Britain’s best and brightest shining star in the Extreme Metal scene, Ingested, stormed into The Asylum, Birmingham, to provide a night of sonic brutality and ear-shredding madness. The tour was originally planned as a four-band bill; however, due to visa issues, South African Band Vulvodynia was not able to take part.
Ingested – Fallujah – Mélancolia
The Asylum, Birmingham – 18 April 2024
Words And Photography: Andy Shaw
Ingested
Ingested, the reigning champions of brutality in the British Death Metal scene descended upon The Asylum for a night of ear-shredding madness.
They truly are one of the most exciting live bands I have had the pleasure of seeing. From the moment they unleashed their sonic onslaught with Paragon Of Purity and Pantheon from their latest album, The Tide of Death And Fractured Dreams, frontman Jason Evans commanded the stage with unwavering intensity.
With added vocals and blistering riffs from Sean Hynes and Lyn Jeffs thunderous drums, it provided maelstrom of sound that engulfed the audience in a frenzy of headbanging and moshing.
Next, a couple from their 2022 album, Ashes Lie Still. Shadows In Time and the title track itself showcased the band’s technical prowess and unrelenting energy with their ferocious blend of groove and brutality.
The atmosphere inside the venue was electric, with fans feeding off the band’s energy. Evans constantly interacted with the crowd who gave it right back in return.
Circle pits erupted like mini hurricanes, while bodies collided in a symphony of chaos that mirrored the cacophony on stage. Better Off Dead was next with an early song, Cremated Existence, following before it was back to their stunning new album for Endless Machine. 
But amidst the chaos, there was a sense of camaraderie among the crowd—a shared appreciation for the raw power and visceral catharsis of Death Metal.
Ingested’s music served as the soundtrack to this primal communion, uniting fans in a shared celebration of all things Heavy and extreme. The set ended with Impending Dominance and Copremesis.
Coming back for Divine Right Of Kings and a stunning version of Skinned And Fucked, as the final notes of their set reverberated through the venue, there was a palpable sense of satisfaction in the air.
Ingested had delivered yet another performance that was nothing short of a pulverizing assault on the senses. For fans of Extreme Metal music, an Ingested gig is something that should not be missed.
Mélancolia
First up were Mélancolia, from Melbourne, Australia, who grabbed the bull by the horns right from the off, with frontman Alex Hill providing a focal point for the band with his vocals and a brilliant stage presence.
Their set comprised of songs from their debut album, HissThroughRottenTeeth, kicking off with Horror_Ethereal then Dread Will Follow. The Asylum crowd loved it, and Hill was encouraging them to jump and move.
Joshua Taafe and Billy Morris on Guitars and Mason Page on drums kept things flowing, and they went into the title track of the album, finishing their short and sweet set with [Inure].
This was a stunning start to the evening.
Fallujah
It was then time for Californian Death Metallers Fallujah. The band only have original member guitarist Scott Carstairs remaining after major upheavals in 2022, but this has not diminished their power.
Starting with The Bitter Taste Of Clarity from their last album, Empyrean, followed by Adrenaline, Fallujah were in straight away full flow.
Unasumming-looking vocalist Kyle Schaefer lets rip from the get-go, and his vocals certainly have the walls of The Asylum vibrating. Two more from Empyrean, Eden’s Lament and Soulbreaker, are followed by Carved From Stone, then a brand new song, Cerebral Hybridization.
Fallujah ended with The Void Alone and Radiant Ascension, leaving the crowd very nicely warmed up for the main event.
