Sounds of Carnage Tour 2019: Rings Of Saturn, Nekrogoblikon, Mental Cruelty, Left To The Wolves and Harbinger @ Camden Underworld

The Sounds of Carnage Tour that has burned down bridges across Europe has come to the UK to wage war on Camden Underworld tonight. What better place could there be for the summoning of Demons and Goblin antics that these five bands have to offer? Both Harbinger and Mental Cruelty have new albums releasing in the next week or so and with that in mind, the prospect of new material from both awaits…

In a change to the European leg of this run, Left To The Wolves [7/10] open up the show tonight to a partially filled Underworld. Their dual vocal attack of  Andy Yates and Daniel Brown is a joy with both vocalist singing each others lines when they don’t have the microphone. The Lexington, Kentucky natives include older song “Slave: Mother Earth” and it goes down a storm.

17th May will see “Compelled To Suffer” from Harbinger [9/10] appear everywhere. The independent debut full length dominates the bands set with the title track, “The Awakening” and “The Fear of Sorrow” each getting the chance to shine. This tour is huge for the London based 5 piece and they’re all smiles as four of them form a line infront of the kit and synchronise their collective headbanging over some brutal breakdowns. It’s not often that the band second on stage will leave to chants of their name alongside “one more song” but tonight is that night. They will be at UK Tech-Fest and Radar Festival this summer!

After a period of relative quiet, London Melodic Death Metallers Karybdis got back on the road at the beginning of the month. They were a surprise announcement for UK Tech-Fest this summer and frontman Rich O’Donnell is spotted in the crowd.

German Slamming Deathcore crew Mental Cruelty [7/10] are probably the heaviest band on tonights billing with a huge frontman in Lucca Schmerler who can reach up and touch the ceiling effortlessly. What they lack in technicality they make up in blunt force with the vocals smashing to pieces anything that the rest of the band don’t touch. Their new album “Inferis” drops 10th May and the title track opens a set alongside new song “Planet of Misery” and sees the band in fine form. “Blood Alter” steals the show later on in a short sharp set that would scare the pants off anyone who didn’t expect it.

Between sets we talk to Arcaeon bassist Eifion Sweet about their forthcoming debut full length album. It’s been put back a month from its original 9/9/19 scheduled date and he gives us an insight into the bands writing and recording process which is a joy to hear.

Ironically Californian Melodic Death Metal 7 piece Nekrogoblikon [9/10] are the least heavy of the bands tonight. They largely stick to “Welcome To Bonkers” material for a set that sees the band struggle to get everyone on stage for the whole set. John Goblin’s antics are a joy as he bounces around the stage while the band all participate in the vocals at various stages of the set. From the opening of “Dressed As Goblins” to “Skin Thief” the band tear up the rule book with a mad fusion of Melodic Death Metal riffs and eclectic keys but it’s the vocals that shine. Not just the sheer vocal range but the storytelling that makes this band an amazing watch.

They might have a backtracked bass and 3rd guitar but Austin Texas Progressive Deathcore (or Technical Death Metal) quartet Rings Of Saturn [8/10] are a band that make the vast majority of other bands look lazy. Their highly technical guitar duo of Lucas Mann and Yo Onityan must do some serious finger warm up and consume electrolytes to keep their fingers from cramping up. The sheer volume of sweep picking and leads over breakdowns that pile up like bodies in a mortuary mean that Ian Bearer’s vocals are distinctly secondary to everything else. Not that it’s a bad thing. It’s nice to see a band as heavy and as technical get the chance to shine as a headliner on a tour like this. A still to be confirmed studio album is lined up for release this year so a set rich in songs from 2017’s “Ultu Ulla” goes down like the finest of pints.