Tokyo’s death punks Kruelty are back in London with a sold-out show in the beating heart of Camden, The Black Heart.
On the eve of their next EP release, “PROFANE USURPATION”, Kruelty embarked on an extensive UK & Euro tour. In support are two of the best current UK death metal bands right now. Leeds swamp dwellers Slimelord & Cambridgeshire’s gore-soaked Celestial Sanctuary.
The Black Hearts upstairs might be tiny, but it’s packed as Slimelord takes the stage. Whenever I see these guys, it feels like a religious experience. Playing my favourite style of death metal, laced with doom progressive elements & soaked in ethereal sections, Slimelord always puts on a top-notch show.
Vocalist Andy Ashworth is always able to conjure sounds from his throat that are otherworldly & absurd. Guitarist Xander Bradley’s pedal board might look like an air traffic control console, but it aids the band in making some of the most disturbing & heaviest textures you will ever hear. With a tiny stage engorged with smoke, there’s no missing drummer Ryan Sheperson’s cymbal hits & snare blasts in his experimental & even jazz-like style create a band like no other.
“Batrachomorpha Resurrections Chamber” in the live setting is just a sight to behold. Its calm & still opening really pulls you in with its pulsing feel. Slowly creeping along before things start to get more & more sinister before the band completely unleash a fury. If you’ve never seen these guys, please do yourself a favour & change that sharpish!
https://slimelord.bandcamp.com/
Next up, Celestial Sanctuary (riding high from their recent signing to Metal Blade Records! Well done, boys) are here to make sure you headbang so hard your skull splits your face in two!
Opening with a new track from their latest EP, “Puddles Of You Reflect The Filth Within”, is just a truly punishing opener & gets the crowd moving quickly! With a ten-ton hammer of a second punch, “Biomineralization (Cell Death)” shows you these boys aren’t fucking around. Vocalist & guitarist Thomas Cronin is the best I’ve seen him. His agonising high screams & stomach-twisting gutturals are in full force tonight.
Guitarist Matt Adnett is a man possessed on stage; his playing is as if Trey Azagthoth taught Grigori Rasputin how to play the sickest riffs. Such a captivating stage presence. Oh, and don’t stand too close to the stage otherwise, drummer James Burke’s double kit hits will make you feel like you’ve been in the ring with Tyson for a few rounds. Such a display of amazing footwork from this guy! Celestial Sanctuary is nothing but pure brutality life & I really can’t wait to see what the future holds for these boys!
https://www.facebook.com/CelestialSanctuaryDeathMetal
Now for the final event. From Tokyo, Japan, Kruelty brings us the best in spin-kicking death metal. Somehow, the room is even more jam-packed when they take the stage & smash their new track, “Absolute Terror”.
Guitarist Zuma might have only recently become the group’s vocalist, but he’s doing a killer job & his deep gutturals & fantastic pronunciation are here in the live setting. “Harder Than Before” from the band’s last album “Utopia” is one for the pit demons. With its grinding fast opening and then quickly switching to its bouncing hard riff, this track has it all & has the crowd beating the crap out of each other. Bassist Haruka Seina’s enthusiasm is so infectious. Standing on the stage speakers/ledge telling everyone to move & get into the pit just gets the crowd even more hyped. Not for one second did this crowd die down.
“Under Your Pressure” from the band’s split with Terminal Nation is a highlight as it’s one of my favourite tracks from the band & hits so hard. Even as a three-piece, these guys are so heavy they put some 4 & 5 piece bands to shame. It’s crazy. Krulety is one of the heaviest & tightest scenes right now. And I CANNOT wait to hear this new EP. Love live Japanese hardcore & death metal.
Review: Joseph Mitchell