Kicking off this intense gig filled with metal and madness we had Fetus Destruction, a grindcore band based in Norwich and Birmingham. They describe themselves as ‘Brutal, Organic, Biologic’ and I couldn’t agree more – their sound features intensity all around, with all the instruments working together to make noise in the best way possible.
This band is helping to keep the grind scene alive and I could tell they really enjoy what they do, which makes or breaks it for a band. “Bydłoszcz” is their demo EP from 2018 and I must say they brought all that energy to the stage, creating this intense battleground for getting the crowd warmed up and ready. Fetus Destruction are a band to keep on your radar if you like loud, fast and intense grind-core.
Next up was Xenomyiasis, a crustpunk grind-core band local in the Norwich metal scene. What stood out to me the most about them is their stage presence – they interacted with the crowd and had a laugh with each other, which made the music they create that much more enjoyable.
Their songs are short but loud and fast, perfect motivation music for when you need to get the job done – or just want to mosh your head off! They had a guest vocalist for this gig called Oscar, and it is worth noting this was his first live vocal performance… and I must say he killed it. He had so much energy, and really enjoyed being on stage and playing with the rest of the band. Their demo album Earthrot features a cluster of insane songs, such as “Your Face Is Fucking Annoying” and “Them’s The Brakes”. If you like short, fast and heavy, check out Xenomyiasis.
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Finally we had the headliners Downfall of Mankind and my god I wasn’t expecting what I saw. First of all their stage presence was insane, headbanging at every chance they could and getting the crowd to move like crazy. They had such a deranged sound but in the best way, with a raw edge to it; they harmonised the sounds of each instrument together so well that you could hear every single instrument played and they combined together to build an immersive environment.
I met with them after the set and they are the loveliest group of lads I have met, and they really enjoyed playing a smaller venue having come from a grind-core background which I found really humbling. They also gave a massive shoutout/thank you to the local bands that performed before, telling everyone in the venue to continue to local bands and venues, which is incredibly important and it was amazing to see them using their platform to promote this. All in all this gig was incredible and I will 100% be catching these bands when they are next touring.
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Photos by Chloe Sibley
