GIG REVIEW: Necropolis Festival Vol. II @ New Cross Inn (London, UK)

After a truly excellent first volume last year, I was over the moon when Necropolis Festival announced their return. Heightened was my elation when this formidably filthy lineup was presented to us. Let us venture into the graveyard that is London…

Friday – Warmup at The Black Heart

Opening the night, local talents Vaticinal Rites played a blinding first ever show. Their crushing old school Death Metal set the tone for the festival ahead as fellow British underground menaces Vacuous followed up. Easily my favourite (of many) sets I’ve seen by these guys whose claustrophobic and anguished morbidity filled their air with dread via a truly oppressive mix.

Claustrum were the first international band of the festival and delivered pure savagery. Their HM-2 laden doomy death worship had a viscerally rotten quality that punished all in the room to ecstatic responses. After discovering their putrescent debut album, I had high hopes for these Italian maniacs and they sure delivered a revoltingly brutal setlist fuelled by carnage and chainsaw worshipping abhorrence.

Teratoma took things into overdrive for the closing moments of the night and ensured the pre-show went off with a band. A tight unit whose rehearsed and masterful delivery felt like a band much bigger than they are. A class act flying the mid-tempo flag of macabre ferocity triumphantly. Despite being from Germany, there were some elements of British Death Metal royalty like Bolt Thrower and Benediction to be found in Teratoma’s sound that made them feel like hometown heroes despite the waters between our lands. Certainly they were welcomed as our own due to their excellent set.

Now I must fester in my crypt and prepare for tomorrows decaying delights…

Saturday

Grotesqueries were unreasonably tight. Their old school viciousness was classy, technical in the odd moment but ultimately a brutal and unrelenting experience that set the tone of pure decay. As a relative newcomer to their music, I was impressed by how well it held up live, in fact as was the case with Vaticinal Rites the previous night, I felt it to be better on stage. Having been rather disinterested by Savage Realm (who clearly felt mutual with their backs to the crowd), this was a real palette cleanser to get the macabre spirit back in flow.

Cryptworm are a band I have consistently enjoyed every release by. Similarly their London show in 2019 was superb. Now with a renewed lineup and a new record under their belts, it was marvellous to see the trio deliver their visceral abhorrence to the stage once more. Bouncing riffs collided with blasting craziness and the crowd was bludgeoned with pure old school Death Metal hammer blows. It looks like they will be very active in touring this year, so make sure you get to a show if you can!

Czech Republic’s Sněť were down a bass player and still managed to permeate the air with their mangled Death Metal assault. A total feast of malignant riffing and nasty vocals with some killer percussion work. Having heard many things about how well these guys deliver their music to the stage (which I loved enough on record), it was a pleasure to see the maniacs I had spoken to were absolutely right. These guys took a missing member in their stride and gave us a crushing set to remember.

Morbific are proof that there is still something in the Finnish drinking water (or beer) as a young trio who absolutely nail their blend of old school Death Metal. I’d describe it as very reminiscent of 90s Finnish and Swedish Death Metal with a bit of Autopsy, Cianide and Mortician in the mix (especially the bass guitar of the latter). Crunchy low end and gurgling guitars met molten swamp-like vocals and punishing drums to convey utter rancidness. The future of the genre is clearly safe in Finland at least with these lads taking every step with confidence to give us a real thrashing. Both records rule and the live set held up, so give ’em a blast!

Coscradh was the pinnacle of morbidity. These Irish maniacs delivered a savage concoction of bestial vengeance and blackened ferocity. Their unhinged and otherworldly elements blended with the sepulchral and dirty, to offer a most graven and intense experience that was caustic and hostile. The deathly spirit was at its highest during this moment and shrieking vocals were the only thing to pierce walls of dissonant guitars and feral drumming. Truly a transfixing experience of death meditation that will entrance you if you bear witness to them. For me, this was the highlight of the festival and a live show I shall never forget. Walking home with the LP clutched in hand, I felt like Extreme Metal had gained something very special with this band.

Hyperdontia were another band I have been hoping to see for many years. Having become a fan when their debut album “Nexus Of Teeth” was released, six years later I finally get to witness this Danish / Turkish beast in the flesh. Immediately the tightness of the band was captured by a very strong mix that showcased perfectly how seasoned and rehearsed this international entity are. The drumming was insane with all guitar and bass parts perfectly complementing each other in charnel harmony. Their set was relatively short but every second was an adrenaline fuelled charge into carnage that the band held mercilessly from start to end.

Vol. II of the festival was a total triumph. More Death Metal shows I thoroughly enjoyed, great record shopping and a crowd with plenty of maniacs to catch up with. It was a pleasure to be back at this one day (and an additional evening) crypt exhumation once more. Until next time, you foul rotten fiends!