London Deathfest XII - Deicide, Belphegor, Hour of Penance, The Amenta, Amputated, Basement Torture Killings, Serial Butcher, Fractured Insanity & Oblivionized - The Underworld, Camden - 25th June 2011

How long had we been waiting for this gig?! Fuckin’ ages. When I knew Deicide were coming to town I was so excited I almost wet myself. Not to mention my metal brothers Dave and Billy had made the trip all the way from the midlands and my actual, blood brother Jamie from Cambridge. We decided to meet at the Worlds End and if you read this blog often you know how I feel about that place...

Unfortunately we were too late to see Oblivionized who must have been on pretty much as the doors opened because we weren’t that late. Anyway, they’re pretty good if you like grind, check ‘em out here.

Fractured Insanity

We did, however, manage to catch Fractured Insanity. These guys were pretty much straight up death metal. It’s always going to be difficult playing this early on in the day. The place wasn’t very busy and everyone seemed to be pretty well behaved at this point. Having said that, this band put forward an enjoyable performance. I particularly liked their original concept for starting a moshpit. It involved taking an American football, throwing it into the audience and promising that whoever held the ball last would get a free CD. As you can imagine, chaos commenced, cut short by some massive bald guys, but hey, 10/10 for effort. One to watch I reckon.

Serial Butcher

Next up to grace the boards was Serial Butcher. Holy shit! They basically squeezed themselves onto the front of the stage and literally tore our faces off with their brutal and freakishly technical brand of death metal. They pretty much rooted themselves to the stage, and normally I like a bit more of a show, but somehow their music was so captivating that none of it seemed to matter. Their vocalist, Kurt Termonia, appeared to have just stepped off the beach wearing a tatty red t-shirt and flip-flops probably. I managed to have a chat with them afterwards and they said that they had been driving from Belgium since 2am and had a ferry to catch later on at 5am. Serious dedication to the cause. I’m more than happy that they made the effort because, in my opinion, they were one of the best bands all day. Excellent stuff.

BTK

Basement Torture Killings! They never, ever, ever get boring. This time they were down a few stage props but who cares? This was the first time Dave and Billy had seen them and they loved it! Their set is so intense and the stage show goes so well with it. This band has found something new to inject into the genre. I could watch them over and over again. Absolutely brilliant. These guys work hard too, apparently they needed to hop straight back in the van and make their way to Birmingham for the Terrorizer Grindhouse night. Top class stuff. If you haven’t heard these guys before, go straight out and buy their new album “The Second Cumming”. Do it now.

Amputated

BTK were a hard act to follow but then along came Amputated from Bristol. This band absolutely slay. From the very first note to the conclusion of their set they battered us with their merciless, obscene themes. The place was going off to this band. They’re a bit more old school and churn the heavy as fuck riffs out. This was complimented by an unbelievable range of vocals that seem to spew from the tiny Mark. From guttural death grunts to unnerving pig squeals, it’s seriously impressive stuff. The banter between tracks was hilarious to say the least. This was definitely, for me, the best band of the day.

The Amenta

The Amenta followed. This Black Metal outfit from Australia were definitely imposing. The sinister corpse paint set the tone. I’m not a big Black Metal fan so it would be unfair of me to slate them because I don’t really know what I’m talking about. I found their stage show entertaining. One thing that did make me laugh though was Cain’s accent speaking to the audience between songs. For some reason it seemed so wrong, almost camp. Having said that, people did seem to dig them so I guess they’re doing what they do well.

We should have seen Hour of Penance next but unfortunately missed them because we went to catch Seed of Detest’s show down the road at The Dev. You can read about that here. I like Hour of Penance and you should definitely give them a listen.

Belphegor

We did, however, make it back for Belphegor. What can I say, more Black Metal. Like I said about The Amenta, it was OK, just not my thing. The stage show again  was fairly engrossing but unfortunately the music goes over my head. So for the purposes of this blog... It was OK.

