As I headed down the steps to the basement venue, The Underground, I optimistically hoped that the drop in temperature outside would reflect on the temperature inside. But it didn’t. We were here for Anal Vomit, Total Annihilation and Unburier and the humidity was off the scale.
Anal Vomit – Total Annihilation – Unburier (UK)
The Underground, Plymouth – 17 July 2025
Words: Jools Green
Photography: Keith Conlin
The fact that the humidity reduced my hair to a frizzy mess and turned the floor into a bit of a slip ‘n’ slide would not deter my, nor anyone else’s, enjoyment of the evening.
Humidity issues aside, I always enjoy the atmosphere of The Underground, this dark and compactly intimate venue. The sound quality is almost always decent, too, which is a far more important factor.
The event was a particularly special one, being the final leg of Peruvian Black/Death/Thrashers Anal Vomit’s Demoniac Flagellations 20th Year Anniversary Tour. Coinciding with the support act, Swiss Thrash/Death outfit Total Annihilation’s first UK show, it was great to see such a decent-sized midweek crowd turn up for such an occasion.
Anal Vomit
The highlight of this very special event was undoubtedly Metal legends Anal Vomit. Travelling all the way from Peru, they performed their infamous Demoniac Flagellations album in its entirety in celebration of its twentieth anniversary.
This was an experience that was definitely essential viewing/hearing, as the likelihood of them making it back to our part of the UK, logistically, will be highly unlikely. So, special thanks to Steph and Lazlo from both Ascendancy and Subterranean Productions for securing such a rare gem of an event.
Anal Vomit’s set was a blistering one from the offset. Unrelentingly firing track after track at the crowd, they whipped them up into a Thrash-driven frenzy, which even included crowd surfing, an intrepid feat for anyone in this low-ceilinged basement venue.
The band fully engaged with the crowd and spurred them on, clearly unfazed by the heat and atmosphere and gave a superb performance so that this final date of the tour would be as memorable as it was enjoyable.
After driving through the whole of Demoniac Flagellations, the original of which includes a Sepultura cover, Antichrist, the crowd’s undying enthusiasm was then rewarded with an encore, which also included another Sepultura cover, Troops Of Doom.
Overall, a superb evening and one we will be able to look back on as a piece of Heavy Metal history.
Total Annihilation
Total Annihilation certainly seemed to enjoy giving their first UK performance. Their set included Big, Fat, Lying, Bastards from their first album, 2010’s 84, Black Blood, Dead Souls and Reborn In Flesh from 2020’s On Chains Of Doom.
The crowd began to liven up with the band calling for everyone to “go fucking crazy”, undeniably a challenge in that heat and moisture, but Metalheads are not easily put off.
I also discovered that once you start to move on the moist floor, you just keep going, turning to see who was tapping me on the shoulder (thanks Keith) and briefly becoming my own one-woman circle pit.
There was now one other element permeating that moist atmosphere. A somewhat sulphurous one, whether someone had snuck in a stink bomb or had an unfortunate attack of IBS, I don’t know. But in a confined space, judging by expressions, it was clearly having an effect on people.
I hope it did not permeate as far as the band. I would hate them to have a bad impression of Plymouth fans, as they gave a crushingly good performance. It would be great to see them come back at some point.
Unburier (UK)
Technical Thrash/Death Metal outfit Unburier (UK) from Yeovil had the honour and challenge of opening the evening’s entertainment. I have caught these guys a few times, and they never fail to impress.
Getting the evening off to a thunderous start, they filled their set time to the brim with a non-stop delivery of tracks, including offerings from their latest EP, Nebulous and their previous EP, Twisted Existence.
This was an intense and slickly delivered performance. Unburier also remained unfazed when they were honoured with a friendly stage invasion from one of their fans.
A great start from a hugely talented, up-and-coming young band. 
