NAPALM DEATH HAVE STILL GOT IT…

NAPALM DEATH / PIG DESTROYER / PRIMITIVE MAN / WORMROT

Gig Date: Fri 8th March 2024
Venue: Electric Brixton

They say fortune favours the brave. Sometimes it favours the foolish. I was debating whether to attend this show and then it sold out. I cursed myself for hesitating on such a stellar line up. And then my brother called me up and told me that he could get me on guestlist. I may be a fool but I’m not that much of a fool. I took the ticket with unreserved delight.

“But, as I said, I am a fool.”

I got to the Electric just as Wormrot started. Their Hiss album was my favourite of 2022. Grindcore with a nice mix of punk, hardcore and thrash influences, it certainly wasn’t your typical grind record. Their setlist reflected that they were pretty pleased with the album too and dominated the set. ‘The Darkest Burden’ opened up proceedings and it was a gloriously intense ride from there, the only moment of calm coming from the extended intro of ‘Sea of Disease’. There has been a line up change since the album but the new vocalist handled his duties excellently. Between ‘Broken Maze’, ‘Hatred Transcending’ and the anthem that is ‘When Talking Fails, It’s Time for Violence’, it was awesome to hear how raucous the band could be.

Primitive Man followed and was a bleakly intense show. The gruesome sludgy doom, with crust and hardcore elements, pounded the crowd over and over again. To my ears it was a little too relentless. However, the energy from the crowd was palpable and they clearly pleased their fans.

Pig Destroyer were next and, to my shame, I’ve never really given them a committed listen. My mistake, evidently, because they absolutely destroyed. While there was plenty of the grindcore that they are famous for, Pig Destroyer also showed a real punked-up metal energy, with far more groove than I expected. With classics from ‘Prowler in the Yard’ colliding with tracks from ‘Head Cage’, Pig Destroyer dropped an intensely violent show, that was also full of fun and good vibes. A stellar set.

Which left Napalm Death. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen Napalm now and I think it made me a little casual about seeing them again. But, as I said, I am a fool. Napalm Death are one of my favourite bands and I was completely lost in their ferocity as soon as they started. Their set joyously celebrated their back catalogue with almost all eras represented. ‘Taste the Poison’ and ‘Next on the List’ were a delightful one-two, celebrating ‘Enemies of the Music Business’ (my entry point with the band). The highlights continued, including ‘When All is Said and Done’ and ‘Continuing War on Stupidity’, as well as the classics ‘Scum’, ‘Suffer the Children’ and their glorious rendition of ‘Nazi Punks Fuck Off’. With Barney’s charming between song banter and truly erratic dancing, the show was an absolute celebration. The band left with no encore and the Coronation Street theme ringing through the venue. Only a fool would be dissatisfied with this masterclass of extreme metal. A brutally excellent night.

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