Camden in May & a sea of heavy metal fans mean one thing! Incineration Fest is back for another year once again!
4 stages of the best death metal, black metal & extreme music you will find across the globe in you will find within a city!
Opening up The Underworld today are the Scottish lads in Party Cannon. Now when it comes to PxC you are always in for a treat. And even at a stage time of just after 12pm the venue is packed to the brim. Chaos ensues when the inflatables come out! Circle pits & crowd-killing with an orca whale is the perfect fit for these now legendary death grind boys. Closing out the set with the ever-amazingly titled “Soft, White, Gelatinous Body” while on the final breakdown getting the whole of the mosh pit to do press-ups really got the day started in the best & most fun way!
Next up are the Philadelphia-based death punkers Devil Master. Mixing a brilliant blend of goth rock, sleazy punk & black metal to create something really different & interesting. Drawing a huge crowd & with the stage set in piercing purple lights they kick off with “Enamoured in the Throes of Death” a fast paced Motorhead meets The Cure track. Keeping the energy & mystic allure during their whole set showed they have a great sound & are doing it well! A band I would love to see on a headlining tour some day.
Now for the black metal spectres that are Lamp of Murmuur. Hot off their newest release “Saturnian Bloodstorm” the band have gained a huge following. The crowd at the underworld is bursting at the seams. In full Lamp of Murmuur fashion they put on a blinding performance. Unlike most black metal bands LOM have something different & exciting to offer. Bringing the full power of black metal with the ethereal glaze of beauty some bands miss. Within a few years I can see LOM joining the ranks of Immortal & Gorgoroth as legendary black metal.
Heading over to the Electric Ballroom for my long awaited time to see the mighty Asphyx! A band I’ve wanted to see for many years but never been able to. Tonight’s set might have been short but it was everything I had hoped. Ripping through banging tracks like “Deathhammer”, “The Rack” and the recent “The Nameless Elite” shows just how much of a legacy band they are, but also just how much punch they still hold in 2023! It was amazing to see the Dutch titans at work.
Back to the Underworld for one of the most sweaty & brutal shows i’ve ever seen from the almighty Suffocation! Opening with “Thrones of Blood” and ripping straight into “Jesus Wept” see the crowd in frenzy. Suffo are always able to keep the energy high & the slams nonstop. With multiple stage dives, circle pits & general mayhem you know the crowd are loving it. Closing out the death metal classic “Infecting the Crypts” see the band give the last ounce of brutality they have & give one of the best performances i’ve ever seen from Suffocation. Tonight’s incineration witnessed something special.
Heading over to The Black Heart for a band I’ve also been eagerly waiting to see, the ungodly Antichrist Siege Machine. Now I’ve been to some packed shows at the BH but never one this crazy & tight. This is one of the best receptions I’ve seen a band reserve & it’s well deserved. As ACSM took the stage I was blown away by how loud & just punishing they are. Branding their own violent style of blasting war metal, chaotic, distortion soaked mayhem. They provided a much needed wake up call during the fests long day. A few eardrums burst during their set. I can tell you that. Well worth the wait & I hope they tour the UK again soon!
Closing out the night at the Ballroom is the Swedish tank that is Marduk. “On Darkened Wings” sees the packed venue erupt! The audience is still alive & hungry for Marduk.
“With Satan and Victorious Weapons” is still a classic staple which is so raw & aggressive live, still holding its power & vigour! Frontman Mortuus commands the stage & has a star power some black metal bands miss. Closing out the night with the epic “Throne of Rats” from “Plague Angel” is the last time the circle pit frenzy gives its all & the band close out another packed & brutal year. A huge round of applause for Incineration Fest for another year of the best extreme music to ever hit london!
Review: Joseph Mitchell
