Suffocation with support from Cattle Decapitation, Blood Red Throne, Sadist, Cerebral Bore and Carceri, Camden Underworld, London, 13th March 2012
Words and photos: Antony Roberts
With Suffocation’s London date falling on a weekday it was always questionable whether I was going to make it on time. Doors were at 5.30 and not living in London this was going to be a mission. Unfortunately with full time work commitments our reviewer who is far more familiar with all the bands playing was unable to get away from work, and I arrived late having missed openers Carceri.
Cerebral Bore were due on at 6.30 but took to the stage around 7, good for those arriving after work, but meaning the rest of the night was going to be pressured to get the timetable back on track. Opening with “Maniacal Miscreation” and then plowing through just over half of the album of said namesake, it was new song “Horrendous Acts Of Iniquity” that really had my jaw dropping. Kyle’s bass playing has got ridiculous with run’s all over the fretboard played at break neck tempo. More slammy, more blasty, more brutal, and I swear Som’s vocals are getting even deeper. If this is a sign of what the rest of the new album is going to be like, I can’t wait to hear it. With time a factor, “The Bald Cadaver” had to be cut short, and a quick run through “24 year Party Dungeon” finished their set.
SETLIST:
- Maniacal Miscreation
- Mangled Post Burial
- Entombed in Butchered Bodies
- Epileptic Strobe Entrapment
- Horrendous Acts Of Iniquity
- The Bald Cadaver – (cut short due to lack of time)
- 24 Year Party Dungeon
web: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cerebral-bore/192210687462914
Italy’s Sadist were up next, and i’ve never been a particular fan of overly technical metal. If you’re throwing prog and keyboards into the mix I would have thought it would be a complete no-go for me. They were however my surprise of the evening, starting with “Broken and Reborn” the initial djent-esque staccato riffs gave way to catchy keyboard choruses with some seriously amazing guitar solos, and more ridiculously amazing bass playing, following Cerebral’s set. Shame on me for knowing the name all these years and never bothering to check them out before. As a replacement for Hate (who had to pull out of the tour) it was evident at the lack of crowd that they were not the substitute the audience had hoped for, most punters in the bar area, or outside. Whilst I was suitably impressed with their set I think perhaps a more traditional death metal band may have been more fitting on a bill headlined by Suffocation. Nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed them and can’t help but feel those that stayed away missed out on a great set.
SETLIST:
broken and reborn
season in silence
the attic and the world of emotions
One thousand memories
tribe
tearing away
web: http://www.myspace.com/sadistribe
Blood Red Throne have never blown me away, but never offended me either. Much like Cannibal Corpse, they come from the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” school of Death Metal. My indifference was not matched by the audience though, who had come back in droves, and The Underworld was far more packed than Sadist’s set. Starting off with a decent sound, and playing a set heavily geared towards last year’s “Brutalitarian Regime”, they woke the previously stagnant crowd up with a decent size pit. Vocalist Yngve was more than willing to help make it bigger, leaving the stage to sing from the pit and get the bodies moving further. Not being massively familiar with their material, the lack of diversity in their songs had my interest waning by mid set so it became my turn to go hit the bar.
web: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blood-Red-Throne-Official/184456838242524
With the initial late running of bands still not properly caught up, Cattle Decapitation came on and proceeded to plough through their set with little respite. Vocalist Travis is normally one to joke with audience and band members, but his usual stage banter is kept minimal as they tear through the set, and before they really truly get going they announce that’s it, time’s up, and leave the stage, leaving the audience foaming at the mouth, wanting more. Whilst the set certainly had the audience packing out the Underworld lower floor, I’ve always felt the technicality and blast mix of Cattle Decapitation songs live can sometimes get lost in a bad mix. Tonight was no exception with at times difficulty picking out the riffs between a swarm of guitar noise, and relentless snare battering. The audience didn’t seem to care much lapping it up in a ferocious pit from start to finish.
web: http://www.cattledecapitation.com/
Suffocation made the announcement prior to this tour that Frank Mullen was not going to be able to make it due to job and family commitments. Between this and Hate pulling out promoters of the various dates were expressing concern that it had slowed down ticket sales. To anyone that didn’t come due to Frank not singing, you missed out on a MONSTER set from Suffocation. Replacement vocalist Bill Robinson from Decrepit Birth (Mullen approved) fitted Suffocation’s slammy breakdown backing perfectly. Bill chatted between songs explaining it’s a temporary position to help out a band that is hallowed ground for him, but personally I felt he added a different dimension to Suffocation. The audience in attendance made the most of the set with a pit opening from the start, and divers piling the stage continually. Unfortunately with the sheer amount of bands on this bill and the earlier issues I had to leave mid set to get the last train home. Disappointment aside it was still a great night, Suffocation’s set made up for any issues, and with the size of the line up, I didn’t envy any promoters that had taken on any of the dates. Respect where respect is due, tours this size are never an easy challenge.
web: http://www.facebook.com/suffocation
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