Exhumed and Gruesome touring together is a strong bill. With the singer of Exhumed pulling double duty in both bands, (vocals and guitar), it promises to be a great night of death metal fun.
Acid Vat
But before Exhumed and Gruesome, we have Acid Vat, who reveal themselves to be solid openers. They play old-school death metal with conviction, and have an ear for a decent riff. It’s an enjoyable bout of blast, groove, and growl.
Acid Vat get a good response from the surprisingly sizeable crowd and start the show off nicely.
Gruesome
As soon as Gruesome open with Trapped in Hell, the audience are sold. Gruesome’s Death worship hits the spot.
The band play songs off all three of their albums and two from the EP Dimensions of Horror. They showcase an extremely consistent selection of tracks tonight, and it’s hard to imagine too many being disappointed. The performance is spot on, and the music satisfying and entertaining. What’s not to like? Precious little. Even the occasional unfortunate technical issues, (Inhumane), can’t derail them.
Pushed for highlights, you could point to the flesh ripping Closed Casket, (one of the first the band ever wrote, apparently), Condemned Identity, (with its meaty thrashy riffs and its electrifying solo section), the rowdy bruiser Seven Doors, or the set closer Savage Land, (a classic). The latter three are the last songs played, so a strong way to end the set.
It’s a very enjoyable outing for Gruesome.
Exhumed
After a short rest, the singer is back, this time in Gore Metal heroes Exhumed. The band pull cuts from all over their discography, classic songs, and brand new ones from Red Asphalt. Of the latter, a full six songs are aired tonight, which attests to the high quality of this latest material.
Unsafe at Any Speed gets the evening off to a ferocious start. The band get at it enthusiastically, and dish out a death metal masterclass. The Matter of Splatter gets a full-on pit going, before Necromaniac really dials up the carnage. Exhumed aren’t phoning it in at all; it’s clear they love what they’re doing.
Back to the new album, Shovelhead‘s mid-paced groove destroys the place. Slaughtercult is represented by the fantastic Vacant Grave, one of the band’s best. The Iron Graveyard is brutally lethal, slotting into their set like an old favourite.
There’s a large circle pit for Playing with Fire, before the final stage of the show begins. Both Necrocracy and Limb from Limb bring the house down, especially the latter. Necrocracy comes with a severed head and fake blood that gets spilled all over the front row. Limb from Limb is a stone cold classic. Exhumed tear it up like it’s 1998.
Exhumed put on an ace show. Gore-filled fun for all the family. Don’t miss them the next time they race into town.
Wonderbox Metal 