The capital date, where both bands and fans have a huge anticipation that can turn even the most mundane of Tuesday nights into the stuff of legend. Tending to miss out on some of the excellent tours that have been making their way through the US, the UK sometimes loses out but not this time. Coming together for an absolutely devastating double header both Nile and Suffocation have banded together to deliver some of the most devastating tours in recent memory. Nevertheless before the two Death Metal demi gods are set to appear we were able to check out Blood Truth.
[date]8th September 2015[/date]
[venue]The Dome[/venue]
[city]Tufnell Park, London[/city]
[support_bands]Bloodtruth, Suffocation, Nile[/support_bands]
Sadly missing the first band owing to some very exciting interviews with both Nile and Suffocation which will be coming your way soon, we move straight into Bloodtruth, coming from Italy’s Perugia the band are second on tonight’s bill. Initially having trouble coaxing the slowly growing audience out of the sluggish Tuesday vibe the band put on a great show. Though it does take some convincing, particularly with opinions of fans of Death Metal being rigid to say the least, the band roll out some great tracks that with perseverance slowly wore away the crowd until their final section where almost everyone was cheering the band on.
Nevertheless the punters were definitely here to see Suffocation, with the touches being made to their forthcoming album the band have been quietly working on their follow up to 2013’s Pinnacle Of Bedlam. Known for their tongue in cheek humour the band open with Hip Hop “Kilos In My Bag” until the band assume their positions to kick off with an absolutely crushing “Thrones Of Blood” setting the tone for the rest of the band’s truly devastating performance. Combining material primarily from the classics of Effigy Of The Forgotten and Pierced From Within, the band briefly dip into new territory with the sole track “As Grace Descends” which, as predicted receives an uproarious welcome with the final guitar riff hitting home harder than on record.
Drummer Kevin Talley, for those not in the know has previously been in outfits of Misery Index, Dying Fetus and Six Feet Under no less. Now currently Suffocation’s drummer the man powers through old school grooves of “Mass Obliteration” not letting up for a second the band confidently steamroll through the their catalogue but it’s when the announcement of Human Waste special “Catatonia” that the diehards lose their heads, Ricky Myers does a fantastic job of delivering those gut punch vocals that conjure up an absolutely devastating pit for “Funeral Inception” its the grand finale of Effigy of The Forgotten classic “Infecting The Crypts” that gets a blood drenched seal of approval from everyone in now very packed out Dome. Suffocation themselves bring the real sense of the old school, smiling all the while the band perform old school brutal Death Metal at it’s finest and have done for twenty odd years and tonight is no different to this unstoppable Death Metal machine.
Though their performance tonight matches even the most seasoned of the Death Metal elite Nile fans are among us. With the band having just released arguably one of their best album’s yet What Should Not Be Unearthed the band have been getting a little bit of bad press which, personally I think is unfair. Stating that the band recreate the same album over and over is not true. Replacing the usual house music a brooding atmospheric sound clip plays heightening the tension before the band’s intro track “Ushabti Reanimator” rolls and our pharoahs walk out triumphantly launching straight into the lethargic introduction of “Sacrifice Unto Sebek” as the band gear up and the crowd holds on tight the no holds barred ride begins. As with Suffocation bodies are flying in all different directions with the follow up of Black Seeds classic “Defiling The Gates of Ishtar“.
After their recent offering has garnered a less favourable accolade from critics when the band ask if the audience tonight want hear new material their “Call To Destruction” is answered, followed up by the absolutely devastating “In The Name Of Amun” which would have any non believers swiftly change their minds. A varying set list that comprised of material as far back as “Howling of The Jinn” as well as In Their Darkened Shrines favourite “The Blessed Dead” Nile ensure that their cherry picked set list caters for every kind of fan that the band might have.
Though the real sight tonight are the smiles on stage, with guitarist Karl Sanders smiling from ear to ear when not bellowing out lyrics from “Ithyphallic” you can tell that the entire band are truly happy. With what seems like an almost emotional rendition of “Sarcophagus” where the crowd drown out the guitars at one point. At long last Nile are getting the recognition that they so sorely deserve, As Dallas states tonight is a show for the fans and as we enter the final section of “Black Seeds of Vengeance” don’t you know it! However the real highlight is an outstanding rendition of new cut “Evil To Cast Out Evil“. One of the most sophisticated songs the band have ever penned. If tonight is anything to go by coupled with the devastating new material Nile are sounding self assured, better and most importantly happier than we could have ever seen them.
