Unforeseen Circumstances Tour 2026-EXHORDER, PHOBIA, SLOW HOLE, HORRIFIC VISIONS

The Lost Well, Austin, Texas January 31, 2026

Grove Metal pioneers, EXHORDER ushered in the last day of January 2026. The group played The Lost Well, a much smaller venue than the last two shows I covered for Metal Centre. Previously, they played Come And Take It, as part of a tour with KATAKLYSM and a headline gig containing a set of the entire “Slaughter in the Vatican” album. This time the group played a set culled from throughout their history.

Local openers, HORRIFIC VISION brutally assaulted the crowd with their form of TXDM (Texas Death Metal). The group are close to releasing an album through brutal-death metal label, Comatose Records. Their set revealed a band totally worth being on a label of such repute. Drummer Rene Martinez, one of the most sought-after drummers in the area, led the charge with a barrage of blast beats and cymbal bashes. HORRIFIC VISIONS gave the crowd a snippet of what was to come, playing a single song to make sure their sound was what they wanted. I was confused by the one song, having thought this was their set. Hilariously, I told them great set. The doors opened at 7 and they took the stage at 8:30, pounding beers and assaulting ears. Killer set, I can’t wait to hear their forthcoming record.

Female-fronted SLOW HOLE took the stage next as part of the tour package with EXHORDER and PHOBIA. I don’t know much about the band. This was my first time seeing them. They put on an impressive performance spearheaded by vocalist growls. Shannon Arsenault. She possessed a large voice for a woman of such small stature. After their set, I told them they remind me of NEUROSIS. They were happy to hear this as, apparently, they are fans of the band. Look for them on tour with LUICIDE, a project consisting of ex-SUICIDAL TENDENCIES members.

PHOBIA provided direct support to EXHORDER. The group displayed a speaker banner that read, “In Grind We Crust.” This was the perfect phrase for this band’s style of destruction. They tore through a set containing several songs. These short songs are to be expected from a GRIND band. I last saw PHOBIA play with REPULSION. That was a chaotic pit. The pit was much smaller tonight, but their energy could not be denied. Excellent set by a top-tier GRINDCORE band. On a related note, ex-FEAR FACTORY drummer, Raymond Herrera, previously played in the group.

EXHORDER arrived in town with a different lineup than the last two times I covered them for MC. Ex-PHILIP H. ANSELMO and the ILLEGAL’S/SUPERJOINT RITUAL guitarist, Marzi Montazer no longer shreds for them. Nor is original guitarist, Vinnie LaBella, a part of the group. Now, frontman Kyle Thomas dons an axe, while ex-CANNIBAL CORPSE/NEVERMORE guitarist Pat O’Brien played lead. He is a super talented guitarist, and his shred proceeded his reputation. His long hair, often in motion, obscured his features. He is a cool guy. He hung out and watched all the bands, affording me time to talk about NEVERMORE (one of my all-time favorite bands). He didn’t hesitate in talking about that chapter of his career, saying he played on their “The Politics of Ecstasy” album and that was a good era for him. Of course, fans will also cite his time in CANNIBAL CORPSE, or his legal issues.

In an intimate setting, EXHORDER shined. Upfront and close to the crowd, the NOLAj (New Orleans, Louisiana) based group tore through a set balanced with oldies and new songs. One of the highlights of thei r set was “My Time,” from their “Mourn the Southern Skies,” album. This song is an anthem to the fed-up working man. Of course, the extreme speed and groove of the songs from “Slaughter in the Vatican” showed the group at its best. They played classics such as “Death in Vain” and the title track. Near the end of the set, Thomas told the crowd to sing along with their name-track. He said it’s an easy one to remember as it only has one word in the chorus. For being a man of 55 and spanning a 40-year career, he still sounded damn good and was energetic. Fans of PANTERA singer, Phil Anselmo should take notice.

EXHORDER is often credited with being the band that influenced PANTERA the most. Tonight’s groove-fueled set certainly displayed more similarities than my previous views. Now I get how PANTERA may have ripped them off. There are noticeable differences, though, from Dime’s guitar style to Phil’s range. I will say this concerning this controversy, EXHORDER is more extreme and underground. In my opinion, for these reasons I feel EXHORDER is a better band. Maybe our readers can catch their set in a town nearby and form their own opinion.

Tour dates posted below. Additionally, I got a photo of their setlist. Montopolis Thrasher, Victor Guerra was kind enough to let us use his video of EXHORDER’s full set.

EXHORDER – “Unforeseen Circumstances” Tour 2026

w/ LUICIDAL, RINGWORM, PHOBIA, SLOWHOLE (select dates)

Jan 29 – Lafayette, LA @ Freetown BBQ*
Jan 30 – McAllen, TX @ Cine El Rey**
Jan 31 – Austin, TX @ The Lost Well**
Feb 01 – Dallas, TX @ Trees**
Feb 02 – El Paso, TX @ RockHouse**
Feb 03 – Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
Feb 04 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Feb 05 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Dive Bar
Feb 06 – Ventura, CA @ VMH
Feb 07 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Feb 09 – Hollywood, CA @ Whisky A Go Go
Feb 10 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
Feb 11 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s
Feb 12 – Everett, WA @ Tony V’s
Feb 13 – Tacoma, WA @ Airport Tavern
Feb 14 – Boise, ID @ The Shredder
Feb 15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Aces High
Feb 16 – Denver, CO @ HQ
Feb 18 – Springfield, MO @ The Regency**
Feb 19 – Lombard, IL @ WCSC***
Feb 20 – Madison, WI @ Annex***
Feb 21 – Covington, KY @ Madison Live***
Feb 22 – Hobart, IN @ Hobart Art Theater***