With the rise of heavy metal subgenres, one that has always held a special place in the world of metal is death metal—a genre that infuses the best parts of thrash and black metal combined with morbid lyrical content. Fans have found ways to connect with this macabre subgenre and push their favorite bands to new heights. Probably the biggest death metal tour of the year made its way through the legendary Kia Forum in Los Angeles, CA, with Swedish extreme metal icons Meshuggah finally returning to America and bringing Cannibal Corpse and Carcass along for the ride. Diehard death metal fans were eager to let themselves rage with these three staples of the genre.

Opening the night was Carcass. I last saw these guys at Psycho Las Vegas a couple of years ago and was excited to see them again now that I was more familiar with their music—and they did not disappoint. Vocalist and bassist Jeff Walker has an intimidating growl, like a rabid dog ready to attack. The sneer he holds on his face while singing just adds to the intensity of his delivery. Guitarists Bill Steer and James ‘Nip’ Blackford are a dynamic duo on their axes. With many solos, you could see them almost playing catch with each other, throwing the lead line back and forth, creating a tennis audience out of the headbangers. Meanwhile, drummer Daniel Wilding maneuvered between playing in the pocket and holding the beat down to throwing out blast beats that sent the energy through the roof.

Carcass kept this momentum going with songs like “Unfit for Human Consumption,” “Buried Dreams,” “Incarnated Solvent Abuse,” “Tomorrow Belongs to Nobody,” “Corporal Jigsore Quandary,” and “Heartwork.” One unique moment I got to experience at this show was while taking the elevator down to the floor of the Forum—Steer, Blackford, and Wilding ran into the elevator with us as they were on in five minutes. How many people can say they rode an elevator with Carcass?

Up next was, arguably, one of the most controversial bands in the death metal genre: Cannibal Corpse. For decades, they have been at the forefront of the scene due to the imagery they use in album art, merch, and especially their lyrics. I was finally ready to truly experience a Cannibal Corpse show. As vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher walked on stage, you could feel his presence fill the arena. The man has one of the deepest guttural growls I have ever heard, and the resonance of it can be felt in your chest.

Meanwhile, guitarists Rob Barrett and Erik Rutan played lightning-quick riffs with the intensity and attack of saw blades cutting through steel. Bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz locked in together, maintaining a rhythm section that let the moshers go wild in the pit. Cannibal Corpse had the fans eating out of the palms of their hands with songs like “Scourge of Iron,” “Blood Blind,” “Inhumane Harvest,” “Evisceration Plague,” “Death Walking Terror,” “Unleashing the Bloodthirsty,” “Summoned for Sacrifice,” “Stripped, Raped and Strangled,” and “Hammer Smashed Face.”

A moment that caught me off guard was when Corpsegrinder introduced the song “I Cum Blood” by shouting into the mic, “This song is about shooting blood, out. Of. Your. COCK!” The eruption from the crowd to just this phrase rattled the Forum. And people say metalheads don’t know how to have fun.

As the arena went dark, music played over the PA, slowly building in intensity and volume, creating suspense and tension as we waited for Meshuggah to take the stage. When the band finally appeared for their opening song, “Broken Cog,” the arena was flooded with a light show. Meshuggah is mostly known for the technical mastery of their instruments and sound, not so much for their stage presence. While the band mostly stood in place to play some of the heaviest and most technical music you’ve ever heard, the lighting package they brought created the atmosphere for the show.

This is one band where being further from the stage is a benefit, as you get to take in the entirety of the energy of the show. It was unique to see for a metal concert, as at points the arena was hit with a laser light show that felt more like an EDM event. Meshuggah truly made this a special metal show to experience.

But if you managed to get close to the barricade to truly see the band perform, you wouldn’t be let down. Vocalist Jens Kidman loomed over the stage, performing with a growling scream filled with rage. Guitarist Fredrik Thordendal wove guitar lines that floated through shred, catchy riffs, high-intensity solos, and melodic rhythms. The man is a true master of his craft. Rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström and bassist Dick Lövgren held down the melody for the band, while drummer Tomas Haake proved why he is such a revered figure in the drumming community.

The man’s precision and speed are talents placed on a pedestal that drummers yearn to achieve only in their dreams. Yet he performed with ease, as if taking a stroll through the park. Meshuggah was locked in for songs like “Violent Sleep of Reason,” “Rational Gaze,” “Combustion,” “Kaleidoscope,” “God He Sees in Mirrors,” “Lethargica,” “Born in Dissonance,” “Dancers to a Discordant System,” “Swarm,” “Future Breed Machine,” and a two-song encore of “Bleed” and “Demiurge.”

As the music faded away and the lights came on, there was a new energy in the Forum. It was a communal energy of new friends who had just gone through war together. From Carcass to Cannibal Corpse to Meshuggah, there was an onslaught of chaos and carnage happening in the Forum.

This wasn’t just a concert where we bought tickets, sang along, and had a merry old time. This was almost a rite of passage for those who could camp down in the trenches of the pit and live to see the other side. Fans left with big smiles on their faces from the almost war-like experience we all had, and stories we will pass down to our children’s children of this magnificent night.