Deicide

Finally the moment we had been waiting for... Deicide. The gig, what there was of it, was good. That’s all. I don’t even want to go through the set. Why do Deicide always have to do something annoying? We were at the Camden Underworld, watching death metal. There’s going to be a mosh pit and there is going to be stage diving. Deicide are so full of themselves that they need to bring a herd of security to pummel anyone that tries to get on the stage. It’s pathetic. Further to that, the set was only about forty five minutes long and finished at around 9.30pm with no encore despite the relentless chanting for one. Glen must be in it for the money now because for us that had been at The Underworld all day and had waited months for this show were short changed. I won’t get excited about Deicide anymore, they are way too big for their boots. Give me Amputated, BTK and Serial Butcher over them any day.




And here's an extra added bonus review for you kids from Dave 'Causa Mortis' Rowley! Enjoy!

Deathfest XII – Camden Underworld

By David Rowley (Causa Mortis)

I’d been looking forward to this gig for quite some time. The Anticipation of seeing Deicide again for what seems like an eternity. The chance to see Home-grown talent like Amputated and the Basement Torture Killings in the small and sweaty Underworld was almost too much to take!

So after a long London Midland train journey from Burton on Trent to Euston, I arrived fit to burst! Hooking up with my main Metal Muppet Matt ‘Boojay’ Budgett and friends in the Worlds End, the stage was set for a full on onslaught of pure death metal madness.

First band up for us (We missed Oblivionized) were Belgian bruisers Fractured Insanity. They performed brilliantly for a band on so early in the day and to a pretty small and mostly sober crowd. They did what they could, including trying to incite a pit, even using the old trick of throwing an American Football into the crowd and offering a prize to whoever had it last. A very large gentlemen in the front row didn’t enter the spirit and palmed the ball about ten seconds in, thus resulting in no pit, and no prize. It’s a tricky when a band constantly tries to get an early crowd going with cries of ‘MOSH’ and ‘LETS SEE YOU MOSHING’, I figure, let the music do the talking and people will or won’t, especially when it’s half one in the afternoon and most people haven’t been up that long.  This aside, the band was tight, professional and put on a great show.

Next up was another Belgian band, Serial Butcher. These were one of the highlights of the day for me. An odd looking band if I’m honest, they didn’t really look like they’d been together that long. That all changed when they started their set. Brutal from start to finish, delivering a set mainly comprising of material from their current ‘A Crash Course in Cranium Crushing’ album (check it out, it’s amazing), technical without being too flashy, memorable riffs and almost avante guard, jazz type drumming. Very impressive and worth keeping an eye out for the future. We found out from chatting to them after that they’d left their hometown of Ghent at 1am that morning to get to Camden for the gig, and had to take the long drive back for work on Monday. Now that truly is a lesson in brutality and dedication to the genre. Check out their video for ‘Reduced to a Sausage’ on Youtube, very cool indeed.

Next up were Basement Torture Killings. Band of the day without question for me. Matt had been raving about them for a long time so I was looking forward to seeing them in action. They have everything going for them and deserve to be very successful. Awesome stage presence, Bertrand makes an excellent front man, his guitar playing and vocals are amazing. Keeping in Character throughout, deranged ticks and twitches…. homemade horror samples…sheer insanity. The Duel vocals with Bertrand and the stocking faced Tarquin reminded me of early Carcass. Excellent rhythm section in the fourth killer and the creepy Professor Kennith. It’s not often you get to see someone doing something totally different and unique in Death metal, but Basement Torture Killings are doing just that, sure they have an ‘act’ but it doesn’t come across as fake or gimmicky. Usually bands that use these types of theatrics are covering up for something. Weak playing or bland music, but the Basement Torture Killings have the songs and the attitude…watch your back, kids.

UK’s Amputated were on next, I only caught the start of the set as I got chatting to the Basement Torture Killings’ Bertrand…but what I saw was amazing. Clearly a band that know their shit. Tight but loose, deranged and guttural vocals…. energetic live show. Crazy banter from their lead singer…awesome band.

The Amenta were up next, Black metal from Australia! Good presence on stage, lead singer definitely played his part and put in 100%. It was nice seeing a black metal band in the middle of all the death metal bands, added a nice contrast and didn’t seem that out of place. Well worth checking out.

