Wow, that was brutal! Ok, lets rewind four hours where we got the party started with the absolutely crushing brand of brutal Death Metal courtesy of the Belgium juggernaut that is Carnation.
As Duson entered the stage it was obvious to the rapidly filling Mancunian basement that they were here to punish and absolutely obliterate. The set was filled with pure unadulterated Death Metal and the response from the crowd was emotive and staggering considering we were still in the infancy of the evening. The vocals from Duson were powerful and venomous, spat out with pride and anger of equal measures, the delicate strings worked in perfect partnership and the chunkier strings generated the brawn and muscle to the powerful riffs and beating chords. ‘Metropolis’ was absolutely stunning while ‘Cycle Of Suffering’ was colossal and attractive in its deliverance, simply barbaric and subliminally inviting the gathered hordes to go absolutely maniacal which they duly obliged with. As the set drew to a close with an absolutely behemothic ‘Where Death Lies’ it was evident that on any other given day, any other day where the bill wasn’t so laden with genuine legends of the metal soundscape, Carnation would not find themselves sitting at the south pole of the gig poster.
Onto a somewhat diversion from the make-up of the evening and it’s time to inject a healthy dose of Californian Thrash Metal by way of Warbringer. From the moment they invaded the somewhat cramped confines of the Club stage it was out and out full throttle energy, a set of total enthusiasm and accurate Thrash Metal which was all delivered with fervour, excitement and pinpoint accurate manipulation of the various fretboards and percussion. Kevill was on point all set, his vocal duties didn’t waiver an inch and the ferocity with which the skins were beaten by Cruz was endearing and admirable to say the least. The crowd loved it as well, the frontline was infiltrated by surfer after surfer and the whole floor was a heaving mass of movement and united headbanging and fist pumping which was addictive to every soul stood within the vicinity, subliminally commanding you to join the revelry without any delay. ‘The Sword And The Cross’ was frenetic and furious, the fretwork was mesmeric and intricate with each chord being dispatched with a lust and desire which was enthralling and charming. ‘Remain Violent’ was absolutely fierce, enslaving and monopolising, an anthem which was impressive in its liberation and ability to turn the whole room into a rabid and savage arena. Without a shadow of a doubt that had just been Thrash Metal at its unquestionable best.
The penultimate set of the evening went to the absolute legends of the Death Metal underworld, the absolute goliaths that are Cryptopsy and they did not disappoint one iota. With the anthemic ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ blasting out from the PA we had enough time to get the juices flowing and set our stalls out in preparation to be entertained by the Canadian juggernaut and they absolutely annihilated us from start to finish. The vocals from McGachy were absolutely ruthless and vicious, each word shipped with a toxic acidity that could have quite easily penetrated your carcass and absolutely melted your soul while the strings from Donaldson were a constant masterclass in intricacy and dexterity at warp speed. Pinard was notable in his absence tonight, but the bass duties were in safe hands courtesy of ‘a friend of the band’ who had been drafted in to oblige with managing the quad strings and touring duties in Pinard’s absence. ‘Open Face Surgery’ was a standout for me and ‘Phobophile’ was absolutely flawless, a titan of a track and one which was constructed flawlessly on Manchester soil tonight.
Cryptopsy proved to everyone in the building tonight just why they are seen as one of the godfathers of the genre they call home and this is a set which will last with me for a long time to come.
So, onto the headliners Decapitated, and a band which I have tried to join every time they have hit our shores ever since the first time I was lucky enough to cross paths with them at the infamous Bradford Rios back in 2003.
‘A Poem About An Old Prison Man’ jump started the set and it was obvious that the band were here to absolutely annihilate the packed out venue, each fraction of the band were on point and they seemed to be dripping with a hunger and a thirst to absolutely crush each track that they composed for us. As the set built momentum so did the savagery and mercilessness that they audibly attacked us with, ‘Earth Scar’ was sublime and ‘Last Supper’ was eye wateringly violent, the vocals from Bodde were muscular and mature and he stalked the stage as if he had been a stalwart of the Decapitated camp for numerous years rather than just the six months that he has actually been embraced by. ‘Spheres Of Madness’ was unleashed mid set and saw the brutality and intensity of the pit ramp right up, the sophistication and decadence was luxurious and jagged, caustic and malevolent in equal measures. ‘Spheres’ was just the catalyst it seemed, the extrovert and unrepenting madness of ‘Winds Of Creation’ was unleashed further down the track and ‘Winds’ was closely followed by an opulent and corroding ‘Kill The Cult’ and I simply cannot express with words or adjectives just how immense this dual partnership was tonight, inspiring, transcendent and simply supreme.
As I made my way out of the venue, ears still ringing and body still aching from the onslaught I had just been lovingly subjected to, I couldn’t help but reflect on my conclusion that extreme Metal does not get better than this, a jam-packed evening of beautifully carving Death and Thrash Metal and one which will go down in the history books as an evening whereby you just simply had to be there.
