One of the most hotly anticipated extreme metal events of the year finds the unassailable Cannibal Corpse (riding high on the back of last year’s stunning Chaos Horrific), paired with Municipal Waste, Immolation, and Schizophrenia – an epic lineup that makes turning up early mandatory. Tonight, the tour lands in the birthplace of heavy metal and the hordes did indeed turn out early, with the venue packed from the get go and remaining so until the bitter end.
There’s an awesome atmosphere in the venue tonight. The O2 Academy may be heaving, but between sets it’s all pretty chilled and relaxed. There’s even the option to head out to the Academy 3, where you can watch the bands on a giant video screen if you need a bit of space but don’t want to miss the show. It provides a welcome respite for, once the bands start, the pit goes nuts, with a more-or-less constant stream of bodies tumbling over the barrier keeping security on their toes. They deserve a shout out too because they seem to recognise the importance of the pit at an extreme metal gig and, as far as we can see, they focus on keeping the crowd safe without getting heavy handed or censorious. In short, from staff to bands to audience, this has one of the best atmospheres we’ve seen at a gig this year.
Kicking off the night, Belgian death merchants Schizophrenia set the pit alight early with a too-short, brutal set. Incredibly passionate, they simply dominate the stage and if they’re in any way overawed to be in the presence of death metal royalty, you’d never know it. From the moment they play their very own anthem, threatening to give us “Schizophrenia right in the fucking face”, to an unhinged cover of Slayer’s Necrophiliac (they offer Morbid Angel, but pretty much everyone’s out for Slayer), the band are tight, blisteringly heavy, and packed full of energy. Opening a bill such as this could easily be a daunting task, but Schizophrenia have the talent, the enthusiasm, and the confidence to deliver a truly world-class set.
Seriously, don’t sleep on this band. Schizophrenia capture the spirit of old school death metal, and they more than earned their place on this awesome bill with their skilled and hugely enjoyable performance. .
Following a brief change over, which allows the sweltering pit a moment to cool down, it’s time for the mighty Immolation, who are so insanely good, they damn near carry the night. Unbelievably tight, incredibly dynamic, charismatic on stage, and with a setlist that traverses their immense back catalogue, Immolation fail to put a single foot wrong, demonstrating their versatility and power over the course of forty intense minutes.
Arriving on stage on to an ominous intro, singer Ross Dolan calmly raises the horns, and then it all explodes. The pit gets hectic early, with our photographer dodging the flailing bodies that come flying over the barrier, but we’d have it no other way – Immolation are fucking awesome and deserve the absolute devotion displayed by the crowd. Picking highlights is tough, but Age Of No Light (drawn from 2022’s Acts Of God), manages to tread a fine line between imperious and doomy, frantic and melodic, and it showcases the best of the band’s recent output. However, there are plenty of old school fans waiting in the wings, and the cheer that greets The Everlasting Fire (from all the way back in 1991), almost drowns out the opening bars. In short, Immolation came, saw, and conquered, and they cannot return soon enough.
Offering a welcome change of pace, maniacal thrashers Municipal Waste are here to bring the party and, short of throwing a keg into the audience, it’s hard to imagine a more energetic set. Kicking off with a blistering double bill of The Executioner and Breathe Grease, the band waste no time in getting the pit heaving, and it only gets more ridiculous from there.
In these somewhat restrictive times, it’s rare to see crowd surfers in an indoor venue, but tonight it’s like a human wave crashing against the barrier. Fair play to security, who handle it all with good natured professionalism, especially during Wave Of Death when Tony Foresta gets the ladies of the pit to surf over the top (”…and I don’t want to see any creepy shit, either”). It says much of the band that an exhortation to go nuts comes with a reminder to watch everyone else’s back – but that’s extreme metal for you, and the crowd respond in kind.
Tracks like High Speed Steel and Slime And Punishment race past in a flurry of riffs, but it’s cuts from the still untouchable The Art Of Partying that seal the deal. Sadistic Magician, Headbanger Face Rip, The Art Of Partying, and Born To Party – they’re all here, decimating the pit until all you can see is the steam rising from the heaving mass of bodies. “Municipal Waste are going to fuck you up”? You better believe it.
With the walls running with sweat, it’s time for Cannibal Corpse to take the stage and sap whatever reserves the Birmingham crowd have left. Of course, this being a band famous for taking no prisoners, Birmingham steps up as Cannibal Corpse deliver a masterclass in death metal, the potent mix of coruscating riffs and pitch-black humour pounding the assembled throng into submission. As always, bull-necked George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher leads from the front, headbanging whenever he’s not unleashing his fearsome roar, and oh man do the band sound mighty, even in the absence of Erik Rutan, who had to fly home to support his family as Hurricane Helene continues to batter the United States. We can only share Cannibal Corpse’s sentiments in sending our thoughts to Erik and his family as they deal with the unfolding crisis.
The show, however, must go on and Cannibal Corpse simply close ranks and deliver a ferocious set. Any sense of tiredness amidst the crowd dissipates the moment that they take the stage with Blood Blind and, from there, it’s non-stop carnage. The band sensibly vary the tempos so that, for every inferno of riffs, there’s a crushing, mid-tempo monster waiting in the wings. It is these slower pieces that really pulverise the audience, the likes of Scourge Of Iron setting necks snapping from front to back. New tracks, like the epic Chaos Horrific, slot right in, and it’s always fun when Corpsegrinder lets his sense of humour out to play: “I’m glad you guys are having a good time, because this song is not about having a good time at all… it’s called Disposal Of The Body!”.
There’s something special about Cannibal Corpse. Even down a member, their ability to unleash an enthralling wall of noise remains peerless and, whether dealing out old school atrocities like Fucked With A Knife, or newer fare like Kill Or Become (a highlight from A Skeletal Domain), they know exactly what their audience want, and they deliver every single time.
So, who ruled the night? Honestly, the quality of the line up allowed no favourites. The excitement of seeing a band like Schizophrenia starting out on their journey; the imperious might of Immolation; the grin-inducing party thrash of Municipal Waste; and the intense depths of Cannibal Corpse – each band complemented the other, the camaraderie on stage translating to insane energy levels off stage. It was a night that was utterly, utterly awesome and, if you missed this tour, kick yourself hard because line ups of this quality just don’t come along that often.
All photos: Jola Stiles
