Trouble @ Reggies, Chicago (US)

TROUBLE / HEATHEN / LORDS OF THE TRIDENT @ 'Legions Of Metal VIII' Festival

Date: 02nd May, 2026
Venue: Reggies
Ticket Price: 2-Day Pass $105/€89 - 1-Day Pass $89/€75
Promoter: Empire Productions

TROUBLE were the headliners for day two of ‘Legions Of Metal VIII’, and that was easily one reason to attend. This would be the Doom Metal legends’ debut at Reggies and this added an extra layer of excitement, even if it felt kind of strange.

Before that, LORDS OF THE TRIDENT were ready to kick off the set, and seeing the band members in full fantasy-themed outfits was a pretty clear sign that Power Metal was going to be their weapon of choice. Add the use of props and the projection screen behind them, and there were plenty of reasons to keep your eyes on the stage. In fact, that same projection screen helped define the whole atmosphere of LORDS OF THE TRIDENT’s set. At times, it felt like watching a ‘90s fantasy TV show, the kind some members of the audience probably grew up with, back when watching anything on a phone was still science fiction. Still, those TV shows left a powerful imprint, and the band seemed more than happy to tap into that spirit. 

The band launched into “Knights Of Dragon's Deep”, with Fang VonWrathenstein, dressed in in full crimson-red armor, leading the charge. Up-tempo sets with plenty to watch are essential during multi-day festivals, especially closer to the end, because they give an extra boost to those who have been there from the start. LORDS OF THE TRIDENT seemed to understand that assignment.

As mentioned, the band uses lots of props, and if my memory serves me well, this was the second time I had seen someone set things on fire on the Reggies stage. The first time was many years ago with MIDNIGHT, and the second was this one, when the singer lit up a toy guitar. Describing that in words does not make it sound particularly spectacular, but in person it was extra fun. During “Power Of Evil”, Mr. Fang brought a double-headed axe, while the visuals in the background added more depth to the performance. Reggies does not have a large stage, so the combination of props, projections, and the band’s energy created a surprisingly effective spectacle.

“Are you ready to scream for me, Chicago?” Fang asked before hitting the high-pitched scream in “Complete Control”, and yes, the those was too challenging for the audience to match. A large sword was brought onstage and then shot confetti into the crowd. Definitely didn’t not see that coming. The headbanging “To Kill A God” followed a short drum-solo, and then it was time to… dance. The string arrangement of “The Party Has Arrived” introduced “Brothers Of Cain”, complete with dancing skeletons on the screen. Well, there was dancing after all. I do not claim to know everything about fantasy, but I’d be willing to bet that “Death Dealer” has some connection to the video game “Diablo”, based on the font used in the projected text and the mention of “reaper of souls” in the lyrics. What I do know is that the song delivered epic, concert-friendly, fist-pumping action. Watching the long-haired singer perform that close to a microphone that was lit on fire gave me some stress, but fortunately, no hair was harmed.

The “oooh, oooh”-friendly “Charlatan” and the “hi, hi, ho” chant of “The Metal Sea” were clearly built for audience participation, just as Fang VonWrathenstein announced. On top of that, moshing was added to the menu. During the pirate-themed set closer, the singer waved a flag, giving the audience the signal to join in on the “hi, hi, ho” part. I was an entertaining and often headbang-worthy set, and by the time LORDS OF THE TRIDENT were done, HEATHEN were about to meet a properly warmed-up audience.

LORDS OF THE TRIDENT setlist:

01. "Knights Of Dragon's Deep"
02. "Power Of Evil"
03. "Complete Control"
04. "To Kill A God"
05. "The Party Has Arrived" / "Brothers Of Cain"
06. "Death Dealer"
07. "Charlatan"
08. "The Metal Sea"

LORDS OF THE TRIDENT

It had been a long time since I had seen HEATHEN live, so I was excited to watch the five-piece lineup tearing it up. With only the HEATHEN logo glowing in red and under blue lights, the San Francisco Thrashers entered the stage one by one. “Reggies, Chicago, let’s do this, ” David R. White said before “Open The Grave” opening the vault straight from the band’s 1987 debut.  “Are you free, Chicago?” the singer asked after delivering the line “Set me free, set me free. ” The band looked and sounded in top form, and soon enough, the mosh-pit was in full motion during the faster second part of the seven-minute opener. Without pausing, HEATHEN went straight into “Opiate Of The Masses”, making me wonder once gain why this band takes so long to release new music. On the other hand, HEATHEN have albums that hit hard on every level, so the material they do have remains more than enough to make a setlist dangerous.

After the riff-driven Thrash hymn “Breaking The Silence”, White reacted to the first round of cheers by asking, “That’s all you got!? We came a long way to see you,” and got the response he and the band deserved.  Then, he announced that the set would focus only on songs from the first two albums and revealed that the band didn’t want to play “Fear Of The Unknown” “because it’s f*ckin’ hard.” HEATHEN have always been known for their Technical Thrash edge, and that night at Reggies proved they still have it. “Heathen’s Song” and “Mercy Is No Virtue” followed from the band’s second album before the tempo increased with my favorite “Death By Hanging”. This song did not need any introduction. The opening riffs, the drum-roll, and the classic Thrash chord progression were enough to challenge sore neck muscles.

