Enforcer and Warbringer in Omaha: September 19, 2019

It has been kind of a rough week and I have been exhausted all week.  As such, my wife and I chose not to stay for the entire concert here and we actually missed Warbringer.  That's okay though because I have seen Warbringer twice before (opening for Overkill and then Dark Tranquillity) and we were originally planning to go to see Enforcer anyway.  The show was at the Lookout Lounge in Omaha, where I have previously seen groups like Goatwhore and Bell Witch, among others.

The concerts at the Lookout Lounge often have local bands and this one was no exception.  It is one of my favorite things about concerts at this location.  The bands opening up for Enforcer and Warbringer were Ungoliant, Dopecorpse and Inner War, none of whom I have seen before.  It was actually quite the eclectic group of bands.

Ungoliant was first and they are a black metal band from Omaha.  They were terrific, playing a particularly fast-paced and heavy black metal that is exactly the kind of black metal I love.  This was apparently the bassist's last show, but the band is continuing.  Hopefully a physical release is coming, because I would definitely snatch one up.  Dopecorse was next and they play a heavy stoner/doom with harsh vocals and slow, monolithic riffs.  They were pretty decent, but the songs tended to drag a little bit.  Finally, Inner War was the last band before the headliners.  Their sound is an unholy concoction of hardcore, thrash metal and black metal and they made a lot of noise with some excellent riffs.  They were also able to work the crowd into a frenzy.  All three bands were terrific and are good examples of the improving metal scene in Omaha, Nebraska.

The band that we were there to see was Enforcer, the Swedish retro metal band whose sound is based completely in the early 1980's speed and heavy metal scene.  I have been listening to the band for years now and they have never released a bad album.  Their recent album Zenith is not my favorite, but is by no means a disappointment either.  Enforcer had some sound issues, particularly with the vocals, which is a shame because that is frequently one of the best elements.  However, their intensity was infectious and their speed metal riffing was balls to the wall.  Enforcer played a number of songs that are favorites, including "From Beyond", "Katana" and "Live for the Night".  I was only disappointed that they did not play "High Roller", which was the major song that really got me into Enforcer.

It was a lot of fun seeing Enforcer.  They play a hyperactive, exciting and catchy form of metal that owes a lot to the 1980's metal scene.  It was disappointing to not stay for Warbringer, but it was a late night as it was.  I am sure I will catch them again.