MILAN, Legend Club - 11/06/2025
We’re again at the Legend Club, a staple venue where Milan’s metal community regularly gathers for the many events hosted here. This November, with concerts absolutely packed across Italy, the club’s schedule is especially dense, particularly during the first week of the month.
Gatecreeper, fresh off their latest album Dark Superstition, arrive in Milan for the only Italian stop of their European tour, joined by two of the most prominent names in the new wave of extreme music: 200 Stab Wounds and Enforced.
On a cold, damp, and foggy Wednesday night, it’s up to these bands to heat things up for the fans who have made their way through Milan’s unusually heavy traffic. As anticipation shifts from one act to the next, a lineup like this, even just on paper, promises not to disappoint.
ENFORCED
Doors open at 7 PM. Attendance is still sparse, the venue half empty, but there’s already movement on stage as Enforced prepare to kick things off. The Richmond-based band is one of the hottest acts among the new wave of thrash metal, channeling the style pioneered by Power Trip but injecting an extra dose of aggression. Their sound is everything thrash should be: direct, no-frills, straight to the point—just like their attitude on stage. Once they step into the spotlight, there’s no hesitation. They launch straight into Betting on the End, taken from their latest EP, A Leap Into the Dark, immediately unleashing a relentless assault. The setlist draws not only from their most recent material but also from their full-length releases War Remainsand Kill Grid, delivering blow after blow that quickly energizes the crowd. Frontman Knox Colby calls for circle pits, and despite the still-growing audience, some fans are already diving in. No one remains indifferent to their performance. By the end of the set, the applause is warm and genuine—a well-earned recognition for a band that delivered a tight and powerful show.
ENFORCED SETLIST:
Betting on the End
Malignance
Curtain Fire
Casket
Hanged by My Hand
Nation of Fire
A Leap into the Dark
War Remains
200 STAB WOUNDS
After a break of around 45 minutes, the night continues with 200 Stab Wounds, a band that has rapidly risen through the ranks of the international extreme scene in recent years. There’s nothing particularly surprising about their formula: it’s classic, groovy, and brutally effective death metal. Yet within that simplicity, it’s clear that the Cleveland outfit has carved out a distinct identity, both on their debut, Slave to the Scalpel, and its follow-up, Manual Manic Procedures, now presented live in Italy for the very first time. Like their predecessors, they waste no time. They hit the stage, rally the crowd, and immediately dive into crushing tracks like Hands of Eternity and Masters of Morbidity. There’s no pause between songs, just a continuous barrage of riffs and aggression. Tension builds, the pit grows increasingly intense, and the energy never drops. It’s an adrenaline-fueled performance that fully lives up to the band’s name. From start to finish, 200 Stab Wounds give it their all, delivering a debut Italian show that won’t be easily forgotten.
200 STAB WOUNDS SETLIST:
Hands of Eternity
Masters of Morbidity
Skin Milk
Tow Rope Around the Troat
Parricide
Drilling Your Head
Gross Abuse
Defiled Gestation
Ride the Flatline
Itty Bitty Pieces
Fatal Reality
Release the Stench
GATECREEPER
By around 9 PM, the Legend Club is finally packed. After another extended break, it’s time for the main event. Gatecreeper has already played Italy back in August 2023 as part of the Frantic Fest lineup, but things are different now. At that time, they hadn’t yet released their third album, Dark Superstition, which will be performed in full tonight. Reaching a third full-length album is often a defining moment for any band—a test of identity, consistency, and growth. It’s no easy task, but the Arizona death metal outfit has clearly risen to the challenge. While their earlier records, Sonoran Depravation and Deserted, leaned heavily on Swedish death metal influences, this latest effort explores more melodic and accessible territory without sacrificing heaviness. And live, that balance holds up perfectly. Chase Mason takes the stage, sporting his trademark thick mustache and sunglasses, as the band opens with Oblivion from the new record. They then weave in older material, such as Ruthless and Craving Flesh, showcasing particularly strong drumming throughout. Overall, the band maintains a steady, crushing pace, clearly enjoying themselves as they relentlessly hammer the crowd. The audience responds in kind, with constant circle pits and loud cheers throughout the set. Before the encore, Mason promises two extra songs if the crowd pushes themselves to the limit—and the fans deliver. Watching the chaos unfold in the pit is enough for him to grin and say, “Alright, you deserve two more songs!” The band closes the night with Flamethrower and Boiled Over. The show wraps up at 10:30 PM, bringing to a close an evening where each band built anticipation for the next, ultimately showcasing three acts more than ready to claim their place as the next big forces in today’s extreme metal landscape.
GATECREEPER SETLIST:
Oblivion
Ruthless
A Chilling Aura
Caught in the Treads
Craving Flesh
Flesh Habit
Rusted Gold
From the Ashes
Mistaken for Dead
Dead Star
Patriarchal Grip
Desperation
The Black Curtain
Starved
Sick of Being Sober
Flamethrower
Boiled Over
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