LIVE: EXHORDER – Tampa, FL, USA – March 27, 2025

Photo credit: James Zambon

Venue: The Brass Mug

City: Tampa, FL

Date: March 27, 2025

Review and Photographs by: James Zambon (https://jameszambon.com)

Eager for a night of head banging, cheap beers, and a circle pit, I grabbed my id, some cash, my camera and headed off to catch Exhorder on their Tampa stop of their 2025 tour. I had no idea of the intensity that they’d bring to such a small venue as The Brass Mug. Let’s not bury the lead….. Exhorder tore the Brass Mug to shreds. From the moment they launched into “Slaughter in the Vatican” as their opener, it was clear this was going to be a brutal, high-energy set. For a longtime fan like me, kicking things off with that classic was pure, skull-crushing perfection.

Photo credit: James Zambon

The night kicked off with Virulence, bringing raw energy and ferocity from the start. They hammered the crowd with powerful riffs and relentless aggression, setting the tone for what would be a punishing night of metal. Reckless Spirit, blasted through their set with sheer intensity and volume. Their sound hit like a sledgehammer, shaking the walls of the Brass Mug and getting the audience even more fired up. But the biggest surprise of the night was Herkleion. Absolutely amazing. Their stage presence was monstrous, owning every inch of that stage. Speed, their drummer, freaking killed it—every hit was explosive, every fill delivered with precision and fury. The entire band was locked in, playing like their lives depended on it. They hit so hard and sounded so tight, I’d travel to see them play again.

Then Exhorder hit the stage and went straight for the throat. They opened with “Slaughter in the Vatican”—the ultimate nod to longtime fans and a perfect start to their set. The crowd went berserk. Circle pits erupted, some goofball was carry a barstool over his head in the pit, heads were banging non-stop, and metal horns were everywhere. Their set was relentless, but the real surprise for me was them digging into their archives and pulling out their crushing cover of “Into the Void” by Black Sabbath. Exhorder twisted that classic into something fierce and unhinged. They tore through it with so much power and precision, it damn near rivaled the original. The band’s enthusiasm and showmanship were off the charts. Exhorder hasn’t lost a step—they’ve only gotten meaner and tighter. This wasn’t just a nostalgia trip. It was a full-blown assault on the senses. The riffs were punishing, the drums were relentless, and the vocals were pure, seething aggression. Exhorder showed Tampa how it’s done. They owned the night, and I’d throw myself back into that pit any day to see them do it all over again.

Setlist: Slaughter in the Vatican – Unforgiven – Year of the Goat – The Tale of Unsound Minds – Death in Vain – Legions of Death – My Time – Forever and Beyond Despair – Into the Void – Exhorder – Desecrator

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries