GIG REVIEW: Morbid @ Downstairs at the Dome (London, UK)

Naturally attending a show with as much underground passion swirling in the air is a rare treat, and one I wanted to write about as a landmark in London extreme music history. After a day well spent with the Crimson Storm HMFC maniacs, we were rabid for metallic mayhem by the time doors opened…

Opening the night, the magnificent Speeder, local youngsters who rip through a set of storming Speed Metal. Having seen these rockers before, I was hugely impressed by how much tighter in just a year they had become. The dual axe attacks were razor sharp, the bass was perfectly locked into the drummer and speaking of drums – the man was wild. Dez’s shrill vocals cut perfectly through the mix and overall they felt like a band who have played far more shows than the handful they have in reality. The movement in the room was testament to people connecting to the sheer old school power exuded from the set and this all reached a climax with a cover of Heavy Load’s “Saturday Night”, dedicated to their wonderful frontman Ragne who only recently passed away. The youth of today may often be corrupted by lame trends and social media stupidity but Speeder prove that the next generation has not only hope but abundant passion and the correct attitude when you know where to look.

Necromaniac are a band I have posted about several times. Just recently I reviewed their immense debut LP and conducted an interview with guitarist Sadistik Fornicator. Being my third time seeing the London based legion, I knew it’d be a killer show. But just how killer, is what I was not prepared for… Featuring a lot of the oppressive and frankly terrifying new material, with Marek from Cultes Des Ghoules even making an appearance, this felt like a huge step up for the band who’s slow-burn yet precise and intricate approach to both their music and their career is continuously reaching further into the depths of hell. Much more than mere Black/Death Metal relying on the usual tropes, these maniacs take us further into the darkness, the mysterious, the hidden and the forbidden. A truly spectacular show to sit between high speed hell and a reanimated legend.

Closing the night, Morbid takes the stage. Necrobird (younger brother of Dead) was carried on in a coffin as the stench of death conjured a sepulchral atmosphere in the room. Joined by the living members of Morbid from the glory days alongside Erik from Watain on drums (filling in for the late legend LG Petrov of course). The reverberate chaos of their mangled demos filled the room with a putrid and animalistically primal sense of potent metallic rage. Throughout their set, I felt like I was entranced by the horrors of the grave, a nightmare come to life before me. All three guitarists as well as necrotic bass ensured maximum stringed destruction while E’s drumming was totally savage. Necrobird nailed the vocal performance, capturing Dead’s ethereal and ghoulish delivery. No weak link was present and everything felt like Morbid logo on stage was being honoured and done justice. A rancid theatre of morbid majesty was upheld from start to end with the entire room transfixed. The superbly executed set was a sadistic and vicious affair with the essential tracks covered such as: “My Dark Subconscious”, “Wings of Funeral”, “Deathexecution”, “Disgusting Semla” and more. Speaking of the latter, a semlabolle of off-green hue was indeed launched into the crowd to give a perverse snack to enjoy with the musical torment. After all these years, the guys nailed the set and show that the past is alive, eternal and glorious forever… A disturbing and twisted set I will never forget!