“Rotting in a vile grave was the only way.“
Commemorating a year since the release of their sixteenth studio album, Chaos Horrific, Florida death metal mainstays, Cannibal Corpse, made their way to the UK to sonically torment their fans with filthy riffs, technical basslines, and their iconic, vile lyrical themes. Alongside them followed modern OSDM band, Schizophrenia; New York tech-death legends, Immolation; and drunken Virginia thrashers, Municipal Waste. Located at the Roundhouse in London, this gig was sold out with over 3000 metalheads flocking to see this stacked line-up commence.
Words by Emily Cole, photography by Kieran White – contact before any use.
Schizophrenia
The show kicked off with some straight up speed and brutality from the Belgian band, Schizophrenia. Despite being the youngest of the line-up, Schizophrenia offered a sound that was extremely reminiscent of death metal’s old-school names and predecessors; taking inspiration from bands such as Morbid Angel, Obituary, and of course, Death. Their guitar work was extremely well-written and performed, with sweeping solos and screaming lead tones that really put the hostility into their music. This was paired with beautifully relentless drumming, and abrasive vocals that were spewed with immense force and talent. From the second they took to the stage to the last vigorous strike of their instruments, every member of the band played with a great amount of energy and professionalism – truly proving that Schizophrenia deserved to be on such a special line-up.
Immolation
Taking over from Schizophrenia were extreme metal four-piece, Immolation. Representing the New York death metal scene, Immolation certainly cranked up the intensity with their remorseless setlist – filled with old school classics as well as tracks from their latest release, Acts Of God. With each song they played, the crowd were blasted with a plethora of hard-hitting and technical instrumentation that was played with great levels of skill and contagious enthusiasm. A notable member of the band was Robert Vigna, whose playing style was both technical and primal, as he wielded his guitar like a weapon, slashing through complex riffs with such precision. Additionally, vocalist and bassist, Ross Dolan, fronted the band an equally powerful presence, with his deep, guttural vocals perfectly matching the heaviness of the music. Evidently, it’s safe to say that Immolation are an insane band who deserve their title as one of death metal’s most consistent pioneers.
Municipal Waste
Following Immolation’s suffocating set were classic party-thrashers, Municipal Waste. Geared up in their 80’s esque skinny double denim, bandanas, and uncomfortably white sneakers; the band took the stage with an overwhelming confidence and unapologetically delivered an insanely powerful set. This featured a wide range of their short but sweet songs from renowned albums such as The Art of Partying, as well as tracks from their later releases, Electrified Brain and Tango and Thrash. I can say for sure that Municipal Waste do not hold back when it comes to their live shows as they encouraged each and every person in the crowd to create a literal wave of death for their iconic track that features on The Last Rager. As obligated, the crowd satisfied the band’s request which literally had the security on their knees, as they had to catch what seemed like hundreds of crowd surfers. With the security truly defeated, the band wrapped things up with their well-loved song, “Born to Party”. They certainly did not disappoint live, and as a warning to anyone who has never been to one of their shows before, Municipal Waste will in fact “fuck you up!”.
Cannibal Corpse
In short time, we were finally treated to the highly anticipated performance of the well-known death metal headliners, Cannibal Corpse, marking the final date of their UK tour. Despite guitarist Eric Rutan having to return home due to personal matters, the band managed to deliver an outstanding and meticulously organised set. They navigated through any technical difficulties that arose with ease and managed to create a thick wall of distorted riffs, even after losing half of their guitar parts – showcasing their resilience and immense amount of experience as musicians in the scene.
The band played a collection of their most popular tracks from Chaos Horrific, including the crushing “Summoned for Sacrifice“, which left the audience in awe of its sheer intensity. Additionally, they of course played songs from their classic 90’s albums, including the women’s favourite, “Fucked With A Knife” from The Bleeding, and their objectively most popular song, “Hammer Smashed Face” from the legendary, Tomb of the Mutilated. Interestingly, they opted not to perform “I Cum Blood”, which had been a staple in their setlist for years due to its iconic introduction delivered by George “Corpsegrinder”. Despite this change up of tradition, the energy and devotion to the music from the fans was truly powerful, as the audience were more than ready to immerse themselves in the brutal, gore-filled sounds that Cannibal Corpse are known for.
Their entire set precisely proved that Cannibal Corpse have been at the forefront of the death metal scene since its birth for a reason, and that they will continue to melt off the faces (and ears) of fans for years to come with both their unrelenting studio releases and their belligerent live shows. Cannibal Corpse are unquestionably a band who cannot be missed.
