Cannibal Corpse - ABC, Glasgow (31/10/2009)
Wayne Madden | Saturday, 31 October 2009
Watching Trigger The Bloodshed live is like watching Slayer circa 1983 - they've got all the raw energy you need to make it, but there's a question mark over the degree of luck they'll need to survive in this cut-throat genre. Their music certainly impresses, even if their appearance is a little polite and clean cut; there is no mistaking where their hearts are. If they make it - and there's no doubt they'll try - they could be headlining venues like this in a few years.
Annotations of an Autopsy represent the best of UK Death metal. In almost tribute to the headliners themselves their sound ensures old school fans have a lot to look forward to in the new school. Whether it's overconfidence, or just plain self belief, AOAA perform like they're used to bigger stages. The confines of the ABC couldn't hold them still, and they're eager for more.
Dying Fetus didn't disappoint either. Their main support may look a little pale in comparison to the flood of rising contenders, but it's obvious there's a lot of respect from the hardcore CC fans – not just any act could perform second to Corpse, and not just any act could perform so valiantly, bringing to mind not just golden age trash metal but also the more hardcore acts of the past 10 years.
When Corpse took to the stage, however, the level jumped up. Expecting most of the front row spectators to be taking a step back, it's the headliners they were at the ABC to see, and no matter how many times Corpse have played Glasgow in the past five years they're always welcomed back. Sonically, they need little introduction - everyone knows who they are and what they do just as much as Napalm Death knows Mick Harris from Barney Greenway. Their instruments, massively down-tuned, made for an astounding presence next to four pretty large guys that could have taken on anyone in the room.
It was utterly brutal, and the crowd loved it; their ballistic nature confirmed it at every partial change. Drawbacks being rare, it was hard to tell their material apart, especially after almost three hours of tonsil damaging bass. New material got an airing, somewhere, but gaps between songs totalled to little more then members conferring on the set list – there was no crowd participation, no plugging of the latest album, and yet everyone seemed quite pleased regardless.
As the night took its final, eventful turn into darkness, it was the pit that sacrificed the most, with blood, sweat and a few beers getting lost in the madness. This was definitely not for the newcomer.
Rating: 4/5