REVIEW: DECAPITATED AT BRISTOL FLEECE (02/03/12)
In the last few years, all has been relatively quiet on the Welsh death metal front known as Desecration – and with such bog standard performances as tonight, it’s easy to see why. Playing brutal death metal in a room rammed full of riff-hungry metal heads should have been like shooting fish in a barrel for these well-experienced shredders, but they unfortunately lean so heavily upon the tired 90’s styles of Deicide and Cannibal Corpse, that they offer too little in terms of innovation to receive an enthused reaction from the crowd.
This leaves the task of getting some heads banging in the Belgian hands of Aborted; who prove themselves to be far more capable of conjuring up a slam-riff storm. Opening with the title track of their latest release ‘Global Flatline’, their tight and energetic performance draws out the tension and release from their own perfected brand of grind-to-groove-core. They relentlessly chug through a career spanning set list including face-melters ‘Coronary Reconstruction’ and ’The Origin of Disease’; but ultimately, it’s the irresistible mid-paced breakdowns of set closer ‘The Saw and The Carnage Done’ that onsets piles of bodies stage diving in excitement.
The thick sense of anticipation in the Fleece is soon quashed by the arrival of Decapitated upon the stage; with what can only be described as the murkiest sound ever. This ensures that their display of technical masterpieces such as ‘Day 69’ lose their mechanical brilliance; as each instrument sounds like it is wading through mud. It seems to be the fan adoration that the band has acquired along their 16 year musical-evolution which carries tonight’s gig just beyond the borders of tedium. The crowd noticeably thins before the band unleash their predictable finishing move of ‘Spheres of Madness’ and it appears Decapitated’s set was mostly a soulless disappointment for both band and audience alike.
Words and photo: Serena Cherry
