On November 16th, we had the chance to see ULCERATE, a band from far-off New Zealand, perform at the Hydrozagadka in Warsaw. The band is currently on tour promoting their freshly released album, “Cutting the Throat of God.” Unfortunately, due to finding the wrong showtimes online, we missed the support act, but we arrived just in time for the headliner.
The set began with “To Flow Through Ashen Hearts,” a haunting piece from their latest album. The eerie, space-filling intro built a sense of tension before exploding into a crushing riff and a thunderous, relentless drum barrage from Jamie Saint Merat. Paul Kelland’s guttural growls pierced through the storm of sound, leaving the crowd mesmerized by the sheer force of the performance.
An older track, “Drawn Into the Next Void,” quickly followed, reinforcing the trio’s airtight technical precision as they delivered their intricate arrangements with machine-like accuracy. By the time “Further Opening the Wounds” tore through the venue, the crowd was fully engaged, with horns raised and heads banging in rhythm to the marvelously technical soundscape.
The first notes of “Dissolved Orders” were met with tremendous applause. The ethereal yet menacing guitar sounds delivered by Michael Hoggard culminated in one of the record’s most crushing riffs. The track stood as a testament to ULCERATE’s ability to balance overwhelming intensity with incredible technique and musical craftsmanship.
The lighting for the performance was minimal and atmospheric, casting the band in shadows and creating a TOOL-like aesthetic that added to the otherworldly, occult ambiance. They finished the set with “To See Death Just Once” and “Stare Into Death and Be Still,” but the fans would not let them leave so easily. With chanting and thunderous applause, the audience brought the band back on stage to perform “Everything is Fire” as an encore. And what a triumphant finale it was.
Seeing them live was the culmination of months spent mesmerized by one of the best records released in the genre this year. ULCERATE remains a high-tech, perfectly tuned musical machine, consistently delivering precision and unparalleled intensity to their dedicated fanbase. Check our photo gallery here…
Ulcerate
Photos by Magdalena Niemczura
