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Metalitalia Festival 2024 – Day 1

Live report from the first day of the Metalitalia.com festival.

TREZZO SULL'ADDA (MI), Live Club - 09/14/2024

Every month in Italy brings an unmissable event—whether a single-band show with supporting acts or a multi-day festival. There are always abundant choices, each one outdoing the last. Summer 2024, in particular, featured packed lineups that raised the temperature: June saw Hatebreed with Crowbar; July had Genova Summer Fest and Luppolo in Rock with three-day lineups; and in August, Metal for Emergency and Frantic brought their signature shockwaves and major headliners.
 
Finally, in September, the Metalitalia Festival arrives. For 11 years, it’s been the definitive way to end the summer on a high note. Past editions have delivered standout lineups, especially post-COVID. In 2022, Sodom headlined day one with Coroner, Onslaught, and Bulldozer. The second day zeroed in on black metal: Watain, Abbath, Asphyx, and Batushka. In 2023, Venom led the first day, joined by Paul Di’Anno, Malevolent Creation, and Unleashed. The second day offered pure folk with Folkstone, Furor Gallico, Wind Rose, and Feuerschwanz.
 
So, what could fans expect for the 2024 edition? A total upgrade awaits. Day one focused mainly on thrash and featured Husqwarnah, Ural, Angelus Apatrida, Cripple Bastards, Xentrix, Morbid Saint, Destruction, and Overkill. Day two was more classic and revivalist. It combined younger bands like Hellfire, Haunt, and Night Demon with legendary acts. These included Satan, Warlord, Cirith Ungol on their rare second and final Italian date, and Death SS as headliners.
 
Both opportunities are unmissable, each hosted at Italy’s top indoor venue: Live Club in Trezzo sull’Adda. The weekend will ignite with intensity, starting today.

HUSQWARNAH

The Live Club gates opened at 1 PM. The line moved smoothly. The venue was ready with merchandise stands and a busy meet-and-greet area. At 2 PM sharp, Husqwarnah took the stage. The Monza-based death metal outfit delivered a ferocious, battle-ready performance. They blended tracks from their two albums, Front: Toward Enemy (2021) and Purification Through Sacrifice (2024), into an explosive set. The atmosphere heated up immediately. Applause poured in from a small but highly energized crowd—a clear sign the day had started perfectly.

HUSQWARNAH SETLIST:

Melting Face
Death Proof
Mass Grave
Graboids
Screams from the Cellars
Reincarnation of Sin pt. II
Wheel of Torture
Tower of Suicide

URAL

After just 15 minutes, it was time for Turin’s Ural. Active since 2010, the thrashers have made a mark on the Italian metal scene with solid releases: six official records (three albums, two EPs, one demo). Their onstage presence was immediately felt with an intense, high-energy performance that kept the crowd fired up throughout. In particular, the closing tracks, Virtual Sleep and Fake Reality, left the audience impressed and roaring for more.

URAL SETLIST:

Crossearth
Blood Red Sand
Werewolf
Heritage
So What
Virtual Sleep
Fake Reality

ANGELUS APATRIDA

So far, the shows had been intense and adrenaline-fueled, but the real fire was yet to come. Angelus Apatrida, one of Spain’s most respected thrash acts with over two decades of experience, set the stage ablaze. Brothers Guillermo and David Izquierdo, joined by Victor Valera on drums, delivered a relentless performance, supported by their latest album Aftermath (2023). The first large moshpit of the day spontaneously erupted in the center of the floor, and the band gave a full hour of pure thrash, earning roaring applause.

ANGELUS APATRIDA SETLIST:

One of Us
Snob
Indoctrinate
Cold
Of Men and Tyrants
We Stand Alone
Violent Dawn
Give ‘Em War
Sharpen the Guillotine
Vomitive
Serpents on Parade
You Are Next

CRIPPLE BASTARDS

As Angelus Apatrida left the crowd buzzing, Cripple Bastards wasted no time in escalating the chaos. Although a grindcore band in an almost entirely thrash lineup might seem out of place at first, if the goal is to hit hard and escalate the chaos, the Piedmont grinders were perfect for the task. With Schintu the Wretched sidelined by the flu, Eugenio Sambasile of Embryo stepped in for this show, creating an unusual but solid lineup. Cripple Bastards were, as always, relentless: fixed in their positions, they unloaded a constant stream of rage and violence on the crowd, driven by Giulio’s fury, Der Kommisar’s razor-sharp riffs, and Raphael Saini’s pounding drums — today marking his 10th year with the band. Songs like Polizia, Una Razza da Estinguere, and Misantropo a Senso Unico were just a few of the crushing tracks performed in an hour-long set that left the audience, as usual, utterly annihilated.

