Cannibal Corpse w/ Whitechapel and Revocation ⭐ March 25, 2022 ⭐ Jannus Live — St. Petersburg, FL ⭐ Photos by Randy Cook — instagram.com/horns_raised

REVIEW + PHOTOS — Cannibal Corpse w/ Whitechapel, & Revocation @ Jannus Live (March 25, 2022)

by Randy Cook • March 29, 2022

I am honestly surprised there are any still standing structures in the vicinity around the quaint, normally quiet courtyard at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, FL. This was the location of one of the most brutal metal tours that I have witnessed in quite some time. Cannibal Corpse was the headliner for a show that literally decimated and laid to waste the area in and around where they performed.

A crushing cast of opening acts played before Cannibal Corpse who brought their ‘Violence Unimagined’ tour to our quiet city. Cannibal Corpse supports their latest release with a lineup that spans several branches across the metal tree. When I say across the branches of metal, all of the following adjectives here are applicable to the metal that we were in store for this Friday evening; deathcore, melodic, symphonic, technical, thrash, progressive, groove, and death metal. There was something for everyone.

Earlier in the day my long-time friend of over 30 years Jeff texted me asking if I knew of the show that night because his 17 year old daughter had expressed an interest in going. Once he knew I was already going it was game on and he would go too and take his daughter to her first ever metal concert and second concert overall. Jeff said “…thanks for driving us to the show Mom…” and we all shared a good laugh as Jeff’s wife dropped us at the curb. Without missing a beat, Jeff’s wife replied “Now you kids have fun, but make good decisions.” Oh the memories that brought back of being dropped off by my folks when I was younger.

Opening the show and hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, the melodic death metal quartet Shadow Of Intent was a great start to the action this evening. They quickly had a pit started with from their crunchy riffs and intense vocals. With the double bass pounding both my body and my ears, this is a band that certainly needs more of my attention to listen to more of their catalog as they have certainly gained a new fan after seeing and hearing them for the first time tonight.

One other thing to note is that I have been going to this venue since the 80’s and never before had I seen the venue so fully packed for a first of the evening opening act. Sure, I have seen many sold out shows here, but those were mostly a gradually filling crowd whereas even arriving twenty minutes after the show started this place was jam packed. That is proof positive of a very solid lineup of bands for this show.

Next up was Revocation, based out of Boston, Massachusetts. This was my second time seeing these progressive and technical death metal thrashers. They have certainly continued to build their following since the last time I saw them play! Their crushing breakdowns clearly won themselves over some new fans and further solidified my appreciation of this band! There is incredible musicianship across every member of this band!

Revocation ⭐ March 25, 2022 ⭐ Jannus Live — St. Petersburg, FL ⭐ Photos by Randy Cook — instagram.com/horns_raised

From Knoxville, Tennessee, Whitechapel rounded out the opening acts. This was my third time seeing these deathcore giants. Their latest release ‘Kin’, dropped late last year and included what I consider as a masterpiece of a metal song (and the total highlight of the night for me was hearing them perform), “A Bloodsoaked Symphony.” This band had explosive energy on stage and I am already looking forward to seeing them play again.

Whitechapel ⭐ March 25, 2022 ⭐ Jannus Live — St. Petersburg, FL ⭐ Photos by Randy Cook — instagram.com/horns_raised

With the venue fully packed, completely primed for decimation, an already riled-up crowd seethed for the legendary Cannibal Corpse. Cannibal Corpse was formed in Buffalo, New York, but has been based out of Tampa, Florida since the early 90s. This was my third time seeing Cannibal Corpse and with the band being mostly local I have seen their lead singer, George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher at many other shows in the area, including several here at Jannus Live over the years. Absolutely crushing riffs and death growls were the menu for this death metal treat. Their set list of 18 songs spanned 13 of their 15 studio releases so there was something from their discography for every era of Cannibal Corpse fan.

Cannibal Corpse ⭐ March 25, 2022 ⭐ Jannus Live — St. Petersburg, FL ⭐ Photos by Randy Cook — instagram.com/horns_raised

I would also like to mention that this vocal maniac of death on stage, Mr. Corpsegrinder, is an absolute machine when it comes to winning stuffed animal prizes from claw machines. He then donates his winnings to various children’s charities and it is one of his favorite things to do while out on tour so if Cannibal Corpse is on tour and you happen to spot a gentle looking giant playing at a claw machine in your town…you never know.

Normally I would highly encourage everyone to go see this tour with this amazing lineup, but there is only one date left on the tour after their show that we saw. It was a highly entreating night, filled with some outstanding metal and it really is good to see live music and especially the metal scene come back so strong after the pandemic. The venue was packed with my like-minded metalhead brethren and it was good times to hang with Jeff. From the photos and videos his daughter took and I’m sure shared on social media, she will be the coolest kid in class on Monday! \m/

Cannibal Corpse set list:

The Time to Kill Is Now
Scourge of Iron
Inhumane Harvest
Code of the Slashers
Fucked With a Knife
The Wretched Spawn
Gutted
Kill or Become
I Cum Blood
Evisceration Plague
Death Walking Terror
Necrogenic Resurrection
Condemnation Contagion
Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
Devoured by Vermin
A Skull Full of Maggots
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face