Carcass and Cubanate; Planet Rock, Belfast.
Saturday, November 26.
In Belfast, continually referring to your audience as 'cocksuckers' is unlikely to win you new fans. It's a long time since a band has gone down as badly here as Cubanate.
The London duo hammer through 'Body Burn', guitars squealing like stuck pigs and vomit vocals complementing stabbing Techno break-beats. A wave of bodies rush the stage, only to wander bemused back again after 10 minutes when it becomes obvious that Cubanate's Industrial wreckage is more Techno than Metal. New single 'Oxyacetalene' gets a reception normally reserved for child molesters, and the singer's macho posturing makes things worse. As the band quit the stage, there's a sigh of relief.
F**k technology, let's grind. Carcass are great tonight. From the moment that Bill Steer and Carlo Regadas slice out the harmony guitar leads of 'Buried Dreams', the Liverpool quartet can do no wrong. 'This Is Your Life' is a glorious mesh of guttural vocals, incisive riffs and whiplash drums, the whole band moving as one bestial unit. Once considered a gruesome sick joke, Carcass now wipe the floor with the majority of their supposedly more glamourous British Metal peers.
With most of tonight's set centring around '93's magnificent Heartwork LP, Carcass skillfully dish out brutal Metal melodies. Live, the juxtaposition of contrasts works brilliantly - Jeff Walker's dense vocals offset by Steer's tasteful lead work, while drummer Ken Owen nails everything down with deft precision. 'Embodiment' and 'This Mortal Coil' are twisted Satanic waltzes, while new songs 'Edge of Darkness' and 'Firmhand' suggest continuing maturity. No guts, no gore, no messing about.
Carcass maintain their cruel intensity to the end. Kids are literally queuing up to dive on the frenzied front rows even as 'Rot 'N' Roll' draws the show to its dark conclusion. A savage triumph.
Deathly deeds done dead good.