Ahhh, Deicide. I was very much looking forward to seeing them. I clocked Man-mountain Glen Benton coming off the tour-bus outside the venue…. so it was reassuring to know that they’d actually be there! They delivered a professional sounding greatest hits set; Dead by Dawn made a surprise early appearance, as did Lunatic of Gods Creation. But if felt no sooner had they stepped on stage they were off. No goodbyes, no encore. A short and sweet appearance.  Over enthusiastic security that were far too heavy handed, a very short set. But on the other hand, it’s always nice seeing Jack Owen do his thing on the guitar and witness the pure firepower of Steve Ashheim on the drums. I won’t bother with them again, but I will take away the awesome memories of seeing so many awesome bands with my good friend, especially Basement Torture Killings, Serial Butcher and Amputated. Roll on Deathfest XIII. 

Seed of Detest @ The Dev, Camden - 25th June 2011

We left London Deathfest XII briefly to catch Seed of Detest @ the Terrorizer Grindhouse free show at The Dev. They, of course, were their normal brilliant selves at this show. I was more than happy to introduce my friends to this enthusiastic and more than competent troupe of extremely talented young guys. They played a half hour set, my favourite song of the day being “Vatican”. I’m always happy to show my allegiance to a band of such obvious skill levels. I urge you to listen to their EP produced by Russ Russell (who also produced Evile’s new record amongst others), it’s free and it’s incredible. Another great show, shame I didn’t manage to catch them later. Until next time guys \m/

Gama Bomb, Mutant, Way of Purity & Abadden - 8th May 2011 - The Underworld, Camden, London

In typical fashion we had these tickets for what seemed ages and we were both fired up for it come the night. I secretly like having to wait, it somehow makes it more exciting, like Christmas. This was my second time seeing Gama Bomb, the first time they were supporting Sepultura at the Scala and boy was I impressed by their performance. One thing Boojay did say to me afterward was “wait until you see them at a smaller venue”. He was right of course.

Eliska, Toes & Philly Byrne

I love the Camden Underworld for keeping it real. I mean, they serve you actual glass bottles of Grolsch with the flip top, real hefty m’fuckers you can take in the mosh and brain people with. Stage diving is positively encouraged with absolutely no restrictions on how you do it. You know what I mean right, like at the pool with the no bombing sign, there’s none of that here. How the hell they deal with health and safety is beyond me. In fact I think this added danger creates its own safety measures. Everyone knows you run on stage throw your hands in the air and wait for the crowd to do the same. There’s usually always a big bastard who designates himself protector and looks out for the crowd surfing dudes (usually Boojay). This is all great when it’s packed but when it’s the first band on and the crowd is only 3 rows deep you’re going to head plant, and I’ll be watching and laughing my ass off.

Abadden

I don’t really understand how Abadden were at the bottom of this billing, I’ve seen them before and talented doesn’t really describe this lot. Anyway they were first up for whatever reason and they played as if they were top billing. I love their energy on stage and that seems to have paid off big time for them with a fast growing fan base that really appreciates this kind of commitment. They play Thrash Metal like it’s supposed to be played hard, fast, and great vocals. They’re a great bunch of lads with good stage presence and we think Metal Hammer who were there to see Gama Bomb will be very impressed. In the world of Thrash they will be big and we’re  going to be along for the ride. Sweet.

Way of Purity

Next up were Way of Purity. Errrr...Thrash gig with Death Metal band and a lady vocalist, well two actually and a keyboard. I’ll say that again “keyboard”. The blokes in the band spent ages setting up their shit then put on balaclavas for their set. Dude, we’ve seen your face already, what the hell were you thinking, is this some weird homage to Slipnot (more like Shitnot). That’s all I have to say about that, they’re making me angry or is it listening to Betzefer while writing this.

Up on stage next were Mutant. This is the second time I’ve seen Mutant but I only caught half their set when they supported Evile so I was particularly excited about these guys because what I did see was so good. I’m not sure what to make of them not being signed and apparently word on the scene is they don’t plan to be. As long as they keep playing these gigs I don’t really care, they’re amazing to watch with a well thought out over the top performance to match the band name. The vocals are very echoed which sounds so cool when they announce that the next song will be “TURBO...HYPER...ULTRA...MEGA...POWER”. They seem to have designed the songs around what they expect of the crowd. They want you to mosh faster each song and the crowd duly obliged. Amazing.

