.” Their technical prowess hasn’t waned a bit over the years. Their stage show, although not the energy packed explosion it once was, is still entertaining and the appreciation they show for their fans is genuine. One can’t help but wonder how much difference there really is between seeing Suffocation now and seeing them in some seedy New York bar twenty years ago and in reality that’s a pretty high compliment.

My only complaint about Suffocation’s set is that it didn’t close the show. I’m not sure who made the decision to have Germany’s Necrophagist headline over Suffocation (my guess is either the booking agent or the record labels themselves) but it was apparent when Necrophagist played to a half empty room who the majority of the crowd was there to see. If this show were transplanted somewhere in central Europe that line-up would make sense, but being a 90 minute drive from Suffocation’s home base they needed to headline this show. Not only did it deprive Necrophagist of playing in front of a full house but it denied the fans a chance to end the night with possibly the best set of the evening. Instead we were left with a band that appeared completely uninspired and devoid of any personality to close out the night.

The other band on this bill worth noting was Darkest Hour. It wasn’t long ago that this band was the darlings of the hardcore scene, closing their sets with Misfits covers. Despite the fact that this band has had a sound closer to death metal than hardcore going all the way back to the “So Sedated, So Secure” album I still secretly wondered how they would go over with extreme death metal fans. My fears were assuaged though as soon as Darkest Hour took the stage. Brutal, technical and confident, these guys know how to put on a show. You quickly get the vibe watching these guys that they would feel at home playing for pretty much anybody. That’s truly the mark of a band that loves what they do, which could easily explain their longevity.

My initial disappointment over who wasn’t playing was left at the door and thanks to solid sets by a handful of bands and top notch work by Suffocation and Darkest Hour this show was a success in my book. At the very least it certainly has given me pause to wonder if I shouldn’t go see it at The Palladium in Worcester, MA when it comes back around, besides, I hear Ensiferum and Decrepit Birth are playing that show!!