“We play this in every show; hope you will like it,” White said, and judging by the reaction, everybody did like “Hypnotized”. The solid one-hour set ended with “Goblin's Blade”, which I believe received the most energetic response of the night for HEATHEN. Yes, this was the perfect way to say goodnight to a band I hope I won’t have to wait years to see thrashing in concert again.

HEATHEN setlist:

01. "Open The Grave"
02. "Opiate Of The Masses"
03. "Breaking The Silence"
04. "Fear Of The Unknown"
05. "Heathen's Song"
06. "Mercy Is No Virtue"
07. "Death By Hanging"
08. "Hypnotized"
09. "Goblin's Blade"

HEATHEN

Just a week earlier, TROUBLE had delivered an old-school set at Germany’s ‘Keep It True” festival, and now were ready for their debut at Reggies. I had to hear this out loud to realize it was true, because I could have sworn I’ve seen TROUBLE at Reggies before. Apparently, that was just my brain creating facts just because they seemed logical.

As expected, the Chicago Doom Metal legends attracted the biggest crowd of the two festival dates, and that spoke volumes about the thirst to watch TROUBLE live, especially in their hometown. The combination of the band’s Reggies debut and the honorary banner with Eric Wagner’s picture hung on the venue’s wall, built up the excitement, which exploded the moment the trademark rhythm guitar sped up during “The Tempter”. The wall of sound created by Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell has always carried a BLACK SABBATH level of heaviness, and in concert it touches perfection. In true TROUBLE fashion, the first three songs are performed without breaks, giving the crowd a hearty taste of their characteristic Doom sound. “Assassin” and “Come Touch The Sky” added to the momentum, with Rob Hultz laying down the thick basslines on the latter. Kyle Thomas, wearing the widest of smiles, delivered the vocals as close to the originals while still adding his personal style.

Kyle mentioned TROUBLE’s debut at Reggies and then let the two guitarists exchange riffs to introduce “At The End Of My Daze”. It felt so good singing along to “at the end of my daze, it's time to change my wayz,” even though deep inside you know that changing one’s ways rarely happens, not even at the end of one’s days. Amazing lyrics, and even though they were written almost four decades ago, they remain painfully relevant. “It’s so much more fun when you sing with us,” Kyle admitted, and unless I misheard, I think he mentioned HEATHEN’s singer when introducing “Mr. White”, though I am sure Eric Wagner had a different person in mind when he penned those words.

The guitar tone was hitting me in the chest during the catchy-from-the-MTV-dayz “Memory’s Garden”, before Garry Naples introduced the hard-hitting groove of “Wickedness Of Man”, keeping the Doom Metal flowing. As in every TROUBLE performance, it was a joy to watch the contrast between Bruce Franklin’s stomping-the-ground playing and Rick Wartell’s calm, ‘70s flavored, precise riff delivery. The opening riff to “Run To The Light” sounded perfect under the red lights and beautifully matched the cowbell-driven groove of “Psychotic Reaction”, which called for both singing and headbanging. Excellent combo. Kyle introduced the latter joking: “the more you drink, the better we sound, and the even more you drink, the better we look.” No sir, no one needed an extra amount of alcohol to enjoy TROUBLE, especially because the band sounded as solid as traditional Doom Metal itself.

“There’s guy right up there who is important to all of us in the room,” Kyle said, pointing at the banner with Eric’s photo. Bruce also mentioned Eric, and to make this dedication even more powerful, he and Rick split the singing for “Requiem”. There is not a single soul who knows TROUBLE, even for just a couple of songs, who will ever forget Eric, and it felt very special listening to this dedication presented in that manner.

“Thank you so much for hanging with us,” Kyle said, before rhetorically asking “One more oldie?”. Of course, everyone cheered for a loud “yes,” and “Revelation (Life Or Death)” was the last… before the actual last. After all, TROUBLE were about to drop the curtain on ‘Legions Of Metal’ and on their Reggies debut, so an encore was mandatory. “We are old and tired; you got to make more noise”, Kyle joked, before letting Bruce start the next one with the riff that really needs no introduction. TROUBLE have their own way of playing “Supernaut”, with Bruce looking like he was commanding the riff rather than simply playing it. This was the appropriate ending for TROUBLE’s set, and now I am curious to hear what they have been working on in the studio.

Time will soon tell, right?

TROUBLE setlist:

01. "The Tempter"
02. "Assassin"
03. "Come Touch The Sky"
04. "At The End Of My Daze"
05. "Mr. White"
06. "Memory's Garden"
07. "Wickedness Of Man"
08. "Run To The Light"
09. "Psychotic Reaction"
10. "Requiem"
11. "Psalm 9" / "All Is Forgiven"
12. "Revelation (Life Or Death)"
13. "Supernaut" (BLACK SABBATH cover)

TROUBLE