Sodomized Cadaver
w/ Colpocleisis, Exhumation, and Navnlos
The Live Rooms, Chester – 14/11/2021
Review by Rob Sutton
It’s not very often you see gigs on in Chester, which is a shame, as the Live Rooms is a fantastic venue, boasting 2 stages. The main stage is huge, and gives a feel of Manchester’s academy, although for this gig we were in the smaller front room. This gives punters more seating without losing too much space, and the stage is smaller, but doesn’t offer any less of the experience.
First up were local boys Navnlos, a band I have seen before, but these days it’s a completely different line up, with only one original member remaining. This was their first gig after the pandemic, and they have shown massive amounts of improvement. Their Death Metal sound feels so much more refined than before. Unfortunately, I only managed to catch 2 songs, and one of those I was at the bar, so I can’t say much on their set. But from what I heard they have improved a lot and I shall have to check them out properly.
https://www.facebook.com/Navnlosband/
Second on was Liverpool Metal 2 the Masses winners, Exhumation. These guys I hadn’t seen since they won their competition, and I hadn’t seen their name about too much either. Their sound consists of influences mainly from the Death Metal genre, I heard a lot of Cannibal Corpse in the music, but vocally, while we had a lot of the familiar grunts, we also had an addition of pig squeals. This all added to a more modern feel than a lot of Death Metal out at the moment. Exhumation also managed to pull in possibly the biggest crowd of the evening, which helped them perform what was a deliciously brutal set; however it still sounded very much the same as last time I saw them. In saying this, I will definitely be on the look out to watch them again.
https://www.facebook.com/ExhumationBand
When listening to slam on recording I find it difficult to get into the style. The humour seems lost in the indistinguishable grunts and squeals. But live is a completely different story. Colpoclesis, from both Manchester and Liverpool, took to the stage and immediately brought even more heaviness to an already heavy gig. While the grunts from the vocalist remain fairly indistinguishable, it was much easier to appreciate them. I still am unsure if these sounds are actually human. Couple this with some breakneck slam beats, and ruthless drums, and you end up with a barrage of sheer brutality. The humour I mentioned earlier comes out more between songs, where you actually hear the song names, and in some cases a bit of a story. There is something rather amusing hearing song titles such as ‘Back, Sack and Smack’ and ‘Brokesmack Mountain.’ This was coupled with some utterly bizarre intro samples, most notably the Chuckle Brothers engaging in a sexual act with each other. Throwing all this together leaves you with a set you either want to headbang ferociously to, or throw down! It was a fantastic bit of escapism and sets like this really keeps me interested in this genre.
https://www.facebook.com/colpocleisis/
Sodomized Cadaver have made a name for themselves recently with their intense speed and precision. This show was no exception. While the band has been reduced to a mere 2 members, sound wise you really can’t tell. I am utterly amazed that a band can sound this heavy with only 1 guitar and no bassist. Not only this but he is on vocal duties as well. This is truly a sight to behold, and anyone who says men can’t multi-task need to see this. The drummer also added a massive amount to the sound; he is not only rapid on the double kick, but really adds the groovy feel to the riffs. The whole set felt beautifully structured and brilliantly executed, which leaves me hardly surprised that they’re ending up playing the second stage at Bloodstock, along with numerous other festivals across the UK. These guys are an absolute must see for any Death Metal fan.
https://www.facebook.com/SodomizedCadaver/
For a Sunday night gig this was fairly well attended. While places like Manchester or Birmingham may bring more people in to a similar event, for a small city, this was a promising steppingstone in bringing a Metal scene back to Chester. North East Wales Metal Productions should have their heads held high with this one, as they managed to put together a disgustingly beautiful and brutal line up of Death Metal, and have a quality venue in their arsenal.
LINKS:
The Live Rooms:
N.E.W Metal Productions:
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