By Michelle

When I was 16 I saw Carcass at the Ritz Theater in Ybor City during the Heartwork tour (little did I know how much “street cred” it would give me over the years). But when I heard Carcass was coming to Jannus Landing for their reunion tour, I was apprehensive, for multiple reasons:

1. I’m old.
2. Venues with no re-entry are bogus.
3. Sweaty, long-haired, sausage parties are unappealing.
4. And the thought of seeing one of the most technical and influential grind bands of all time losing even one ounce of their awesomeness would be heartbreaking.

I’m not really into nostalgia but I do believe that some things should just be left alone. But luckily for me, Chris and the hundreds of other people in attendance last night, Carcass (even without their original drummer) killed it. Watching Carcass and Suffocation reminded me that really good death metal is TIMELESS.

But the real lesson I learned is that you should never abandon your roots. So I say to you what the frontman of Suffocation said to the crowd last night as he exited the stage, “Stay brutal, my friends, always.”

Yeah, I know this picture sucks. But I refuse to sacrifice my safety any longer for metal. It takes much longer to heal these days.