TORONTO (ON), The Phoenix - 07/23/2026
The announcement had been official for months. The North American metal scene is always buzzing. Still, around Toronto, June was surprisingly quiet on the live front—perhaps due to the media frenzy surrounding the FIFA World Cup or simply because of the seasonal slowdown. Once mid-July arrived, however, things kicked back into high gear with one of the biggest metal events of the summer. That was exactly what the Summer Slaughter Tour set out to do: revive the concert season with an event built not only on quality, but sheer quantity. Headlined by Hatebreed, the package also featured death metal legends Incantation as co-headliners, alongside Snuffed On Sight, The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Face Yourself, and local openers Abysmal Whore and Duskwalker. A lineup packed with both established names and rising newcomers, all ready to ignite the crowd from the very first note.
DUSKWALKER
As expected, Niagara Falls’ Duskwalker were the first band to hit the stage. With three full-length albums already under their belt, they had limited time to showcase their catalogue, but wisely chose some of their strongest material. Even with the venue still filling up due to the early hour, the band made an immediate impact. Their set was short yet convincing, setting the mood nicely for what was to come.
DUSKWALKER SETLIST:
The Crawling Tongue
City On a Cemetery
Bible
Underground Forever
ABYSMAL WHORE
You don’t come across a name like Abysmal Whore every day, and at first glance it might even sound tongue-in-cheek. Any doubts quickly disappeared once the band took the stage. The local outfit currently has just one EP to its name, but they also introduced several unreleased songs slated for future release. The spotlight naturally fell on their performance, which proved remarkably solid, particularly thanks to frontwoman Marta Chiller, whose cavernous growls lived up to the band’s name. The rest of the lineup delivered equally well, providing the event with another welcome burst of energy.
FACE YOURSELF
Face Yourself were the second female-fronted act of the evening, and they wasted no time igniting the stage. The New York-based deathcore outfit, currently boasting four EPs, clearly intended to deliver a lasting impression, largely thanks to vocalist Yasmine Liverneaux Belkhodja, who completely commanded the stage from the moment she walked on. Her devastating growls and piercing screams echoed throughout the venue in a flawless vocal performance, while the rest of the band matched her intensity every step of the way. By this point, the Phoenix Concert Theatre had filled considerably, and the crowd’s energy reflected it. The venue had finally come alive, and Face Yourself deserved much of the credit.
FACE YOURSELF SETLIST:
Grosse Bagarre
Death Reflection
Guillotine
Fratture
Carousel of Violence
Wet Dreams
Sideration
THE LAST TEN SECONDS OF LIFE
Another deathcore act followed, but this time one with considerably more experience. Active since 2010, The Last Ten Seconds of Life have built an impressive discography over the past sixteen years, with eight full-length albums to their name. Their latest effort, The Dead Ones, was released just three months ago, making this tour the perfect opportunity to showcase the new material. Vocalist Tyler Beam was a complete powerhouse throughout the set, while drummer Dylan Potts and guitarist Wyatt McLaughlin delivered equally ferocious performances. Alongside the new songs, the band revisited several fan favourites from earlier releases, all of which were greeted enthusiastically by the crowd. At this stage of the evening, theirs stood out as the strongest performance so far.
TLTSOF SETLIST:
Pain is Pleasure
Warpath
Annihilation Phenomena
Liberation
Rat Trap
Broken Glass Incantation
1-800-DO YOU WANT TO DIE?
The Box
SNUFFED ON SIGHT
As the show entered its upper tier, it was time for Bay Area outfit Snuffed On Sight. Rather than following the region’s famous thrash tradition, the band has embraced a savage mixture of brutal death metal with hardcore influences. Although they have only one full-length album to date—2023’s Smoke—they also treated the audience to brand-new material. From the instant they stepped on stage, disorder broke out. The pit exploded into constant motion as the band unleashed an overwhelming barrage of crushing riffs and unremitting aggression. Their performance embodied everything fans could hope for from modern brutal death metal, and after more than thirty minutes of absolute carnage, they left the stage to thunderous applause.
INCANTATION
It was finally time for the first of the evening’s co-headliners, and one of the most respected names in death metal history. Incantation hardly needs an introduction. Instead, what truly deserved attention was the incredible shape the band remains in after nearly four decades. Founding member John McEntee is now the sole original member, carrying the responsibility of steering a band that has endured for thirty-seven years—and he continues to do so brilliantly. Just a month earlier, Incantation had completed an extensive Asian tour spanning Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, India, and even the United Arab Emirates. They then headed straight into this demanding North American run, covering enormous distances with virtually no downtime before an upcoming two-week break. None of that relentless touring seemed to affect their performance. From the opening moments until the final note, the band never lost an ounce of intensity, delivering classics such as Ibex Moon alongside more recent material like Concordat with equal conviction. McEntee’s trademark cavernous growls remain as devastating as ever, while guitarist Luke Shively and drummer Charlie Koryn once again proved why they have become such integral members of the lineup. It was a performance that perfectly embodied the timeless power of old-school death metal.
INCANTATION SETLIST:
Devoured Death
Carrion Prophecy
Concordat
Fury’s Manifesto
Merciless Tyranny
Ibex Moon
Once Holy Throne
Impending Diabolical Conquest
HATEBREED
The night reached its climax with Hatebreed, who arrived in absolutely blistering form. The Massachusetts veterans are preparing to release their new album, Fatal Paradox, this November, and their excitement was obvious from the outset. More importantly, though, they fully embraced their role as headliners of one of the summer’s biggest metal tours. Hatebreed have never been known for delivering anything less than an energetic performance, and this show was no exception. Jamey Jasta and company stormed the stage wearing American football jerseys—a look that ideally complemented their unmistakable hardcore identity. From the very first song, the audience cheered. The band fed off the crowd’s enthusiasm, constantly interacting with fans, especially the constant flow of crowd surfers making their way across the barricade. Guitarist Wayne Lozinak was as sharp and reliable as ever, while drummer Matt Byrne hammered through the set with tireless precision. The highlight of the performance came midway through the show with fan favourites Destroy Everything and Looking Down the Barrel of Today. For those few songs, there wasn’t a second of respite: nonstop headbanging, violent circle pits, deafening singalongs, along with an atmosphere of pure celebration filled more than forty minutes of an outstanding set. Many people had understandably come primarily to see Hatebreed, but what made their success even more impressive was that they were the only band on the bill playing a style significantly different from the death metal and deathcore acts that preceded them. It didn’t matter in the slightest. By the end of the night, nobody left disappointed—not by Hatebreed, and certainly not by one of the strongest Summer Slaughter packages in recent memory.
HATEBREED SETLIST:
I Will Be Heard
Make the Demons Obey
Perseverance
Proven
Kill Count Increase
As Diehard as They Come
Destroy Everything
Looking Down the Barrel of Today
Smash Your Enemies
Last Breath
Empty Promises
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