For the 10th installment of the See You in Hell event at Bar Loose on March 29th, 2024, we found ourselves in a sold-out show featuring three very different styles of death metal. The downstairs area was already quite packed when black/death act DEPRAVEMENT hit the stage first.
This relatively young band has been slowly carving out their spot in the local scene with their BEHERIT-influenced sound and powerful live performances. With only a couple of demos under their belt, the four members once again did a commendable job of entertaining the audience – including some dedicated fans – and kept the Easter theme alive with an inverted cross hanging from the vocalist/guitarist’s mic stand. Definitely something to keep an eye on if you haven’t had the chance to check them out yet.
It’s been 20 years (minus a 7-year hiatus) since CADAVERIC INCUBATOR began laying waste around the world with their death/grind sound, and for the last seven years, they have been performing in the current lineup alongside Necroterror, drummer Pentele (GRAVEBORNE), and Noisehunter (LANTERN) on bass. Quite different from the opening band, they brought relentless energy that got the now-packed venue going with a tight, no-nonsense show, spanning their records and ending with a track from their split with UNDERGANG. By this point, it was getting really hot inside Bar Loose, so it was a good time to catch some fresh air before the main event.
It had been a while since we saw the venue this full, and it was somewhat difficult to move even before ABHORRENCE began their set. It was a bit odd that most of the people in the first row spent more time with their phones out than headbanging to the gig, but that’s another matter. Welcomed by the intro of the “Vulgar Necrolatry” demo, the show covered almost entirely the “Megalohydrothalassophobic” EP as well as, of course, the full self-titled demo from ’91, much to the joy of the more seasoned fans who were able to see the band in their youth. It was great to see the band having fun while performing these oldies from the past, and how tight they were on stage. The vocalist and bassist especially spent quite some time engaging with the audience in the front, battling the sweat in the human blob of people.
Overall, it was a solid and entertaining show, and it felt somewhat surreal to think that the band is 35 years old when you witness this level of enthusiasm both on and off the stage. The gig concluded with the title track from their first demo, bringing things full circle with the intro, after which the band bowed for the fans and collected more applause. There was still some time for catching up with the many familiar faces before the late-night program began, marking an inevitable change in the crowd. The next See You in Hell event is scheduled for April 20th featuring SIGIR, SWANSONG, and GOTHONY.
DEPRAVEMENT
CADAVERIC INCUBATOR
ABHORRENCE
Photos by Marco Manzi
