Celebrating three decades of one of the most influential releases in Extreme Metal, None So Vile, Canadian Technical Death Metal legends Cryptopsy brought the album’s anniversary tour to the UK as part of a month-long European run. This was a run that began in Hannover, Germany and concludes in Paris, France, with the sold-out Manchester show marking the fifth of seven UK dates. And it was some night.
Cryptopsy
Manchester Academy – 22 January 2026
Words: Matty Hunter
Photography: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography
Frequently cited by Death Metal fans as one of the most extreme and seminal records the genre has ever produced, None So Vile is 31 minutes of unrelenting intensity that reshaped the boundaries of Technical Brutal Death Metal.
The album left a lasting mark on me when I first heard it. I was blown away and quickly understood the hype. It is firmly my favourite Death Metal record, and as a huge Cryptopsy fan, seeing a show on this tour was a must. So I travelled down from Newcastle for it.
The chaos unfolded at Manchester Academy, a venue located deep in the basement of the University of Manchester Students’ Union and one of four rooms within the complex.
With a capacity of 650 and a history of hosting notable Metal shows, it proved an ideal setting for the occasion. A queue had formed long before doors opened, and once inside, floor space at the front was almost impossible to find as fans surged towards the barrier for the best possible view.
By 9:30, it was time for the headliners. The crowd crammed in tighter, with no space left on the floor. Manchester was ready for Cryptopsy.
Formed in Montréal, Canada, in 1992, Cryptopsy are heavyweights and major influencers on Technical and Brutal Death Metal. From the debut Blasphemy Made Flesh to the masterpiece None So Vile, and through more recent triumphs like As Gomorrah Burns – capped by the 2024 JUNO Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year – and last year’s An Insatiable Violence, the band have continually pushed the genre forward.
Their historic appearance in Riyadh in December 2023 as the first Metal band to play in Saudi Arabia further underlined their global significance.
The current lineup of Matt McGachy, Christian Donaldson, Olivier Pinard, and Flo Mounier have spent several successful years touring with some of the genre’s biggest names and present a tightly-knit, cohesive unit. This show marked my second time seeing the band live, having last caught them in my hometown of Newcastle in May when they supported Decapitated.
Cryptopsy entered the stage in darkness as the iconic Metallica track For Whom the Bell Tolls played on tape, with the crowd singing along. When the stage lit, the Canadians detonated straight into Slit Your Guts. From the outset, the intensity was suffocating. Mounier’s drumming was lightning-fast, while Donaldson and Pinard laid down the riffs with precision and style.
McGachy continues to prove himself as an exceptional frontman, doing justice to Lord Worm’s legacy while asserting his own identity within the band. His delivery transitions effortlessly between high and low registers, accompanied by expressive facial expressions.
His neck took a beating, and his movement was a spectacle to watch, rivalling even Corpsegrinder of Cannibal Corpse with sustained windmill headbanging perfectly in time with the unforgiving music.
The setlist was well crafted around fan favourites, featuring six tracks from the None So Vile album, alongside three from An Insatiable Violence, one from As Gomorrah Burns. There was also a nod to Blasphemy Made Flesh with the recent set mainstay Serial Messiah.
Each song landed with impact, sounding incredibly tight, a feat given the technical nature of the material. The night’s performance underlined exactly why Cryptopsy’s name still carries weight more than three decades into their career.
It did not take long before McGachy thanked the crowd and acknowledged the sold-out show. During Dead Eyes Replete, he pointed directly at me in the crowd in a memorable moment amid the chaos.
He then highlighted the 30-year legacy of None So Vile, leading straight into Benedictine Convulsions and sending the room into another frenzy.
Plenty of sweat was shed, the floor never stopped moving, and crowd surfers were constantly bundled over the barrier by security as the band tore through the set.
As the ominous piano introduction to Phobophile rang through the venue, McGachy spoke about the reciprocal relationship between band and crowd, demanding the biggest circle pit of the night for this classic track from None So Vile. The response, unsurprisingly, was immediate.
The vocalist also took a moment to reflect on almost 20 years in the band and the countless tours, singling out Manchester as one of the top places in the world to play. He noted that the city really understands Extreme Metal, and the crowd is always hot, an observation met with enthusiastic cheers and applause.
Cryptopsy pushed through the final tracks with no let-up, closing at 10:20 after the punishing closers Orgiastic Disembowelment and Malicious Needs.
From start to finish, the show was pure carnage. This was a fitting performance for a tour celebrating the legacy of None So Vile, and one of the most intense pits I have ever been part of. More than three decades on, Cryptopsy remain a devastating live force.
On a personal note, I was fortunate enough to grab a setlist at the end of the night and have it signed by the entire band, with Matt McGachy even personalising it for me.
I also had the chance to speak briefly with the band post-show, particularly with Matt, whose podcast I am a regular listener of. I left hoping it would not be long before I catch Cryptopsy live again, potentially at Bloodstock Festival this summer.
