On Saturday night, the 24th, Death To All performed their highly anticipated Symbolic Healing Tour in São Paulo. The Death once again played to a packed Carioca Club – the same venue as their 2024 performance .
The backbone of the project features former band members Gene Hoglan (drums), Steve DiGiorgio (bass), and Bobby Koelble (guitar). For vocals and second guitar, the excellent Max Phelps (ex- Cynic ) flawlessly honors the brilliant Chuck Schuldiner , who passed away in 2001.
Death To All played classic songs from various phases of the band's career
Although the tour focused on celebrating the albums Spiritual Healing (1990) and Symbolic (1995), the 20-song setlist offered a complete and devastating showcase of all phases of the band. The audience went wild with the opening sequence consisting of “Infernal Death”, “Living Monstrosity”, “Defensive Personalities”, “Lack of Comprehension”, “Altering the Future”, “Zombie Ritual”, “Within the Mind”, and “The Philosopher”. The first part of the setlist ended with “Spiritual Healing”.
Regarding Symbolic , an interesting point was raised by the bassist: the album had never been played in its entirety on its respective tour. Those present had the opportunity to hear the excellent “Empty Words”, “Without Judgment”, “Misanthrope”, and “Perennial Quest”. The classic title track and the hit “Crystal Mountain” should also not be forgotten. It's one of those albums where you shouldn't skip any songs. Koelble's strong jazz foundation allowed for the creation of solos full of feeling, while also possessing great technical complexity. He exuded charisma throughout the entire performance.
The presentation featured audience interaction and a great deal of technical skill
In the quartet, DiGiorgio is responsible for interacting with the audience. The Testament tried out some Portuguese, joked around a lot, thanked the Brazilian fans for their support, and said they would return whenever they could. With enviable technique, he impresses by playing extremely complex songs like "Spirit Crusher" on an imposing fretless bass.
Regarding Gene Hoglan, one simple word sums him up: precision. Live, the drummer is simply devastating, and it feels like we're in front of a metronome. It's no coincidence that his nickname is "Atomic Clock." It would be wishful thinking to say that Chuck is reincarnated in Max, but that's exactly the feeling he conveys. The vocalist performs the role so well that, if we close our eyes, it's as if Schuldiner is there, not him.
The encore featured a jam session of Opeth ." The Swedish progressive metal band has never hidden the fact that Death is one of their influences. The closing song couldn't have been anything else: "Pull The Plug," one of the group's definitive hits.
Currently, it's no exaggeration to say that Death To All is the closest thing to witnessing what a Death show would be like. In the case of this tour, fans could see one of the best albums of the genre being reproduced in its entirety with two of the band members who recorded it – Hoglan and Koelble – on stage. It's also worth noting that every melody was sung at the top of their lungs.
One thing is certain: Chuck would surely be very proud and happy with the way they celebrate his great creation. The tribute honors one of the greatest metal bands in history in an honest, solid, and symbolic way.
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