Gama Bomb

Gama Bomb make me smile every time I see them. Philly Byrne is so charismatic as a front man you can’t help but be drawn in by his easy style of banter with the crowd and big cheesy smiles. It’s almost a guilty pleasure seeing them at such an intimate venue when you know they are destined for bigger things. They absolutely rocked the joint, I hadn’t seen this much stage diving before, it was crazy. We were also privy to some never before heard songs which was awesome and maybe something to do with Metal Hammer being there to review them. It was the longest set they had played yet and I could have done with it being much longer. They are in a league of their own when it comes to gigs this size. Can’t wait to see them again.





Trunks

Corrosion of Conformity, Ghost'n Goblins & Diesel King - The Underworld, Camden, London - 26th April 2011

Considering Corrosion of Conformity have been one of my all time favourite bands since "Blind" came out in 1991 and seeing them live for the first time in 1992 supporting Soungarden at The Forum, or Town & Country Club as it was known then, to say I was excited was a massive understatement. I think I must have worn out my COC CD's at least three times over the years. I mean, who of our metal generation doesn't absolutely worship "Deliverence" and "Wiseblood"? I know it was a tour for the old stuff but that shit kicks some serious ass too. I also realised that Pepper wasn't playing but that certainly didn't dampen my spirits. So when the tour was announced in January I made the necessary phone calls to those that I knew would be as psyched as I was to see COC again and in such a small venue (The Underworld). Five of us were expected to go but at the last minute I was disappointed to find that everyone in my group had to bail. As it turned out my trusty friend Steve (the bloomin' nutter) was up for it even though he hadn't had much exposure to COC. So we met at the Worlds End (again) and had a couple of pints (we have to stop going here because it's massively over priced and frankly, not that great) until one of Steve's friends was joining us. To my surprise Steve's mate turned out to be Donny from Nebukadnezza (check them out they're brilliant) who I'd met last year at The Unicorn when Damnas were supporting Gama Bomb.

Diesel King

We wandered down to catch the last half of the final song that Diesel King were playing, which was a shame because they sounded like they were a better than average band. Check them out on facebook, decent doomy stuff.

Ghost'n Goblins

Second band on stage was Ghost'n Goblins. These guys are seriously fun. Fun is most definitely the best way to describe them. Their singer, Tony, is a rock star, no doubt about it. He has the air and presence of a young Dave Grohl about him. They are a very tight unit and exceptionally calm and confident on stage. In fact they look like they are enjoying what they do so much you could almost imagine that this is the first time they'd ever played, and that certainly rubs off on the audience. An extremely solid performance by an energetic, happy and boisterous band. I would definitely recomend them.

Corrosion of Conformity

The moment I'd been waiting for all year was finally here (check out this great youtube channel - xholixima - for some excellent video of the gig). I was excited for Steve to see what I'd been blabbering on about all night. Fuck me it was even better than I could possibly have expected. The pit was absolutely insane. It was awe-inspiring to see Woody, Reed and Mike up so close. This is the smallest venue I'd ever seen them in and it just made it even cooler. We went bonkers in the pit and dived our nuts off. The vibe in the place was so genial it's hard to explain. Even though the pit was as brutal as it was I can't remember such a friendly bunch of people to get into this sort of situation with. Thankfully the set was extended, I think almost two hours of incredible COC magic. I could have stayed there all night. Afterwards Steve had to agree that this was one of the best gigs ever. We made some new friends (I think it would have been impossible not to - a big hello to the crazy nutjobs from Finland) and a great new memory. Thanks to Donny and Steve for joining me last night, you guys made the night even more formidable than it already was, so props to you both. Tuesday nights simply don't get better than that. And for the record, COC can do just fine without Pepper.


