Extreme metal has become a catch-all term for a variety of genres and sub-genres that push the accepted boundaries of what constitutes heavy music. Considering that metal is a genre already prone to extremity, the notion that something heavier, faster or darker exists is an allure that many fans find hard to resist. For those such fans, tonight’s show at The Triffid with Ulcerate, Pestilential Shadows and Resin Tomb, three titans of Antipodean extreme metal, was something not to be missed.
Local act Resin Tomb were up first. Brutal and punishing to the extreme, the band were riding high on the release of their latest album, the incredible Cerebral Purgatory. Resin Tomb’s songs are short, sharp bursts of pure sonic violence and tonight’s set was littered with all the prime cuts Cerebral Purgatory has to offer, such as Flesh Brick and Human Confetti, alongside some older favourites. Regular performances in support of the new album have turned the group into a force to be reckoned with and tonight their playing was incredibly tight.
Pestilential Shadows hail from Sydney, but sound as if they originate from the wild woods of Scandinavia. Upholding the traditions of groups like Emperor and other second-wave Norwegian black metal groups, Pestilential Shadows have been around since 2003 and play a traditional form of atmospheric black metal. They have a lengthy discography to draw from but have recently released Devil’s Hammer and this, understandably, provides half of their setlist, most notably the pummelling title track which the band uses to end their set.
Cutting The Throat Of God is a career-best for Ulcerate and one of the most interesting metal albums of 2024. Unsurprisingly, songs from the new record featured heavily in tonight’s setlist. Commencing with album opener To Flow From Ashen Hearts, they then moved through a suite of new material that included such highlights as To See Death Just Once and Further Opening The Wounds. Tracks from the group’s previous record, Stare Into Death And Be Still, fleshed out the rest of the show, including the epic Drawn Into the Next Void and Dissolved Orders, whilst long-term fans were rewarded with an encore of Dead Oceans, from 2011’s The Destroyers Of All.
By the time Ulcerate took the stage my ears were ringing and my head was spinning, but the physicality of the music is part of its allure. I am certain I was not alone in my suffering and that others in the crowd were feeling it too, but we endured, gluttons for punishment that we are, for the pain is part of the appeal.
Ulcerate have a uniquely vicious sound. Described as disorienting and even nauseating, their abrupt tempo changes and shifting dynamics can have an unsettling and discombobulating effect; particularly at high volumes. This is harsh, uncompromising music and certainly not for everyone, but for those who do have the stomach for it, few other musical experiences can compare.
Words by Nick Stephan
Photo Courtesy of ulcerate-official.com