It’s been a very long time (I think since the Ne Obliviscaris concert) since I last felt this excited about a show announcement. 2025 meant an overwhelming number of concerts for me, and in the middle of all that concert chaos, I realized—perhaps for the first time in my life—that I had started to get bored of going to shows, that I wasn’t enjoying myself like I used to, and that I felt unhappy because I was going out of obligation, as if I had to attend.

With all of that in mind, in 2026 I started planning concerts more selectively—shows I would genuinely enjoy from start to finish and really want to see. Death To All was at the very top of that list. How could it not be…

This was a show celebrating the 30th anniversary of Symbolic—my very first CD—and the 35th anniversary of Spiritual Healing, with both albums being performed in full from start to finish. I bought my ticket the moment it went on sale. And good thing I did, because the concert sold out. If I had somehow missed it, I would never have forgiven myself.

Especially considering that Gene Hoglan and Bobby Koelbe, who were part of the original Symbolic lineup at the time, were on stage; Steve DiGiorgio, who played bass on Human and Individual Thought Patterns; and the reality of Max Phelps, whose voice is remarkably similar to Chuck’s—it was incredibly hard to wait for this show. Every time I thought about the night months in advance, I was overwhelmed with excitement, and yesterday I saw firsthand that this feeling was absolutely not misplaced.

Anyway, the day of the concert finally arrived. Expecting a solid crowd and not wanting to get stuck in the queue at the door, we arrived at the venue with Hüseyin an hour early. After the usual pre-show chatter outside, we were inside the hall about half an hour before the show. The audience and age range were quite diverse. By the end of the concert, it was clear there were people who were truly there to experience it. Almost every song was sung along loudly. Mosh pits, wall of death segments—nothing was missing. There was even a failed wall of death moment that brought a smile to our faces (video here).

As for the band’s performance, I honestly don’t think I can fully convey how I felt. They played both albums at studio quality and pushed the bar to the stratosphere. On stage, the vocalist had almost no interaction with the audience; the microphone was basically Steve’s domain, and he was very warm and engaging with the crowd. He repeatedly said they wanted to come back, but of course those kinds of things can just be said in the heat of the moment to hype up the audience. Personally, I wouldn’t say no if they came every three months, haha.

Instead of the final three songs from Spiritual Healing, the setlist included Lack Of Comprehension, The Philosopher, and Zombie Ritual. For the encore, they closed with Spirit Crusher and Pull The Plug.

Hearing the entire Symbolic album performed live in flawless quality was absolutely phenomenal. I think this concert easily enters my personal top 5 shows I’ve ever attended. Especially after witnessing such an exact, album-faithful performance, it makes you annoyed at how many overrated bands we tolerate, while others on stage can sometimes get away with careless, overly simplified performances.

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After the concert, the overall crowd seemed very satisfied, but I also heard criticism from a few friends and acquaintances in the X community saying they “couldn’t hear the sound properly.” Apparently, the sound wasn’t consistent throughout the venue, with drums and cymbals being pushed too far back in the mix in some areas. Still, I wouldn’t remember this as a poorly mixed show. In fact, when the concert started, Hüseyin and a few others were in the same spot as me, but Hüseyin walked all the way back to the sound desk and said the vocals were much clearer there… I guess this is a very subjective issue and everyone’s expectations are completely different.

I just hope they come back again—and next time, we get to hear The Sound of Perseverance and Individual Thought Patterns in their entirety.

TAHİR