Boojay

Malevolent Creation - The Underworld, Camden - 10th April 2011

Toes and I jumped on the tube, this time accompanied by the youngest in the Boojay clan - Jamie. We all headed to Camden to meet up with Sam and his lady Eliska to see the untouchable Malevolent Creation at The Underworld. I had been particularly looking forward to this gig because I have loved Malevolent Creation since the '80s but never had the good fortune to see them live. All that was about to change. We all met for some early beers at The Earl of Camden pub. The place has potential but the music was blaring (not a bad thing) stuff like AHA (bad thing) and didn't make it a very welcoming environment to those of a more metal persuasion. Whatever, it was a means to an end and it served its purpose adequately.

Neuroma

We made it just in time to see the last half of Neuroma's set. They seem like a pretty solid band. Their live show was gratifying, unfortunately, and it has always been the curse of the first band on stage, that the audience was sparse and motionless which must make it difficult to perform in front of. Not bad.

Second band to grace the boards was Polish band Diachronia. At first glance they kind of resemble Seed of Detest but then the lights get a bit brighter and they start playing and you know it isn't. Seed of Detest are way cooler. Not to say Diachronia were bad, on the contrary, they were acceptable. I'm not sure how far they'll go considering some of the amazing death metal coming out at the moment, again case at hand - Seed of Detest. I took some video so you can see for yourselves below.

Professor Kennith

Third up, Basement Torture Killings. Holy shitballs!! At first I didn't know what to make of them, they freaked the hell out of me. They look like the scariest bunch of serial killer nutters you have ever seen. Closest to me was a Doctor Crippen lookalike, known affectionately as Professor Kennith (bass) adorned in nerdy attire and a fetching red bow tie. However, the shaved head, round glasses and blank stare sent a chill down my spine. Standing next to him was the rather charming Bertrand (guitars, vocals) sporting a nifty and altogether appropriate Hannibal Lecter mask. Lastly Tarquin (guitar), I think he was the most terrifying. He played the entire set with a stocking over his head. To be honest I thought the whole thing was genius. Between each song there were sinister samples of sounds you would absolutely expect to hear ricocheting around a serial killer's basement. Regardless of the theatre that is this band, the music is crushing and brutal. I fucking loved it. Basement Torture Killings are massively on my radar and I can't wait to see them again. Not to mention the fact that "in real life" they are the complete opposite of their stage personas, or at least Bertrand is, who I met after the show... Although isn't that what they said about Jeffrey Dahmer?..

Gio Geraca (Malevolent Creation)

Finally, Malevolent Creation. I have waited so long to see these guys (over 20 years). To say they did not disappoint me is an understatement. They burst onstage like a Tsunami, destroying everything in its path. They played an ample amount from their new album "Invidious Dominion" which, in my opinion, is one of their finest albums to date, but still bombarded and delighted us with older classics. Overall an extremely exhilarating and accomplished set. It was my little brother's first death metal gig, and what a way to begin! You couldn't keep him off the stage, so the Boojay's were well represented that night. I don't know how but I managed to totally tear my jeans early on in the mosh or flying off the stage but that didn't stop me losing my mind to this band. Fucking ferocious. Fucking stunning.

Mosh ripped jeans

The crowd was an incredibly amiable bunch and added to a very special night. At most metal gigs you make a friend or two, but this night it felt as though everyone had been mates for years. So there's another fantastic gig to add to a damn good run so far this year.


Boojay

Thrash Thursday - Shrapnel, Citizen Death & XXXX - 7th April 2011

So, I finished work and raced up to Camden to meet Ty "The American" and spend a pleasurable evening sampling the delights of Steve Loftin's toils at Thrash Thursday. Wow, that doesn't sound dodgy at all... Anyway, we get to The Unicorn in good time to get a couple of beers in before the show starts. I love The Unicorn, it's always free and has a great space for bands out the back (it has a Tardis-like deception). Also, it's pub prices all the way. Basically, a quality venue. Just to top it all off the sun was shining before the show and everyone seemed to be in a good mood, sitting outside and totally up for it.

The show kicked off at around 8pm with XXXX. Like I said before, XXXX are excellent! The did a cracking job again and were thoroughly entertaining. Props to Steve for organising the whole thing, hopefully this will be the start of many to come. I took some video so you can check them out below for yourselves.

