The UK’s underground Death Metal scene is particularly salubrious these days. Glasgow is considered the epicentre of the movement with an abundance of promising fresh acts, including Coffin Mulch, Penny Coffin and Brainbath. Tonight, the city and The Flying Duck host Vacuous, Iniquitous Savagery and Rancid Cadaver in a stellar lineup of the UK’s contemporary Death Metal subterranean.
Vacuous – Iniquitous Savagery – Rancid Cadaver
The Flying Duck, Glasgow – 4 April 2024
Words: Elena Francis
Photography: Razorrhead Productions
This gig exhibits two of Glasgow’s Death Metal forces, the new Rancid Cadaver and the slightly older Iniquitous Savagery. Headlining is Vacuous from London, another new act that has been turning heads at home and abroad. This is their debut UK tour and marks their first time in the city.
Vacuous
Formed in 2020, Vacuous have managed to engineer grievous music that differentiates them from the long-standing retro Death Metal glut. In 2020, the band released their debut EP, Katabasis, taking classic Death Metal and imbuing it with aggressive influences, including punk, grind and power violence.
Vacuous grew to a five-member lineup and released their debut album, Dreams Of Dysphoria, in 2022. It was more sinister and darker than their EP. Surprisingly, the album even bagged a spot on Time Out Magazine’s Best Albums of the Year list.
The five-piece take the stage and waste no time spewing forth dissonant and disorientating Death Metal. Guitarists Michael Brodsky and Ezra Harkin issue forth despairing ferocity that serenades mosh pit fervour.
Despite the Glaswegian bands possessing the home-field advantage, Vacuous secures the largest mosh pit of the night. Drums from Max Southall and bass from Zak Mullard skilfully control the tempo to contribute to varying atmospheres – fast and punishing or crawling and brooding.
Vocalist Jo Chen promulgates guttural growls and higher-pitched agonising rasps.
For a young act, their stage presence is austere and dynamic. The music of Dreams Of Dysphoria sounds brilliant live, abetted by the venue’s solid sound quality.
Particular highlights include the devastating selections Matriarchal Blood, Body Of Punishment, Stigmata Scourge and the album’s title track. The audience can’t get enough of the headliner’s Metal with a wealth of headbanging in addition to the moshing.
Such a sublime set passes by extremely fleetingly and before long, the show must come to an end. It’s fair to state that Vacuous have a promising future ahead of them.
The torturous and introspective take on Death Metal of Vacuous is a curious listen. The musical development between Katabasis and Dreams Of Dysphoria is a sign of an inspired band.
With this year being the second after their debut, Vacuous have plans to work on their sophomore effort. Either way, it will be hotly anticipated by Extreme Metal diehards.
Iniquitous Savagery
Iniquitous Savagery are the oldest band on the bill tonight, formed in 2012. Hailing from Glasgow and Dunfermline, this quartet are armed with brutal Death Metal for the crowd to devour.
While they released their only album, Subversions Of The Psyche, in 2015, they made the bold decision to avoid performing any material from this release.
Instead, they opt to play their currently unreleased album due this summer in its entirety. The new songs are what any fan of the band would want – bold battery with a technical backbone.
However, their usually muscular and technically adept Metal is partially hindered by the sound tonight. The voluminous drums and vocals partially block out Joe Fleetwood’s guitar, weakening the song’s might.
Vocalist Liam McCall joined the band last year and fits into the lineup seamlessly. His vocals are perfectly guttural with a gurgling viciousness. By contrast, his stage banter is warm and friendly.
Drummer Euan Harrison is particularly gifted, battering his skins like a man possessed. Fleetwood and bassist Chris Ryan are masters of their respective instruments, effortlessly noodling with impressive precision and never hesitating to batter the audience with chugging riffs and the odd Death Metal slam.
Despite the punters’ lack of familiarity with the material, Iniquitous Savagery manage to incite a mosh pit that vented on-and-off throughout their performance.
The new album sounds like a promising continuation of their existing complex bludgeoning style. It’s likely they’ve made some new converts with this show.
Rancid Cadaver
Opening the show is Glasgow’s Rancid Cadaver, a familiar gory scene in the city. Formed in 2021, they only have two EPs to their name, with the most recent, Mass Of Gore, released in January this year.
Their Death Metal interpretation is of the dingy old school variety, a la Autopsy, but enjoys more modern influences, notably the rhythmic slap of Sanguisugabogg.
Chilling guitar leads and punchy drumming coexist to pound the listener into submission. Death Doom passages vary the pace to a blood-curdling drag and contribute another dimension to these death worshippers’ music.
Bassist and vocalist Ross Dunn ticks all the boxes for great musicianship, stage presence and stage banter. He introduces Bog Rot as a song about what he just did in the toilets earlier.
Genetic Enhancement is dedicated to the excessively muscle-bound wrestler Scott Steiner. Before playing the new song Slurping On Cerebral Slime, he implores the attendees to stand and move their arms around like zombies.
This sense of humour only heightens an already thoroughly entertaining performance. Such naturally nasty sewer-dwelling rottenness effortlessly commands the moshers to action.
This is a fantastic way to ignite an evening of bone-scraping Death Metal.
