Review And Photos By Thomas Delgado/@forthehordeprod/@batforcetom
Sunday November 26th at Los Angeles's 1720 Warehouse treated Death Metal fans to an absolute first class show. INCANTATION, SUFFOCATION, SKELETAL REMAINS, and STABBING all on the same bill made for a no-brainer of a night for anyone looking to get into some heaviness. 1720 is not necessarily on my top favorites list of venues, mostly due to the sketchiness of the neighborhood. It takes a damn good bill for me to choose to make the drive and take the risk of getting my car broken into. But this show was absolutely worth exactly that. (Luckily my car survived unscathed)
I had missed STABBING (Houston, TX) the last few times they had come through LA so I made sure to get down to the venue with plenty of time to catch their set. I've had the pleasure of following them since their first demo in 2021 and they are the exact style of Brutal Death Metal that scratches my itch. From start to finish, their set was everything I'd hoped for. Blast beats, bass finger tapping, break neck riffs, all highlighted by vocalist Bridget Lynch's animated delivery. Eyes rolling back, headbanging and hair whipping, and maniacally laughing in between her low gutterals. Additionally, I knew I was in for a treat the moment I saw drummer Nat Conner's DISAVOWED "Perceptive Deception" cover arm tattoo. This band checks every single box for me. Along with tracks from their 2022 full length Extirpated Mortal Process, they played 2 new songs from their 2023 demo back to back. Highly recommending for the Brutal Death Metal fans.
Next up were LA natives SKELETAL REMAINS. For over 10 years now, these boys have been honing and crafting their own special blend of Death Metal. I've heard "Morbid Angel Worship" thrown around to describe their sound, and to be honest I don't hate the description! However, plenty of other influences can be heard peppered into their sound, OBITUARY and DEATH most prominently to these ears. But their live sound especially displays there is a freshness and modernity that elevates it all. They got the crowd and circle pits moving with their pummeling and unrelenting riff heavy assault. Their last full length The Entombment of Chaos was in my opinion the best of their career and they played plenty cuts off of it for the evening. Precise, loud, and heavy, the set left me very very intrigued for the new tunes they have planned for 2024.
It was time to settle in for the much anticipated SUFFOCATION set that I had been looking forward to ever since this tour was announced. Initially from Long Island, New York, SUFFOCATION has become a true supergroup of Brutal Death Metal over the last decade or so. Their fresh take on the more technical and brutal side of Death Metal gave birth to bands like DISGORGE, DEEDS OF FLESH, DECREPIT BIRTH, who all had former members now join the very band that inspired them. Anyone who has seen SUFFOCATION live for nearly the past two decades has had the pleasure of seeing one of the greatest bassists in all of Death Metal shine. Derek Boyer is an absolute BEAST. Setting his bass upright to headbang along with the breakdowns and slams during the set is one of the coolest and heaviest things you will ever see and hear.
This tour was special since it was the first one promoting the new album Hymns From The Apocrypha with vocalist Ricky Myers finally taking the reins from legendary Frank Mullen. I had seen SUFFOCATION several times over the last few years with Ricky on vocals. But this night definitely felt special. Ricky sounded flawless and completely in his element fronting the monstrosity that is SUFFOCATION. It was fantastic to see the crowd response and engagement the entire set as Ricky commanded the mic. Drummer Eric Morotti made the blast beats, fills, and symbals perfectly keep time and accent the insanely precise performance. Guitarist Charlie Errigo looked like he was suited up and clocked in to give everyone they show they paid for and more. And there cannot be enough praise thrown at the man himself, Terrance Hobbs. Truly a legend and Godfather of the genre in his own right at this point. Terrance and Co. slammed through song after song hardly ever pausing to let the crowd breathe. Top 5 live performances of the year for me easily.
If that wasn't enough, the rowdy crowd at LA's 1720 Warehouse now got to gorge themselves with a set from the mighty INCANTATION. Vocalist/guitarist and founder John McEntee has been ensuring that the band produce a seemingly endless supply of cavernous, evil, and blasphemous Death Metal, non stop since 1990. Touring in support of this year's 13th full length Unholy Deification, McEntree along with drummer Charles Koryn, guitarist Luke Shively, and bassist Brian Rush tore through an earth shaking set that the crowd absolutely ate up. The words that kept coming to me all night long were "evil, sinister, and crushing". McEntree has perfected a sound that so many younger bands are looking to and emulating now with that monicker of "Old School Death Metal". INCANTATION showed song after song, "THIS IS WHERE YOU GET THE GOODS, RIGHT HERE".
It was great to see such a legendary act still churning out heaviness and playing new songs within their set of classics. The band seemed fresh and energetic, even with being nearly 3 weeks into the tour. McEntree made a point to thank the crowd and comment on the energy they were no doubt feeding off of. Maybe it was the perfect blend of stinky caveman sweat in the air, 12 dollar beer on your lips, and rowdy metal heads that made for such an amazing show. I have to say, it was the perfect way to cap off a year of amazing shows in the LA area.
Check out some more photos from the show!
All Photos By Thomas Delgado/@forthehordeprod/@batforcetom
