Decapitated brought out an all-frontal assault on Glasgow with their Infernal Bloodshed Over Europe Tour. With special support from Cryptopsy, Warbringer, and Carnation, you knew this was going to be a heavy night when top legends such as these create a combined effort to show that Death Metal is still alive and kicking.
Decapitated – Cryptopsy – Warbringer – Carnation
Slay Glasgow – 7 May 2025
Words And Photography: Razorrhead Productions
People often create debates about whether the Europeans or the Americans create better Death Metal, and this debate will probably last forever. However tonight, both cultures combined in perfect harmony for a an extremely brutal but fun night of manic Metal.
A big horns up to these bands that have helped preserve Death Metal to its core.
Decapitated
The main act tonight was none other than Decapitated. This Polish band were formed in 1996 and quickly pinned themselves onto the Heavy Metal map with their stylish and brutal tracks.
While their appearance and overall sound are a bit simpler compared to the previous acts tonight, they are certainly not less intense. This approach allows for a straight-up and bone-crushing sonic assault.
After a brief intro, we are immediately introduced to tracks such as A Poem About An Old Prison Man, Just A Cigarette, and Earth Scar.
This is a heavy assault to the ears as each drum beat and riff feels like a hard hit to the head with a sledgehammer. The crowd surfers constantly create a sea of bodies in the venue while the rest simply headbang to each monstrous track.
They end up playing Spheres Of Madness, a personal favourite of mine. Their current lineup does justice to the former band members, as it is one of the tracks that helped Decapitated get to where they are now with its popularity.
Chaos, mayhem, and ruthless savagery describe tonight perfectly, but of course in a good way. It was just a blast to be here with some top-quality Metal.
Other tracks like Cancer Culture split the venue into some fine mosh pits as if it were the pits of hell itself. The vocals roared over the venue that create a power combined sound with the drums and guitars.
The last tracks tonight were Suicidal Space Programme and Iconoclast.
Infernal Bloodshed Over Europe Tour heads across the English Channel, so make sure to check them out in your local area when you still can.
Cryptopsy
The last support act of the night was none other than Cryptopsy. A band that has never needed much of an introduction, their abstract playing style, funky bass lines and monstrous vocals landed them straight onto the Death Metal map at an early age.
Originating from Canada, it was their turn to show us Scots how erratic this genre can be.
For this tour, some adjustment was necessary as current bassist Oliver Pinard was not present as he is currently focusing on his personal life. His replacement, Remi, did a fantastic job of naturally fitting in with their sound and obscure bass lines. We all wish Pinard well.
A healthy selection of old and new songs were played tonight including a few favourites of mine such as Grave Of Our Fathers. Matt McGachy’s vocals sound so natural and are an almost exact match of the older songs with former vocalist Lord Worm.
Each work brings an expression to Matt’s face as if he was about to throw up in disgust, but he brings out an ever-roaring sound that pummels you down to the core.
Cryptopsy have always been one of the more interesting bands in this genre, with odd time signatures and erratic riffs that combine simplicity and complexity in a unique fashion. A healthy combination of high-speed shredding and catchy tones were replicated perfectly on stage.
Their combined sound does their records justice as their notes are almost pitch-perfect when put into a live situation. Although, there some slight technical difficulties with Matt’s mic which tends to be a common occurrence at this venue for most bands, not much else was set back which allowed this to be a fun set before the main act.
It was hard not to headbang throughout the whole Cryptopsy set.
Warbringer
Next was Warbringer, the American Thrash Metal band that had formed in 2004. Warbringer are a slightly more mature band who have shown that Thrash Metal can be just as devastating as classic Brutal Death Metal when it comes to live music. Tonight was a classic example of how this is done.
There was no nonsense coming from Warbringer as they kicked straight into action with some immense and savage sonic sounds. Their combined sound is force to be reckoned with as being right in front of them felt like it was having my face put into a meat grinder.
Vocalist John Kevill is no stranger to the audience as he is consistently lunging towards them, screaming into everyone’s face and demanding their respect. The respect is truly earned in this case.
It was a pleasant change to hear bass guitar so clearly for once at a show like this. Usually, the bass is buried deep into the drums and guitars, making it quite inaudible in many scenarios. However Chase’s bass tone and playing style was unique that it really stood out and could be heard clearly.
Being a bassist myself, this was certainly a pleasant surprise. It is also not often you hear the slap and pop bass playing style in Extreme Metal so this was also extremely welcome for a unique sound.
Warbringer bring more of a slight ‘fun’ or not so serious, with an overall tone that is often associated with Thrash Metal. However, the danger was still evident as pits and crowd surfers were plentiful.
With 20 years of experience forced into a short 30-minute set, Warbringer left us battered but still pumped for the rest of the night.
Carnation
The first act tonight was Carnation. A band from Belgium, they brought a brief yet powerful taste of what is to be expected in tonight’s show.
Often, the first act of the night is a band that not many people will have heard of, so there is a lot of effort needed to grab the audience’s attention and make them long-time fans.
For Carnation, though, this was an easy task. They glided straight into the hostile side of music.
Heavy and fast-paced riffs? Check. Raw pummelling drums? Check. Immense dark vocals? Check. This itself was enough to make me a fan.
Lead vocalist Simon has the devil on his side as he roared into the venue, even giving the appearance similar to Satan himself. The band creates a solid foundation of what Death Metal should sound like in a live environment.
The style of Carnation is somewhat unique, adding slight elements of genres but keeping to the core of Death Metal. A fun and solid mix that is worth checking out.
