At The Belasco December 20th

All Photos By Thomas Delgado/@forthehordeprod, Band Photo By Nick Van Vidler

For what would be my final show I’d be attending in 2025, coming to a close at the Belasco whose beautiful architecture always added to the ambiance, making for some memorable nights and shows there. On this night it would host the Los Angeles stop for CATTLE DECAPITATION’s ‘No Fear For Tomorrow’ tour for which they’d be performing their outstanding album, 2019’s “Death Atlas”, a record that coincidentally fit the time and stands as one of their best.

Opening up the night were a pair of bands that are putting Texas on the map in creating Texas Death Metal that encompasses that traditional old school sound with a modern touch. First up was TRIBAL GAZE who adds a bit of a hardcore feel to their sound. With 2 albums out, their latest through Nuclear Blast, they feel was reminiscent of another Texas band, POWER TRIP. With an already packed house, already getting the pit moving early in the night by a crowd that came early to support this small but intense bill. TRIBAL GAZE is obviously a band people came early to see so it’s good to see Los Angeles supporting new bands when they come through.

Next was FROZEN SOUL, the other heavy weights also from TX who I had a chance to experience as openers for the CANNIBAL CORPSE / AMON AMARTH tour that unfortunately hit huge stadiums back in 2024. So seeing these guys in a proper smaller venue gives the whole experience a more personable feel. The band with the throwback sound to BOLT THROWER, heavy on the groove and feeding off the energy it was also giving back to the crowd that was hooked the whole time. With both Texas bands embracing the core attitude without compromise and no cheesy breakdowns or vocals, nor chumps karate dancing in the pit nope, just traditional old school circle pit action.

Direct support was provided by ABORTED from Belgium who warmed us up with some HUEY LEWIS playing over the house speakers, putting us in that AMERICAN PSYCHO mindset. The high energy and Bass-less foursome is touring off their latest release from 2024, “Vault Of Horrors”, of which they played 6 off and couple from “Global “Global Flatline” and “Retrogore” as well as a medley of ‘Threading on Vermillion Deception / The Saw and the Carnage Done’, cuts from “The Archaic Abattoir” “Goremageddon”. Vocalist, the charismatic Sven De Culame really bonding with the crowd, asking for them to do exercise squats during a song, before joined by TRIBAL GAZE singer McKenna Holland for a song. Kudos to Siebe Hermans of COFFIN FEEDER who at 24 years old is a first timer in the states, sitting in on drums for ABORTED. With all the crowd participation happening with the opening bands, it kept up the energy the whole night in preparation for what was to come.

With VAN HALEN’s ‘Panama’ playing over the loudspeakers, CATTLE DECAPITATION took the stage shooting right into the opening track off “Death Atlas”, ‘The Geocide’. Things go so intense so fast then you realize the show is just starting. CATTLE DECAP’ is one of those bands that if your ears were to blink, you’d miss something great, but no fret because there is some much being thrown at you at once and somehow their controlled chaos leaves an outstanding impression. Hands down, Travis Ryan has to be one of the best vocalists in Metal (Lorna who??). The guy has such range and compliments the already spectacular songwriting. The crowd went off for “Bring Back The Plague”, naturally the melodic song with a hint of “singing”. Drummer David McGraw had an awesome drum set, huge and the way a Metal set up should look. A high, HIGH praise for the sound guys, thankfully micing up the cymbals. I see it way too often where the cymbals don’t get mic’d up and get completely drowned out during a live performance. So as a drummer who appreciates this, I thank you because it all sounded amazing, especially if you stood back by the bar. The acoustics sound better there with the roof of the balcony bouncing the sound off right back to you. An assault on the senses if you don’t know their music, haphazardly yet enough groove thrown in to grab you only to throw you into something more. With “Death Atlas” being such an amazing album, how do you follow it up and somehow they did with “Terrasite” of which they thankfully gave us a few songs as part of their encore.

A lot of young kids were in the crowd, thanks to the parents who are helping spread awareness, passing on the knowledge of the positivity that Metal and ONLY Metal (and of course some Rock) can provide. This sense of community is why we’re here. While other types of music made for sheep claim to have a grasp at “conscious” art, none of that comes close to the message the Metal brings and with bands like CATTLE DECAPITATION who raise hell and awareness at the same time, the speeding downward spiral of the human race is heading into, this music at least provides a soundtrack to our demise.

So helping wrap up 2025, a year that was filled with more bad than good, it is an excellent way to close out a year overloaded with amazing concerts, many that we here at KNAC.COM have covered for you, to experience vicariously. Only to further acknowledge that Rock and Metal are an even bigger force than any other genre, and with the return to actual FM radio, KNAC will take back it’s crown , ESPECIALLY IN LOS ANGLES, as the groundbreaking forum for New Pure Rock and Metal as well as the long-lived classics we love. Happy New Year!

TRIBAL GAZE

FROZEN SOUL

ABORTED

CATTLE DECAPITATION