With this set to be Broken Hope’s first ever performance on these shores the band are taking it in their stride. Having played the world over multiple times, due to various inconveniences the band have never been able to play Ol Blighty! Tonight will change that, however before history can be made before the twenty seven year old band take to the stage we see a multitude of some of the best death metal around.
With the evening kicking off at 5 o clock the line up consists of five different bands, arriving at Nambucca, walking into its newly redesigned interior it would seem that tonight will most definitely be getting up close and personal. Having played at Netherlands’ final instalment of Neurotic Death Fest, Unfathomable Ruination take to the stage to deliver their brand of breakdown oriented death metal. With many of the songs blurring into one the band make a sizeable dent in Nambucca’s crowd tonight. Though obviously not meeting singer Ben Wright’s expectations as the pig squeals are launched with more and more annoyance after his “c’ mon, wake up London!” Was met with silence, however the musicians themselves are solid. With a bassist that would put death metal legend Alex Webster through the paces, but it’s when the band all combine together that they become truly destructive, a fitting start to the nights proceedings.
Followed swiftly by another death metal act that had the pleasure of gracing the Neurotic Death Fest stages one last time. Flying the flag for New York we see the arrival of Internal Bleeding, creating the first real mosh pits of the evening. Conjuring circle pits galore amidst their set list made up of old classics to newer material that goes down an absolute treat, with these seasoned slam veterans leading the charge tonight before our headliners take to the stage it all seems to be going, with a mix that enables each instrument to be picked out when needed and enhancing the guitars solo’s of Chris Pervelis, who even at one moment decides to get up close and personal with the crowd and jumps off the stage to jam in the crowd. Though it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns, stating that “this is the second time were in London and again we get fucked on our time“, the angry frontman launches into the bands final song creating enough ruckus to rival even the most seasoned of death metal legends. After saying their thanks and departing the stage its onto tonight’s main event.
Saying that this performance is emotional for main man Jeremy Wagner would be one of the biggest undestatements of the year so far. When the band take to the stage, slightly later than planned, we’re treated to a frantic hour where we see the bands entire discography from Swamped in Gore to new thrasher Omen Of Disease. The band themselves are incredibly tight, delivering new “The Flesh Mechanic” with pin point accuracy, along with classic old material of “He Was Raped” followed by the egotistical “I Am God” a devastating one two blow to the senses. With the classic blood soaked “Swamped In Gore” attaining an uproarious reception as Damian Leski’s bellows of “gore,gore,gore,gore…” are hurtled into the crowd, it’s clear that though the scintillating leads of Matt Slachta may satisfy those seeking for melody on newer material exemplified in “The Docking Dead” the die hard fans are treated to some of the best cuts off Broken Hope’s lauded back catalogue. Though the band might be dishing out death metal classic after death metal classic the ambience that is felt within Nambucca tonight for the bands performance is one of true brotherhood. Having spoken to Wagner prior to the bands set, it illuminates the fact that for so many this is their first EVER time seeing Broken Hope and the element of togetherness, often not exhibited in the caveman sense of death metal. The classic alpha male bullshit of the pit ring master, yet tonight everyone is all here for the same reason.
The only shame is that the band aren’t performing somewhere of a grander scale. Having played NDF just days previous, seeing multitudes of fans lapping up their gore soaked tunes to a fairly empty Nambucca truly is a tragedy in itself. Tailing off the end of the set with a performance of “Felching Vampires” that truly rocks the foundations of the newly refurbished venue. It may have taken the band more than a quarter of a century to reach these British lands, yet nothing is spared with their absolutely spellbinding performance tonight. It’s undeniable that the band are one of the tightest around, tonight in particular, though if you look at the staunch battering ram that is lead singer you can see the charismatic appeal from the guitarist and though it may have taken 27 years too long tonight’s performance is both faultless and truly emotional, a sight to behold that would warm even the most maggot infested, pustulous of hearts.
