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DYING FETUS, CRADLE OF FILTH, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, VOMIT FORTH, NE OBLIVISCARIS, UNDEATH And CORPSE PILE In Los Angeles, CA With Photos! By Francisco Zamudio, Metal X Candy 2.0 Monday, April 28, 2025 @ 11:57 AM
Hear me now... This year's installment of the CHAOS & CARNAGE tour was stacked with a fulfilling variety of romantic violence. With styles ranging from Slam, Symphonic, Goth and Brutal - for someone who likes a wide array of Extreme Metal like me, this one had a little bit of everything that was sure to please the avid Metalhead. Leading off the night with real heavy start we a couple of Slam acts that would polarize the evening as you had bands that couldn't care less about their stage attire and simply come to throw down, versus those who, although I wouldn't say are dependent on their stage aesthetic, but arguably would be just as captivating without it.
Now a group I was looking forward to catching for the first time was UNDEATH from New York. If you know me, you know I love me some New York Death Metal. While not too much akin to their old school predecessors, these guys still laid down some brutality. Only 3 albums deep, their latest through Prosthetic Records, I could see a good future for these guys.
Although these first few bands simply came to pummel with no gimmicks, no focus on make-up and costumes, only straight up slamming beats and chugging riffs, they know to let the music speak for itself while the scared snob "gawths" sit in the back with confused looks in their eyes that are filled with eyeliner gunk. Lucky for them, now came the portion of the night more geared towards the aforementioned. First and from Australia was NE OBLIVISCARIS, Symphonic Metal with an actual violin player. Vocals that countered and balanced each other out with singing and brutal vocals, their OPETH'sh sound was real emotional as it was building up more and more as their set went on.
Another act I was looking forward to seeing again was FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE who I feel I had not seen in forever. I only recall seeing the Italian Orchestral-Symphonic Metal group about a decade ago at the Hollywood House Of Blues (RIP). Often described as "Opera Metal", these Victorian-like zombies are owning the stage decorated with lit candles a grand piano that is only matched by the beautiful voice of female opera singer Veronica Bordacchini. You felt tragedy and love and anger all through their set, a brilliant rollercoaster of emotion, with a huge drop, ending their set unfortunately with a cover of "Blue Da Ba Dee".
Now what is there left to say about the scum and villainy known as CRADLE OF FILTH except that they never disappoint live. Although they scaled back their show a little in the last few years, the focus turned more to music and performance and less, though still obvious, their gimmick led by Dani Filth and his gothic armor. Starting their set with the opening track from their outstanding new album (my review on KNAC.COM HERE) To Live Deliciously, the crowd lit up as soon as those first couple of beats hit. Having only played 8 songs, they covered their latest release, 2000's Midian, 1998's Cruelty And The Beast, 2017's Cryptoriana, their debut in that of The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh from 1994 and the single "She Is A Fire", a song recorded after Existence Is Futile (2021). What felt like a short set but only because we could have endured another hour, they hit us with crowd favorites "Her Ghost In The Fog" and "Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids", highly energetic, bringing the crowd to climax as both goths and metalheads cheered their heads off. One thing I've admired and respected about Dani is he doesn't make CRADLE about him like some other Goth frontmen. When you've been surrounded by talent, he allows himself to literally take a step back and shares the stage with his great band, and why wouldn't you when you have the likes of Donny Burbage and Zoe Marie Federoff who have helped excel the band to new depths since about 2022.
With an 11 song setlist, covering nearly all of their discography, laying the classics as well as cuts from their latest Make Them Beg For Death, songs like "Wrong One To F*ck With" just spells anthem, speaks to us, speaks for us. For those throwing down in the pit, there was "In The Trenches" and one of my favorites with "One Shot One Kill". It was a punishing set by Maryland's legends and an excellent close to this year's installment of the annual CHAOS & CARNAGE.
There's still a couple of weeks left of this tour so be sure and catch it if it comes near you!
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First up with the hefty task was CORPSE PILE from Texas. With only 3 EPs under their belt, in baggy pants and no real visual appeal, it didn't matter as their sound gave off a powerful blow to the early arrivals. Following up was Century Media artists VOMIT FORTH from Connecticut, their thick, chunky sound, heavy and aggressive, really drove it and the crowd was digging it, with a couple of pits going and even a small wall of death that had the crowd well energized for the evening's festivities.
The changing of the guard happened again as we shifted gears back to some violent fun in that of DYING FETUS. Here you have 3 guys that don't need to do anything but cave your head in with their groove-ladened, slamming riffs and pummeling drums. Not your typical Death Metal band, but DYING FETUS have set a standard for what you get when you blend Slam and Brutal and create hooks that stab you in the neck. Opening their set with "Praise The Lord", right away you know they didn't come to f*ck around. The C+C headliners from 2023 returned to cap off this great mini-festival and came with a fury. The dual vocals of John Gallagher and Sean Beas(t)ly, trading crazy guitar and bass (respectively) sweeps, and Trey Williams' seamless tasty touch from groove to blastbeats is the epitome of power-trio.
