It is not every year we get a kick off like this. January is not the typical high season period for tours nor festivals, but once a blue moon, we do have the odd show to entertain us and make us forget about the cold, even if it is only for a few hours. In this case, the odd show was Carcass’ Europa Rigor Mortis tour, which also featured Brujeria and Rotten Sound. A killer lineup and the promise of deadly, skull-crushing tunes; what could possibly go wrong? Well, turns out that things went a bit awry right off the bat. As Finland’s own grindcore quartet Rotten Sound started the hostilities, the overall sound was muddy at best, with the mic of professional growler Keijo Niinimaa being way lower than it should. The problems continued, as when the band were playing the body-destroying “Targets”, the sound from the guitars and drums went completely off. Despite the small interruption to fix the issues, the Fins maintained their composure and as soon as everything came back to normal, they started blasting at double the speed, in order to finish their set as intended. And, quite honestly, that was much appreciated, as it is the only way to truly enjoy a grindcore show – no bullshit, just a non-stop barrage of face-melting riffs. The setlist itself was focused on Rotten Sound’s latest record, Apocalypse, from which the band played bangers such as “Pacify”, “Equality”, “Ownership” and “Nothingness”. Classics such as “Power”, “Void”, “Insects”, “Slay”, “Salvation” and “Blind” also made an appearance, the later ending a somewhat bittersweet show.
The Mexican American grindcore outfit Brujeria were up next. Down two members, as Juan Brujo and Pinche Peach had unfortunately passed away last year, the band came as a quartet, with El Sangrón taking care of the majority of the vocal duties, paying homage to their fallen brothers-in-arms. After a brutal opening with “Brujerizmo”, the real ravaging started immediately afterwards with “El Desmadre”, as bodies started rotating and flying at inhumane speeds; moshing had been ignited like an erupting volcano. From asking for marijuana, which was promptly provided by the audience, to asking if the audience were ready for the “Revolución”, Brujeria were relentless during the entirety of their performance, beating the audience to a pulp like a damn monster truck, while playing classics such as “Hechando Chingasos”, “Vayan Sin Miedo”, “Ángel De La Frontera”, “La Ley De Plomo” and “Raza Odiada”. The killer hit “Matando Güeros” ended a spectacular performance by the Mexican American grinders, who then offered an afterparty of sorts with the hilariously amazing “Marijuana”, a song that prompted small dances all over the venue. A great concert and the perfect homage to two absolute legends of the scene – we miss you Juan Brujo and Pinche Peach.
The stars of the night did not take long to invade the stage after Brujeria ended their show. Founded all the way back in 1986, the British death n’ rollers Carcass have become a household name in the grindcore and death metal scenes thanks to records such as Reek of Putrefaction, Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious and Heartwork. After a ten-year hiatus afollowing the release of Swansong, Carcass returned in full force, performing everywhere they could and taking the world by storm once again. During this period, rumours of a new record swirled constantly over the internet, until the band themselves decided to flex their creative muscles once again and releasing 2013’s Surgical Steel and later, 2021s Torn Arteries, their most recent opus to date and the one they were presenting during this rigor mortis-inducing trek. But this is a Carcass show, and with their 40th Anniversary fast-approaching, it is all about the blood-curdling classics. And that is exactly how vocalist and bassist Jeff Walker, guitarists Bill Steer and Nippy Blackford, and drummer Daniel Wilding started their performance – with the thunderous “Buried Dreams”, a song that immediately pushed the audience back to their frenzied state.
The newer “Kelly’s Meat Emporium” was up next, and the meat-slicing classics “Incarnated Solvent Abuse” and “No Love Lost” followed suit in an almost non-stop fashion. “Dance of Ixtab”, which came not long after, would be the last sniff at newer songs, as Carcass, like we mentioned previously, decided to rain upon us the songs that made them the institution they are today. Stuff like the medley of “Black Star” and “Keep On Rotting In The Free World”, the trio of “Genital Grinder”, “Pyosisified” and “Exhume to Consume” taking us back to the band’s grindier days, and even “316L Grade Surgical Steel” from their previous record, all made an appearance. A relatively small break took place after “This Mortal Coil”, but it wouldn’t be long before the quartet came back on stage to play the massive “Corporal Jigsore Quandary”, followed the equally gigantic “Ruptured In Purulence”. Right before the end, Nippy Blackford played a drum solo with a few words of encouragement from Jeff Walker, as well as some crazy requests – such as playing a reggae beat in an odd time signature. The band then joined in for a small jam, which led straight into the absolutely destructive “Heartwork”. A last gasp was given from the audience, as they expulsed the final remains of energy they had left in the tank. All in all, this was another tremendous performance by the grindcore and death metal legends. And suffice to say, in the end, we were left in a true state of rigor mortis, dead from all the flesh-ripping sonic torment we had just witnessed.
Words by Filipe Silva
Photos by Alexandra Ramos