Boojay & Razz (Citizen Death)

Between XXXX and Citizen Death I noticed John Blunt from Abadden loitering around so felt obligated to say "hi" considering that I believe Abadden to be one of the best new thrash bands to come out of the UK at the moment. Little did I know that this is a very dangerous person to go drinking with, particularly if you have work the next day... Enough of that and on to Citizen Death. These guys had travelled all the way from Scotland to play this gig. What a commitment! I have to applaud them, their show was ace and they seem like genuinely nice guys. They're definitely worth checking out if you happen to see them playing near you.

Finally, Shrapnel. These guys are serious pros. Their set was tight, and their performance energetic. The crowd, which was a good size considering the new night and venue, seemed really up for it. There was enough argy bargy to make it a really fun set to be a part of.

Boojay & John Blunt (Abadden)

The night didn't end there though. Somehow (and again, I blame John Blunt for this) we all ended up at the Hobgoblin. Fuck knows how I got home, although I do remember waking up on a night bus going in the wrong direction at first... As previously stated, however, the night overall made the mission home worth it. So, big up Steve for a stompin' great night!

Boojay

Powerage Tour - 24th February 2011

When the guys from The Treatment told me about the upcoming Powerage Tour at Little Caesar I was really excited to be able to see them again so soon. So I rallied a few mates to go down to show our support. It was great because the gig was free and had some excellent bands playing. Again the gig was at The Camden Underworld, but we didn't stop for beer this time because I was worried about not getting in. No problem there though.

We arrived in time for Million $ Reload. They're an enthusiastic rock band from Ireland. I'd never seen them before but enjoyed their set. Their frontman Phil reminded me of Ian Watkins from Lost Prophets for some reason. It was probably the short black hair thing going on. Another cool thing that happened was guitarist Andy Mack giving me a plectrum thet he used during the show. I know it sounds sad but I prize things like that. I have done ever since I was a kid. So thanks for that Andy.

Boojay & The Treatment Nurse!

Next up, The Treatment. Any of you that have read this blog before will know that I'm crazy about this band. It's not just because they're so good live or that every song that they have written is so kick ass. It's because they are all bloody cool as individuals. Every time I see these guys they take the time to hang out and chat with us. I feel like they're my mates now. I even know their parents from these gigs who incidentally are ace too. As always The Treatment didn't disappoint. They ripped through about 35 minutes of quality music which we went bonkers to. I'd had a few bevies so was feeling extra excited during their set. So much so I took it on myself to get the crowd going a bit more than they already were. I started with a cheeky stage dive followed by a spot of moshing. The crowd was mostly up for it which was awesome because I reckon that everyone should be going mental at all of their gigs. I did, however, manage to upset an old lady at the gig who posted later on facebook, "you are an irresponsible tosser. I write this on behalf of the disabled guy who had to be dragged out of the way of your childish stupidity." Just to be clear, I had two friends that were positioned specifically to make sure I was caught and that nobody was going to be hurt. 

Buy This Album

Furthermore, we were at a rock gig, and having had more than twenty two years experience attending gigs like this I can safely say, if you don't want to be part of a mosh or be dived on then "STAY AWAY FROM THE PIT". That goes for anyone who doesn't want to be involved in this kind of stuff, including people with crutches. The great thing about this music is that everyone can have fun. Those who want to show their appreciation with a bit of argy bargy can do so in the pit and those who would rather just stand back and watch the show can do just that. So relax lady, all we're trying to do is show The Treatment how much we dig their shit.

To be honest I didn't catch that much of Lethargy. What I did see seemed pretty good. They sound much heavier live than the stuff I've heard on record. Also, the singer Phil looks like a young version of Jeff Walker of Carcass. The music is very different though!!

Same went for New Device actually, I should have paid more attention. What I did see sounded cool and they are a more than competent band live. In fact, they remind me of a young Def Leppard but a bit more up to date. Fun band for sure.

Overall, it was a stonking night. The Treatment were the best by miles but I did enjoy the other bands too. There wasn't anything that I wouldn't be happy to watch again and the fact that it was free was a nice touch. Finally, I hope I'm in the running for The Treatment's craziest fan, I'm certainly putting the effort in!

Boojay