The Summoning Tour: Soulfly, Toxic Holocaust, Sergio Michel, Systemhouse 33, Sidework Syndicate, Torn Soul, and Sugar Virus
Soulfly is one of the names that one thinks of as a staple in metal music. Max Cavalera in particular has had an impact on heavy metal as a whole with both Soulfly and his other ventures in music. With that in mind, when we at ConcertHopper saw The Summoning tour making its way to The Masquerade in Atlanta, we had to be a part of it. The tour, featuring Soulfly, Toxic Holocaust, Sergio Michel, Systemhouse 33, Sidework Syndicate, Torn Soul, and Sugar Virus brought many stylistically different bands together to bring an evening of varied but amazing heavy music to Atlanta and we are eager to share our thoughts.
One of the impressive things about this show is that so many local Atlanta bands were invited to play. First among these natives was Sugar Virus. With their vocalist donned in a Danzig t-shirt and a mask that looked straight out of a superhero movie, they took off into their set. The influence of bands like Danzig and Type O Negative were evident in the set but with Sugar Virus putting their own unique spin on their inspirations.
Next to take the stage for their hometown crowd were Torn Soul. This band provided a wonderful opportunity to remind ourselves that, regardless of what our mind might conjure upon first glance at a band or just in general, we should never formulate assumptions prematurely. The band consists of what one audience member referred to as “a bunch of high school kids.” Despite their youthful appearance, the band did not come to mess around, tearing into a set that was filled with blistering riffs and thunderous drum blasts all set to guttural vocals. All of this amassed into a performance and sound that far superseded whatever notions anyone may have had about the band based on their age.
Sidework Syndicate were the last of the local bands to take to the stage. Even before the set began the crowd was already reaching a fever pitch, fueled by the awesome music we had already been exposed to. Donning a shirt that simply read “Witch” the vocalist for Sidework Syndicate stalked the stage from side to side, leaning out over the edge as he sent out furious vocals all to a backdrop of monstrous sounds. Even as a string broke on a guitar mid set the band persisted (and also performed the absolutely fastest guitar restringing that we have borne witness to.) All of this served to bring what was already a lively crowd even more alive.
Next were the first openers for the touring bands for this show, Systemhouse 33. Hailing from India, the band relies heavily on metal giants like Pantera for inspiration while bringing a unique cultural perspective to the classically inspired musical tropes. This could not have been more apparent as front man Samron Jude launched into their final song and asked for the crowd to participate by singing along to the song’s title lyric “Detestable Idolatry”. As one might expect this song is about religion, but in particular is applicable to the band’s surrounding influence in their native India where there is so much variation in the religions and deities followed.
Next up was Sergio Michel which, admittedly was something very unique in the world of heavy music for us at ConcertHopper. Stepping to the microphone was Sergio Michel himself, the namesake of the group, a wine-colored flying V styled guitar slung over his should. Immediately behind him to his left sat his drummer and that was all, there was no bassist, no second guitarist just two men who were about to unleash an insanely skillful performance upon the unsuspecting onlookers. Both artists here were obviously incredibly skilled and technically proficient at their respective instruments and all of this led to a very technical performance that could certainly be comparable to Steve Vai or Joe Satriania but for those who have a desire for a much heavier sound while still remaining technical.
Then it was time for Toxic Holocaust to take the stage and if anyone wasn’t sure what to be prepared for the bass drum said it all, reading “Toxic Thrash Metal.” And thrash metal is what was delivered as the band worked through songs like “Nuke the Cross” and “Bitch” as well as songs off of their latest album, Primal Future, which was released last October. The fast-paced thrash tempo juxtaposed against heavy lyrical content combined with the energy of the band itself who made a point to get the crowd involved had everyone incredibly amped for the final performance, Soulfly.
For those unfamiliar with Soulfly as band, they have generated a very cult-like following that has created a family atmosphere, referring to their community as the Soulfly Tribe. While this certainly inspires a sense of community it also harkens back to the band’s Brazilian roots and this theme extends throughout the performance, especially as the band brings out the traditional Brazilian Berimbau which serves as both and instrument and a bow and arrow. All of this cultural heritage intertwined itself with the musical heritage of Soulfly who began the set by combining two of their biggest songs “Jumpdafuckup” and “Eye for an Eye” and then followed it up by leading the crowd in a soccer style chant using “Ole” and the band’s name. From there they worked their way through the band’s impressive discography and also made time for surprises like two covers, both stylistically very different. One being ”Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley & The Wailers, the other being “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden to close out the show, which ran until 1 am. All of this made for an exhausted but incredibly satisfied crowd, us included!
The tour unfortunately concluded on March 12th in Houston but if any of these bands play in Atlanta, we highly encourage you to get out there and check them out. Especially the three local bands who definitely could both use and deserve support from their communities because they are incredibly talented and wouldn’t we all like to be able to say “I saw this amazing, wildly successful band before they were big.”
As always, please feel free to browse around ConcertHopper’s website further and to check out our articles covering a wide variety of topics. Please also check us out on social media on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Life is a beautiful thing and music only adds to that beauty, make some time to get out and celebrate beauty and life with a community of like-minded individuals at a concert soon, it’s always worth the price of admission.