CRIPPLE BASTARDS SETLIST:

XENTRIX

After the devastating grindcore wave, the festival returned to thrash metal with one of its true gems: Xentrix. Often undervalued, perhaps because they hail from England rather than the Bay Area, their legacy is undeniable. Active since 1988, with excellent albums and decades of experience, they rank among the most seasoned acts in their genre. Only Kristian Havard and Dennis Gasser remain from the original lineup. Following a temporary breakup, the band reformed with new members and a more groove-oriented sound. The true essence of Xentrix lies in Shattered Existence, their debut full-length, celebrating 35 years. Honoring it in their setlist, they created the perfect atmosphere to ignite chaos in the crowd. Jay Walsh delivered rough vocals perfectly on tracks like No Compromise, Dark Enemy, and Bad Blood, with instrumental backing that was tight and precise. The crowd never stopped moshing, even enjoying the final songs from For Whose Advantage. The show was superb, one of the best of the day, ending with thunderous applause and heartfelt thanks.

XENTRIX SETLIST:

No Compromise
Balance of Power
Crimes
Back in the Real World
Dark Enemy
Bad Blood
Reasons for Destruction
Position of Security
Heaven Cent
For Whose Advantage
Questions

MORBID SAINT

The evening continued to build in intensity, but the climax had not yet arrived. Some fans, after five hours of shows, were already running low on energy. Still, this was not the moment to let go — we had finally reached the upper tier of the lineup. At this point, Morbid Saint, another legendary band that had remained dormant for years before returning, opened the segment. With only three albums since the early ’90s, including Swallowed by Hell (2024), the Wisconsin band took the stage with grit, fury, and a desire to destroy everything in their path. Circle pits erupted immediately, and the band’s monstrous collective performance — from Jay Visser and Jim Fergades’ heavy riffs to Bob Zabel’s masterful bass and DJ Bagemehl’s relentless drumming — kept the crowd fully engaged. Pat Lind led vocally and energized the audience, while the show’s intensity never let up. After 75 minutes of constant mosh pits, walls of death, and crowdsurfing, the band closed with the classic Damien, Morbid Saint left the stage triumphant, delivering one of the day’s most exceptional performances.

MORBID SAINT SETLIST:

Swallowed by Hell
Bleed Them Dry
Crying for Death
Scars
Fuck Them All
Lock Up Your Children
Burned at the Stake
Pine Tuxedo
Assassin
Beyond the States of Hell
Rise from the Ashes
Damien

DESTRUCTION

By now, the Live Club was on fire: everyone was exhilarated, slightly exhausted from previous shows, but ready for the next phase. Destruction’s name perfectly described what was about to happen. The German thrash titans ignited the crowd from the first notes with Curse the Gods, Invincible Force, and Nailed to the Cross, sparking an infernal moshpit that lasted throughout their set. The devastation continued with Mad Butcher, where Damir Eskić and Martin Furia’s riffs shook the venue alongside Schmier’s destructive vocals. Randy Black hammered out relentless rhythms that kept the crowd headbanging and pogoing nonstop. The setlist rolled on without a pause, maintaining high tension, and concluded with the anthems Thrash till Death and Bestial Invasion. The show was exactly what fans expected: fierce, intense, and utterly destructive, perfectly living up to the band’s name.

DESTRUCTION SETLIST:

Curse the Gods
Invincible Force
Nailed to the Cross
Mad Butcher
Life Without Sense
Release from Agony
Armageddonizer
Total Desaster
Eternal Ban
No Kings – No Master
Death Trap
Diabolical
Thrash till Death
Bestial Invasion

OVERKILL

Time passed relentlessly until 11 PM, when, after a 30-minute break to recover, the stage lit up green — a clear sign that Overkill was arriving. Like Cripple Bastards, they were missing a key member: D.D. Verni is sidelined by a persistent shoulder issue. Christian Giesler, formerly of Kreator (1994–2019), filled in on bass for the European tour, including tonight’s show. Once the band ran smoothly, such absences hardly mattered. Overkill proved their relentless attitude, stamina, and peak performance once again. Frontman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, now 65, led with charisma and confidence, performing classics like Hello From the Gutter, Electric Rattlesnake, and Mean, Green, Killing Machine, while the band’s coordination and energy kept the crowd fully engaged. Every song became a party, with crowdsurfing and headbanging, ending with classics like Elimination, Horrorscope, and Fuck You. After 90 minutes, Overkill closed the day with a show that included everything fans could hope for — a perfect finale to a memorable day.

OVERKILL SETLIST:

Scorched
Rotten To The Core
Bring Me the Night
Hello From the Gutter
Deny the Cross
Electric Rattlesnake
Mean, Green, Killing Machine
Necroshine
Horrorscope
Under One
The Surgeon
Ironbound
Elimination
In Union We Stand
Evil Never Dies
Fuck You

WRAPPING UP

And so ended the first day of the Metalitalia Festival, full of emotions, revelry, and unrelenting chaos. Everything ran according to schedule, with meet & greets perfectly alternated with each band’s shows, ensuring attention remained focused on both fronts. The venue’s layout was well-organized, with spaces thoughtfully distributed for optimal flow and comfort. The second day promises a slightly “calmer” vibe, given its lineup, but it is already clear that it will be equally memorable. Even small details — seamless transitions between events, efficient scheduling, and the atmosphere cultivated in a venue as well-equipped as the Live Club — make a significant difference, enhancing the overall experience. Fans can rest assured that more unforgettable moments are to come, as the festival continues to deliver the energy, passion, and exceptional performances that have become its hallmark over the past 11 years.

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